Yes, Vermont is a constitutional carry state, and it is the original one. Any adult who can legally possess a firearm under federal and state law can carry it openly or concealed in Vermont without a permit, license, training, or registration. That has been true for the state’s entire history. The catch is that “no permit required” does not mean “no rules,” and the rules that do apply have grown since 2018.
Vermont does not issue a concealed carry permit of any kind. There is no application to file, no fee to pay, and no state agency that will give you a card to show a police officer. If you are legally allowed to own the gun, you are legally allowed to carry it.
Who Still Cannot Carry
Constitutional carry only reaches people who are allowed to possess firearms in the first place. Both federal and Vermont law bar several categories of people, and nothing about Vermont’s permissive framework overrides those bars.
Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) prohibits firearm possession by anyone with a felony conviction, a qualifying misdemeanor domestic violence conviction, an active restraining order meeting certain criteria, a dishonorable military discharge, or a mental health commitment, as well as fugitives from justice and unlawful users of controlled substances. Marijuana counts here regardless of Vermont’s state-level legalization, because it remains federally illegal.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts2Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Misdemeanor Crimes of Domestic Violence Prohibitions
Vermont adds its own prohibitions. Under 13 V.S.A. § 4017, anyone convicted of a violent crime cannot possess a firearm, punishable by up to two years in prison or a $1,000 fine. Section 4017a extends the ban to fugitives, people under a final relief-from-abuse order, people under a final stalking order that prohibits firearms, and people with pending charges for certain serious offenses including drug trafficking and human trafficking. Carrying any dangerous weapon with the intent to injure another person is a separate crime under 13 V.S.A. § 4003, carrying up to two years in prison for a first offense and up to ten years as a felony if the intent is to injure multiple people.3Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code Title 13 Chapter 85 – Weapons
Vermont does not set a blanket minimum age for carrying, but 13 V.S.A. § 4008 bars a child under 16 from possessing a pistol or revolver without parental consent, and § 4007 fines anyone other than a parent, guardian, or firearms instructor who gives such a child a firearm.4Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4008 – Possession of Firearms by Children5Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4007 – Furnishing Firearms to Children Buying is restricted much more sharply, as explained below.
Because no one screens you through a permitting process, confirming you are not a prohibited person is entirely on you. Getting it wrong can mean a federal felony.
What 2018 Changed
Vermont’s reputation as a hands-off gun state shifted in 2018, when the legislature passed a package of new firearms laws. None of them touch the right to carry without a permit. All of them affect what you can own, buy, or do with the gun you carry.
Universal Background Checks on Private Sales
Under 13 V.S.A. § 4019, a private sale, trade, or gift of a firearm between unlicensed individuals must go through a licensed dealer, who runs a federal background check on the buyer. The law exempts transfers between immediate family members — spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and step-relatives — along with transfers by or to law enforcement and emergency transfers to prevent imminent harm.6Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4019 – Firearms Transfers
No Firearm Sales to People Under 21
Under 13 V.S.A. § 4020, selling a firearm to anyone under 21 is a crime carrying up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine. The exceptions are law enforcement officers, active or veteran members of the National Guard or U.S. Armed Forces, and people who have completed a Vermont-approved hunter safety course.3Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code Title 13 Chapter 85 – Weapons Federal law layered on more: under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, buyers aged 18 to 20 go through an expanded check that includes juvenile records and can take up to 10 business days.7Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime Data: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
Magazine Capacity Limits
Vermont caps magazines at 10 rounds for long guns and 15 rounds for handguns. Manufacturing, possessing, transferring, selling, or buying a larger-capacity magazine is punishable by up to one year in prison or a $500 fine. Exceptions cover .22 caliber rimfire tubular magazines, magazines made solely for lever-action or bolt-action long guns, and magazines for firearms the ATF classifies as curios or relics.8Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4021 – Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices
Bump Stocks
Possessing a bump-fire stock has been a misdemeanor in Vermont since October 1, 2018.9Department of Public Safety. New Vermont Gun Laws FAQs
Extreme Risk Protection Orders
Under 13 V.S.A. § 4053, a state’s attorney, the attorney general’s office, or a family or household member can ask a court to temporarily bar someone from having firearms if they pose an extreme risk of harming themselves or others. The petitioner has to show the risk by clear and convincing evidence. A full order lasts up to six months; a temporary ex parte order issued in an emergency lasts up to 14 days before a hearing.10Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4053 – Petition for Extreme Risk Protection Order
Where You Still Cannot Carry
Constitutional carry does not override location-specific bans, and several of them trip up carriers who assume the state’s permissive stance covers everything.
Schools. Under 13 V.S.A. § 4004, knowingly possessing a firearm in a school building or on a school bus is a crime carrying up to one year in prison or a $1,000 fine on a first offense, rising to three years and $5,000 on a second. “School property” includes any property owned, leased, controlled, or subcontracted by a school, including motor vehicles.11Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4004 – Possession of Dangerous or Deadly Weapon in a School Bus or School Building or on School Property
Courthouses. Under 13 V.S.A. § 4016, carrying a firearm in a courthouse without court authorization carries up to one year in prison or a $500 fine. Courthouses certified as “secured buildings” ban all dangerous weapons outright and must post notice at every public entrance.12Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 13 VSA 4016 – Weapons in Court
Federal buildings and post offices. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 930 bans firearms in federal facilities, with up to one year in prison for a general facility and up to two years for a court facility.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities Post offices catch people out: federal regulations ban firearms, open or concealed, on any postal property including the parking lot, and there is no state-law exception.14eCFR. 39 CFR 232.1 – Conduct on Postal Property
Private property. A property owner can prohibit firearms through signage or a verbal instruction. Vermont does not require a particular kind of sign. If you are told to leave because you are armed and you refuse, you can be charged with criminal trespass.
Carrying in Your Vehicle
A loaded handgun in the car is legal. You can keep it on your person, in the console, or anywhere else in the cabin, with no special storage or unloading rules.
Long guns work differently. Under 10 V.S.A. § 4705, you cannot have a loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle on a public highway. “Loaded” means a cartridge or shell in the chamber, or a loaded magazine or clip attached. For muzzleloaders, it means charged with powder and projectile with the ignition system enabled.15Vermont General Assembly. Vermont Code 10 VSA 4705 – Shooting From Motor Vehicles or Aircraft; Shooting From or Across Highway; Permit The rule applies to the public highway right-of-way, not private roads, and handguns are exempt.
The Reciprocity Problem
Having no permit is the biggest practical weakness of Vermont’s system. Reciprocity agreements between states run on permits, and Vermont has none to offer. The moment you cross into New Hampshire, New York, or Massachusetts with a concealed handgun, you are subject to that state’s permit rules, and what was legal in Vermont can become a criminal charge within the mile.
Vermont residents who travel armed usually solve this by applying for a non-resident permit from a state with broad reciprocity, such as Florida or Utah. Fees and training requirements vary by issuing state, and the resulting permit can unlock legal carry across many jurisdictions that would otherwise refuse to recognize a Vermonter’s right to carry at home.