Why do you want or even need a Utah Non-Resident Permit? You don’t care about going to Utah…. Well, it’s not about going to Utah.
The first reason is to add additional states that it is legal to carry a firearm for self-defense. A Utah Non-Resident permit would add Delaware, Wisconsin, & Washington. More is better!
The second reason is the VA Legislature is trying to restrict reciprocity again. It’s like a flash back to 10 years ago when Mark Herring the VA Attorney General at the time tried doing this same thing. Re-examine the reciprocity agreements that Virginia had with other States to recognize each other’s permits. Mark Herring announced that there would only be 5 states that would still be recognized. States like North Carolina, out! Kentucky, out! Tennessee, out! 25 states Virginia had reciprocity with would no longer be recognized.
Thankfully, ten years ago the democrats that were attempting this didn’t have full control of both sides of the legislature, and they agreed to a compromise for other things they wanted and the Attorney General was removed from the process and Virginia started recognizing any permit issued by any state. Due to this change in the law and recognizing other states permit that we didn’t recognize previously Virginia added 5 states via reciprocity agreement to where we are now.
Unfortunately, due to the November 2025 Virginia election the side that doesn’t like firearms has control of the Senate, House, AG, Lt.Gov, & the Gov. So, they will control all the committees the bills have to pass though and enough votes to pass them. The new Governor Angela Spanburger said during her campaign that she would of signed all the “common sense gun control” that has been passed the last two years here in Virginia.
Recnetly two new proposed bills have been filed for this years General Assembly. House Bill 24 & Senate Bill 115. The two proposed bills require the Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to review any agreements for reciprocal recognition that are in place with any other states as of July 1, 2026, to determine whether the requirements and qualifications of those states’ laws are adequate to prevent possession of a permit or license by persons who would be denied a permit in the Commonwealth and revoke any reciprocity agreement or recognition of any states that do not meet such requirements or qualifications by December 1, 2026.
So, there will be reciprocity changes coming. Now is the time to get a Utah permit so that when these changes are made they wont affect you as much due to the overlap with Utah’s reciprocity agreements that wouldn’t be affected by Virginia making changes to their reciprocity agreements.
These 30 states recognize Utah Non-Resident permits: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
To summarize, even if Virginia no longer recognizes any other states permits you would still have 31 states that you could legally still carry in (VA + Utah’s 30 States). I would assume like 10 years ago there will be some states Virginia will still honor, the question will be how many of those states will be overlapping with Utah.