North Carolina: Comprehensive Pro-Gun Bill Signed into Law

Yesterday, the most comprehensive pro-gun reform bill in the Tar Heel State’s history since 1995, House Bill 937, was signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory (R).  This measure will take effect on October 1, 2013.

After the House and Senate approved different versions of H 937, the bill was sent to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve the differences between the two versions.  While the Senate version of H 937 sought to completely repeal the state’s antiquated and unnecessary requirement to obtain a permit to purchase a handgun, the final language approved by both legislative chambers, and has now been enacted into law, seeks to reform the handgun purchase permit law by making the following changes:

• Improves and streamlines the permit issuing process.
• Establishes a revocation requirement for individuals issued a permit who later become prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm.
• Improves the reporting process of the records of individuals who are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
• Safeguards the confidentiality of individuals applying for a handgun purchase permit.

Your NRA will continue to work with legislators on future efforts to fully repeal the outdated handgun purchase permit law.

Along with several improvements to the handgun purchase permit law, H 937 also does the following:

• Allows Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) holders to lawfully carry their personal protection firearm into a restaurant that serves alcohol, provided they do not consume alcohol.
• Removes the prohibition on CHP holders from carrying into a place where tickets are sold for admission.
• Fixes the problem of anti-gun localities overstepping their authority regarding restricting CHP holders from carrying firearms into locally controlled parks.
• Allows CHP holders to transport their personal protection handguns in their motor vehicle while on all school property, as well as allow them to store those handguns in their locked vehicles while parked on school property.
• Ensures the privacy of CHP holders by allowing access to the database of permittees only for law enforcement purposes.
• Removes the prohibition on CHP holders carrying their personal protection firearms during a parade or funeral.
• Brings North Carolina in compliance with the standards set forth in the federal NICS Improvement Amendments Act (NIAA) of 2007—a critical mental health reform.
• Removes the prohibition on using firearms with sound suppressing devices while otherwise lawfully hunting game.

The NRA thanks all state lawmakers who voted for these important reforms, the bill sponsors for fostering their passage, the North Carolina Rifle and Pistol Association, Governor McCrory for signing H 937 into law and all NRA members who contacted their state legislators in support of H 937.