North Carolina Gun Laws
Gun Laws Overview
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS | HANDGUNS | |
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Permit to Purchase | No | Yes |
Registration of Firearms | No | No* |
Licensing of Owners | No | No* |
Permit to Carry | No | Yes |
* Sheriff to retain and make available to law enforcement agencies a list of permitees. The list and map below are included as a tool to assist you in validating your information. We have made every effort to report the information correctly, however reciprocity and recognition agreements are subject to frequent change. The information is not intended as legal advice or a restatement of law and does not include: restrictions that may be placed on non-resident permits, individuals under the age of 21, qualifying permit classes, and/or any other factor which may limit reciprocity and/or recognition. For any particular situation, a licensed local attorney must be consulted for an accurate interpretation. YOU MUST ABIDE WITH ALL LAWS: STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL. |
STATE STATUS | |
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Castle Doctrine | Enacted |
No-Net Loss | No Legislation |
Right to Carry Confidentiality | No Provisions |
Right to Carry in Restaurants | Legal |
Right To Carry Laws | Shall Issue |
Right To Carry Reciprocity and Recognition | Outright Recognition |
Right to Keep & Bear Arms State Constitutional Provisions | With Provisions |
Laws on Purchase, Possession and Carrying of Firearms
Purchase
No state permit is required to purchase a rifle or shotgun. It is lawful for citizens of the State to purchase rifles and shotguns and ammunition in states contiguous to this State. Pistol Purchase Permit
Pursuant to North Carolina Statute 14-402, it is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to sell, give away, or transfer, or to purchase or receive, any pistol without either a Pistol Purchase Permit or a North Carolina concealed handgun permit held by a resident of the State at the time of the purchase.
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Possession
There are no state licensing requirements to possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. MORE |
Carry
At least 45 days prior to the expiration date of a permit, the sheriff of the county where the permit was issued shall send a written notice to the permittee explaining the permit is about to expire, including information about the requirements for renewal of the permit. The notice shall be sent by first class mail to the last known address of the permittee. Failure to receive a renewal notice shall not relieve a permittee of the requirements imposed for renewal of a permit. The permit of a permittee who applies for renewal within the 90 day period before expiration, who complies with this section, shall remain valid beyond the expiration date of the permit until the permittee either receives a renewal permit or is denied a renewal permit by the sheriff. During the renewal period, a sheriff may waive the requirement to take another firearms safety and training course. If a permit expires, a sheriff may waive the requirement of taking another firearms safety and training course if the permittee applies within 60 days after a permit expires. MORE |
Antiques and Replicas
Antique firearms are exempt from purchase restrictions. |
Machine Guns
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to manufacture, sell, give away, dispose of, use or possess a machine gun. This also includes any frame or receiver of such a weapon, or parts used in converting a weapon into a machine gun. State law requires a permit to possess the weapon from the sheriff. Federal law does not automatically legitimize the possession of a machine gun in the various counties of North Carolina, nor does such federal licensing require the sheriff to issue a permit for the possession of such a weapon.
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Preemption
All regulation of firearms or ammunition is reserved to the state legislature, pursuant to North Carolina Statute 14-409.40. MORE |
Range Protection
A shooting range shall not be subject to a civil or criminal prosecution for claims of nuisance, noise or noise pollution. MORE |
Miscellaneous
It is unlawful to import, manufacture, possess, sell, transfer, or acquire any teflon-coated bullet. MORE |
Thursday, March 13, 2003
Senate Bill 33, Right to Carry Reciprocity has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill would ...
Tuesday, October 1, 2002
A Dunn, N.C., homeowner shot and killed a man who threatened him with a gun in a botched ...
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Your Calls Made The Difference! H.B. 622, the NRA-backed measure to stop reckless lawsuits against firearm manufacturers, has ...
Friday, August 16, 2002
H.B. 622, the NRA-backed measure to stop reckless lawsuits against firearm manufacturers, has been presented to Governor Michael ...
Tuesday, August 6, 2002
North Carolina NRA members must act to make sure important lawsuit legislation is signed into law! Yesterday, August ...
Monday, August 5, 2002
North Carolina NRA members must act quickly to make sure important lawsuit legislation reaches the Governor’s desk! In ...
Thursday, August 1, 2002
The son of a Lumberton, N.C., store owner was forced to shoot a man trying to rob his ...
Thursday, July 18, 2002
On 16 July the North Carolina Senate overwhelmingly passed H. 622, the NRA-backed measure to stop reckless lawsuits ...
Wednesday, July 17, 2002
The Senate has decided to shelve a permit requirement for gun show operators, a year after Democratic leaders ...
Friday, July 12, 2002
Last month, the NRA-backed lawsuit preemption measure, H.B. 622—sponsored by Representative P. Wayne Sexton (R-73)—successfully passed out of ...