North Carolina Gun Laws: Concealed Carry, Open Carry and Buying a Gun

No (as of the current statute text). 'It shall be unlawful for any person willfully and intentionally to carry concealed about his or her person any pistol or gun' except on the person's own premises, with a valid concealed handgun permit (or a permit valid under G.S. 14-415.24), or as a deployed military permittee. Violation is 'a Class 2 misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class H felony for a second or subsequent offense.'

Concealed handgun permit, shall-issue: 'The sheriff shall issue a permit to carry a concealed handgun to a person who qualifies for a permit under G.S. 14-415.12' (application to the sheriff of the county of residence). Criteria include 'The applicant is 21 years of age or older' and completion of 'an approved firearms safety and training course' that includes live firing and instruction on concealed-carry law and use of deadly force (no hour count stated in the statute). Fees: 'Application fee $80.00', 'Renewal fee $75.00', plus up to $10.00 for fingerprint processing. The sheriff must act 'within 45 days after receipt of the items listed in G.S. 14-415.13'. 'The permit shall be valid throughout the State for a period of five years from the date of issuance.' A permittee approached by an officer while carrying must disclose the permit and show it with identification on request.

Generally allowed without a permit: the carry offense in G.S. 14-269(a1) applies to carrying a pistol or gun 'concealed about his or her person'. Open carry is still banned in specific places, e.g., educational property ('whether openly or concealed', a Class I felony, § 14-269.2(b)), assemblies charging admission and establishments where alcohol is sold and consumed (§ 14-269.3, with a permittee exception for concealed handguns), the State Capitol, Executive Mansion and courthouses (§ 14-269.4), and parades, funerals and picket lines (§ 14-277.2). 'Anyone may carry a firearm openly' at State-owned rest areas, rest stops and State-owned hunting and fishing reservations (§ 14-415.11(c3)).

Handguns: transferring a handgun to a minor (under 18) is a Class H felony, except a temporary loan where the minor's possession is lawful, a transfer to an adult custodian, or a devise distributed to a parent or guardian. 'Any minor who willfully and intentionally possesses or carries a handgun is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor' ('minor' means 'Any person under 18 years of age'), except military duty, adult-supervised educational or recreational use, an emancipated minor at home, and hunting or trapping with written parental permission.

North Carolina has no state law that requires a background check, permit or license for private (non-dealer) firearm sales. The former pistol purchase permit law (G.S. 14-402 to 14-405) was repealed effective March 29, 2023. It is unlawful to solicit an unlawful firearm purchase or to give a dealer or private seller materially false information about the legality of a transfer, and dealers must keep records of sales.

North Carolina has no state law that sets a waiting period between buying a firearm and taking delivery. The pistol purchase permit process that previously applied to handgun transfers (G.S. 14-402) was repealed effective March 29, 2023.

North Carolina has no state law that sets up extreme risk protection orders (red flag orders). Domestic violence protective orders (Chapter 50B) require a personal relationship and an act of domestic violence and may order firearms surrendered; a person subject to such an order may be barred from buying or possessing firearms while it is in effect. Civil no-contact orders (Chapter 50C) require nonconsensual sexual conduct or stalking.

North Carolina has no state law that bans assault weapons or limits magazine capacity. State law does restrict machine guns and similar weapons.

The statute bars carrying a pistol 'concealed about his or her person' without a permit (G.S. 14-269(a1)); permittees may carry concealed, including in vehicles, outside the excluded areas. On State-owned or State-leased parking areas, permit holders may keep a handgun in a closed compartment or container in a locked vehicle (§ 14-269(a2)); similar locked-vehicle exceptions apply to permit holders on educational property ('in a closed compartment or container within the person's locked vehicle', § 14-269.2(k)) and at courthouse/State Capitol grounds (§ 14-269.4).

All states. 'A valid concealed handgun permit or license issued by another state is valid in North Carolina.' The statute does not list specific states.

A permit does not authorize concealed carry in: areas prohibited by G.S. 14-269.2 (educational property; exceptions include a handgun in a closed compartment of a locked vehicle, and places of worship that also hold a school outside school hours or during services); areas prohibited by 14-269.3 (assemblies charging admission and establishments where alcohol is sold and consumed — permittees exempt unless the premises are posted) and 14-277.2 (parades, funerals, picket lines); areas prohibited by 14-269.4 (State Capitol, Executive Mansion, and 'any building housing any court of the General Court of Justice'); areas barred by General Assembly rule; areas prohibited by federal law; law enforcement or correctional facilities; buildings housing only State or federal offices; State or federal offices in other buildings; and private premises posted with 'a conspicuous notice' prohibiting concealed handguns (an infraction, fine up to $500). It is unlawful, with or without a permit, to carry a concealed handgun while consuming alcohol or with alcohol or an unlawfully used controlled substance in the body. Permittees may carry in State parks.

North Carolina has no state law that requires serial numbers on, or bans, homemade or unserialized firearms or firearm kits. It is a Class H felony to alter, deface, destroy or remove a firearm's permanent serial number to conceal or misrepresent its identity, or knowingly to sell, buy or possess a firearm whose serial number was removed for that purpose.