North Carolina Gun Control Laws

Code Section

The following sections of the North Carolina General Statutes make up the control laws in the state:

• Article 35: Offenses Against the Public Peace;
• Article 36: Offenses Against the Public Safety;
• Article 52A: Sale of Weapons in Certain Counties;
• Article 53: Sale of Weapons in Certain Other Counties;
• Article 53A: Other Firearms;
• Article 53B: Firearm Regulation;
• Article 53C: Sport Shooting Range Protection Act of 1997;
• Article 54A: The Felony Firearms Act; and
• Article 54B: Concealed Handgun Permit.

Illegal Arms

Possession and sales of these weapons is illegal in North Carolina: machine gun, submachine gun and other like weapons, and unlicensed pistol or crossbow

Waiting Period

There is a thirty-day waiting period to get a concealed handgun carry permit. Permits are valid for five years and must be kept together with valid identification every time person carries the concealed weapon.

Who May Not Own a Firearm

The following individuals are prohibited from owning a firearm in North Carolina:

 1. Within five years of conviction or termination of sentence (whichever is later), a convicted felon cannot own a handgun or gun with a barrel less than eighteen inches or an overall length of less than twenty-six inches or any weapon of mass death and destruction;

2. Fugitive from justice;

3. Unlawful user of drugs;

4. A person deemed by a court to be incompetent on grounds of mental illness; and

5. Illegal aliens.

Law Prohibiting Firearms On or Near School Grounds

It is a felony to possess a firearm on school property or bring a forearm to a school-sponsored event (section 14-269.2(b)).