Info on N Carolina gun laws

[Remington788]

I'm looking at a job in North Carolina (Raliegh-Durham area) and was wondering about their gun laws. Since I currentlly live in Illinois, just about any other state will be a step up, but I was wondering if NC had any off the wall stuff like a permit to purchase requirement or magazine ban. Thanks.

 

[Johnny_Yuma]

Odd-Ball Laws

OK, we have a handgun purchase permit required to transfer handguns, either privately or through an FFL. However, if you have an NC Concealed Handgun License, this requirement is waived. We have the most reciprocated CHL in the U.S. but the list of places you can't carry is long (still better than IL, however). We have a statutory prohibition on carrying weapons during "states of emergency" that the Governor loves to declare. However, this prohibition seems to be seldom enforced.

No magazine restrictions, registration of weapons, etc. You can carry openly, but it is not the custom. Informing an LEO (outside of Cary, NC) that you are carrying will usually result in "Cool! What do you carry? I wanna get a **** for off-duty carry! Where do you shoot?" Of course, we have our share of "progressive" lawmakers that must continually be kept in check but Raleigh is not Springfield (thankfully).

Take care,

Johnny

 

[Bentley8]

Please go to:
http://www.packing.org/state/north_carolina/
and take a look.

Also, to answer your questions, there is a permit required to purchase handguns, not long guns. The last time I went to get some permits I got about 6, I think. There is no limit in this county to how many you can get at one time and I think they are good for 5 years.

There is no magazine ban.

That said, some areas of the state are more gun-friendly than others. The cities tend to be less friendly, the rural counties more. Where I live in Greensboro, it's pretty gun friendly. The sheriff here used to issue more concealed carry permits than all other counties combined. Don't know if that's still true, though.

If I forgot something I'm sure someone will be along shortly to add more info.

 

['Card]

The handgun permits are a holdover from the Jim Crow era, and were originally put in place to give local law enforcement a method to keep blacks from legally obtaining firearms. Nowadays they're mostly a formality. You go to the county sheriff's office, fill out a statement attesting to the fact that you're a person of good moral character, and a few days later they call you and tell you to come get your permits. In most counties you can buy up to 5 at a time, and they last 5 years. Long arms don't require permits. Just the usual NICS checks.

My favorite thing about North Carolina's gun laws is that we have a common law violation on the books called "Going Armed to the Terror of the People", which sounds so cool to me that I put it in my sig-line. In most states it would be called "brandishing" or "threatening". Personally, I think ours has much more of a ring to it.

Oh, last but not least... NC's firearms laws are pretty mild, but the hunting laws are a major pain in the ass - mostly due to the fact that each county has a lot of input in local hunting regs. I don't know if you're a hunter or not, but I thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[DMK]

No magazine capacity bans or any kind of Assault Weapons bans. So feel free to get a folding stocked AK with a bayonette and 75 round drum if that's your thing.

 

[Stiletto Null]

Go nuts.

Open carry is "frowned upon", but legal. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a defined destination and lots of free time, though.

Durham, Chapel Hill, and Cary are all pretty nasty about guns. I hear Durham has some sort of registration thing going (???), but I don't know how they're supposed to enforce it anyway.

AFAIK, the "you may not carry here" laundry list doesn't have anything unusual on it—maybe banks?

 

[Dbl0Kevin]

What's the deal with NFA laws in NC such as SBR's and silencers? I tried to look into it and from what I saw if you have a CCW permit than the sheriff is supposed to sign off on the forms.

 

[Stiletto Null]

I hear it's fairly easy (heh) to get NFA stuff in NC—expensive as always, but no hassles from gov't beyond the usual ATF nonsense. I dunno about the CHL thing, though.

 

[wdlsguy]

Scroll down to "STATE NFA RESTRICTIONS" and "NORTH CAROLINA LAW ON NFA WEAPONS" at James Bardwell's NFA FAQ.

It sounds like you need a C&R FFL for most NFA weapons and a sheriff's permit for machine guns.

 

[HerrWolfe]

Congratulations on going to NC....them cool guys are just over the hill from us here in TN. And don't shout or sing too loudly as you leave IL; you might get charged for disturbing the peace. You gonna have fun!

 

[Bruce333]

The deal with NFA stuff is the Sheriff of your county has to sign, then the you deal with the $200 tax stamp/paperwork. Some Sheriffs are cool others you can forget about it, Wake (Durham county too I think) is one that won't sign (Raleigh). So you may want to live in a neighboring county and commute.

A C&R will make it easier since you can use the Collecting angle when you talk to the Sheriff, but you still need to get the signature.

Click the link wdlsguy posted for an indepth look.

 

[wdlsguy]

If your sheriff won't sign NFA paperwork, ask your attorney to set up a living trust for you. Or pick up a copy of Quicken WillMaker and do it yourself.

Then use your living trust to buy your NFA toys, no signoff required.

 

[Remington788]

Thanks for the information. The whole handgun thing just gives me a reason to buy a couple here before I leave, kind of a going away present to myself. What is the requirement for CCW? Do I have to wait 6 months or can I apply as soon as I establish residency? Since Illinois does not allow CCW anywhere, it's a whole new area for me.

 

[benEzra]

North Carolina firearms laws:

http://www.jus.state.nc.us/NCJA/ncfirearmslaws.pdf


We are a castle doctrine state, no silly bans on rifles with handgrips that stick out, shall-issue CCW (but some silly restrictions on where you can carry, including VERY silly rules about carrying on "game lands"), generally pro-gun attitudes most places.

As far as CCW goes, I think there may be a 30-day residency requirement before you can apply. (Don't let your local sheriff's office tell you it's longer than the statute says--one staffer told me wrong when I first applied).