North Carolina Law Summary

Last reviewed: May 3, 2026

Constitutional Carry No
Open Carry Lawful
Permit honored in 39 states
North Carolina honors 49 states

North Carolina Gun Laws

Reciprocity of North Carolina's Basic Resident Permit

Alaska: Permit honoredAlabama: Permit honoredArkansas: Permit honoredArizona: Permit honoredCalifornia: Permit not honoredColorado: Permit honoredConnecticut: Permit not honoredDistrict of Columbia: Permit not honoredDelaware: Permit honoredFlorida: Permit honoredGeorgia: Permit honoredHawaii: Permit not honoredIowa: Permit honoredIdaho: Permit honoredIllinois: Permit not honoredIndiana: Permit honoredKansas: Permit honoredKentucky: Permit honoredLouisiana: Permit honoredMassachusetts: Permit not honoredMaryland: Permit not honoredMaine: Permit honoredMichigan: Permit honoredMinnesota: Permit honoredMissouri: Permit honoredMississippi: Permit honoredMontana: Permit honoredNorth Carolina (current state)North Dakota: Permit honoredNebraska: Permit honoredNew Hampshire: Permit honoredNew Jersey: Permit not honoredNew Mexico: Permit honoredNevada: Permit honoredNew York: Permit not honoredOhio: Permit honoredOklahoma: Permit honoredOregon: Permit not honoredPennsylvania: Permit honoredRhode Island: Permit not honoredSouth Carolina: Permit honoredSouth Dakota: Permit honoredTennessee: Permit honoredTexas: Permit honoredUtah: Permit honoredVirginia: Permit honoredVermont: Permit honoredWashington: Permit honoredWisconsin: Permit honoredWest Virginia: Permit honoredWyoming: Permit honored AKALARAZCACOCTDCDEFLGAHIIAIDILINKSKYLAMAMDMEMIMNMOMSMTNCNDNENHNJNMNVNYOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVAVTWAWIWVWY
Permit honored Permitless carry Not honored

Open Carry

Lawful
Permitted

Duty to Notify Law Enforcement

Required by law to notify the officer upon official contact or when ID requested
Restricted

State Parks

Concealed Carry is legal in accordance with state laws that regulate the right to carry
Permitted

Restaurants Serving Alcohol

Those with permits may carry in establishments that serve alcohol.
Permitted

Firearms at Colleges

Concealed guns allowed only in locked cars in parking lots
Informational

Firearms at K-12 Schools

NC permit holder may have loaded handgun in vehicle only. Private schools may adopt a policy allowing licensed individuals to be armed on the property of the private school.
Restricted

Church Carry

Churches act like any other private property and may restrict
on a church by church basis
Informational

Hotels

No legal restriction - Reference article on page 67
Informational

Secure Storage Requirements

There are legal consequences if one fails to secure their firearm and that leads to a minor gaining unauthorized access.
Informational

Magazine Capacity Limitations

No restrictions
Permitted

Suppressor Ownership

Ownership & Hunting Legal.
Permitted

Vehicle Possession Without Recognized Permit

Firearms are legal when they are openly displayed OR in a locked glove box, locked console, or in the trunk
Permitted

Firearm Law Uniformity

Mostly uniform but some local carry restrictions exist.
Informational

Permit Training Requirements

The class consists of a classroom portion and a live range fire portion.
Informational

Non-Resident Permits

Non-residents may not apply
Informational

Constitutional Carry

No
Restricted

Duty to Retreat

No Duty to Retreat
Permitted

Places Off Limits

Schools, public or private, all levels including universities. A curricular or extracurricular activity
sponsored by a school. This also applies to all property owned by any school.
State Capitol Building, the Executive Mansion, the Western Residence of the Governor, or on the
grounds of any of these buildings, and any building housing any court of the General Court of Justice.
State office buildings or any portion of a building in which there’re State offices.
Law Enforcement or Correctional Facilities.
Events Occurring in Public: It shall be unlawful for any person participating in, affiliated with, or
present as a spectator at any picket line, or demonstration upon any private health care facility or
upon any public place owned or under the control of the State or any of its political subdivisions to
willfully or intentionally possess or have immediate access to any dangerous weapon.
On any private premises where notice that carrying a concealed handgun is prohibited by the posting of a
conspicuous notice or statement by the person in legal possession or control of the premises

The provisions of this section shall not apply to a person who has a concealed handgun permit that is valid
under Article 54B of this Chapter, or who is exempt from obtaining a permit pursuant to that Article, who
has a handgun in a closed compartment or container within the person's locked vehicle or in a locked
container securely affixed to the person's vehicle. A person may unlock the vehicle to enter or exit the
vehicle provided the firearm remains in the closed compartment at all times and the vehicle is locked
immediately following the entrance or exit.

Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Commissioner of Agriculture is authorized to prohibit
the carrying of firearms in any manner on the State Fairgrounds during the period of time each year that the
State Fair is conducted.
Informational

State Contact / Source

North Carolina A.G.
9001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
919-716-6400
www.ncdoj.com
Informational

Permit Issuing Authority

County sheriff
Informational

Length of Permit Validity

5 Years
Informational

Permit Application Process

Apply at the sheriff office. Complete an application, pay the fee, submit fingerprints and provide proof of training.
Informational

North Carolina Permit Reciprocity

Reciprocity shown is for a standard resident permit. Non-resident and enhanced permit holders may have different reciprocity. Always verify before carrying. Use our full permit reciprocity map for all permit types →

Your North Carolina resident permit is honored in 39 states

AK AL AR AZ CO DE FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MI MN MO MS MT ND NE NH NM NV OH OK PA SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

North Carolina honors resident permits from 49 states

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA WA WI WV WY
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