RALEIGH — Multiple firearms bills have been filed across both chambers of the General Assembly this session, including two that would allow for concealed carry without a permit.
Senate Bill 50 was filed by Sen. Danny Britt (R-Robeson) in early February with Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) supporting the measure as one of the primary co-sponsors. Other sponsors include Sens. Warren Daniel (R-Burke) and Eddie Settle (R-Wilkes).
The bill currently sits in the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate.
“The General Assembly has made incredible strides to defend the Second Amendment rights of North Carolinians,” Britt, Daniel and Settle said in a joint statement after filing the bill.
“There is still more we can do though,” the senators said. “We need to join the majority of states and recognize that law-abiding citizens should be able to exercise their Second Amendment rights without getting permission from the government.”
Senate Bill 50 would allow for permitless concealed carry for U.S. citizens 18 years and older but prohibit concealed carry in certain locations such as legislative buildings, areas prohibited by federal law, law enforcement facilities and private premises with posted notices.
Additionally, the bill would amend the statutes governing firearms on education property by creating exemptions for employees living on such property. The requirement for these employees to have concealed carry permits is replaced with language that simply allows them to have handguns on their residence premises or in locked compartments within their locked vehicles.
The bill maintains concealed handgun permit reciprocity with other states and requires a concealed carry holder to provide ID to law enforcement when approached or engaged by an officer.
Senate Bill 50 has very similar language to House Bill 5, which was introduced by Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort). The main difference between the two bills is that House Bill 5 creates exemptions for elected officials and appointees to elected offices.
House Bill 5 also seeks to protect sporting ranges from noise nuisance complaints. Under the bill, if any law enforcement training range that has operated for at least 25 years in one location moves to a new location in the same county, a local government cannot prohibit nighttime operations for training purposes.
Grass Roots North Carolina (GRNC), the state’s largest firearms advocacy group, delivered boxes of petitions to urge Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) to advance House Bill 5 to a floor vote. GRNC’s President Paul Valone told North State Journal his group supports the bill and for removing “the need for governmental permission to exercise a basic Constitutional right.”
Upon receipt of the petitions, Hall told Valone and other GRNC supporters in attendance that he does not have a concealed carry permit, adding, “I refuse to get one because I don’t think you should have to have one.”
Senate Bill 50 and House Bill 5 are the latest firearm law reforms since Senate Bill 41, enacted in 2023, repealed the pistol permit purchase system. The move was backed by the N.C. Sheriff’s Association, which called the system “duplicative.” Former Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 41, but the legislature overrode it.
This session, Rep. Julie von Hafen (D-Wake) filed a bill to reenact the pistol purchase permit system. House Bill 366 would also require a permit to buy a long gun.
In the same vein as the permitless carry bills, House Bill 193 seeks to allow concealed carry on private property by anyone with a concealed carry permit or by anyone exempt from such a permit. The bill would apply if the property has no signage designating the prohibition of a concealed weapon.
Senate Bill 280 is similar to House Bill 193 in that it would allow certain employees and volunteers at private schools to carry firearms or stun guns on school property if they meet specific requirements, such as training and permits.
Additionally, Senate Bill 280 would permit individuals to carry concealed handguns at locations that serve as both a school and a place of religious worship while attending religious services or functions.
Another bill filed in the House aims to stop firearms purchases from being tracked by credit card companies.
House Bill 38, filed by Rep. A. Reece Pyrtle (R-Rockingham), would block credit card companies from using “firearms codes” to tag and track firearm purchases. It would also bar credit card companies from discriminating against firearms purchasers and vendors. A civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation is included in the bill.
Finally, House Bill 350, filed by Rep. Tracy Clark (D-Guilford), would make it a Class I felony to fail to report the loss or theft of a firearm to the State Bureau of Investigation within 24 hours of discovering the loss or theft.
All of the House bills have been referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar and Operations.
