It’s legal to carry a handgun in NC without a permit, but only in some cases
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- People who are at least 18 years old can carry a handgun openly in NC without a permit.
- Concealed carry requires a permit, training and background check under current law.
- "Freedom to Carry NC" seeks to end some requirements for concealed carry.
North Carolina law allows people to carry a handgun without a permit — but there are some caveats.
Here’s an overview of open carry and concealed carry laws in North Carolina as they stand now.
Open carry in NC
People who are at least 18 years old and have no felony convictions may carry a handgun without a permit, The News & Observer previously reported.
However, there are restrictions on where guns can be carried openly. According to North Carolina’s General Statutes, it is not allowed, for example:
- At schools,
- In establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed
- In courthouses and some state buildings
- At parades
You can openly carry a gun in vehicles, provided the gun is visible and not readily accessible, according to Manning Law Firm in Raleigh. It should not be stored in an unlocked glove box or underneath the front seat.
No guns, whether open or concealed, may be carried into the cabin of an airplane — though they may be unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided container in checked baggage).
Concealed carry in NC
Several groups of people, including law enforcement officers, are allowed to carry concealed weapons.
North Carolina residents are allowed to carry a concealed handgun with a permit.
Whenever carrying a concealed handgun, a person is required to carry the permit and valid identification.
Concealed handguns may not be carried:
- In a law enforcement or correctional facility, including jails and prisons
- In a building housing only state or federal offices
- In courthouses
- In schools
- In an office of the state or federal government that is not located in a building exclusively occupied by the state or federal government
- In an area where concealed handguns are prohibited by federal law
- In private premises where signs or a person in legal control or possession of the site prohibit carrying a concealed handgun
- When a person is consuming alcohol, or when there are traces of alcohol or a controlled substance in a person’s blood, unless the controlled substance was lawfully obtained and taken in “therapeutically appropriate amounts”
Requirements for concealed carry permits in NC
To acquire a permit, a person must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident, and a resident of North Carolina for at least 30 days before submitting an application
- Be at least 21 years old
- Not be living with a mental or physical illness that prevents the safe handling of a handgun
- Complete an approved firearms safety and training course
- Complete a background check
People may be disqualified from receiving a concealed carry permit if, for example, they have been found guilty of a felony, unless the felony pertains to antitrust violations, unfair trade practices or restraints of trade.
Reporting by Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Evan Moore contributed to this story.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
