Reenact & Expand Pistol Purchase Permit.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 366

Short Title: Reenact & Expand Pistol Purchase Permit. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives von Haefen, Majeed, Logan, and Clark (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 12, 2025
*H366-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REENACT THE PISTOL PURCHASE PERMIT LAW AND ALSO REQUIRE A 2
PERMIT FOR THE PURCHASE OF A LONG GUN. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 14-402, as it existed immediately before its repeal, is reenacted 5
and reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 14-402. Sale of certain weapons without permit forbidden. 7
(a) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation in this State to sell, give away, or 8
transfer, or to purchase or receive, at any place within this State from any other place within or 9
without the State any pistol pistol or long gun unless: (i) a license or permit is first obtained under 10
this Article by the purchaser or receiver from the sheriff of the county in which the purchaser or 11
receiver resides; or (ii) a valid North Carolina concealed handgun permit is held under Article 12
54B of this Chapter by the purchaser or receiver who must be a resident of the State at the time 13
of the purchase. 14
It is unlawful for any person or persons to receive from any postma ster, postal clerk, 15
employee in the parcel post department, rural mail carrier, express agent or employee, railroad 16
agent or employee within the State of North Carolina any pistol pistol or long gun without having 17
in his or their possession and without exhibiting at the time of the delivery of the same and to the 18
person delivering the same the permit from the sheriff as provided in G.S. 14-403. Any person 19
violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. 20
(b) This section does not apply to an antique firearm or an historic edged weapon. 21
(c) The following definitions apply in this Article: 22
(1) Antique firearm. – Defined in G.S. 14-409.11. 23
… 24
(4) Historic edged weapon. – Defined in G.S. 14-409.12. 25
(4a) Long gun. – A shotgun or rifle that is not considered an antique firearm, as 26
that term is defined under this section." 27
SECTION 2. G.S. 14-403, as it existed immediately before its repeal, is reenacted 28
and reads as rewritten: 29
"§ 14-403. Permit issued by sheriff; form of permit; expiration of permit. 30
The sheriffs of any and all counties of this State shall issue to any person, firm, or corporation 31
in any county a permit to purchase or receive any weapon mentioned in this Article from any 32
person, firm, or corporation offering to se ll or dispose of the weapon. The permit shall expire 33
five years from the date of issuance. The permit shall be a standard form created by the State 34
Bureau of Investigation in consultation with the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, shall be of 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 366-First Edition
a uniform size and material, and shall be designed with security features intended to minimize 1
the ability to counterfeit or replicate the permit and shall be set forth as follows: 2
North Carolina, 3
________ County. 4
I, ________, Sheriff of said County, do hereby cert ify that I have conducted a criminal 5
background check of the applicant, ________ whose place of residence is ________ in ________ 6
(or) in ________ Township, ________ County, North Carolina, and have received no 7
information to indicate that it would be a vi olation of State or federal law for the applicant to 8
purchase, transfer, receive, or possess a handgun. handgun or a long gun. The applicant has 9
further satisfied me as to his, her (or) their good moral character. Therefore, a permit is issued to 10
________ to purchase one pistol pistol or one long gun from any person, firm or corporation 11
authorized to dispose of the same. 12
This permit expires five years from its date of issuance. 13
This __ day of ______, ____. 14
___________________________________ 15
Sheriff. 16
The standard permit created by this section shall be used statewide by the sheriffs of any and 17
all counties and, when issued by a sheriff, shall also contain an embossed seal unique to the office 18
of the issuing sheriff." 19
SECTION 3. G.S. 14-315(b1)(1), 14-404, 14-405, 14-407.1, and 122C -54(d2), as 20
they existed immediately before their repeal, are reenacted. 21
SECTION 4. G.S. 14-404(c)(1), as reenacted in Section 3 of this act, reads as 22
rewritten: 23
"(1) One who is under an indictment or information for or has been convicted in 24
any state, or in any court of the United States, of a felony (other than an offense 25
pertaining to antitrust violations, unfair trade practices, or restraints of trade). 26
However, a person who has been convicted of a felony in a court of any state 27
or in a court of the United States and (i) who is later pardoned, or (ii) whose 28
firearms rights have been restored pursuant to G.S. 14-415.4, may obtain a 29
permit, if the purchase or receipt of a pistol pistol or long gun permitted in this 30
Article does not violate a condition of the p ardon or restoration of firearms 31
rights." 32
SECTION 5. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to the sale, 33
giving away, transfer, purchase, or receiving of a pistol or a long gun on or after that date. 34