Const. Amend./Permitless Carry.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 815

Short Title: Const. Amend./Permitless Carry. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Moffitt, Lazzara, and Britt (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
April 22, 2026
*S815-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO EQUALIZE O PEN CARRY AND CONCEA LED CARRY OF DEFENSI VE 2
WEAPONS BY REMOVING THE PROHIBITION OF C ONCEALED CARRY AND T O 3
UPHOLD THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS FOR SELF-DEFENSE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Section 30 of Article I of the North Carolina Constitution reads as 6
rewritten: 7
"Sec. 30. Militia and the right to bear arms. 8
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people 9
to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; and, as standing armies in time of peace are 10
dangerous to liberty, they shall not be maintained, and the military shall be kept under strict 11
subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Nothing herein shall justify the pract ice of 12
carrying conceale d weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes 13
against that practice.Any citizen of the United States who (i) has not been indicted or convicted 14
of a violent crime or felony possession or distribution of a controlled substance and (ii) has not 15
been adjudicated mentally incompetent has the right to carry any legal weapon for self -defense, 16
either openly or concealed, with or without a permit, except on public or private property that is 17
legally posted against it. A system of concealed carry permits shall be maintained for purposes 18
of reciprocity with other states and ease of purchasing weapons, but no law-abiding citizen shall 19
be required to obtain such a permit to carry a concealed weapon." 20
SECTION 2. The amendment set out in Section 1 of this act shall be submitted to 21
the qualified voters of the State at the general election to be held on November 3, 2026, which 22
election shall be conducted under the laws then governing elections in the State. Ballots, voting 23
systems, or both may be used in accordance with Chapter 163 of the General Statutes. The 24
question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be: 25
"[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST 26
Constitutional amendment to make it a right for any citizen who has not been indicted 27
or convicted of a violent crime to carry any legal weapon for self -defense, either openly or 28
concealed, with or without a permit, except on public or private property that is legally posted 29
against it." 30
SECTION 3. The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the referendum 31
conducted under Section 2 of this act. If a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of 32
the amendment set out in Section 1 of this act, the Secretary of State shall enroll the amendment 33
among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of votes cast on the question are against 34
the amendment set out in Section 1 of this act, the amendment shall have no effect. 35
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 815-First Edition
SECTION 4. If the certification from the State Board of Elections under Section 3 1
of this act reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of the amendment set 2
out in Section 1 of this act, the amendment set out in Section 1 of this act is effective upon 3
certification. 4
SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 5
law. 6