Concealed Handguns

The North Carolina General Assembly enacted a concealed handgun law that allows qualifying citizens of North Carolina the opportunity to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. This law became effective on December 1,1995, and requires that the permit be secured from the sheriff of the permittee's county of residence. Once issued, the permit is valid throughout the state for a period of five years, unless it has been revoked.

The SBI's Division of Criminal Information maintains statistics by county on the number of applications for Concealed Handgun Permits, the number of Concealed Handgun Permits that have been issued, the number of Concealed Handgun Permits that have been denied and the number of Concealed Handgun Permits that have been revoked since December 1, 1995.

As of August 14, 2003, North Carolina law allows residents of other states who have a Concealed Handgun Permit issued by their state to carry concealed handguns in North Carolina if the person's state also grants the same privilege to North Carolinians. Click here for more information on reciprocity agreements with other states.