​Laws regarding Firearms are unique to each State and County. Information in this FAQ is related to the Laws in the State of North Carolina.

Q. How do I obtain an Pistol Purchase Permit?.

 Contact the Sheriff’s department in your county to apply for a Pistol Purchase Permit.

 Q. What would make a person in North Carolina ineligible to obtain a Pistol Purchase Permit?

• Persons under indictment or information in any court for “a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one (1) year”;’

• Persons convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one (1) year. A person would not be ineligible under this criteria if the person has been pardoned for the crime or conviction, the crime or conviction has been expunged or set aside, or the person has had his/her civil rights restored, and under the law where the conviction occurred, the person is not prohibited from receiving or possessing any firearm;
•  The person is a fugitive from justice;

• The person is an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, or any depressant, stimulant, or narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance;
• The person has been adjudicated mentally defective or has been committed to a mental institution. To be prohibiting, a commitment to a mental institution must be involuntary and it must result in the person being committed to either inpatient or out-patient treatment;

• The person has been discharged from the U.S. armed forces under dishonorable conditions;
• The person is illegally in the United States; or

• The person, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship.

• An applicant who is under an indictment, or information for, or has been convicted in any state, or in any court of the United States, of a felony (other than an offense pertaining to anti-trust violations, unfair trade practices, or restraints of trade). However, a person who has been convicted of a felony and is later pardoned may obtain a permit, if the purchase or receipt of the pistol does not violate the conditions of the pardon;

• The applicant is subject to a court order that:
  • Was issued after a hearing of which the applicant received actual notice, and at which the applicant had an opportunity to participate;
  • Restrains the person from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner of the person or child of the intimate partner of the person, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner in reasonable fear of bodily injury to the partner or child; and Includes a finding that the person represents a credible threat to the physical safety of the intimate partner or child; or by its terms explicitly prohibits the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the intimate partner or child that would reasonably be expected to cause bodily injury.

 Q. What are the requirements to obtain a Concealed Carry Weapons permit in North Carolina?

 Complete an application, under oath, on a form provided by the sheriff’s office;

Pay a non-refundable fee of $80.00;

Allow the sheriff’s office to take two (2) full sets of fingerprints, which may cost up to $10.00;

Provide an original certificate of completion of an approved handgun safety course; and

Provide a release authorizing disclosure to the sheriff of any record concerning the applicant’s mental health or capacity.

In order for an applicant to be approved, he/she must:

Be a citizen of the United States;

Have been a resident of the State of North Carolina for not less than thirty (30) days immediately preceding the filing of the application;

Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;

• Not suffer from any physical or mental infirmity that prevents the safe handling of a handgun; and
• Have successfully completed an approved firearms training course (unless specifically exempted from the course by State law).