Updated February 02, 2023
A North Carolina gun bill of sale is used to document the legal sale and purchase of a firearm between a seller and a private buyer in the State of North Carolina. The document must include identifying details about the seller, the buyer, and the firearm itself. It can also serve as proof that a legal and complete change of ownership occurred between the two (2) parties. It does require notarized signatures in order to be valid.
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Privately Selling a Firearm
As stipulated by NC Gen Stat § 14-402, a Permit to Purchase or a Concealed Handgun Permit is required to legally buy a pistol in the state of North Carolina. These can be applied for at local sheriff’s departments throughout the state.
Prohibited from Buying
Anyone without a valid Permit to Purchase is prohibited from buying a gun in North Carolina. In accordance with NC Gen Stat § 14-404(c), a permit will be denied to:
- One 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 antitrust violations, unfair trade practices, or restraints of trade). However, a person who has been convicted of a felony in a court of any state or in a court of the United States and (i) who is later pardoned, or (ii) whose firearms rights have been restored pursuant to G.S. 14-415.4, may obtain a permit, if the purchase or receipt of a pistol permitted in this Article does not violate a condition of the pardon or restoration of firearms rights.
- One who is a fugitive from justice. G.S. 14-404 Page 2
- One who is an unlawful user of or addicted to marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, or narcotic drug (as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802).
- One who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or has been committed to any mental institution.
- One who is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States.
- One who has been discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States under dishonorable conditions.
- One who, having been a citizen of the United States, has renounced his or her citizenship.
- One who is subject to a court order that a. Was issued after a hearing of which the person received actual notice, and at which the person had an opportunity to participate; b. 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 c. 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.
Anyone under the age of eighteen (18) is prohibited from purchasing a gun pursuant to NC Gen Stat § 14-315(a1), unless:
- The handgun is lent to a minor for temporary use if the minor’s possession of the handgun is lawful under G.S. 14-269.7 and G.S. 14-316 and is not otherwise unlawful;
- The handgun is transferred to an adult custodian pursuant to Chapter 33A of the General Statutes, and the minor does not take possession of the handgun except that the adult custodian may allow the minor temporary possession of the handgun in circumstances in which the minor’s possession of the handgun is lawful under G.S. 14-269.7 and G.S. 14-316 and is not otherwise unlawful; or
- The handgun is a device and is distributed to a parent or guardian under G.S. 28A-22-7, and the minor does not take possession of the handgun except that the parent or guardian may allow the minor temporary possession of the handgun in circumstances in which the minor’s possession of the handgun is lawful under G.S. 14-269.7 and G.S. 14-316 and is not otherwise unlawful.
Registering a Firearm
North Carolina does not have any laws that require the state registration of specific firearms, but per NC Gen Stat § 14-405, every county sheriff’s office is required to maintain a database of all holders of a Permit to Purchase or a Concealed Handgun Permit.
Concealed Carry
A Concealed Handgun Permit is required for any resident of North Carolina to carry a concealed weapon within the boundaries of the state.
How to Apply
An individual must be twenty-one (21) years old or older in order to obtain a Concealed Handgun Permit in North Carolina. The application process varies by county, but the following steps apply across the state:
Step 1 – Complete a firearms safety training course that meets the requirements of NC Gen Stat § 14-415.12(4).
Step 2 – Complete an application for a Concealed Handgun Permit, provided by the applicant’s local sheriff’s department.
Step 3 – Attach all required subsequent documentation and submit the application back to the sheriff’s department.
Reciprocity
As affirmed by NC Gen Stat § 14-415.24, North Carolina recognizes the concealed carry permits from all states that offer them.