Pistol Purchase Permit
Pursuant to North Carolina Statute 14-402, it is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to sell, give away, or transfer, or to purchase or receive, any pistol without either a Pistol Purchase Permit or a North Carolina concealed handgun permit held by a resident of the State at the time of the purchase.
A license or permit must be obtained to purchase, sell, give away, transfer, inherit, or receive a handgun by applying to the county sheriff in which the purchase is to be made or where the receiver resides. A purchase permit is good for five years from the date of issue. Antique firearms are exempted. The sheriff shall issue such license or permit to a resident of that county, unless the purpose of the license or permit is for collecting, in which case a license or permit may be issued to a nonresident.
When the sheriff shall have fully satisfied himself as to the good moral character of the applicant, the applicant has successfully completed a criminal history check, and that the applicant desires the possession of the handgun for the protection of the home, business, person, family or property, target shooting, collecting, or hunting, such permit or license shall be issued.
For good cause shown, a license or permit may be denied, and within seven (7) days of such refusal a written statement of the reason shall be issued to the applicant. Each applicant for any such license or permit shall be informed within thirty (30) days of the date of such application whether such license or permit shall be granted or denied, and, if granted, such license or permit shall be immediately issued to said applicant. A permit or license may not be issued to a person:
- who is under indictment or who has been convicted of a felony except that if a person has been later pardoned or is not prohibited from purchasing a firearm under the Felony Act, he may obtain a permit or license;
- who is a fugitive from justice;
- who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a drug;
- who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or has been committed to any mental institution;
- who is dishonorably discharged from the military;
- who has renounced his or her citizenship; or
- who is under a court restraining order for harassing, stalking, threatening an intimate partner or a child.
A permit is valid for the purchase of only one handgun. To obtain another handgun, an applicant must procure another permit and must convince the issuing authority that he needs more than one handgun.