H.B. 623
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Apr 20, 2021
SESSION 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10283-ML-103
Short Title: Purchase Permit Req'd/Long Gun. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative von Haefen.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO REQUIRE A PERMIT FOR THE PURCHASE OF A LONG GUN.
3 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
4 SECTION 1. G.S. 14-402 reads as rewritten:
5 "§ 14-402. Sale of certain weapons without permit forbidden.
6 (a) It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation in this State to sell, give away, or
7 transfer, or to purchase or receive, at any place within this State from any other place within or
8 without the State any pistol pistol or long gun unless: (i) a license or permit is first obtained under
9 this Article by the purchaser or receiver from the sheriff of the county in which the purchaser or
10 receiver resides; or (ii) a valid North Carolina concealed handgun permit is held under Article
11 54B of this Chapter by the purchaser or receiver who must be a resident of the State at the time
12 of the purchase.
13 It is unlawful for any person or persons to receive from any postmaster, postal clerk,
14 employee in the parcel post department, rural mail carrier, express agent or employee, railroad
15 agent or employee within the State of North Carolina any pistol pistol or long gun without having
16 in his or their possession and without exhibiting at the time of the delivery of the same and to the
17 person delivering the same the permit from the sheriff as provided in G.S. 14-403. Any person
18 violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
19 (b) This section does not apply to an antique firearm or an historic edged weapon.
20 (c) The following definitions apply in this Article:
21 (1) Antique firearm. – Defined in G.S. 14-409.11.
22 …
23 (4) Historic edged weapon. – Defined in G.S. 14-409.12.
24 (4a) Long gun. – A shotgun or rifle that is not considered an antique firearm, as
25 that term is defined under this section."
26 SECTION 2. G.S. 14-403 reads as rewritten:
27 "§ 14-403. Permit issued by sheriff; form of permit; expiration of permit.
28 The sheriffs of any and all counties of this State shall issue to any person, firm, or corporation
29 in any county a permit to purchase or receive any weapon mentioned in this Article from any
30 person, firm, or corporation offering to sell or dispose of the weapon. The permit shall expire
31 five years from the date of issuance. The permit shall be a standard form created by the State
32 Bureau of Investigation in consultation with the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, shall be of
33 a uniform size and material, and shall be designed with security features intended to minimize
34 the ability to counterfeit or replicate the permit and shall be set forth as follows:
35 North Carolina,
36 ________ County.
*DRH10283-ML-103*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
1 I, ________, Sheriff of said County, do hereby certify that I have conducted a criminal
2 background check of the applicant, ________ whose place of residence is ________ in ________
3 (or) in ________ Township, ________ County, North Carolina, and have received no
4 information to indicate that it would be a violation of State or federal law for the applicant to
5 purchase, transfer, receive, or possess a handgun. handgun or a long gun. The applicant has
6 further satisfied me as to his, her (or) their good moral character. Therefore, a permit is issued to
7 ________ to purchase one pistol pistol or one long gun from any person, firm or corporation
8 authorized to dispose of the same.
9 This permit expires five years from its date of issuance.
10 This __ day of ______, ____.
11 ___________________________________
12 Sheriff.
13 The standard permit created by this section shall be used statewide by the sheriffs of any and
14 all counties and, when issued by a sheriff, shall also contain an embossed seal unique to the office
15 of the issuing sheriff."
16 SECTION 3. G.S. 14-404(c)(1) reads as rewritten:
17 "(1) One who is under an indictment or information for or has been convicted in
18 any state, or in any court of the United States, of a felony (other than an offense
19 pertaining to antitrust violations, unfair trade practices, or restraints of trade).
20 However, a person who has been convicted of a felony in a court of any state
21 or in a court of the United States and (i) who is later pardoned, or (ii) whose
22 firearms rights have been restored pursuant to G.S. 14-415.4, may obtain a
23 permit, if the purchase or receipt of a pistol pistol or long gun permitted in this
24 Article does not violate a condition of the pardon or restoration of firearms
25 rights."
26 SECTION 4. This act becomes effective December 1, 2021, and applies to the sale,
27 giving away, transfer, purchase, or receiving of a long gun on or after that date.
Page 2 DRH10283-ML-103


Statutes affected:
Filed: 14-402, 14-403, 14-404
Edition 1: 14-402, 14-403, 14-404