I’m not about to dive into the ins and outs of the law of concealed carry in North Carolina. You can read the laws at your leisure. I’m not going to dive into the controversy over the right to bear arms and the right to carry a concealed firearm. You can have that discussion with someone else on your own free time. The purpose of this post is to give you an idea of what makes someone a responsible concealed carry permittee. Given high-profile news stories about dangerous and deadly interactions with police and the fact that there are so many concealed carry permittees in North Carolina, I would like to inform you of what you should know about carrying a concealed firearm in North Carolina.
In North Carolina, Article 54B of Chapter 14 of the North Carolina General Statutes governs the rights and restrictions regarding the concealed carry of a firearm (NCGS §14-415.10 through 14-415.27). North Carolina is considered a “shall issue” state, meaning that as long as an applicant for a concealed carry permit meets the requirements of eligibility, the sheriff of the applicant’s county of residence SHALL issue the applicant a concealed carry permit.
(credit to this December 2015 publication from the NC Department of Justice)
“DO’S AND DON’TS” OF CARRYING A CONCEALED HANDGUN
1. Your permit to carry a concealed handgun must be carried along with valid identification whenever the handgun is being carried concealed.
2. When approached or addressed by any officer, you must disclose the fact that you have a valid concealed handgun permit and inform the officer that you are in possession of a concealed handgun. You should not attempt to draw or display either your weapon or your permit for the officer unless and until he/she directs you to do so. Your hands are to be kept in plain view and you are not to make any sudden movements.
3. At the request of any law enforcement officer, you must display both the permit and valid identification.
4. You may not, with or without a permit, carry a concealed weapon while consuming alcohol or while alcohol or any substance, controlled or otherwise, is in your blood unless the substance was obtained legally and taken in therapeutically appropriate amounts.
5. You must notify the sheriff who issued your permit of any address change within thirty (30) days of the change of address.
6. If a permit is lost or destroyed, you must notify the sheriff who issued the permit and you may receive a duplicate permit by submitting a notarized statement to that effect, along with the required fee. Do not carry a handgun without it.
7. Even with a permit, you may not carry a concealed handgun in the following areas:
- Any law enforcement or correctional facility;
- Any space occupied by State or federal employees;
- Any premises where the carrying of a concealed handgun is prohibited by the posting of a statement by the controller of the premises;
- Public educational property, however a permittee may secure a handgun in a locked vehicle;
- Areas of assemblies or demonstrations;
- State occupied property;
- Any State or federal courthouse;
- Any area prohibited by federal law; or
- Any local government building if the local government has adopted an ordinance and posted signs prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons.
8. If you are in a vehicle and stopped by a law enforcement officer, you should put both hands on the steering wheel, announce you are in possession of a concealed handgun, and state where you have it concealed and that you are in possession of a permit. Do not remove your hands from the wheel until instructed to do so by the officer.
Use this knowledge to be a safe and responsible concealed firearm carrier. The life you save may be your own.