North Carolina Advancing Toward Becoming 30th Constitutional Carry State

North Carolina legislators are making significant progress toward establishing the state as the 30th in the nation to adopt constitutional carry provisions. The North Carolina Senate recently passed SB 50, titled "Freedom to Carry NC," with Republican lawmakers voting 26-18 along party lines to advance the measure.

Concurrently, the state House is considering its own version, HB 5, known as the "NC Constitutional Carry Act." This companion bill has successfully cleared an initial committee vote but still faces additional legislative steps before reaching a full House vote.

Both proposed laws would eliminate the current requirement for law-abiding gun owners to obtain government permission before carrying a concealed firearm in North Carolina. The state would maintain its existing shall-issue permitting system, which provides optional five-year permits at $90 for initial applications and $70 for renewals. According to data from the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, North Carolina currently has more than 814,000 active permit holders.

Regional context adds significance to these legislative efforts, as two neighboring states—Tennessee in 2021 and South Carolina earlier this year—have already enacted similar constitutional carry provisions.

The primary obstacle for the measure appears to be gubernatorial approval. Democratic Governor Josh Stein, who assumed office in January 2025, received substantial support from national gun control organizations during his campaign. In his previous role as North Carolina's Attorney General, Stein advocated for expanded gun restrictions, including universal background checks, raising the minimum age for rifle purchases, and implementing "red flag" seizure laws. He frequently joined multistate legal efforts supporting these and other firearms restrictions.

Complicating matters for supporters of the legislation, Republicans do not currently hold veto-proof majorities in the state legislature, meaning they would need Governor Stein's signature to enact the measure into law.