North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Basics

The Headline

North Carolina is a shall-issue state for concealed carry. A Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) is issued by the sheriff of the county where you reside under G.S. 14-415.11(b), and the sheriff must grant the permit to any applicant who meets the criteria in G.S. 14-415.12. A North Carolina CHP is valid statewide for five years from the date of issuance. G.S. 14-415.11(b).

North Carolina has not enacted permitless (constitutional) concealed carry. To carry a concealed handgun off your own premises, you generally need either a North Carolina CHP or an out-of-state permit that North Carolina recognizes under G.S. 14-415.24. Carrying a concealed pistol without one of those is unlawful under G.S. 14-269(a1) unless you are on your own premises or otherwise exempt; that offense is a Class 2 misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class H felony for a second or subsequent offense. G.S. 14-269(c). Open carry is governed separately and is addressed in the OPEN_CARRY section.

The CHP Is Not a Purchase Permit

The CHP is a carry credential, not a buying credential. North Carolina repealed its pistol purchase permit in 2023 (S.L. 2023-8), so you no longer need a county purchase permit to buy a handgun. A licensed dealer still runs a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check at the point of sale. None of that substitutes for a CHP if you want to carry concealed.

Who Issues the Permit

The sheriff of the county where you live, not a state agency. G.S. 14-415.13(a) requires the application to be filed with the sheriff of the county of residence. The sheriff is the decision-maker on issuance, denial, revocation, and renewal. Appeals from a denial, revocation, or nonrenewal go to a district court judge of the district where you applied. G.S. 14-415.15(c); G.S. 14-415.18(a).

The sheriff must either issue or deny the permit within 45 days after receiving the items listed in G.S. 14-415.13 and the required mental-health records. G.S. 14-415.15(a). In a documented emergency, the sheriff may issue a temporary permit good for up to 45 days; it cannot be renewed and may be revoked without a hearing. G.S. 14-415.15(b).

Eligibility

You qualify for a North Carolina CHP if you meet every criterion in G.S. 14-415.12(a):

• Citizenship and residency. You must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted for permanent residence as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20), and you must have been a resident of North Carolina for 30 days or longer immediately before filing the application. G.S. 14-415.12(a)(1).
• Age 21 or older. G.S. 14-415.12(a)(2).
• No physical or mental infirmity that prevents the safe handling of a handgun. G.S. 14-415.12(a)(3).
• Approved firearms safety and training course completed, involving the actual firing of handguns and instruction in the laws governing the carrying of a concealed handgun and the use of deadly force. Under G.S. 14-415.12(a)(4), an approved course must satisfy those requirements and be certified or sponsored by any of the following: the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission; the National Rifle Association; the United States Concealed Carry Association; or a law enforcement agency, college, private or public institution or organization, or firearms training school, taught by instructors certified by the Standards Commission, the USCCA, or the NRA. See TRAINING_REQUIREMENTS for the curriculum detail.
• Not disqualified under G.S. 14-415.12(b). G.S. 14-415.12(a)(5).

You are disqualified under G.S. 14-415.12(b) if any of the following applies:

• You are ineligible to own, possess, or receive a firearm under state or federal law.
• You are under indictment, or a finding of probable cause exists against you, for a felony.
• You have been adjudicated guilty of a felony, unless the felony pertains to antitrust violations, unfair trade practices, or restraints of trade, or your firearms rights have been restored under G.S. 14-415.4.
• You are a fugitive from justice.
• You are an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, alcohol, or any depressant, stimulant, or narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance as defined in 21 U.S.C. 802.
• You are currently, or have been previously, adjudicated by a court or administratively determined by a reviewable governmental agency to be lacking mental capacity or mentally ill. Receipt of previous consultative services or outpatient treatment alone does not disqualify you. If your rights have been restored under G.S. 14-409.42, an adjudication of mental incapacity or illness or an involuntary commitment does not bar a permit. G.S. 14-415.12(c).
• You have been discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces under conditions other than honorable.
• You have been adjudicated guilty of, or received a prayer for judgment continued or suspended sentence for, one or more crimes of violence constituting a misdemeanor within three years before applying. The statute lists qualifying misdemeanors specifically, including violations under Article 8 of Chapter 14 (except G.S. 14-33(a)) and a list of named sections such as G.S. 14-226.1, 14-258.1, 14-269.2, 14-269.3, 14-269.4, 14-269.6, 14-277, 14-277.1, 14-277.2, 14-283, 14-288.2, 14-288.4(a)(1), 14-288.6, 14-288.9, 14-415.21(b), and 14-415.26(d). G.S. 14-415.12(b)(8).
• You have been adjudicated guilty of or received a prayer for judgment continued or suspended sentence for certain enumerated assaultive misdemeanors at any time (G.S. 14-33(c)(1)-(3), 14-33(d), 14-277.3A, 14-318.2, 14-134.3, or 50B-4.1). G.S. 14-415.12(b)(8a).
• You are prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. 922(g) as a result of a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. G.S. 14-415.12(b)(8b).
• You have been adjudicated guilty of or received a prayer for judgment continued or suspended sentence for one or more crimes involving an assault or threat to assault a law enforcement officer, probation or parole officer, detention-facility employee, firefighter, emergency medical technician, medical responder, or emergency-department personnel. G.S. 14-415.12(b)(8c).
• A prayer for judgment continued has been entered for any criminal offense that would itself disqualify you. G.S. 14-415.12(b)(9).
• You are free on bond or personal recognizance pending trial, appeal, or sentencing for a crime that would disqualify you. G.S. 14-415.12(b)(10).
• You have been convicted of an impaired-driving offense under G.S. 20-138.1, 20-138.2, or 20-138.3 within three years before applying. G.S. 14-415.12(b)(11).

Term and Validity

A North Carolina CHP is valid statewide for five years from the date of issuance. G.S. 14-415.11(b).

The permit is in a certificate form prescribed by the State Bureau of Investigation, approximately the size of a North Carolina driver license, and bears your signature, name, address, date of birth, and the driver license identification number used in the application. G.S. 14-415.17(a). Within five days of issuing the permit, the sheriff sends a copy to the SBI, which makes the permit-holder list available to state and local law enforcement and to clerks of court on a statewide system. G.S. 14-415.17(b)-(c). The list of permit holders and the information collected to process an application are confidential and not a public record under G.S. 132-1, except for the law-enforcement and court access described above. G.S. 14-415.17(c).

Carrying With the Permit

Once issued, the permit lets you carry a concealed handgun unless otherwise specifically prohibited by law. G.S. 14-415.11(a). While carrying concealed under the permit, you must:

1. Carry the permit together with valid identification.
2. Disclose to any law enforcement officer who approaches or addresses you that you hold a valid permit and are carrying a concealed handgun.
3. Display both the permit and your identification upon the officer's request.

This is North Carolina's statutory duty to inform. Carrying without the permit physically in your possession, or failing to disclose as required by G.S. 14-415.11, is an infraction under G.S. 14-415.21(a). See the DUTY_TO_INFORM section for the full operational rule.

A military permittee whose permit expired during deployment may continue to carry under the expired permit for 90 days following the end of deployment and before the permit is renewed, provided the permittee also displays proof of deployment to any officer who asks. G.S. 14-415.11(a).

Where the Permit Does Not Authorize Carry

Even with a permit, you may not carry a concealed handgun in any of the following, except as provided in G.S. 14-415.27:

• Areas prohibited by G.S. 14-269.2 (educational property), except as allowed under G.S. 14-269.2(k1). G.S. 14-415.11(c)(1).
• Picket lines and demonstrations prohibited by G.S. 14-277.2. G.S. 14-415.11(c)(1a). A permit holder is NOT barred from the other places listed in those statutes: under G.S. 14-277.2(d) a valid permit holder may carry a concealed handgun at a parade or funeral procession, and under G.S. 14-269.3(b)(5) a permit holder (and a non-resident whose permit is recognized under G.S. 14-415.24) is exempt from the G.S. 14-269.3 ban on carrying in an establishment where alcohol is sold and consumed, provided the holder does not consume alcohol there.
• Areas prohibited by G.S. 14-269.4 (certain state property and courthouses), except as allowed under G.S. 14-269.4(6). G.S. 14-415.11(c)(2).
• Any area prohibited by rule adopted under G.S. 120-32.1 (General Assembly buildings and grounds). G.S. 14-415.11(c)(3).
• Anywhere prohibited by 18 U.S.C. 922 or any other federal law. G.S. 14-415.11(c)(4).
• A law enforcement or correctional facility. G.S. 14-415.11(c)(5).
• A building housing only State or federal offices. G.S. 14-415.11(c)(6).
• An office of the State or federal government not located in a building exclusively occupied by the State or federal government. G.S. 14-415.11(c)(7).
• Any private premises where carrying a concealed handgun is prohibited by a conspicuous posted notice by the person in legal possession or control of the premises. G.S. 14-415.11(c)(8).

You may carry a concealed handgun on the grounds or waters of a park within the State Parks System as defined in G.S. 143B-135.44. G.S. 14-415.11(c1). The full prohibited-places list is detailed in PROHIBITED_PLACES.

Effective December 1, 2023, the alcohol-establishment and demonstration prohibitions were moved into their own subdivision G.S. 14-415.11(c)(1a), and the educational-property prohibition in (c)(1) was qualified by the G.S. 14-269.2(k1) carve-out. The substance of the prohibited locations did not change.

You also may not carry a concealed handgun while consuming alcohol or at any time while you have any alcohol remaining in your body or a previously consumed controlled substance in your blood, unless the controlled substance was lawfully obtained and taken in therapeutically appropriate amounts, or you are on your own property. G.S. 14-415.11(c2). Violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor under G.S. 14-415.21(a1). See UNDER_INFLUENCE for the full rule.

The Application Package

Apply to the sheriff of your county of residence. G.S. 14-415.13(a). You must submit:

1. An application completed under oath, on a form provided by the sheriff (the form must be available electronically). The sheriff may not request employment information, character affidavits, additional background checks, photographs, or other information unless specifically permitted by Article 54B.
2. A nonrefundable permit fee. See "Fees" below.
3. A full set of fingerprints administered by the sheriff.
4. An original certificate of completion of the approved firearms safety and training course, signed by the certified instructor attesting to your successful completion, your competence with a handgun, and your knowledge of the laws governing concealed carry and the use of deadly force.
5. A release, prescribed by the Administrative Office of the Courts, authorizing disclosure of your mental-health records to the sheriff solely for determining disqualification under G.S. 14-415.12.

The sheriff submits the fingerprints to the State Bureau of Investigation for state and national records checks (and to the FBI as necessary) and runs a NICS check. G.S. 14-415.13(b). The sheriff must request your mental-health records within 10 days of receiving the application items. G.S. 14-415.15(a).

A permit may be denied only if you fail to qualify under the criteria in Article 54B. G.S. 14-415.15(c). If denied, the sheriff must notify you in writing within 45 days, stating the grounds. You may appeal by petitioning a district court judge of the district where you applied; the court reviews the facts, the law, and the reasonableness of the sheriff's refusal, and that determination is final. The full procedural detail is in APPLICATION_PROCESS.

Fees

Permit fees are set by G.S. 14-415.19 and are payable to the sheriff:

G.S. 14-415.19(a), (a1), (a2), (b). The retired-sworn-LEO fee under G.S. 14-415.19(a1) requires the officer to provide a copy of the retirement letter from the North Carolina Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System or the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System, plus written documentation from the head of the prior agency that the officer was neither involuntarily terminated nor under administrative or criminal investigation within six months of retirement. The veteran fee under G.S. 14-415.19(a2) requires a Form DD-214, a Veterans Identification Card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or other documentation satisfactory to the sheriff showing an honorable or general honorable discharge. The fingerprint-processing fee is retained by the sheriff. Of each standard application fee, $45.00 is remitted to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and $35.00 is retained by the sheriff; of each standard renewal fee, $40.00 goes to the Department of Public Safety. G.S. 14-415.19(a). Full fee detail is in FEES_COSTS.

Renewal

You apply for renewal within the 90-day period before your permit expires. G.S. 14-415.16(b). File the renewal with the sheriff of the county where you reside and include:

1. The sheriff's renewal form.
2. An affidavit that you remain qualified under the criteria in Article 54B.
3. A newly administered full set of fingerprints. No new fingerprints are required if your prints were submitted to the SBI after June 30, 2001 on the Automated Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) as prescribed by the SBI. G.S. 14-415.16(b), (d).
4. The renewal fee ($75.00 standard; $40.00 retired sworn LEO or veteran).

At least 45 days before expiration, the sheriff must send a written renewal notice by first-class mail or, with your consent, by electronic means to a designated email address. Failure to receive the notice does not relieve you of the renewal requirements. G.S. 14-415.16(a).

If you file the renewal within the 90-day window and remain qualified, the sheriff renews the permit, and your existing permit remains valid past its expiration date until the sheriff either renews or denies the renewal. G.S. 14-415.16(c).

On renewal, the sheriff updates your criminal history (including a fresh NICS inquiry) and may waive the requirement to retake the firearms safety and training course. G.S. 14-415.16(c). If you do not apply before expiration but apply within 60 days after the permit expires, the sheriff may still waive the training course, though this grace period does not extend the expiration date of the permit. G.S. 14-415.16(e). Full renewal mechanics are in RENEWAL_PROCESS.

Change of Address, Lost or Destroyed Permit

If your permanent address changes, you must notify the issuing sheriff within 30 days. G.S. 14-415.11(d). If your permit is lost or destroyed, you must notify the issuing sheriff and may obtain a duplicate by submitting a notarized statement to that effect and paying the $15.00 duplicate-permit fee under G.S. 14-415.19. G.S. 14-415.11(d).

Revocation and Suspension

The sheriff of the issuing county or of the county where you reside may revoke a permit after a hearing for any of the following, under G.S. 14-415.18(a):

1. Fraud or intentional and material misrepresentation in obtaining the permit.
2. Misuse of the permit, including lending or giving the permit (or a duplicate) to another person, materially altering it, or using it with intent to unlawfully cause harm. Providing a duplicate to a vendor for record-keeping does not count as misuse.
3. An act or condition that would have been grounds for denial.
4. Violation of any term of Article 54B.

You may appeal a discretionary revocation by petitioning a district court judge of the district where you reside; the court reviews the facts, law, and reasonableness of the sheriff's action.

Separately, under G.S. 14-415.18(a1), the sheriff shall revoke the permit of any permittee who is adjudicated guilty of or receives a prayer for judgment continued for a crime that would have disqualified them initially. Written notice is served under G.S. 1A-1, Rule 4(j), and the permit is revoked on service of the notice. You must surrender the permit to the sheriff; a law enforcement officer serving the notice may take immediate possession, and if served by other means you must surrender it within 48 hours.

A district court may suspend the permit as part of any order issued under Chapter 50B (domestic violence protective orders), for the duration of that order. G.S. 14-415.18(b).

Exemptions From the Permit Requirement

Two categories of officers may carry concealed without a North Carolina permit or with expanded scope:

• Active law enforcement officers and qualified retired law enforcement officers authorized under 18 U.S.C. 926B or 18 U.S.C. 926C (federal LEOSA), who are in compliance with the requirements of those sections, are exempt from obtaining the permit described in G.S. 14-415.11. G.S. 14-415.25.
• Certain North Carolina officials who hold a CHP (or a permit considered valid under G.S. 14-415.24) are not subject to the area prohibitions of G.S. 14-415.11(c) and may carry in those otherwise-prohibited locations unless prohibited by federal law. Covered persons include district attorneys and assistant district attorneys, DA-office investigators, North Carolina district and superior court judges, magistrates, elected clerks of court, elected registers of deeds, designated Department of Public Safety employees who carry written proof of designation, North Carolina administrative law judges, and, for law enforcement facilities only, certain designated non-sworn law-enforcement-agency employees. G.S. 14-415.27.

For everyone else, including out-of-state visitors, the controlling rule is G.S. 14-415.24 (reciprocity), addressed in RECIPROCITY.

Statewide Uniformity

The General Assembly has preempted local regulation of concealed carry by permit. Under G.S. 14-415.23(a), no political subdivision (county, city, municipality, town, township, village, or any department or agency thereof) may enact ordinances, rules, or regulations concerning legally carrying a concealed handgun. The narrow exceptions: a unit of local government may post its own buildings and appurtenant premises as off-limits in accordance with G.S. 14-415.11(c), and may post specifically identified municipal or county recreational facilities. G.S. 14-415.23(a)-(b). If a recreational facility is posted, a permittee may still secure the handgun in a locked vehicle within the trunk, glove box, or other enclosed compartment. A person adversely affected by an unlawful local ordinance may sue for declaratory and injunctive relief and actual damages, and the court awards the prevailing party reasonable attorneys' fees and court costs. G.S. 14-415.23(e). See PREEMPTION for the full preemption framework.

Reciprocity in Brief

A valid concealed handgun permit or license issued by another state is valid in North Carolina. G.S. 14-415.24(a). Every 12 months, the North Carolina Department of Justice makes written inquiry of the permitting authorities in each other state about whether North Carolina residents may carry there on a North Carolina permit. G.S. 14-415.24(c). See RECIPROCITY for the full treatment.

Penalties

The penalty structure for CHP violations is set by G.S. 14-415.21:

• Carrying without the permit in your possession, or failing to disclose the permit and concealed handgun to a law enforcement officer as required by G.S. 14-415.11: infraction, punishable under G.S. 14-3.1. G.S. 14-415.21(a).
• Carrying concealed on posted private premises in violation of G.S. 14-415.11(c)(8): infraction, fine up to $500.00. You may surrender the permit in lieu of the fine. G.S. 14-415.21(a).
• Carrying concealed while consuming alcohol or with alcohol or a previously consumed controlled substance in your body in violation of G.S. 14-415.11(c2): Class 1 misdemeanor. G.S. 14-415.21(a1).
• Any other violation of Article 54B not covered by subsection (a) or (a1): Class 2 misdemeanor. G.S. 14-415.21(b).

Separately, carrying a concealed pistol without a valid permit (and not on your own premises or otherwise exempt) is an offense under G.S. 14-269(a1): a Class 2 misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class H felony for a second or subsequent offense. G.S. 14-269(c).

Quick Reference: Permit Lifecycle