(Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor)
The North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to approve a bill allowing gun owners to carry concealed handguns without obtaining a permit, sending it to another panel.
Senate Bill 50, which bears the title “Freedom to Carry NC,” would authorize permitless concealed carry for individuals who are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age, and not otherwise prohibited by law, according to the bill’s text.
Its primary sponsors are Sens. Danny Britt (R-Hoke, Robeson, Scotland), Warren Daniel (R-Buncombe, Burke, McDowell), and Eddie Settle (R-Alexander, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin). Britt and Daniel are two of the Judiciary Committee’s co-chairs.
Senate leader Phil Berger is backing the measure, he shared when sponsors filed it in February.
North Carolina law currently requires gun owners to obtain permits from their local sheriff’s office in order to carry a concealed handgun. Concealed carry also requires a minimum of eight hours of training.
“We believe that our constitution is clear that law abiding citizens should be allowed to constitutionally carry,” Britt said. “We believe they should be able to constitutionally carry without having to jump through the hoops that you do for a concealed carry permit.”
If passed into law, North Carolina would become the 30th state to allow what proponents call “constitutional carry” — meaning concealed carry without a permit. The legislation would still allow concealed carry permits to be issued “for the purpose of reciprocity when traveling in another state.”
States allowing permitless concealed carry are not limited to red states, the sponsors pointed out. While neighbors like South Carolina and Tennessee grant it, so do others like Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
The panel adopted an amendment clarifying that gun owners would be able to carry concealed handguns but not other types of firearms. Senators chose not to discuss this amendment.
Several witnesses gave brief testimony during the public comment portion of the meeting, providing perspectives from law enforcement, military veterans, and healthcare providers.
Beverly Falls, a retired physician and surgeon, said hospitals regularly practice crisis events.
She described the situation as a “public health epidemic in this country” due to the vast number of guns. Falls said lax gun laws endanger the public as well as law enforcement.
“It’s a tragedy when we have actual events such as mass shootings, where there are no survivors to even arrive at our emergency rooms,” Falls said. “We need safety measures, not guns.”
Raleigh police officer Hattie Gandhi also spoke against the bill.
She shared a story from her time in law enforcement about how current law prevents violent crime by allowing officers to pursue and detain people who are suspected of carrying concealed weapons.
“Concealed carry permits protect police officers and the public,” she said.
Becky Ceartas, executive director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (NCGV), suggested adding background checks to the legislation.
In 2023, the General Assembly removed the pistol purchase permitting system, allowing residents to purchase a handgun without getting a permit from a local sheriff.
“If Senate Bill 50 becomes law, it would mean that people as young as 18 years old, with no training and no background check, could carry a hidden loaded weapon in public,” Ceartas said. “Make no mistake, if Senate Bill 50 passes, the research is clear: it will be paid for in North Carolinian lives.”
NCGV has noted that weakening or removing the concealed carry permitting requirements is associated with a 29% increase in firearm violent crime rates.
The legislation now heads to the Senate Rules Committee.