North Carolina HB 674: The Firearms Liberty Act.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 3
HOUSE BILL 674
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25
Third Edition Engrossed 5/7/25

Short Title: The Firearms Liberty Act. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 3, 2025
*H674-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW THE ISSUANCE OF LIFETIME CONCEALED HANDGUN 2
PERMITS, TO PROVIDE THAT A CONCEALED CARRY PERMITTEE WHO ALLOWS 3
THE PERMIT TO LAPSE DOES NOT HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER FIREARMS 4
SAFETY AND TRAINING COURSE UPON APPLYING FOR RENEWAL UNDER 5
CERTAIN CONDITIONS, TO PROTECT THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF PERSONS 6
SUBJECT TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROTECTIVE ORDER BY ALLOWING 7
THEM TO STORE THEIR FIREARMS WITH OR SELL THEIR FIREARMS THROUGH 8
A QUALIFIED LICENSED FIREARMS DEALER, TO PROVIDE LIABILITY 9
PROTECTION FOR A FEDERAL FIREARMS LICENSEE THAT ENTERS INTO A 10
SAFETY HOLD AGREEMENT, TO AUTHORIZE THE STORAGE AND USE OF 11
DEFENSIVE DEVICES IN BIOMETRIC SAFES FOR SCHOOLS, AND TO BROADEN 12
DOOR LOCK EXEMPTIONS FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES. 13
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 14
15
PART I. TITLE 16
SECTION 1.1. This act shall be known as "The Firearms Liberty Act." 17
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PART II. LIFETIME CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS 19
SECTION 2.1. G.S. 14-415.10 reads as rewritten: 20
"§ 14-415.10. Definitions. 21
The following definitions apply to this Article: 22
(1) Carry a concealed handgun. – The term includes possession of a concealed 23
handgun. 24
(1a) Deployed or deployment. – Any military duty that removes a military 25
permittee from the permittee's county of residence during which time the 26
permittee's permit expires or will expire. 27
(1b) Fixed duration permit. – A concealed handgun permit issued in accordance 28
with the provisions of this Article and with a stated expiration date. 29
(2) Handgun. – A firearm that has a short stock and is designed to be held and 30
fired by the use of a single hand. 31
(2a) Lifetime permit. – A concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with the 32
provisions of this Article with no expiration date. 33
(2a)(2b) Military permittee. – A person who holds a permit who is also a member 34
of the Armed Forces of the United States, the reserve components of the 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 674-Third Edition
Armed Forces of the United States, the North Carolina Army National Guard, 1
or the North Carolina Air National Guard. 2
(3) Permit. – A concealed handgun permit fixed duration permit or lifetime permit 3
issued in accordance with the provisions of this Article. 4
...." 5
SECTION 2.2. G.S. 14-415.11 reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 14-415.11. Permit to carry concealed handgun; scope of permit. 7
(a) Any person who has a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun may 8
carry a concealed handgun unless otherwise specifically prohibited by law. The person shall carry 9
the permit together with valid identification whenever the person is carrying a concealed 10
handgun, shall disclose to any law enforcement officer that the person holds a valid permit and 11
is carrying a concealed handgun when approached or addressed by the officer, and shall display 12
both the permit and the proper identification upon the request of a law enforcement officer. In 13
addition to these requirements, a military permittee with a fixed duration permit whose permit 14
has expired during deployment may carry a concealed handgun during the 90 days following the 15
end of deployment and before the permit is renewed provided the permittee also displays proof 16
of deployment to any law enforcement officer. 17
(b) The sheriff shall issue a permit to carry a concealed handgun to a person who qualifies 18
for a permit under G.S. 14-415.12. The A fixed duration permit shall be valid throughout the 19
State for a period of five years from the date of issuance. A lifetime permit shall be valid 20
throughout the State until revoked or surrendered. 21
... 22
(d) A person who is issued a permit shall notify the sheriff who issued the permit of the 23
county where the person resides of any change in the person's permanent address within 30 days 24
after the change of address. If a permit is lost or destroyed, the person to whom the permit was 25
issued shall notify the sheriff who issued the permit of the loss or destruction of the permit. A 26
person may obtain a duplicate permit by submitting to the sheriff a notarized statement that the 27
permit was lost or destroyed and paying the required duplicate permit fee." 28
SECTION 2.3. G.S. 14-415.14(a) reads as rewritten: 29
"(a) The sheriff shall make permit applications readily available at the office of the sheriff 30
or at other public offices in the sheriff's jurisdiction. The permit application shall be in triplicate, 31
in a form to be prescribed by the State Bureau of Investigation, and shall include the following 32
information with regard to the applicant: name, address, physical description, signature, date of 33
birth, social security number, military