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Helene Update: Some Concealed Handgun Permits See Expiration Extension

a hand stamps a permit

Helene permit update:

Senate bill 382 went into effect as of Dec. 11 This bill extends certain concealed handgun permits issued to residents of 25 Helene-impacted counties, with an expiration date on or after Sept. 25, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024. Those permits shall remain valid until March 1, 2025. So, if you have a conceal carry permit that was due to expire between these dates, your new expiration date is March 1, 2025.  

Gun Awareness 

Carry Concealed Permits and Senate Bill 382 & Pistol Purchase Permits Senate Bill 41 

It is important to understand that North Carolina concealed handgun laws have recently changed as it relates to the renewal process identified in N.C.GS.§ 14-415.16 (e).  Senate Bill 382 pertains to the concealed carry permit extension for the western counties affected by Hurricane Helene, including Buncombe, and it became law and went into effect on Dec. 11, 2024.  Any person residing in Buncombe County wishing to carry a concealed handgun in North Carolina must still apply for and be issued a concealed handgun permit by the Sheriff. However, due to the recent passing of Senate Bill 382, if the expiration date for your concealed carry permit was Sept. 25, 2024 through December 31, 2024, that expiration date has been extended until March 1, 2025. 

 

§ 14-415.16.  Renewal of permit.

(a) At least 45 days prior to the expiration date of a permit, the sheriff of the county where the permit was issued shall send a written notice to the permittee explaining that the permit is about to expire and including information about the requirements for renewal of the permit. The notice shall be sent by first class mail to the last known address of the permittee. Failure to receive a renewal notice shall not relieve a permittee of requirements imposed in this section for renewal of the permit.

(b) The holder of a permit shall apply to renew the permit within the 90-day period prior to its expiration date by filing with the sheriff of the county in which the person resides a renewal form provided by the sheriff's office, an affidavit stating that the permittee remains qualified under the criteria provided in this Article, a newly administered full set of the permittee's fingerprints, and a renewal fee.

(c) Upon receipt of the completed renewal application and the appropriate payment of fees, the sheriff shall determine if the permittee remains qualified to hold a permit in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 14-415.12. The permittee's criminal history shall be updated, including with another inquiry of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and the sheriff may waive the requirement of taking another firearms safety and training course. If the permittee applies for a renewal of the permit within the 90-day period prior to its expiration date and if the permittee remains qualified to have a permit under G.S. 14-415.12, the sheriff shall renew the permit. The permit of a permittee who complies with this section shall remain valid beyond the expiration date of the permit until the permittee either receives a renewal permit or is denied a renewal permit by the sheriff.

(d) No fingerprints shall be required for a renewal permit if the applicant's fingerprints were submitted to the State Bureau of Investigation after June 30, 2001, on the Automated Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) as prescribed by the State Bureau of Investigation.

(e) If the permittee does not apply to renew the permit prior to its expiration date, but does apply to renew the permit within 60 days after the permit expires, the sheriff may waive the requirement of taking another firearms safety and training course. This subsection does not extend the expiration date of the permit

Reminder

As a reminder for pistol purchases, Senate Bill 41 became law March 29, 2023 and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is no longer processing pistol purchase permit applications. This means any person who wants to purchase or transfer a handgun in North Carolina no longer has to apply to the Sheriff for a pistol purchase permit.  However, any person who wants to purchase a handgun through a firearms dealer will still undergo a background check as required under the current law. For private transfers of handguns, while no National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) criminal background check is required under current law prior to making a private transfer, criminal penalties still apply to any person that knowingly transfers a handgun to a person who may not lawfully possess the firearm. It is important for citizens to remember that anyone wishing to obtain or transfer any firearm, including a handgun, must still comply with Federal and State laws governing who may lawfully possess a firearm.  A Buncombe County criminal background check may be obtained at the Buncombe County Clerk of Superior Court's Office for a $25 fee.

 

For more information on this and other Helene recovery resources, contact the One Buncombe Call Center at 828-250-6100. The call center is available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Logo for One Buncombe Call Center

 

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Article Information

Updated Jan 29, 2025 02:46 PM
Published Dec 12, 2024 12:34 PM


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