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North Carolina law prohibits anyone from selling or otherwise transferring a handgun to a person who has not obtained a permit to purchase a handgun or a concealed handgun permit.1 Furthermore, it is unlawful for any person to receive a handgun from any postmaster, postal clerk, employee in the parcel post department, rural mail carrier, express agent or employee, railroad agent or employee within North Carolina without having a permit in his or her possession and without exhibiting the permit at the time of delivery to the person delivering the firearm.2 See the Licensing in North Carolina section for more information.

North Carolina enacted a law in 2011 that penalizes any person who knowingly solicits, persuades, encourages, or entices a licensed dealer or private seller of firearms or ammunition to transfer a firearm or ammunition under circumstances that the person knows would violate the laws of this State or the United States.3 The law also penalizes any person who provides to a licensed dealer or private seller of firearms or ammunition information that the person knows to be materially false information with the intent to deceive the dealer or seller about the legality of a transfer of a firearm or ammunition.4 Any person who willfully procures another to engage in conduct prohibited by this law may be held accountable as a principal.5

It is unlawful for any person to alter, deface, destroy, or remove the permanent serial number, manufacturer’s identification plate, or other permanent distinguishing number or identification mark from any firearm with the intent thereby to conceal or misrepresent the identity of the firearm.6 It is also unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, buy, or be in possession of any firearm on which the permanent serial number, manufacturer’s identification plate, or other permanent distinguishing number or identification mark has been altered, defaced, destroyed, or removed for the purpose of concealing or misrepresenting the identity of the firearm.7

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  1. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-402.[]
  2. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-402(a).[]
  3. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-408.1(b).[]
  4. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-408.1(c).[]
  5. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-408.1(d).[]
  6. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-160.2(a).[]
  7. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-160.2(b).[]