North Carolina advances permitless carry for 18-year-olds

Senate Bill 50 passed the NC House 59-48 on June 11, 2025, along party lines. The bill would let anyone 18 or older carry concealed weapons without permits, training, or background checks. North Carolina would become the 30th constitutional carry state if the bill becomes law.

Governor Josh Stein vetoed SB 50 on June 20, 2025, calling it 'reckless and dangerous' to authorize untrained teenagers to carry concealed guns. He warned the bill eliminates training requirements and lowers the concealed carry age from 21 to 18.

The NC Senate overrode Stein's veto 26-18 on July 29, 2025. The House postponed its override vote to February 9, 2026, keeping current permit requirements in effect. Two House Republicans, Rep. William Brisson and Rep. Ted Davis, voted against the bill.

An Everytown poll of 800 likely NC voters in September 2024 found 77% oppose removing permit requirements. This includes 60% of Republicans and nearly two-thirds of gun owners who support keeping the permit system.

Johns Hopkins research found states that passed permitless carry saw a 32% increase in nonfatal shootings. When states stopped requiring live firearm training, they experienced a 21.6% increase in gun assaults per 100,000 population and a 34.9% increase in gun homicides.

North Carolina sheriffs Charles Blackwood (Orange County) and Clarence Birkhead (Durham County) publicly opposed SB 50. They warned the bill would make communities less safe and complicate law enforcement work.

The NRA Political Victory Fund donated the maximum allowed $5,400 to Senate leader Phil Berger. The NRA spent $51,000 total on NC state races from 2016-2022. Grass Roots North Carolina delivered a 7,000-signature petition to Senator Berger demanding passage.