Keep North Carolina’s Concealed Carry Permit Requirements & Safety Protections

I see that the General Assembly is once again scheduled to consider overriding the Governor’s veto of the Freedom to Carry Act (HB 5/SB 50). As your constituent, I urge you to not override this veto. North Carolina’s current concealed carry permitting system is an important public-safety safeguard, and repealing it would weaken protections for everyone—families, workers, students, and law enforcement. The Freedom to Carry Act would allow people to carry concealed handguns in public without a permit, background check, or safety training. That change sounds small on paper, but it would be a major shift in how North Carolina manages risk in everyday life. When more people carry concealed firearms in more places—on roads, in bars, and in parking lots—ordinary conflicts are more likely to escalate into lethal violence. The goal of legislation should be to prevent those outcomes, not increase the likelihood that a confrontation becomes a shooting. North Carolina has strong reasons to reject permitless carry. Public support for keeping permit requirements remains high. Polling shows that 77% of North Carolinians oppose repealing the permit requirement for carrying concealed handguns, reflecting that residents, including many gun owners, want responsible guardrails in place. Law enforcement opposes permitless carry because it can increase the likelihood of firearms being carried by people who have not undergone basic screening, training, or background checks. Without an application process, officers have fewer tools to reduce risk before the fact, and they may face greater uncertainty during traffic stops and calls for service—especially when a firearm may be present but not visibly identifiable. Many agencies also argue that permit systems promote accountability and create a clearer framework for assessing whether a person carrying a gun is legally eligible and reasonably prepared, improving public safety for both the community and responding officers. Experience from other states shows permitless carry is associated with higher rates of gun violence. Research finds that removing concealed carry permit requirements can increase gun homicides and gun deaths after the change. A system that requires a permit is not simply red tape; it is a practical way to promote responsible gun ownership and ensure basic standards are met before concealed carry is allowed in public. North Carolina’s current concealed-carry permitting system is not unduly burdensome. It functions much like earning a driver’s license: it sets a baseline so the public isn’t asked to absorb preventable harm. The permit process includes a background check and encourages safety and responsibility standards before carrying a loaded handgun in public. Operating a deadly weapon in public has real consequences for innocent people nearby—so it is reasonable to require demonstrated knowledge and responsibility first. For these reasons, I ask you to uphold the veto and protect North Carolina from weaker gun laws that place communities at greater risk.