Ashe County, NC – Sheriff B. Phil Howell would like to take a moment to inform the public about the recent change in North Carolina Purchase Permit requirements.
Effective immediately, pistol purchase permits will no longer be issued by any Sheriff in North Carolina. The Ashe County Sheriff’s Office has stopped processing pistol purchase permit applications, including pending applications. If you have recently applied for a Purchase Permit, these will not be issued or denied. You are able to purchase without this item. G.S. 14-404(e) requires the submission of a $5.00 fee at the time of application, and the law does not allow this fee to be refunded once the application has been submitted for processing.
All state laws regarding the issuance of pistol purchase permits by Sheriffs in North Carolina were repealed on Wednesday morning following a vote by the General Assembly to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of Senate Bill 41, Guarantee 2nd Amendment Freedom and Protections.
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 the background check required under current law and either be sold the handgun or denied sale if the background check indicates the person is disqualified from possessing a firearm.
Criminal penalties still apply for anyone that knowingly transfers a handgun to a person who may not lawfully possess the firearm (such as a convicted felon). Therefore, 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.
It is essential to understand that North Carolina concealed handgun laws have NOT changed. Any person residing in Ashe County wishing to carry a concealed handgun in North Carolina must still apply for and be issued a concealed handgun permit by the sheriff.