Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Minimum Age to Purchase & Possess in North Carolina.’ Who Can Have a Gun. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 19 April

Relevant contents

Minimum Age to Purchase and Possess in North Carolina

North Carolina law prohibits any person under the age of 18 from willfully and intentionally possessing or carrying a handgun, unless the minor:

- Possesses the handgun for educational or recreational purposes while supervised by an adult who is present;
- Is emancipated and possesses the handgun inside his or her residence; or
- Possesses the handgun while hunting outside the limits of an incorporated municipality and has written permission from a parent or guardian.

There is no minimum age to possess rifles and shotguns in North Carolina.

A parent, guardian, or person standing in for a parent is prohibited from knowingly permitting his or her child under age 12 to possess or use a firearm (whether loaded or unloaded) while not supervised by the parent, guardian or person standing in for the parent. No other person may knowingly furnish a firearm to a child under the age of 12.

Additionally, North Carolina prohibits any person from causing, encouraging, or aiding a minor who is less than age 18 to possess or carry, whether openly or concealed, any firearm on educational property. Moreover, North Carolina imposes a felony on any person who sells, offers for sale, gives or transfers in any way a handgun to a person under age 18.

Federal age restrictions impose stricter limits…

[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]

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https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/minimum-age-to-purchase-possess-in-north-carolina/