New gun laws may cause permit delays
Published 12:10 am Monday, December 14, 2015
A recent amendment to firearm laws by the General Assembly means that permit processing may be delayed.
House Bill 562, which was passed on Aug. 5, made several changes to North Carolina firearms law and includes altering the way sheriff’s offices evaluate and process pistol permits.
“As sheriffs, we have attempted to implement these changes mandated by the General Assembly in such a way as to minimize the inconvenience to pistol purchase permit applicants,” the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said in an email release Friday. “However, these new requirements do result in some additional steps that applicants for pistol purchase permits must comply with.”
The changes were effective as of Dec. 1 and require:
- A uniform application, created by the SBI, for all pistol purchase permits and pistol purchase permit certificates. Pistol purchase permits issued before this date remain valid until their expiration date.
- If someone wishes to purchase a pistol permit, the Sheriff’s Office must evaluate the applicant’s conduct and criminal history for a five-year period immediately preceding the date of the application. The Sheriff’s Office may consider crimes that predate five years if the crime or condition is independently a disqualifier for a pistol purchase permit (for example, a felony conviction or involuntary commitment).
- If an applicant wants to appeal a denial of a permit, they must take the appeal to Superior Court.
- Applicants must submit the following items: a permit application, $5 for each permit requested, a government-issued ID, proof of residency and a signed release that authorizes and requires any entity that has court orders concerning the mental health or capacity of the applicant to be disclosed to the sheriff.
The final requirement will cause permit processing to be delayed so that the forms can be reviewed by the clerk of court. Residents will not be able to apply for a pistol permit online since a notarized form from the clerk of court is required. This option has been removed from Sheriff’s Office website until the issue is resolved. Residents should not go to Google or apply using the Internet if you have this option saved as one of their favorites.
If you have additional questions, contact Sheriff Kevin L. Auten of the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office at 704-216-8671.
