Federal law mandates background checks on people buying guns from licensed dealers in NC. There are no laws requiring the checks for buyers in private or non-dealer sales.
If you want to learn more about this, see our article on North Carolina’s gun laws. If you want to learn more about the background check specifically, keep reading.
Overview of Background Checks in North Carolina
Are They Required?
North Carolina doesn’t require background checks on people buying guns in private sales. It doesn’t require them to fill out a bill of sale either.
But federal law requires federally licensed gun dealers to run checks on their buyers. This means the only gun sellers who run background checks in NC are licensed dealers.
Eligibility
To pass an NC gun background check, you should be at least 18 (if buying a rifle or shotgun) or 21 (if buying a handgun).
You should also not have any of the federal and state disqualifiers for gun ownership. For instance, you should not be a convicted felon or illegal immigrant.
Timeframe
Background checks for gun sales usually take around 3 business days in North Carolina. However, this number varies a lot and some checks can be as short as a few minutes.
Appeal Process
You can appeal your background check results if you think they’re incorrect. Here are the steps:
- Request the reason for denial at www.fbi.gov/nics-appeals.
- Provide these details:
- Your complete name
- Your complete mailing address
- Your NICS Transaction Number or State Transaction Number
- Let the Appeal Services Team (AST) reply within 5 business days.
- Challenge the cause of the denial by supplying relevant (government-verified) proof.