Bill > H643

This bill clarifies North Carolina's firearm storage law (G.S. 14-315.1) to remove ambiguity about when the law applies to firearm storage around minors. The key change eliminates language that previously required a firearm to be "in a condition that the firearm can be discharged," which had created legal uncertainty about whether unloaded firearms were covered by the statute. The bill modifies the existing law to hold a person criminally responsible for storing a firearm in a manner that an unsupervised minor could access, regardless of whether the firearm is loaded or unloaded. The offense remains a Class A1 misdemeanor and applies when a minor gains unauthorized access to the firearm and then: possesses the firearm illegally, exhibits it threateningly in public, causes personal injury or death, or uses the firearm to commit a crime. The bill was likely prompted by a specific court case (State v. Cable) where a tragic incident involving a teenage fatality highlighted the legal ambiguity. The new law will take effect on December 1, 2025, and will apply to offenses committed on or after that date, giving time for law enforcement and citizens to understand the updated requirements.

Government Affairs

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H643