Lawmakers in North Carolina on Wednesday approved a bill that would provide some serious concealed carry reform to the Tar Heel State.

Following a lengthy debate this week in the state House, SB 50, the “Freedom to Carry NC” bill, passed the body in a 59-48 vote, largely along party lines, with 10 Republicans not voting. The measure had previously passed the state Senate in March on an easier 26-18 vote, with four Republicans not on board.

The bill allows U.S. citizens in the state who are at least 18 years old, and generally not otherwise prohibited from legally possessing a firearm, to carry one concealed without first having to get a permit.

Under current law, legal concealed carry in the state requires a permit issued through a local sheriff’s office, completing an approved firearms safety course, and paying a non-refundable $90 fee. North Carolina is a shall-issue state and, according to the USCCA, has some 814,000 active CHPs.

However, even though the legislature has done its part to get SB 50 over the finish line, it is bound for the desk of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, who has signaled he is likely to veto the measure. Further, Republicans may not have the muscle needed to reach the three-fifths majority required in each chamber — 30 votes in the Senate and 72 in the House — to override gubernatorial vetoes.

State gun rights groups are letting those GOP lawmakers fence-sitting on SB 50, if needed to overcome a veto, better get in the game or be prepared to meet angry voters at the polls.

“We thank Republican leadership and the members of the NC General Assembly who sponsored and voted for Senate Bill 50, as well as its sister bill, House Bill 50,” said Grass Roots North Carolina President Paul Valone in an email to Guns.com. “We realize that some members may have chosen not to be in attendance for the vote, and we will be channeling voter input to those legislators. Any Republican who opposes the wishes of the voters who elected him will pay a price in 2026. We have every confidence we can muster the votes needed to override Governor Josh Stein’s inevitable veto.”

Source: Chris Eger, guns.com/news/2025/06/12/north-carolina-on-way-to-become-30th-permitless-carry-state