Carteret County Sheriff's Office Online Gun Permit Applications

General Information

Learning the laws regulating the use of firearms is a must for responsible ownership. Local regulations differ and laws vary from state to state. Citizens must check with the jurisdiction where the gun is to be used.

Generally, laws require the following:

Permits to buy handguns in North Carolina must be obtained from the sheriff in the county that you reside. In Carteret County it is the Sheriff's Office. The Cost is $5.00.
Gun purchase permit applications must be completed online and will be processed on normal business days (Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM). Click the "Let's get Started" button to apply for a permit.

Gaining competency with firearms is like learning to drive a car or fly an airplane. You need expert instruction and practice. There is no shortcut. If you are not willing to invest the time and effort to become competent, then having a firearm and trying to use it can, in many instances, be more hazardous than any impending threat.

Effective December 1, 2015

North Carolina General Statute 14-404(e1) requires applicants to sign a release of court orders concerning mental health and capacity for pistol purchase permits.

After completing the online portion of the application, you MUST come in to the Sheriff’s Office within five (5) business days to complete or provide this release.

Your application process will not begin until this final step has been completed.

If you have questions regarding these changes please contact the office at (252) 728-8400

Let's Get Started

Handgun Purchase Permit Requirements: ^{must meet ALL requirements}

Applicant Must:

be a citizen, a naturalized citizen or a resident alien;
be eighteen (18) years of age;
have attained at least 30 days residency in Carteret County;
at the time of pickup, provide a valid NC driver's license with correct address or military ID with proof of residency in Carteret County.

Please note that as part of the application process, you will authorize the Carteret County Clerk of Superior Court to inform the Sheriff of Carteret County whether or not the clerks’ records contain the record of any involuntary mental commitment proceeding under Article 5 of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes in which you have been named as a respondent. The purpose of this release is to enable the Sheriff to determine your qualification and competence to purchase and handle a handgun.

The Carteret County Sheriff’s department offers this online service as a convenience to the community. In addition to the per permit fee of $5, the system will charge a per transaction fee for the convenience of applying and paying for your permits online. The convenience fee is not collected by the Sheriff. This fee is paid to the company that provides this order, payment and processing system to the public. The total fee is non-refundable.

For More Information, Contact:

Deputy Rodney Cahoon
CCW/Purchase Permit Support Specialist
Carteret County Sheriff's Office
304 Craven Street
Beaufort, NC 28516

Rodney.Cahoon@carteretcountync.gov
phone: 252-728-8400 Ext. 8808
fax: 252-504-4818

For Technical Support, Contact:

Permitium Software
Email: help@permitium.com
Phone: (855) 642-2453

NC General Statute 14-315.1: Storage of firearms to protect minors

(a) Any person who resides in the same premises as a minor, owns or possesses a firearm, and stores or leaves the firearm (i) in a condition that the firearm can be discharged and (ii) in a manner that the person knew or should have known that an unsupervised minor would be able to gain access to the firearm, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if a minor gains access to the firearm without the lawful permission of the minor's parents or a person having charge of the minor and the minor:

Possesses it in violation of G.S. 14-269.2(b);
Exhibits it in a public place in a careless, angry, or threatening manner;
Causes personal injury or death with it not in self defense; or
Uses it in the commission of a crime.

(b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person from carrying a firearm on his or her body, or placed in such close proximity that it can be used as easily and quickly as if carried on the body.