On June 20, 2025, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein vetoed a Constitutional Carry bill that would have allowed law-abiding adults over the age of 18 to carry concealed handguns without a permit.
In his veto statement, Governor Stein expressed his justification for this move. “This bill makes North Carolinians less safe and undermines responsible gun ownership. Therefore, I am vetoing it,” Stein stated. “The bill eliminates training requirements associated with concealed carry permits and reduces the age to carry a concealed weapon from 21 to 18 years old. Authorizing teenagers to carry a concealed weapon with no training whatsoever is dangerous. The bill would also make the job of a law enforcement officer more difficult and less safe. We can and should protect the right to bear arms without recklessly endangering law enforcement officers and our people.”
Gun rights advocates and Republican leaders were quick to condemn the governor’s action. Senate Leader Phil Berger criticized the veto, stating, “Law-abiding North Carolinians shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to effectively exercise their Second Amendment rights. It’s past time for us to join the majority of states that recognize Constitutional Carry. I look forward to the Senate overriding Gov. Stein’s veto.”
To override a governor’s veto in North Carolina, the General Assembly requires a three-fifths majority vote in both chambers of the legislature. In other words, three-fifths of the members present and voting in each chamber must vote to override the veto for it to be successful.
72 votes are needed to override a veto (when all 120 members are present) in the North Carolina State House. There are currently 71 Republicans and 49 Democrats in the State House.
In the North Carolina Senate, 30 votes are needed to override a veto (when all 50 members are present). At present, there are 30 Republicans and 20 Democrats in the Senate. A veto override will be a close call and will likely require a few Democrats to cross the aisle in the House for it to occur.
Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina, has previously argued that the permitting process is an unnecessary barrier for responsible gun owners and that Constitutional Carry would align North Carolina with the 29 other states that have adopted similar laws. “We want people to be free of the burden of having to deal with sheriffs who sometimes obstruct permits,” Valone has said, emphasizing the group’s belief that the right to bear arms should not be subject to government approval.
North Carolina’s Senate Bill 50 (SB 50), known as the “Freedom to Carry NC” Act, would make North Carolina the 30th state to adopt Constitutional Carry.
As mentioned before, citizens of the United States who are at least 18 years old would be allowed to carry a concealed handgun in North Carolina without a permit unless otherwise prohibited by law. The bill retains the option for individuals to obtain concealed handgun permits for reciprocity with other states or for convenience in firearm purchases.
Under Senate Bill 50, certain individuals, such as those under indictment for a felony, convicted of certain crimes, or deemed mentally ill, are barred from carrying concealed handguns.
The bill provides clear guidelines for carrying concealed handguns in locked vehicles and on private property, making it easier for lawful gun owners to understand and comply with the law. Additionally, certain employees residing on educational campuses are allowed to possess handguns under specific conditions, which expands the ability to carry firearms in areas previously restricted.
By eliminating the need for a permit for concealed carry, SB 50 reduces the administrative and financial burden on gun owners, which tends to disproportionately fall on Americans of humbler economic stature.
The bill would go into effect on December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
Whether the override effort succeeds or fails, Governor Stein’s veto has ensured that the debate over gun rights will remain front and center in North Carolina politics.
About José Niño
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. You can contact him via Facebook and X/Twitter. Subscribe to his Substack newsletter by visiting “Jose Nino Unfiltered” on Substack.com.
This is what NC gets for not electing their first black governor, whom the DEMOCRATIC PARTY successfully portrayed to voters as “too controversial”. The DEMONCRAT PARTY only supports black Americans when they tote the Party “keep ’em on the plantation” mentality. So sad. Black Americans need to wake up as to just how badly the DEMONCRATIC PARTY thinks they own them, just as in days of old. Perhaps Gov. Stein, who just happens to be Jewish, needs a refresher course in the Holocaust to remind him of what can happen when the people are disarmed by a “looking out for… Read more »
IMOA, stein laid out his reason for vetoing the bill, anyone under 21yo. Rewrite the bill for 21 and older, go for a piece of the pie now and hopefully get the rest later.
Dems claim to abhor Fascism, but whenever you elect a Democrat, that’s what you get.
North Carolina Constitution Sec. 30. Militia and the right to bear arms. A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; and, as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they shall not be maintained, and the military shall be kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Nothing herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that practice. . The North Carolina constitution is… Read more »