North Carolina House Bill H643

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/1/25
• Refer: 4/2/25

Caption

Clarify Firearm Storage Law

Summary

House Bill 643 amends North Carolina’s child-firearm safe-storage law, G.S. 14-315.1, to clarify that the statute applies when a firearm is stored either loaded or unloaded, so long as it is stored in a way that an unsupervised minor could access it and the minor later gains access without permission. The bill is expressly aimed at resolving ambiguity identified by the Court of Appeals in State v. Cable, where the court held the existing language did not clearly cover an unloaded firearm stored next to ammunition. The bill keeps the existing structure of the offense: a person who lives with a minor, owns or possesses a firearm, and stores it in a condition accessible to a minor can be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if the minor gains access and then possesses, displays, injures someone with, or uses the firearm in a crime. The act would take effect December 1, 2025, and apply only to offenses committed on or after that date.

Impact

This bill would broaden and clarify the reach of North Carolina’s firearm storage statute by making clear that safe-storage duties apply to both loaded and unloaded firearms. It would affect firearm owners and other persons residing with minors by increasing the likelihood that leaving an unloaded gun accessible near ammunition can support criminal liability if a minor accesses it and one of the listed harmful outcomes occurs. The bill does not create a new offense, but it changes the interpretation of existing law in G.S. 14-315.1 and is intended to override the ambiguity identified by the appellate court.

Sentiment

The available context suggests generally supportive sentiment, with the bill framed as a corrective response to a tragic incident and a court decision that exposed a gap in the statute. The findings emphasize child safety, accountability, and the legislature’s intent to ensure the law reaches dangerous storage practices that can lead to injury or death. No committee debate or recorded votes are provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied materials of organized opposition or divided sentiment.

Contention

The main point of contention is the scope of criminal liability under the safe-storage law: whether an unloaded firearm stored near ammunition should count as being stored “in a condition that the firearm can be discharged.” The bill’s sponsors and findings take the position that it should, especially when a minor can access the gun and harm results. Any opposition would likely come from those concerned about expanding criminal exposure for lawful gun owners or about the statute’s breadth, but no specific opposing arguments appear in the provided record.