House Bill 350 would require any firearm owner in North Carolina to report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours after discovering the loss or theft. The report must be made to either the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction where the loss or theft occurred or to the State Bureau of Investigation, and it must include identifying details about the firearm, such as caliber, make, model, manufacturer, serial number, and any other distinguishing marks, as well as the circumstances of the loss or theft.
The bill also directs law enforcement or the SBI, upon receiving such a report, to enter the firearm-identifying information into the National Crime Information Center database. It creates criminal penalties for failing to comply: a first violation would be a Class 3 misdemeanor, while a second or subsequent violation would be a Class I felony. The act would take effect December 1, 2025, and apply to offenses committed on or after that date.
HB350 would add a new reporting requirement to North Carolina’s criminal statutes in Article 53A of Chapter 14, creating G.S. 14-409.13. It would impose a legal duty on firearm owners to promptly report lost or stolen guns and would require law enforcement agencies and the SBI to record the information in the NCIC database. The bill would also expand criminal liability by establishing misdemeanor and felony penalties for noncompliance, affecting firearm owners, local police, the SBI, and the handling of stolen-firearm records.
Based on the available context, the bill appears to have been introduced and referred to committee without recorded debate or votes in the provided materials. There is no transcript evidence of support or opposition, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured from committee discussion. The bill’s public framing suggests a public-safety focus, but the available record does not show whether lawmakers viewed it favorably or skeptically.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee materials or voting history. Potential issues that could arise from the bill’s text include the short 24-hour reporting window, the burden on firearm owners to report quickly and provide detailed information, and the severity of the criminal penalties for repeat violations. Any disagreement would likely center on whether the reporting mandate improves public safety and traceability of firearms or instead creates an onerous compliance requirement for lawful gun owners.