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PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING
** You must be within 90 days of expiration to enter a renewal application on this page **
The Wake County Sheriff's Office has reserved appointments to accomodate our renewal applicants. Fill out the renewal application on this page and set your appointment time. You must have an appointment.
IF you are having difficulty, call us at 919-856-6949 or send email to GunPermits@wakegov.com with your name, permit number, expiration date and a good contact number we will contact you to set up a date and time for you to come in before you expire. This email is reserved for Concealed Carry Handgun Permit Renewals Only.
Renewal of Carry Concealed Handgun Permits: Applicants must fill out an on-line renewal application. Acceptance of the renewal packet will be conducted by appointment only. Appointments are available only to applicants who expire within the next 90 days. Customer Service will print your forms on the day of your scheduled appointment.
New Carry Concealed Handgun Permits: You must complete a North Carolina State approved carry concealed handgun course prior to application. After you have completed your online application, you must make an appointment to sign the required documents and be fingerprinted. Customer Service will print your forms on the day of your scheduled appointment. We will not accept walk ins. You must have an appointment. Due to public health concerns, you must wear a face mask/covering when entering our facility for fingerprinting.
If you are a North Carolina sworn law enforcement officer, retired North Carolina probation or parole, retired law enforcement officer (LEOSA/HR 218 credentials), former North Carolina sworn law enforcement officer, retired North Carolina correctional officer, current North Carolina correctional officer, current North Carolina State probation or parole certified officer or if you are licensed or registered by the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board as an armed security guard, and are seeking exemption from the firearms safety and training course requirement under NCGS 14-415.12(a), see the bottom of the page for further details on what you must bring to your appointment to be considered for exemption. If you have any questions, contact our office at 919-856-6949.
PLEASE NOTE: There is NO exemption for Federal Agents, Federal Correctional Officers or retired out-of-state law enforcement officers.
Change of Address and Duplicate card requests: Change of address and duplicate card requests must be made in person and do not require and appointment Monday thru Friday 8:30 am-5:00pm (excl. Holidays). Please have your current address already updated with the DMV prior to coming in. There is no fee for changing your address. Duplicate/Replacement cards require a $15.00 fee (cash or check) due at the time of request. Please note, change of address and duplicate card requests are for Wake County permit holders only. If your permit is issued in another County, you must contact the County of issuance to change your address or to request a duplicate permit.
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.
The Sheriff and his staff are required to follow strict state guidelines when performing the necessary background checks for Concealed Handgun Permits. Due to the nature of the detailed due diligence, appointment times and processing times can take multiple weeks. During the application process, you will be asked to schedule an appointment (for New and Renewal CHP permits). Please note that you will be asked to pay now to reserve your appointment.
In accordance with NCGS 14-415.13(a), Concealed Handgun Permits MUST be obtained from the Sheriff of your county of RESIDENCE.
If you are RENEWING a Concealed Handgun Permit, you MUST apply PRIOR to your expiration date, but no more than 90 days prior to the expiration date.
If your permit has EXPIRED, but it has been LESS than 60 days since the permit expired, you will be required to apply as a NEW APPLICANT, be fingerprinted, and pay the $90.00 fee, but you will not be required to submit a new training certificate.
If more than 60 days has passed since your permit EXPIRED, you must retake the CONCEALED HANDGUN TRAINING COURSE, apply as a NEW APPLICANT, and submit the NEW TRAINING CERTIFICATE with the application.
Pricing
- A New Concealed Handgun Permit costs $90.00, which includes the $10.00 fingerprinting fee. (Online transactions: $5.50 service fee for each permit, credit card transaction fee of no more than .30 per transaction and up to 3.3% of total transaction may be charged by the 3rd party payment processor for all transactions)
- A Renewal Concealed Handgun Permit costs $75.00. (Online transactions: $5.50 service fee for each permit, credit card transaction fee of no more than .30 per transaction and up to 3.3% of total transaction may be charged by the 3rd party payment processor for all transactions)
- Applications for CHP and Renewals will be processed between 8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday.
- Click on the NEW or RENEW application link to start the application.
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.
Concealed Handgun Permit Requirements: must meet ALL requirements
Applicant Must:
- be a citizen, naturalized citizen, or possess a permanent resident alien card;
- be twenty-one (21) years of age;
- have attained at least one month's residency (30 days) in Wake County;
- not suffer from any mental or physical infirmity which would prevent safe handgun handling and operation;
- at the time of pickup, provide a valid driver's license or other picture ID with current address provided by the State of North Carolina;
- successfully complete a firearms training and safety course that has been designed by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Standards Commission (See Yellow Pages or a firearms dealer for businesses that provide training).
A criminal background check is performed on each applicant before granting the permit. The processing of the concealed carry weapons permit takes much longer than the handgun purchase permit. The Sheriff has forty-five (45) days from the time all application materials, to include receipt of the mental health records, are received to either issue or deny a permit. N.C. General Statute 14-415-15(a).
Anyone interested in applying for a concealed carry weapon permit must make an appointment online using this system. Prior to using this system, make sure you have the following information available.
- NC Driver's license number
- NC Firearms Training Certificate Number (located at the bottom right corner of the certificate)
If you are requesting a Firearms Safety and Training Course Exemption for Qualified Sworn Law Enforcement Officer and Certain Other Persons (N.C.G.S § 14-415.12A), you MUST bring the following items with you in order to be granted an exemption from taking the NC Firearms Safety Training Course and you MUST sign an exemption form in our office:
Qualified sworn law enforcement officer, correctional officer or State probation or parole certified officer: North Carolina active law enforcement credentials (ID and Badge), Letter of Good Standing from the applicant’s Chief or Sheriff stating that the employee remains in good standing with the agency and that they have met the requirements established by the agency regarding handguns, on departmental letterhead.
Qualified retired law enforcement officer: Retired departmental issued ID, Letter from a Chief or Sheriff stating that you retired in good standing, on departmental letterhead, must meet the standards listed in section 926C of Title 18 of the United States Code and has met the standards, as approved by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission, for handgun qualification for active law enforcement officers within the last 12 months.
Qualified former sworn law enforcement officer: Retired departmental issued ID, Letter from a Chief or Sheriff stating you retired in Good Standing on departmental letterhead, immediately before retirement, the individual was a qualified law enforcement officer with a local, State, or company police agency in North Carolina, must have nonforfeitable right to benefits under the retirement plan of the local, State, or company police agency as a law enforcement officer; or have 20 or more aggregate years of law enforcement service and have retired from a company police agency that does not have a retirement plan; or have 20 or more aggregate years of part-time or auxiliary law enforcement service. You must be retired two years or less from the date of permit application.
Qualified retired correctional officer and retired probation or parole certified officer: Retired departmental issued ID, Letter stating you retired in Good Standing from a Chief Officer on departmental letterhead, must have a vested right to benefits under the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System of North Carolina established under Article 1 of Chapter 135 of the General Statutes and Immediately before retirement, the individual met firearms training standards of the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety and was authorized by the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice of the Department of Public Safety to carry a handgun in the course of assigned duties.. You must be retired two years or less from the date of permit application.
Persons who are licensed or registered by the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board: Must be licensed or registered as an Armed Security Guard and present a valid Firearm Registration permit.
PLEASE NOTE: There is NO exemption for Federal Agents or Federal Correctional Officers
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For More Information, Contact:
John H. Baker Jr. Public Safety Center
330 S. Salisbury St.
Raleigh, NC 27602
Phone: 919-856-6949
For Technical Support, Contact:
Permitium Software
Email: help@permitium.com
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.
(c) This section shall not apply if the minor obtained the firearm as a result of an unlawful entry by any person.
(d) "Minor" as used in this section means a person under 18 years of age who is not emancipated. (1993, c. 558, s. 2; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 14, s. 11.)