Traveling in a Vehicle with a Firearm without a North Carolina Permit

Individuals who are transporting their firearms within North Carolina should make sure that they pay attention to the accessibility of the weapon while inside the vehicle. The firearm should not be readily accessible for the passengers of the vehicle. There is no specific law that is concerned about the transportation of firearms in vehicles, so it is not clear how North Carolina defines a concealed and readily accessible handgun.

But obviously, readily accessible handguns refer to firearms placed under the seat, in the back seat, inside the bag, in an unlocked container or other ways that will make it comfortable for the passenger to reach for it. A handgun is not readily accessible if it is kept in a locked container or compartment. Transporting a handgun in a vehicle is quite susceptible, so individuals are not encouraged to do this method of transporting.
There are other drawbacks for this method of carrying a firearm. When an individual is stopped by a law enforcement officer, he will not immediately be aware of the purpose of carrying such firearm. Because of this, the individual should be obliged to inform the police officer about the weapon. Carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle within North Carolina is not permitted, and it applies to both handguns and long guns.

This can be a problem for those individuals whose vehicles do not have trunk areas like vans. This makes it difficult to define a concealed and readily accessible handgun. With such situation, an individual must make sure that the weapons inside the vehicle is locked and cannot be accessed easily by the driver and all the other passengers.

Note: North Carolina allows carrying of a firearm in a vehicle without the need for any type of permit provided that the firearm is carried openly.