A significant majority of North Carolina residents oppose Republican legislation that would allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit, according to polls released by Elon University and the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
The Everytown for Gun Safety survey found that a large majority of likely North Carolina voters (77%) were against removing permit requirements from concealed carry laws. Global Strategy Group conducted the survey of 800 likely voters in North Carolina between September 4 and September 9, 2024.
The Elon University poll, released last Thursday, found that 54% of respondents opposed dropping the concealed carry permit while only 34% support such a change. The Elon University poll was conducted March 3 through March 11, 2025, with a sample of 800 North Carolina adults.
The analyses come as state legislators are debating Senate Bill 50 and House Bill 5, two measures aiming to enact what supporters call “constitutional carry” — the idea that individuals should be able to carry concealed weapons without permits.
Current North Carolina law requires individuals to obtain a permit from their local sheriff’s office and undergo an eight-hour training course in order to carry a concealed firearm.
In each category surveyed across partisan, gender, racial, and education groups, more people were against permitless carry than in support. 96% of Democrats, 77% of independents, and 60% of Republicans oppose permitless carry, according to the Everytown poll. 85% of women are against permitless carry, as are 66% of men. In addition to the bulk of North Carolinians opposing permitless carry, the Everytown polling found that 66% of gun owners did as well.
Another 600-person survey by Cygnal in March found that 56% of respondents did not want North Carolina to allow permitless carry. An additional 17% would allow it, but with some restrictions.
“The data couldn’t be clearer — North Carolinians don’t want to live in a state where untrained, potentially dangerous individuals can carry hidden guns in our communities. This isn’t just a policy issue; it’s a matter of public safety,” said Wendy Brooks, a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action, Everytown Survivor Fellow, and gun owner.
