AN ACT to LIMIT THE SIZE OF AMMUNITION MAGAZINES.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:

Article 53D.

Regulation of Large‑Capacity Ammunition Magazines.

§ 14‑409.60.  Definition.

For purposes of this Article, the term large‑capacity magazine includes all of the following: (i) a fixed or detachable magazine box, drum, feed strip, or similar device capable of accepting, or that is designed to be readily converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition, (ii) a fixed or detachable magazine that is capable of accepting more than eight shotgun shells, and (iii) a detachable magazine, tube, box, drum, feed strip, or similar device that is capable of accepting more than eight shotgun shells when combined with a fixed magazine. The term does not include any of the following: (i) a feeding device that has been permanently altered so that it cannot accommodate more than 10 rounds of ammunition, (ii) an attached tubular device designed to accept and capable of operating only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, or (iii) a tubular magazine that is contained in a lever‑action firearm.

§ 14‑409.61.  Large‑capacity magazines prohibited; penalties; exceptions.

(a)        It is unlawful for a person to manufacture, sell, offer to sell, purchase, transfer, or possess a large‑capacity magazine. A violation of this subsection is a Class 2 misdemeanor; provided, however, that a second or subsequent violation of this subsection is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

(b)        Any person who violates subsection (a) of this section commits a Class I felony under this section if the person possessed a large‑capacity magazine during the commission of a felony.

(c)        The offense described in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to any of the following:

(1)        An entity, or any employee thereof engaged in the employee's employment duties, that manufactures large‑capacity magazines within North Carolina exclusively for transfer or any federally licensed gun dealer, or any employee thereof engaged in his or her official employment duties, that sells large‑capacity magazines exclusively to any of the following:

a.         A branch of the Armed Forces of the United States.

b.         A department, agency, or political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, any other state, or of the United States government.

c.         A firearms retailer for the purpose of firearms sales conducted outside the State.

d.         A foreign national government that has been approved for such transfers by the United States government.

e.         An out‑of‑state transferee who may legally possess a large‑capacity magazine.

(2)        An employee of any of the following agencies who bears a firearm in the course of the employee's official duties:

a.         A branch of the Armed Forces of the United States.

b.         A department, agency, or political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, any other state, or of the United States government.

(3)        A person who possesses the magazine for the sole purpose of transporting the magazine to an out‑of‑state entity on behalf of a manufacturer of large‑capacity magazines within North Carolina.

(4)        A person who, on the effective date of this section, lawfully possessed a large‑capacity magazine if, within 180 days of the effective date of this section, does any of the following:

a.         Permanently modifies the large‑capacity magazine so that it cannot hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

b.         Surrenders the large‑capacity magazine to the local law enforcement agency in the county or municipality where the person resides or the State Bureau of Investigation.

c.         Transfers or sells the large‑capacity magazine to a federally licensed gun dealer or person or firm outside of this State that is lawfully entitled to own or possess a large‑capacity magazine.

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.