North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H894 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 1
4		-	HOUSE BILL 894
	3	+	H D
	4	+	HOUSE BILL DRH40482-MH-115
	5	+
5	6
6	7
7	8		Short Title: Gun Dealer Door Lock Exemption. (Public)
8	9		Sponsors: Representative Adams.
9		-	For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10		-	Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
11		-	April 14, 2025
12		-	H894 -v-1
	10	+	Referred to:
	11	+
	12	+	DRH40482 -MH-115
13	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
14	14		AN ACT TO MODIFY THE DOOR LOCK EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN FIREARMS 2
15	15		BUSINESSES. 3
16	16		The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
17	17		SECTION 1.(a) Definitions. – As used in this section, "Council" means the State 5
18	18		Building Code Council, "Code" means the current North Carolina State Building Code collection 6
19	19		and amendments to the Code, as adopted by the Council, "door lock requirements" means the 7
20	20		door lock requirements of the means of egress provisions of the Code, and "local inspection 8
21	21		department" means the entity in charge of fire code enforcement for a unit of local government. 9
22	22		SECTION 1.(b) Rulemaking. – The Council shall adopt rules to amend the Code to 10
23	23		provide an exemption from the door lock requirements for business entities licensed to sell 11
24	24		firearms as a federal firearms dealer that are primarily engaged in the business of selling firearms 12
25	25		or ammunition when issued a permit to that effect by the local fire code official. In amending 13
26	26		rules pursuant to this subsection, the Council shall ensure that the exemption from the door lock 14
27	27		requirements is applicable only during nonbusiness hours when the business is closed to the 15
28	28		public. Until the effective date of the rules to amend the Code that the Council is required to 16
29	29		adopt pursuant to this section, the Council and local governments enforcing the Code shall follow 17
30	30		the provisions of subsection (c) of this section as they relate to compliance with the door lock 18
31	31		requirements of the means of egress provisions of the Code. 19
32	32		SECTION 1.(c) Exemption Requirements. – The fire code official shall issue a 20
33	33		permit to a business entity licensed to sell firearms as a federal firearms dealer that is primarily 21
34	34		engaged in the business of selling firearms or ammunition providing an exemption from the door 22
35	35		lock requirements as set forth in this subsection: 23
36	36		(1) The business entity must pay a permit fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00) to 24
37	37		the local inspection department and meet the following requirements: 25
38	38		a. The business has a sales floor and customer occupancy space that is 26
39	39		contained on one floor and is no larger than 15,000 square feet of retail 27
40	40		sales space. For purposes of this sub-subdivision, retail sales space is 28
41	41		that area where firearms or ammunition are displayed and 29
42	42		merchandised for sale to the public. 30
43	43		b. The business is equipped with an approved smoke, fire, and break-in 31
44	44		alarm system installed and operated in accordance with the 32
45	45		requirements of the fire code official. An approved smoke, fire, or 33
46		-	break-in alarm system does not have to include an automatic door 34 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47		-	Page 2 House Bill 894-First Edition
48		-	unlocking mechanism triggered when the smoke, fire, or break-in 1
49		-	alarm system is triggered. 2
50		-	c. The owner or operator of the business provides to all employees within 3
51		-	the later of (i) 10 days of the issuance of the permit under this section 4
52		-	or, (ii) at the time the employee is hired, a written facility locking plan 5
53		-	applicable for the close of business each day. 6
54		-	d. Each entrance to the business is posted with a sign conspicuously 7
55		-	located that warns that the building is exempt from the door lock 8
56		-	requirements of the North Carolina State Building Code during 9
57		-	nonbusiness hours only and that doors will remain locked from the 10
58		-	inside even in the case of fire. 11
59		-	(2) The local inspection department shall file copies of permits issued pursuant to 12
60		-	this section with all local law enforcement and fire protection agencies that 13
61		-	provide protection for the business entity. 14
62		-	(3) The local inspection department shall be responsible for any inspections 15
63		-	necessary for the issuance of permits under this section and shall be 16
64		-	responsible for periodic inspections to ensure compliance with the 17
65		-	requirements of this section. 18
66		-	(4) The local inspection department shall revoke a permit issued under this section 19
67		-	upon a finding that the requirements for the original issuance of the permit are 20
68		-	not being complied with or upon a finding that the business entity has failed 21
69		-	to limit its use of the exemption from the door lock requirements of the means 22
70		-	of egress provisions of the Code to nonbusiness hours when the business is 23
71		-	closed to the public. 24
72		-	SECTION 1.(d) Sunset. – Subsection (c) of this section expires when the permanent 25
73		-	rules adopted as required by subsection (b) of this section become effective. 26
74		-	SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 27
	46	+	break-in alarm system does not have to include an automatic door 34
	47	+	unlocking mechanism triggered when the smoke, fire, or break-in 35
	48	+	alarm system is triggered. 36
	49	+	H.B. 894
	50	+	Apr 10, 2025
	51	+	HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
	52	+	Page 2 DRH40482-MH-115
	53	+	c. The owner or operator of the business provides to all employees within 1
	54	+	the later of (i) 10 days of the issuance of the permit under this section 2
	55	+	or, (ii) at the time the employee is hired, a written facility locking plan 3
	56	+	applicable for the close of business each day. 4
	57	+	d. Each entrance to the business is posted with a sign conspicuously 5
	58	+	located that warns that the building is exempt from the door lock 6
	59	+	requirements of the North Carolina State Building Code during 7
	60	+	nonbusiness hours only and that doors will remain locked from the 8
	61	+	inside even in the case of fire. 9
	62	+	(2) The local inspection department shall file copies of permits issued pursuant to 10
	63	+	this section with all local law enforcement and fire protection agencies that 11
	64	+	provide protection for the business entity. 12
	65	+	(3) The local inspection department shall be responsible for any inspections 13
	66	+	necessary for the issuance of permits under this section and shall be 14
	67	+	responsible for periodic inspections to ensure compliance with the 15
	68	+	requirements of this section. 16
	69	+	(4) The local inspection department shall revoke a permit issued under this section 17
	70	+	upon a finding that the requirements for the original issuance of the permit are 18
	71	+	not being complied with or upon a finding that the business entity has failed 19
	72	+	to limit its use of the exemption from the door lock requirements of the means 20
	73	+	of egress provisions of the Code to nonbusiness hours when the business is 21
	74	+	closed to the public. 22
	75	+	SECTION 1.(d) Sunset. – Subsection (c) of this section expires when the permanent 23
	76	+	rules adopted as required by subsection (b) of this section become effective. 24
	77	+	SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 25