A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT To provide that if a person who applies for a pistol permit has an out‑of‑county address, the sheriff shall consult with the sheriff of the applicant's home county regarding the applicant prior to issuing the permit.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑404(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Upon application, the sheriff shall issue the license or permit to a resident of that county unless the purpose of the permit is for collecting, in which case a sheriff can issue a permit to a nonresident when the sheriff has done all of the following:
(1)	Verified by a criminal history background investigation that it is not a violation of State or federal law for the applicant to purchase, transfer, receive, or possess a handgun. The sheriff shall determine the criminal history of any applicant by accessing computerized criminal history records as maintained by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, by conducting a national criminal history records check, and by conducting a criminal history check through the Administrative Office of the Courts.
(2)	Fully satisfied himself or herself by affidavits, oral evidence, or otherwise, as to the good moral character of the applicant.
(3)	Fully satisfied himself or herself that the applicant desires the possession of the weapon mentioned for (i) the protection of the home, business, person, family or property, (ii) target shooting, (iii) collecting, or (iv) hunting.
(4)	If the applicant has an out‑of‑county address, consult with the sheriff of the applicant's home county regarding the applicant."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2005.