The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.

HB 622NORTH CAROLINASession 2025State Billin committee

High Impact

North Carolina Prohibits Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazines Holding Over 10 Rounds or 8 Shotgun Shells

Original title: Limit Excessive Mag Sizes.

Last action · April 2, 2025: Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (House action)Sponsors: Tracy Clark and 14 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Would Do

North Carolina prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, transfer, or possession of ammunition magazines holding more than 10 rounds or shotgun shells holding more than 8 shells, effective December 1, 2025. Violations carry misdemeanor or felony penalties, with exemptions for military, law enforcement, out-of-state sales, and existing owners who modify, surrender, or transfer the items within 180 days.

Why it matters

Current owners of s face criminal penalties unless they permanently modify, surrender, or transfer their devices out of state within 180 days of the effective date.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

North Carolina gun owners

Gun owners possessing large-capacity magazines must modify, surrender, or transfer those devices within 180 days or face misdemeanor or felony charges.

Directly affected

ammunition magazine manufacturers

Manufacturers are restricted from producing or possessing large-capacity magazines unless producing them exclusively for military, government, or out-of-state transfer.

Directly affected

federally licensed gun dealers

Gun dealers are restricted in selling large-capacity magazines, permitted only for specific exempt government, military, or out-of-state buyers.

Directly affected

local law enforcement agencies

Local law enforcement agencies are designated to receive surrendered large-capacity magazines from residents.

Key Facts

Defines a large-capacity magazine as any fixed or detachable device capable of accepting more than 10 rounds of ammunition, or more than 8 shotgun shells (including combined fixed and detachable devices).
Excludes permanently altered feeding devices, attached tubular devices designed for .22 caliber rimfire ammunition only, and lever-action tubular magazines.
Makes manufacturing, selling, offering to sell, purchasing, transferring, or possessing a large-capacity magazine a Class 2 misdemeanor for a first offense.
Makes a second or subsequent violation a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Show all 9 facts

Classifies possession of a large-capacity magazine during the commission of a felony as a Class I felony.
Exempts in-state manufacturers and federally licensed gun dealers selling to the U.S. Armed Forces, government agencies, out-of-state buyers, or foreign national governments approved by the U.S. government.
Exempts military and government employees bearing firearms in the course of official duties.
Allows individuals who lawfully possessed a large-capacity magazine on the effective date 180 days to permanently modify it to hold 10 or fewer rounds, surrender it to local law enforcement or the State Bureau of Investigation, or transfer it out of state or to a federally licensed gun dealer.
Takes effect on December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is considered a large-capacity magazine under this bill?

It includes any fixed or detachable box, drum, or feed strip holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, or more than 8 shotgun shells.

What happens if I already own a large-capacity magazine before the law takes effect?

Within 180 days of the effective date, you must permanently modify it to hold 10 or fewer rounds, surrender it to local law enforcement or the State Bureau of Investigation, or transfer/sell it to a federally licensed gun dealer or out-of-state entity.

Are law enforcement officers and military personnel exempt?

Yes, employees of the Armed Forces and government agencies who bear firearms in their official duties are exempt, as are manufacturers and dealers supplying them.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

3 actions

Apr 2, 2025House
Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Apr 2, 2025House
Passed 1st Reading
Mar 31, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →