§ 143-63.1.  Sale, disposal, and destruction of firearms.

(a) Except as provided in this section, it is unlawful for any employee, officer, or official of the State in the exercise of his or her official duty to sell or otherwise dispose of any pistol, revolver, shotgun, or rifle to any person, firm, corporation, county or local governmental unit, law enforcement agency, or other legal entity.

(b) It is lawful for the Department of Administration, in the exercise of its official duty, to sell any weapon described in subsection (a) of this section to a law enforcement agency of a county or local governmental unit in the State, so long as the agency files a written statement, duly notarized, with the seller of the weapon, certifying that the weapon is needed in law enforcement by the agency.

(c) All weapons described in subsection (a) of this section that are not sold as provided by this section within one year of being declared surplus property shall be destroyed by the Department of Administration.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, but subject to G.S. 17F-20, (i) each department, agency, institution, commission, and bureau of the Executive, Judicial, or Legislative branch of North Carolina and (ii) campus law enforcement agencies and campus police agencies of the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina may sell, trade, or otherwise dispose of any or all surplus weapons they possess to any federally licensed firearm dealers. The sale, trade, or disposal of these weapons shall be in a manner prescribed by the Department of Administration. Surplus weapons shall be offered for public sale to federally licensed firearm dealers. Public sale is through sealed competitive bids, electronic bids, negative bids, auction, and retail sales. Any money obtained from the sale or disposal shall be credited to the General Fund.  (1973, c. 666, ss. 1-3; 1975, c. 879, s. 46; 1981, c. 604; 1981 (Reg. Sess., 1982), c. 1282, s. 52; 2011-145, s. 19.1(h); 2017-186, s. 2(zzzzz); 2019-203, s. 10; 2021-116, s. 1.1; 2025-25, s. 20.)