Castle Doctrine

Effective with the passing of House Bill 650, North Carolina is once-again considered a “Castle Doctrine” state, also referred to as a “stand your ground” state. What does this mean for you?

Prior to the passing of this bill, if you were home and someone broke into your home, you had a duty to retreat, meaning you aren’t supposed to go looking for an invader with the intent on shooting someone. If someone was simply robbing your home, you weren’t authorized to use deadly force because robbery didn’t offer you a “presumption of death of serious bodily harm.”

Today, that law is no longer in effect. With the passing of HB 650, North Carolina citizens have new rights to self-defense that we long lacked. In short, the old North Carolina General Statute 14-51.1 has been nullified and replaced with § 14-51.2. I would encourage EVERY citizen of North Carolina to read the new bill, in its entirety, as it has a wealth of knowledge about self-defense in the home, concealed carry, permit acquisition, and other firearm-related information.

The direct link to the new bill, from the NC General Assembly is: