Thirty-five new state laws take effect today, including several that expand the rights of gun-carrying residents.
Although North Carolinians have long been permitted to defend themselves at home if someone enters their home and threatens their life, starting today, those self-defense protections expand to residents’ workplaces and cars. (Tread carefully, holiday shoppers, when competing over spaces in the mall parking lot.)
Permit-holding gun enthusiasts will also now be allowed to carry concealed weapons into state parks and waterways, such as lakes and rivers. District attorneys, their assistant prosecutors and investigators may now carry weapons into courthouses—but not in the courtroom, and definitely not while drinking.
And while pistols are OK, the law is explicit on other concealed weapons: Keep your daggers, swords, sling shots, loaded canes, brass knuckles, ninja throwing stars and nunchauks at home, where, of course, you can legally use them to thwart violent intruders.
See more new laws.
UPDATE: Chris Fitzsimon over at N.C. Policy Watch also posted an interesting column this morning about the new gun laws.
