The following is a video transcript.

Events on Educational Property

This month, I would like to cover issues relating to gun owner’s rights to carry firearms at sporting events. In North Carolina, the vast majority of sporting events occur on educational property. This covers all grade levels from kindergarten through college. North Carolina strictly prohibits the possession of firearms at any scholastic sporting events.

This includes events that occur not only on educational property but also sporting events that take place off of educational property. An example of this is that the NC State Men’s Basketball team plays most of its home games at PNC arena which is not a part of the NC State campus.

Professional Sports

How about professional sporting events? Do they differ from scholastic events? In fact, they do. There are no per se prohibitions against a permit holder in North Carolina for carrying a concealed weapon into a professional sporting event. Three things may affect this though. First, the venue itself can ban the possession of concealed weapons on its property.

The second is that the permit holder cannot drink any alcoholic beverage at the event and can have no alcohol remaining in their body from alcohol previously consumed. Say at a tailgate party. And that the event is not being played on educational property.

Open carry can only take place at sporting events where no admission is charged and, of course, that is not on educational property. For any questions about carrying a firearm at sporting events, call U.S. LawShield and ask to speak to your Independent Program Attorney today.