North Carolina Sen. Sawyer’s bill reducing concealed handgun permit fees for veterans passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Sawyer seeks to reduce fees for concealed handgun permits for veterans honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces, aligning costs with those for retired law enforcement officers, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, 46 Democrats and 67 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 16 Democrats and 28 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Sawyer filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on Feb. 18 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 118, was passed on June 17 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Reduce Veteran CCW Fee/Expand CCW Notice.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill seeks to reduce the fees for obtaining or renewing a concealed handgun permit for individuals honorably discharged or discharged under general honorable conditions from military service in the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill aligns the permit fees for these veterans with those of retired law enforcement officers, setting the application fee at $45 and the renewal fee at $40. Applicants must provide appropriate documentation, such as a Form DD-214 or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Identification Card, to qualify for the reduced fees. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to all relevant applications submitted on or after that date.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Warren Daniel (Republican-46th District), Sen. Vickie Sawyer (Republican-37th District), and Sen. Michael A. Lazzara (Republican-6th District).

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Sawyer graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1997.

Sawyer, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 37th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Jeff Jackson.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.