Gun Laws/North Carolina/Reviewed October 3, 2026

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Are binary triggers legal in North Carolina?

Quick answer

Yes

North Carolina: No state statute reaches them as of our last review.

4 of North Carolina's 4 neighboring states have the same status. Check each one before you cross a state line with binary triggers.

Not legal advice. Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-409, checked October 3, 2026

Binary trigger laws by state

Alabama: No state banAlaska: No state banArizona: No state banColorado: BannedFlorida: UnsettledGeorgia: No state banIndiana: No state banKansas: No state banMaine: No state banMassachusetts: BannedMinnesota: No state banNew Jersey: RestrictedNorth Carolina: No state banNorth Dakota: No state banOklahoma: No state banPennsylvania: No state banSouth Dakota: No state banTexas: No state banWyoming: No state banConnecticut: BannedMissouri: No state banWest Virginia: No state banIllinois: BannedNew Mexico: No state banArkansas: No state banCalifornia: BannedDelaware: RestrictedHawaii: BannedIowa: UnsettledKentucky: No state banMaryland: BannedMichigan: No state banMississippi: No state banMontana: No state banNew Hampshire: No state banNew York: BannedOhio: No state banOregon: BannedTennessee: No state banUtah: No state banVirginia: No state banWashington: RestrictedWisconsin: No state banNebraska: No state banSouth Carolina: No state banIdaho: No state banNevada: No state banVermont: No state banLouisiana: No state banRhode Island: BannedALAKAZARCACOFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWY
No state ban (35)Unsettled (2)Banned (13)Binary trigger laws by state. Tap a state
Map legend: clear means No state ban; caution means Unsettled; restricted means Banned

Binary triggers you can buy in North Carolina

Legal in North Carolina.One round on the pull, one on the release, with no state rate of fire statute in the way here.

Most picked by builders

Live prices

Ranked by how often builders add each one to a build on GunPartPicker, across every build. In stock only, prices update hourly.

Find one that fits your gun →

Not legal advice. Confirm your own configuration before you buy. All North Carolina gun laws

Which binary trigger fits your gun?

Pick your platform. Each one lists what the gun needs to run a binary trigger and the ones the catalog carries for it, in stock first.

Binary triggers for the AR-15: 9 in the catalog, 5 in stock

  • Full auto profile bolt carrier (M16 cut) for a forced reset trigger; most binary triggers run on a semi carrier
  • Mil-spec lower with standard 0.154" pin holes
  • H2 or H3 buffer and a fresh spring so the carrier does not outrun the reset

Ranked by what builders add most, in stock first. One listing per model.

See all 9 for the AR-15 →

What the North Carolina statute says

North Carolina's machine gun law

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-409

“any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.”

North Carolina has no binary trigger law, and its machine gun definition mirrors federal law, which treats the pull and the release as two functions. H 732, the 2025 bill that would have added a device ban, has sat in House Rules since April 2025.

Statute text checked October 3, 2026. Quotes are the statute's own words.

North Carolina law in detail

  • North Carolina is not on our list of states banning binary triggers, and has no rate of fire or multiburst trigger activator statute we read as covering them.
  • Binary triggers are not federally regulated: one round on the pull, one on the release, still one round per function of the trigger.

The federal rule

A binary trigger fires once on the pull and once on the release. It is not regulated under federal law, but several states ban it under statutes aimed at rapid fire devices, multiburst triggers or trigger activators.

Binary triggers in neighboring states

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Are binary triggers legal in North Carolina?

Yes. North Carolina: No state statute reaches them as of our last review. The statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-409. Reviewed October 3, 2026.

What is the federal rule on binary triggers?

A binary trigger fires once on the pull and once on the release. It is not regulated under federal law, but several states ban it under statutes aimed at rapid fire devices, multiburst triggers or trigger activators.

How many states restrict binary triggers?

Nationwide by our review: 35 states: no state ban; 2: unsettled; 13: banned.

More North Carolina gun laws

Legal disclaimer: This page summarizes state law for general information and is not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can be stricter. Confirm with the North Carolina statutes, the state attorney general or a licensed attorney before buying, building or traveling.