When zoning issues prevent land or structures to be used for purposes other than what they are zoned for, property owners can apply for a special-use permit in order to be granted authority for conditional use. For example, special-use permits allow individuals to sell guns from their homes in North Carolina, regardless if their city, town, or municipality explicitly forbids it.
North Carolina state law allows residential sales of firearms. According to local news reports, this state law supersedes laws in jurisdictions on lower local levels. Special-use permits allow this exception. North Carolina special-use permit applications are reviewed on an individual basis and only granted when a board of adjustment approves the applicant based on certain general standards. Some of these standards relate to the preservation of safety and public health. In order to continue to use the permit, the permit holder needs to satisfy an additional set of regulations. These regulations are enforced upon approximately 1,400 North Carolinians who hold special-use permits; not all are used for residential gun sales. Some of these regulations may impose limits on traffic, the number of annual transactions, and other business functions.
An application for a special-use permit in Raleigh was recently approved. The applicant, a man residing near Cameron Village, will use the permit for selling firearms from his home. Anyone who operates as a gun dealer must meet federal regulations, which mandates conformity to state regulations. Operating as a gun dealer in North Carolina, and in any state, requires the individual to be subject to and pass inspections by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.