A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT To increase the criminal penalty for altering, destroying, or removing the permanent serial number of a firearm.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑160.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14‑160.1.  Alteration, destruction or removal of permanent identification marks from personal property.
(a)	It shall be unlawful for any person to alter, deface, destroy or remove the permanent serial number, manufacturer's identification plate or other permanent, distinguishing number or identification mark from any item of personal property with the intent thereby to conceal or misrepresent the identity of said item.
(b)	It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, buy or be in possession of any item of personal property, not his own, on which the permanent serial number, manufacturer's identification plate or other permanent, distinguishing number or identification mark has been altered, defaced, destroyed or removed for the purpose of concealing or misrepresenting the identity of said item.
(c)	Except as provided by subsection (c1) of this section, a violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(c1)	If a person commits an offense under subsection (a) of this section and the item of personal property is a firearm, then the violation shall be a Class H felony.
(d)	This section shall not in any way affect the provisions of G.S. 20‑108, 20‑109(a) or 20‑109(b)."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2009, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.