North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Practice Exam

When can you legally use deadly force in self-defense in North Carolina?

1. When there is a perceived threat

2. When retreating is not possible and you fear death or serious injury

3. Whenever you feel threatened in a public place

4. Against someone unlawfully entering your home, only if they are armed

The correct answer is: When retreating is not possible and you fear death or serious injury

In North Carolina, you can legally use deadly force in self-defense when retreating is not possible, and you fear death or serious injury. This concept is known as the "castle doctrine," which allows individuals to defend themselves within their home or a place they have a legal right to be without the duty to retreat. This law emphasizes the idea that individuals have the right to protect themselves in situations where their life or the life of others is in imminent danger. Option A is not the correct choice because the use of deadly force in North Carolina for self-defense is not based solely on a perceived threat but rather on the presence of a credible, imminent threat of death or serious injury. Option C is incorrect because the ability to use deadly force in self-defense is not unrestricted based on subjective feelings of being threatened. The threat must be objectively reasonable to justify the use of deadly force. Option D is also not entirely accurate because in North Carolina, the law allows for the use of deadly force in self-defense not only in response to someone unlawfully entering your home but also in other situations where retreat is not possible and there is a fear of death or serious injury.