Home › States › North Carolina
State guideNorth Carolina
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in North Carolina — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in North Carolina
North Carolina's courts publish a pro se absolute divorce packet — instructions plus sample forms for filing your own divorce — and the eCourts Guide & File system. Start there before anything else.
NC Courts — Pro Se Absolute Divorce Packet
The official starting point: the statewide self-help packet with instructions and sample divorce forms.
nccourts.gov — divorce packet →Find a divorce lawyer
NC Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service
A one-time meeting with a participating attorney for no more than $50 (30-minute initial consultation). Call 1-800-662-7660.
ncbar.org — lawyer referral →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
LawHelpNC.org
A guide to free and low-cost legal aid across North Carolina — a joint project of Legal Aid of NC, the NC Equal Justice Alliance, and the NC Bar Association Foundation.
lawhelpnc.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
North Carolina has no single statewide CPS hotline — reports go to your county Department of Social Services. Learn how reporting works here.
ncdhhs.gov — child protective services →NC Home Foreclosure Prevention Project
Free foreclosure-prevention counseling statewide, servicer negotiation, and free legal services referrals. Call 1-888-442-8188.
nchfa.com — foreclosure prevention →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →Unpaid wages in North Carolina
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in North Carolina.
Where to go
North Carolina Department of Labor
Time limit to file
2 years
What the floor is
federal $7.25 applies
Changing your name in North Carolina
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in North Carolina.
How it works
apply to the clerk of superior court in your county
Typical court fee
varies by county — check your local court
Newspaper notice required?
no (notice posted at courthouse, not a newspaper)
Small claims court in North Carolina
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in North Carolina.
Maximum claim
$5,000–$10,000 depending on the county
Filing fee
$96
Can you bring one?
yes — allowed, not required
Clearing your criminal record in North Carolina
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where North Carolina stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expungement
What qualifies
dismissed charges and acquittals; nonviolent misdemeanors and felonies
Waiting period
immediate for dismissals; 3 years for misdemeanors; 10 years for felonies
Learn more about clearing your criminal record in North Carolina →
Child support in North Carolina
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in North Carolina.
How it's figured
income shares child support guidelines published by NC courts (form AOC-A-162), available on nccourts.gov
When it ends
age 18, or up to age 20 if still in primary or secondary school (graduation, leaving school, or age 20, whichever first)
Lemon law in North Carolina
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? North Carolina's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new passenger cars, pick-up trucks, motorcycles, and most vans
When it's legally a lemon
4+ repair attempts for the same nonconformity or 20+ business days out of service in any 12-month warranty period; defect within 2 years/24,000 miles
What you get
comparable new replacement vehicle or refund, at the consumer's option
Tenant rights in North Carolina
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in North Carolina.
Notice before eviction
10-day notice for nonpayment; 7 days to end month-to-month
Deposit limits & return
Max 1.5 months' rent (month-to-month); return within 30 days with written itemized list of deductions
When the landlord won't fix things
No rent-withholding or repair-and-deduct statute; tenants may sue in small claims court for repairs and rent reduction
DUI / DWI in North Carolina
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how North Carolina handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; enhanced penalties at 0.15
Typical penalties
Level 5: up to $200 fine; 24 hours-60 days jail; 1-year license revocation
How far back DUIs count
7 years
Gun laws in North Carolina
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
Permit required; shall-issue; minimum age 21
Carrying openly
Generally allowed without a permit
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Not required (pistol purchase permit repealed in 2023) No waiting period.
Extreme risk protection
No red flag law on the books here.
Reciprocity
Honors all valid out-of-state concealed carry permits.
Filming the police: your rights in North Carolina
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
One-party consent
If you are part of a conversation, you may record it — including with police. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-287)
No buffer-zone law
North Carolina has no law setting a minimum distance for filming police. You still must not interfere with officers doing their jobs.
The 4th Circuit (Sharpe v. Winterville Police Department, 2023), which covers North Carolina, held that recording and livestreaming your own traffic stop is protected speech. Filming itself is not obstructing an officer (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-223), but an officer can still enforce orders aimed at genuine interference.
Drug & alcohol addiction help in North Carolina
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in North Carolina
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in North Carolina
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
North Carolina anti-bullying law
Homelessness help in North Carolina
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in North Carolina
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →