North Carolina Court Rules (2026)
We publish nine North Carolina rule sets totaling 1720 rules. Coverage includes the Rules of Civil Procedure, the Criminal Procedure Act, the Juvenile Code and the Rules of Evidence, all codified in the General Statutes, along with the Rules of Appellate Procedure, General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts, and the Business Court Rules, promulgated by the Supreme Court of North Carolina, and the Rules of Professional Conduct and Discipline and Disability Rules, adopted by the State Bar. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules.
North Carolina Court Rules & Rules of Practice
How this jurisdiction's courts and rules are organized, written for lawyers new to it: the court system, every ruleset a litigator touches, and how a case actually moves. Last verified September 2, 2026. For informational purposes only.
- Court System Overview
- The Ruleset Map
- Civil Litigation Mechanics
- Criminal Practice Mechanics
- Evidence
- Appellate Mechanics
- Rules of Professional Conduct
- Attorney Discipline & Enforcement
- Newcomer Orientation Notes
- Sources & Verification
North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure
The North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, codified at G.S. § 1A-1, govern the procedure in the superior and district courts of North Carolina in all civil actions and proceedings, covering pleadings, parties, discovery, motions, trials, judgments, and post-judgment relief.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure
The North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure, promulgated by the Supreme Court of North Carolina, govern procedure in all appeals from the trial courts to the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, including the record on appeal, briefs, motions, and oral argument.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Criminal Procedure Act
Chapter 15A of the North Carolina General Statutes, the Criminal Procedure Act. North Carolina publishes no separate volume of criminal rules — criminal procedure in its courts is statutory, so this chapter is where the rules of criminal practice actually live. It runs from the definitions in section 15A-101 through capital punishment, and covers law-enforcement and investigative procedures, criminal process, arrest, custody, preliminary proceedings, speedy trial, the attendance of witnesses and depositions, the rights of crime victims and witnesses, pretrial procedure and discovery, general trial procedure, trial procedure in the district and superior courts, the disposition of defendants including felony and misdemeanor sentencing, and the correction of errors and appeal. Sections are cited as N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-101.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts
The General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts supplement the Rules of Civil Procedure, governing calendaring, continuances, filing, motions, pretrial procedure, and the conduct of trials in North Carolina trial courts.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Rules of Evidence
The North Carolina Rules of Evidence, codified at G.S. § 8C-1, govern the admissibility of evidence in North Carolina courts, including relevance, privileges, witnesses, opinion and expert testimony, hearsay, and authentication.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Juvenile Code
Chapter 7B of the North Carolina General Statutes, the Juvenile Code, 665 sections across five subchapters. It governs proceedings in the district court sitting as a juvenile court: abuse, neglect and dependency, including the screening of complaints, nonsecure custody, adjudication, disposition, permanency planning and the termination of parental rights; undisciplined and delinquent juveniles, from intake and secure custody through adjudication, disposition and post-release supervision; juvenile records and confidentiality; parental authority and emancipation; and the interstate placement of juveniles. Sections are cited as N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-101.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Business Court Rules
The North Carolina Business Court Rules govern practice before the North Carolina Business Court in mandatory complex business cases and other matters assigned to a Business Court judge, including designation, electronic filing, case management, discovery, and dispositive motions.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct
The North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct — 27 N.C.A.C. ch. 2 — govern the professional obligations of every lawyer licensed in North Carolina: competence and diligence, confidentiality of information, conflicts of interest, the trust-accounting and recordkeeping rules of Rule 1.15 and its subparts, the duties of a lawyer as advocate and as counselor, responsibilities within a firm, advertising, and the reporting of professional misconduct. Adopted by the North Carolina State Bar subject to Supreme Court approval, each rule carries its official Comment and its history note.
Updated 2026 Edition
BrowseNorth Carolina Discipline and Disability Rules
Subchapter 1B of Chapter 1 of Title 27 of the North Carolina Administrative Code, the State Bar's Discipline and Disability Rules, 54 rules in two sections. Where the Rules of Professional Conduct state a lawyer's duties, these rules are the machinery that enforces them: the powers and duties of the State Bar Council, the chair of the Grievance Committee, the Grievance Committee itself, counsel and the chairperson of the Disciplinary Hearing Commission; the procedure for discipline from grievance through hearing and appeal; reciprocal discipline; disability and incapacity; reinstatement; and the rules governing the judicial district grievance committees. Rules are cited as 27 N.C.A.C. 1B § .0103.
Updated 2026 Edition
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