New North Carolina laws taking effect January 1, 2026
3 laws take effect January 1, 2026.
Of the 124 bills enacted since 2025, 123 have an effective date and 1 doesn't yet (listed below). A law here takes effect that day by its main provisions; parts of a staggered act may take effect on other dates.
Updated Nov 2, 2026 at 12:10 p.m. EST.
Finance (2)
HB 506 · 2025 Regular SessionStated
2025 State Investment Modernization Act.-AB
How we got this date
The date of the act's main provisions (Part III).
Part III: This Part is effective January 1, 2026.
Parts of this act take effect on other dates.
SB 321 · 2025 Regular SessionStated
Accounting Workforce Development Act.
How we got this date
This act becomes effective January 1, 2026.
Government (1)
SB 248 · 2025 Regular SessionStated
Birth Certificates for Persons Adopted.
How we got this date
This act becomes effective January 1, 2026, and applies to adoptee birth certificates available in the electronic birth registration system before, on, or after that date.
Enacted, but not yet dated (1)
These laws' texts tie their dates to something outside the legislative record (Contingent), or not enough is recorded yet to give one (Unresolved). They may take effect January 1, 2026 too; the record doesn't say.
Show all 1
- SB 857UnresolvedGSC Update Funeral Board and DOI Licensing.two clauses set different dates for the same provision