CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Dozens of laws legislators passed in 2024 took effect Jan. 1, 2025. While many laws apply immediately upon the governor’s signature, some changes take months to allow individuals, corporations or government entities time to make adjustments.
Disaster relief/leadership powers
The controversial Senate Bill 382 is now on the books, despite a veto from former Governor Roy Cooper. The legislation moves $227 million into a Hurricane Helene Relief fund but limits power for incoming officials like Governor Josh Stein, Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green.
In his veto message, Cooper called the legislation “a sham” and accused the authors of “playing politics by taking away two judges elected by the people and adding two judges appointed by the legislature.”
Cooper and Stein sued over parts of the bill. Other sections will not become law for several months.
Juvenile justice
Another bill that made it into law through a veto override vote is House Bill 834. The act modifies who is defined as a “delinquent juvenile” and changes the process to transfer court cases when the defendant is younger than 18 years old. The legislation rolls back several protections for 16- and 17-year-old offenders established in the state’s Raise the Age law in 2019. Some portions of the act took effect Dec. 1, 2024.
Individual income tax
North Carolinians will now be paying less in personal income tax. The rate moves down from 4.5% to 4.25%. The 2023 Appropriations Act outlines an ongoing decrease in the individual income tax rate. After 2025, it will decrease to 3.99%. According to the text, “additional rate changes may apply to tax years beginning with 2027 based on certain rate reduction triggers.”
Toll lane fees
Drivers will pay 3% more on toll roads in 2025. Transportation department officials said the increases will add up to a few cents per trip. This year, drivers without an NC Quick Pass account or qualifying out-of-state account will face an additional fee. Officials said it costs about three times more to charge drivers who do not have an account than it does to charge those who do. Money collected from the tolls is used for road and highway maintenance.
Ticket price transparency
Senate Bill 607 requires all ticket sellers, not just online retailers like Ticketmaster or StubHub, to display the total cost of seats upfront. This is an effort to avoid surprise fees, which have gone up over recent years. The move grants the Attorney General’s office the authority to investigate complaints and more power to enforce the requirements.
Other new laws and policies now in effect can be FOUND HERE.
