All resourcesState guide · NC
North Carolina background check laws
A practitioner-grade reference to North Carolina pre-employment background screening: lookback caps, ban-the-box scope, salary-history limits, cannabis testing rules, and the statutes the SafestHires compliance team applies on every order routed to NC.
The four levers at a glance
| Lookback period | 7 years (FCRA default) |
| Ban-the-Box scope | Public sector (Executive Order 158) |
| Salary history | No restriction |
| Cannabis testing | Limited medical (eff. 2025); no off-duty protection |
Lookback period
North Carolina applies FCRA. Expunged records under N.C. Gen. Stat. §15A-145 must be suppressed.
Ban-the-Box and Fair Chance rules
Governor Cooper's 2020 executive order removed the conviction question from state-agency initial applications.
Salary history
No statewide salary-history ban.
Cannabis & drug testing
NC limits medical use to specific debilitating conditions; no recreational legalization or off-duty employment protection.
Governing statutes & references
- N.C. Gen. Stat. §15A-145
- Exec. Order 158
SafestHires compliance note
SBI fingerprint pathway under N.C. Gen. Stat. §114-19 for licensure and education roles.