PUBLISHED

N.C.G.S. § 143-139

Enforcement of the North Carolina State Building Code.

Effective date: 2026-08-08
Last verified: 2026-08-09
Source: official source
Revision history: view all versions

(a) Procedural Requirements. - Subject to the provisions set forth herein, the Building Code Council and Residential Code Council shall adopt such procedural requirements in the North Carolina State Building Code as shall appear reasonably necessary for adequate enforcement of the Code while safeguarding the rights of persons subject to the Code. (b) General Building Regulations. - The State Fire Marshal shall have general authority, through the Division of Engineering of the Department of Insurance, to supervise, administer, and enforce all sections of the North Carolina State Building Code pertaining to plumbing, electrical systems, general building restrictions and regulations, heating and air conditioning, fire protection, and the construction of buildings generally, except those sections of the Code, the enforcement of which is specifically allocated to other agencies by subsections (c) through (e) below. In the exercise of the duty to supervise, administer, and enforce the North Carolina State Building Code (including local building codes which have superseded the State Building Code in a particular political subdivision pursuant to G.S. 143-138(e)), the State Fire Marshal, through the Division of Engineering, shall: (1) Cooperate with local officials and local inspectors duly appointed by the governing body of any local government pursuant to Article 11 of Chapter 160D of the General Statutes, or any other applicable statutory authority. (2) In accordance with G.S. 143-139.4, timely assign a Code-enforcement official from the marketplace pool established under G.S. 143-151.12(9)a. to conduct any plumbing, electrical systems, general building restrictions and regulations, heating and air-conditioning, or general construction inspection required by the North Carolina State Building Code. (3) Develop eligibility criteria for and procedures to conduct certain inspections required by the North Carolina State Building Code as remote inspections. For the purposes of this subdivision, a "remote inspection" means an inspection of the manner of construction for North Carolina State Building Code compliance that an inspector conducts by (i) interactive real-time audio and video communication with a permit holder or (ii) a review of an electronic video recording submission by a permit holder. (b1) Remedies. - In case any building or structure is maintained, erected, constructed, or reconstructed or its purpose altered, so that it becomes in violation of this Article or of the North Carolina State Building Code, either the local enforcement officer or the State Fire Marshal or other State official with responsibility under this section may, in addition to other remedies, institute any appropriate action or proceeding to: (i) prevent the unlawful maintenance, erection, construction, or reconstruction or alteration of purpose, or overcrowding, (ii) restrain, correct, or abate the violation, or (iii) prevent the occupancy or use of the building, structure, or land until the violation is corrected. In addition to the civil remedies set out in G.S. 160A-175 and G.S. 153A-123, a county, city, or other political subdivision authorized to enforce the North Carolina State Building Code within its jurisdiction may, for the purposes stated in (i) through (iii) of this subsection, levy a civil penalty for violation of the North Carolina Fire Code of the North Carolina State Building Code, which penalty may be recovered in a civil action in the nature of debt if the offender does not pay the penalty within a prescribed period of time after the offender has been cited for the violation. If the State Fire Marshal or other State official institutes an action or proceeding under this section, a county, city, or other political subdivision may not institute a civil action under this section based upon the same violation. Appeals from the imposition of any remedy set forth herein, including the imposition of a civil penalty by a county, city, or other political subdivision, shall be as provided in G.S. 160D-1127. (c) Boilers. - The Bureau of Boiler Inspection of the Department of Labor shall have general supervision of the administration and enforcement of those sections of the North Carolina State Building Code which pertain to boilers of the types enumerated in Article 7 of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes. (d) Elevators. - The Department of Labor shall have general supervision of the administration and enforcement of those sections of the North Carolina State Building Code which pertain to elevators, moving stairways, and amusement devices such as merry-go-rounds, roller coasters, Ferris wheels, etc. (e) State Buildings. - With respect to State buildings, the Department of Administration shall have general supervision, through the Office of State Construction, of the administration and enforcement of all sections of the North Carolina State Building Code pertaining to plumbing, electrical systems, general building restrictions and regulations, heating and air conditioning, fire protection, and the construction of buildings generally, except those sections of the Code the enforcement of which is specifically allocated to other agencies by subsections (c) and (d) of this section, and shall also exercise all remedies as provided in subsection (b1) of this section. The Department of Administration shall be the only agency with the authority to seek remedies pursuant to this section with respect to State buildings. Except as provided herein, nothing in this subsection shall be construed to abrogate the authority of the State Fire Marshal under G.S. 58-31-41 or any other provision of law. For the purposes of this subsection, "State buildings" does not include buildings, facilities, or projects located on State lands that are (i) privately owned or privately leased and (ii) located within the North Carolina Global TransPark. (1957, c. 1138; 1963, c. 811; 1989, c. 681, s. 11; 1993, c. 329, s. 2; 2009-474, ss. 3, 4; 2018-29, s. 2(b); 2020-90, s. 2.3; 2021-117, s. 12.5(a); 2022-11, s. 15; 2022-62, s. 28; 2023-108, s. 1(a); 2023-151, s. 11.58; 2024-1, s. 6.4(j); 2024-49, s. 5.2(e).)