New NC Laws Are Now in Force, Affecting Schools, Safety, Child Protection and Criminal Penalties
Major North Carolina laws took effect December 1st, reshaping child protection, tightening criminal penalties, and expanding school security and public-official safeguards statewide.
Holly Springs, NC, Dec. 9, 2025 — North Carolina entered December with a wave of new laws taking effect, touching everything from child safety and school security to public official protections and criminal enforcement.
Firearms & Public-Safety Law (HB 193)
Now in effect statewide, HB 193 authorizes private schools to approve trained armed personnel, permits concealed carry during worship services on school property, sharply increases penalties for threats against public officials, and protects long-standing police shooting ranges.
Full story: Firearms Rules, Public-Official Protections Now in Effect as New NC Law (HB 193) Takes Hold
Criminal Law Changes (SB 429)
Senate Bill 429 strengthens penalties for fentanyl trafficking, expands protections for children, modernizes “digital peeping” offenses, and clarifies juvenile and domestic-violence procedures.
Full story: Senate Bill 429: New North Carolina Criminal Laws That Took Effect December 1st
Major Child Protection Reform (HB 612)
HB 612 reshapes North Carolina’s child protection system by enabling faster responses to reported risks, safer placements, more apparent oversight, and improved coordination between health care providers and child welfare agencies.
Full story: NC Child Protective Law (HB 612) Takes Effect, Bringing Faster Responses, Safer Placements, and Stronger Accountability
Together, these laws represent one of the most significant year-end shifts in statewide public-safety and child-welfare policy in recent years. The changes are now entirely in effect as of December 1, 2025.