Senate Bill 429: New North Carolina Criminal Laws That Took Effect December 1st
New NC laws strengthen penalties for fentanyl trafficking, increase protections for children, expand digital peeping offenses, and clarify juvenile notifications and domestic violence filings.
Holly Springs, Dec. 9, 2025 — A broad package of criminal law changes took effect across North Carolina on December 1st, following passage of Session Law 2025-70 (Senate Bill 429) earlier this year. The reforms tighten penalties, refine legal definitions, clarify procedures, and, in several cases, align statutes with modern technology and practical enforcement realities.
Protections involving children, minors, and juvenile information
New felony for exposing children to controlled substances
It is now a felony to expose a child to a controlled substance. Penalties increase if the child is harmed, and in the most severe case, when the exposure leads to death, the offense becomes a Class B1 felony, a level reserved for the most serious violent crimes short of murder.
Exposure resulting in “serious bodily injury” is a Class C felony, a level typically associated with major offenses that carry multi-year active prison sentences.
Online solicitation of minors, penalties increased
If a person arranges a meeting with a minor for unlawful purposes and actually shows up, the charge becomes a Class D felony. Class D felonies frequently lead to active incarceration.
Custodial sexual offense statute expanded
Employees and volunteers at religious institutions are now considered custodians under the sexual offense statute. Depending on the conduct, charges may reach the Class E felony level, a significant category that often involves active incarceration.
Juvenile school notification clarified
Schools will be notified only when a juvenile is charged with conduct that would be a Class A through Class E felony if committed by an adult.
Those levels are:
Class A: Most severe crimes, such as first-degree murder.
Class B1/B2: Violent offenses, including certain sexual assaults and homicides.
Class C: Serious offenses involving major harm or violence.
Class D: Significant offenses with substantial impact.
Class E: Serious offenses lower than D or C but still substantial.
Limiting notifications to these categories focuses attention on only the most severe matters.
Digital privacy and peeping-related offenses
“Secret peeping” statute modernized
North Carolina’s peeping law has been updated for the digital era. The revised statute distinguishes between looking at, recording, possessing, and sharing images, with penalties that scale accordingly.
Notably:
Secret peeping using a device is a Class A1 misdemeanor.
Recording someone in a private setting without consent is a Class I felony.
Recording beneath or through clothing is also a Class I felony.
Possessing such recordings is a Class I felony.
Sharing them elevates the offense to a Class H felony, a level with greater potential for incarceration.
Repeat offenders face potential evaluation for sex-offender registration.
Domestic violence and victim support
Domestic violence protective order filing expanded
People who live outside North Carolina may now seek protective orders here if the abuse occurred within the state. The law also clarifies the rules on warrantless arrests and the language governing habitual assault.
Longer window for victims to seek compensation
Victims now have six months, rather than 72 hours, to report offenses to receive victim compensation.
Drug trafficking and controlled substances
Fentanyl trafficking penalties expanded
Penalties for trafficking fentanyl and carfentanil increase significantly, including mandatory minimum prison sentences and fines as high as $1 million. In the most serious cases, the offense is a Class C felony.
Court and investigative process updates
Recording of court proceedings clarified
The statute specifies when courtroom statements and arguments must be recorded and when courts may order additional recording.
Autopsy and investigative record procedures revised
The law clarifies the classification and access to autopsy and investigative records, particularly in ongoing criminal matters, and imposes penalties for unauthorized disclosure. (Some portions took effect October 1, 2025.)
Traffic safety
Stronger penalties for failure-to-yield violations
A driver who fails to yield and causes serious bodily injury faces:
A Class 2 misdemeanor,
A $500 fine, and
A 90-day license suspension.
A separate provision addresses situations involving blind or partially blind pedestrians.
Post-conviction and legacy statute changes
New deadline for motions for appropriate relief
Most non-capital motions to challenge convictions must now be filed within seven years of the final appellate ruling, with limited exceptions for newly discovered evidence or with district attorney consent.
Filial responsibility statute repealed
A longstanding statute requiring adult children to support indigent parents has been repealed. (The repeal took effect July 1, 2025.)
Effective dates
Most provisions: December 1, 2025
Autopsy-record provisions: October 1, 2025
Filial responsibility repeal: July 1, 2025