reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-1 - County commissioners to appoint inspectors.

§ 66-1. County commissioners to appoint inspectors.
The board of county commissioners may appoint for their county or any township thereof inspectors for any article of commerce the inspection of which is not otherwise provided for by law, who shall hold office for the term of five years after their employment. (Rev., ss. 4637, 4669; C.S., s. 5068.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-3 - Bond of inspector; fees.

§ 66-3. Bond of inspector; fees.
The said inspector shall enter into bond in the sum of five hundred dollars ($500.00), payable to the State of North Carolina, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of his office, which bond the board shall take; and he shall be entitled to such fees as may be prescribed by the board. (1848, c. 43, s. 3; R.C., c. 60, s. 76; Code, s. 3053; Rev., s. 4671; C.S., s. 5071.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-4 - Falsely acting as inspector.

§ 66-4. Falsely acting as inspector.
If any person, who is not a legal or sworn inspector of lumber or other articles, presume to act as such, he shall forfeit and pay one hundred dollars ($100.00), and be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (1824, c. 1254, s. 3; R.C., c. 60, s. 69; Code, s. 3046; Rev., s. 3580; C.S., s. 5072; 1993, c. 539, s. 503; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-5 - Penalty for sale without inspection.

§ 66-5. Penalty for sale without inspection.
If any person shall sell any article of forage or provision, of which inspection is required in accordance with this Article, without the same having been inspected as required, he shall, for every offense, forfeit and pay one hundred dollars ($100.00).
The clear proceeds of penalties provided for in this section shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C-457.2. (1850, c. 74, s. 2; R.C., c. 60, s. 77; Code, s. 3054; Rev., s. 4672; C.S., s. 5073; 1998-215, s. 40.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-6 - Penalty on master receiving without inspection.

§ 66-6. Penalty on master receiving without inspection.
No master or commander of any vessel shall take on board any cask or barrel or other commodity, liable to inspection as aforesaid, without its being inspected and branded as required, under the penalty of two hundred dollars ($200.00) for each offense.
The clear proceeds of penalties provided for in this section shall be remitted to the Civil Penalty and Forfeiture Fund in accordance with G.S. 115C-457.2. (1784, c. 206, s. 6; R.C., c. 60, s. 59; Code, ss. 3036, 3037; Rev., ss. 4657, 4658; C.S., s. 5074; 1998-215, s. 41.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-7 - Who to pay inspectors' fees; penalty for extortion.

§ 66-7. Who to pay inspectors' fees; penalty for extortion.
The fees of inspectors shall be paid by the purchaser or exporter of the articles inspected, and if any inspector shall receive any greater fees than are by law allowed, he shall forfeit and pay ten dollars ($10.00) for every offense to any person suing for the same. (1824, c. 1254, ss. 1, 2; R.C., c. 60, s. 79; Code, s. 3055; Rev., s. 4673; C.S., s. 5075.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-9 - Gas and electric light bills to show reading of meter.

§ 66-9. Gas and electric light bills to show reading of meter.
It shall be the duty of all gas companies and electric light companies selling gas and electricity to the public to show, among other things, on all statements or bills rendered to consumers, the reading of the meter at the end of the preceding month, and the reading of the meter at the end of the current month, and the amount of electricity, in kilowatt hours, and of gas, in feet, consumed for the current month; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prohibit any gas or electric company from adopting any method of and times of reading meters and rendering bills that may be approved by the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
Any gas or electric light company failing to render bills or statements, as provided for in this section, shall be subject to a penalty of ten dollars ($10.00) for each violation of this section or failure to render such statements, recoverable in the district court by any person suing for the same; but this section shall not apply to bills and accounts rendered customers on flat rate contracts. (1915, c. 259; C.S., s. 5082; 1959, c. 987; 1973, c. 108, s. 23.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › § 66-10 - Failure of dealers of scrap, salvage, or surplus to keep record of purchases of certain items misdemeanor.

§ 66-10. Failure of dealers of scrap, salvage, or surplus to keep record of purchases of certain items misdemeanor.
(a) Every person, firm, or corporation buying rubber or leather, rubber belts, and belting, as scrap, salvage, or surplus shall keep a register containing a true and accurate record of each purchase, including the description of the article purchased, the name from whom purchased, the amount paid for the article purchased, the date of the purchase, and any and all marks or brands upon the rubber or leather, rubber belts, and belting. This register and the rubber, leather, rubber belts, and belting purchased shall be at all times open to the inspection of the public. A failure to comply with these requirements or the making of a false entry concerning the rubber or leather, rubber belts, or belting shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(b) Every person, firm, or corporation engaged in the business of buying or dealing in scrap, salvage, or surplus, including glass, waste paper, burlap, cloth, cordage, rubber, leather, or belting of every kind, in addition to the above requirements under subsection (a) of this section, shall make and keep a record of the name and address of the person from whom this scrap, salvage, or surplus is purchased and the license number, if any, and if there is no license, a description of the vehicle in which this scrap, salvage, or surplus is delivered. Any person, firm, or corporation which fails to comply with the requirements of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and upon conviction shall only be fined not in excess of fifty dollars ($50.00) in the discretion of the court. (1917, c. 46; C.S., s. 5090; 1957, c. 791; 1993, c. 295, s. 1, c. 539, s. 504; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 1 - Regulation and Inspection. › §§ 66-11.2: Recodified as G.S. 66-426 by Session Laws 2012-46, s. 27, effective October 1, 2012, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date.

§ 66-11.2: Recodified as G.S. 66-426 by Session Laws 2012-46, s. 27, effective October 1, 2012, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date.
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 2 - Manufacture and Sale of Matches and Lighters. › § 66-12 - Requirements for matches permitted to be sold.

§ 66-12. Requirements for matches permitted to be sold.
No person, association, or corporation shall manufacture, store, offer for sale, sell or otherwise dispose of or distribute white phosphorous, single-dipped, strike-anywhere matches of the type popularly known as "parlor matches"; nor manufacture, store, sell, offer for sale, or otherwise dispose of, or distribute, white phosphorous, double-dipped, strike-anywhere matches or any other type of double-dipped matches, unless the bulb or first dip of such match is composed of a so-called safety or inert composition, nonignitible as an abrasive surface; nor manufacture, store, sell, or offer for sale, or otherwise dispose of or distribute matches which when packed in a carton of 500 approximate capacity and placed in an oven maintained at a constant temperature of 200 degrees F., will ignite in eight hours; nor manufacture, store, offer for sale, sell or otherwise dispose of, or distribute, blazer, or so-called wind matches, whether of the so-called safety or strike-anywhere type. (1915, c. 109, s. 12, I; C.S., s. 5113.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 2 - Manufacture and Sale of Matches and Lighters. › § 66-13 - Packages to be marked.

§ 66-13. Packages to be marked.
No person, association, or corporation shall offer for sale, sell or otherwise dispose of, or distribute, any matches, unless the package or container in which such matches are packed bears, plainly marked on the outside thereof, the name of the manufacturer and the brand or trademark under which the matches are sold, disposed of, or distributed. (1915, c. 109, s. 12, II; C.S., s. 5114.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 2 - Manufacture and Sale of Matches and Lighters. › § 66-14 - Storage and packing regulated.

§ 66-14. Storage and packing regulated.
No more than one case of each brand of matches of any type or manufacture shall be opened at any one time in the retail store where matches are sold or otherwise disposed of; nor shall loose boxes or paper-wrapped packages of matches be kept on shelves or stored in such retail stores at a height exceeding five feet from the floor; all matches when stored in warehouses must be kept only in properly secured cases, and not piled to a height exceeding 10 feet from the floor; nor be stored within a horizontal distance of 10 feet from any boiler, furnace, stove, or other like heating apparatus; nor within a horizontal distance of 25 feet from any explosive material kept or stored on the same floor. All matches shall be packed in boxes or suitable packages, containing not more than 700 matches in any one box or package: Provided, however, that when more than 300 matches are packed in any one box or package the said matches shall be arranged in two nearly equal portions, the heads of the matches in the two portions shall be placed in opposite directions, and all boxes containing 350 or more matches shall have placed over the matches a center-holding or protecting strip, made of chip board, not less than one and one-quarter inches wide; said strip shall be flanged down to hold the matches in position when the box is nested into the shuck or withdrawn from it. (1915, c. 109, s. 12, II; C.S., s. 5115.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 2 - Manufacture and Sale of Matches and Lighters. › § 66-15 - Shipping containers regulated.

§ 66-15. Shipping containers regulated.
All match boxes or packages shall be packed in strong shipping containers or cases; maximum number of match boxes or packages contained in any one shipping container or case shall not exceed the following number:
Nominal Number
Number of Boxes of Matches per Box
l/2 gross 700
1 gross 500
2 gross 400
3 gross 300
5 gross 200
12 gross 100
20 gross over 50 and under 100
25 gross under 50
No shipping container or case constructed of fiber board, corrugated fiber board, or wood, nailed or wirebound, shall exceed a weight, including its contents, of 75 pounds; and no lock-cornered wooden case containing matches shall have a weight, including its contents, exceeding 85 pounds; nor shall any other article or commodity be packed with matches in any such container or case; and all such containers and cases in which matches are packed shall have plainly marked on the outside of the container or case the words "Strike-Anywhere Matches" or "Strike-on-the-Box Matches." (1915, c. 109, s. 12, III; C.S., s. 5116.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 2 - Manufacture and Sale of Matches and Lighters. › § 66-16 - Violation of Article a misdemeanor.

§ 66-16. Violation of Article a misdemeanor.
Any person, association, or corporation violating any of the provisions of this Article, other than G.S. 66-16.1, shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and shall only be fined for the first offense not less than five dollars ($5.00) nor more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00), and for each subsequent violation not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00). (1915, c. 109, s. 12, IV; C.S., s. 5117; 1993, c. 539, s. 507; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2009-230, s. 2.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 2 - Manufacture and Sale of Matches and Lighters. › § 66-16.1 - Retail sale of novelty lighters prohibited.

§ 66-16.1. Retail sale of novelty lighters prohibited.
(a) Definition. – As used in this section, the term "novelty lighter" means a mechanical or electrical device typically used for lighting cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, that is designed to resemble a cartoon character, toy, gun, watch, musical instrument, vehicle, animal, food or beverage, or similar articles, or that plays musical notes. A novelty lighter may operate on any fuel, including butane, isobutene, or liquid fuel.
(b) Prohibition. – It shall be unlawful to sell at retail, offer to sell at retail, or give, or distribute for retail sale or promotion, a novelty lighter in this State. This prohibition does not apply to the transportation of novelty lighters through this State or to the storage of novelty lighters in a warehouse or distribution center in this State that is closed to the public for purposes of retail sales.
(c) Exceptions. – The prohibition in this section does not apply to any of the following:
(1) A lighter manufactured prior to January 1, 1980.
(2) Any mechanical or electrical device primarily used to ignite fuel for fireplaces or charcoal or gas grills.
(3) Standard disposable or refillable lighters that are printed or decorated with logos, labels, decals or artwork, or heat shrinkable sleeves, but which do not otherwise resemble a novelty lighter.
(d) Penalty. – A violation of this section is an infraction and shall subject a violator to a penalty of five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation. The clear proceeds of any penalties imposed under this section shall be remitted in accordance with G.S. 115C-452. (2009-230, s. 3.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4 - Electrical Materials, Devices, Appliances and Equipment. › § 66-23 - Sale of electrical goods regulated.

§ 66-23. Sale of electrical goods regulated.
Every person, firm or corporation before selling, offering for sale, assigning, or disposing of by gift as premiums or in any similar manner any electrical material, devices, appliances or equipment shall first determine if such electrical materials, devices, appliances and equipment comply with the provision of this Article. (1933, c. 555, s. 1; 1989, c. 681, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4 - Electrical Materials, Devices, Appliances and Equipment. › § 66-24 - Identification marks required.

§ 66-24. Identification marks required.
All electrical materials, devices, appliances and equipment shall have the maker's name, trademark, or other identification symbol placed thereon, together with such other markings giving voltage, current, wattage, or other appropriate ratings as may be necessary to determine the character of the material, device, appliance or equipment and the use for which it is intended; and it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to remove, alter, change or deface the maker's name, trademark or other identification symbol. (1933, c. 555, s. 2; 1989, c. 681, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4 - Electrical Materials, Devices, Appliances and Equipment. › § 66-25 - Acceptable listings as to safety of goods.

§ 66-25. Acceptable listings as to safety of goods.
(a) All electrical materials, devices, appliances, and equipment shall be evaluated for safety and suitability for intended use. Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, this evaluation shall be conducted in accordance with nationally recognized standards and shall be conducted by a qualified testing laboratory. The Commissioner of Insurance, through the Engineering Division of the Department of Insurance, shall implement the procedures necessary to approve suitable national standards and to approve suitable qualified testing laboratories. The Commissioner may assign his authority to implement the procedures for specific materials, devices, appliances, or equipment to other agencies or bodies when they would be uniquely qualified to implement those procedures.
In the event that the Commissioner determines that electrical materials, devices, appliances, or equipment in question cannot be adequately evaluated through the use of approved national standards or by approved qualified testing laboratories, the Engineering Division of the Department of Insurance shall specify any alternative evaluations which safety requires.
The Engineering Division of the Department of Insurance shall keep in file, where practical, copies of all approved national standards and resumes of approved qualified testing laboratories.
(b) Electrical devices, appliances, or equipment used by the Division of Prisons of the Department of Adult Correction in institutional kitchens and manufacturing equipment used by Correction Enterprises are exempt from the evaluation requirement of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The Department of Administration, Division of Purchase and Contract, shall not seek to enforce the provisions of subsection (a) of this section by any means, including requiring acceptance inspections or additional testing of electrical materials, devices, appliances, or equipment purchased by State departments, agencies, and institutions. (1933, c. 555, s. 3; 1989, c. 681, s. 1; 2013-289, s. 11; 2014-100, s. 16C.4; 2015-241, s. 16C.13A; 2017-186, s. 2(rrrr); 2017-211, s. 6(a); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(p).)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4 - Electrical Materials, Devices, Appliances and Equipment. › § 66-26 - Legal responsibility of proper installations unaffected.

§ 66-26. Legal responsibility of proper installations unaffected.
This Article shall not be construed to relieve from or to lessen the responsibility or liability of any party owning, operating, controlling or installing any electrical materials, devices, appliances or equipment for damages to persons or property caused by any defect therein, nor shall the electrical inspector, the Commissioner, or agents of the Commissioner be held as assuming any such liability by reason of the approval of any material, device, appliance or equipment authorized herein. (1933, c. 555, s. 4; 1989, c. 681, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4 - Electrical Materials, Devices, Appliances and Equipment. › § 66-27 - Violation made misdemeanor.

§ 66-27. Violation made misdemeanor.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Article shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. (1933, c. 555, s. 5; 1989, c. 681, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 509; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4 - Electrical Materials, Devices, Appliances and Equipment. › § 66-27.01 - Enforcement.

§ 66-27.01. Enforcement.
The Commissioner or his designee or the electrical inspector of any State or local governing agency may initiate any appropriate action or proceedings to prevent, restrain, or correct any violation of this Article. The Commissioner or his designee, upon showing proper credentials and in discharge of his duties pursuant to this Article may, at reasonable times and without advance notice, enter and inspect any facility within the State in which there is reasonable cause to suspect that electrical materials, devices, appliances, or equipment not in conformance with the requirements of this Article are being sold, offered for sale, assigned, or disposed of by gift, as premiums, or in any other similar manner. (1989, c. 681, s. 1; 1997-456, s. 27.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4A - Safety Features of Hot Water Heaters. › § 66-27.1 - Certain automatic hot water tanks or heaters to have approved relief valves; installation or sale of unapproved relief valves forbidden.

§ 66-27.1. Certain automatic hot water tanks or heaters to have approved relief valves; installation or sale of unapproved relief valves forbidden.
(a) No individual, firm, corporation or business shall install, sell or offer for sale any automatic hot water tank or heater of 120-gallon capacity or less, except for a tankless water heater, which does not have installed thereon by the manufacturer of the tank or heater an American Society of Mechanical Engineers and National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors approved type pressure-temperature relief valve set at or below the safe working pressure of the tank as indicated, and so labeled by the manufacturer's identification stamped or cast upon the tank or heater or upon a plate secured to it.
(b) No individual, firm, corporation or business shall install, sell, or offer for sale any relief valve, whether it be pressure type, temperature type or pressure-temperature type, which does not carry the stamp of approval of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. (1965, c. 860, s. 1; 1967, c. 453; 2004-199, s. 24.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4A - Safety Features of Hot Water Heaters. › § 66-27.1A - Water heater thermostat settings.

§ 66-27.1A. Water heater thermostat settings.
(a) The thermostat of any new residential water heater offered for sale or lease for use in a single-family or multifamily dwelling in the State shall be preset by the manufacturer or installer no higher than approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit (or 49 degrees Celsius). A water heater reservoir temperature may be set higher if it is supplying space heaters that require higher temperatures. For purposes of this section, a water heater shall mean the primary source of hot water for any single-family or multifamily residential dwelling including, but not limited to any solar or other hot water heating systems.
(b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the occupant of a single-family or multiunit residential dwelling with an individual water heater from resetting or having reset the thermostat on the water heater. Any such resetting shall relieve the manufacturer or installer of the water heater and, in the case of a residential dwelling that is leased or rented, also the unit's owner, from liability for damages attributed to the resetting.
(c) A warning tag or sticker shall be placed on or near the operating thermostat control of any residential water heater. This tag or sticker shall state that the thermostat settings above the preset temperature may cause severe burns. This tag or sticker may carry such other appropriate warnings as may be agreed upon by manufacturers, installers, and other interested parties. (1991, c. 190, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4A - Safety Features of Hot Water Heaters. › § 66-27.2 - Certain hot water supply storage tank or heater baffles, heat traps, etc., to be tested before installation or sale.

§ 66-27.2. Certain hot water supply storage tank or heater baffles, heat traps, etc., to be tested before installation or sale.
(a) No individual, firm, corporation or business shall install, sell or offer for sale any hot water supply storage tanks or heaters of 120-gallon capacity or less which utilize dip tubes, supply and hot water nipples, supply water baffles or heat traps that have not been tested to withstand a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit without deteriorating in any manner, and such tank or heater so labeled by the manufacturer.
(b) No individual, firm, corporation or business shall install, sell, or offer for sale any water baffles or heat traps, which are not constructed and tested to withstand a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit without deterioration in any manner and such baffles or heat traps to be so labeled by the manufacturer. (1965, c. 860, s. 2.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4A - Safety Features of Hot Water Heaters. › § 66-27.3 - Violation of Article made misdemeanor.

§ 66-27.3. Violation of Article made misdemeanor.
Violation of any provision of this Article is hereby made a Class 1 misdemeanor. (1965, c. 860, s. 3; 1993, c. 539, s. 510; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4A - Safety Features of Hot Water Heaters. › § 66-27.4 - Local regulation of hot water heater safety features.

§ 66-27.4. Local regulation of hot water heater safety features.
Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted as relieving any individual, firm, corporation or business from complying with additional protective regulations relating to the safety features of hot water heaters as may be prescribed by local law, county or municipal charter or ordinance; provided, however, that no local law, county or municipal charter or ordinance shall fix or govern the temperature or pressure settings of a pressure-temperature relief valve on an automatic hot water tank or heater covered by this Article if there is installed on such tank or heater a pressure-temperature relief valve having settings in compliance with the North Carolina Building Code. (1965, c. 860, s. 4.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4B - Safety Features of Trailers. › § 66-27.5 - House trailers to have two doors.

§ 66-27.5. House trailers to have two doors.
(a) In order to provide greater protection from the dangers of fire, every new house trailer having a body length exceeding 32 feet and manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1970, and sold in this State shall, if such house trailer is to be used as a residence or dwelling within this State, be equipped with at least two doors. These doors shall be located in the vicinity of the front and rear rooms of the house trailer. Provided, however, this section shall not apply: to any (i) travel trailer which is factory equipped for the road and designed to be used as a dwelling for travel, recreational or vacation use, if such travel trailer does not exceed 32 feet in length; (ii) to any house trailer of any length sold in North Carolina for use in a state other than North Carolina.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any dealer to sell in this State any house trailer manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1970, having a body length exceeding 32 feet which does not conform to the specifications set forth in subsection (a). Any dealer who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. (1969, c. 463; 1993, c. 539, s. 511; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 4B - Safety Features of Trailers. › §§ 66-27A: Recodified as 66-27.01 by Session Laws 1997-456, s. 27.

§ 66-27A: Recodified as 66-27.01 by Session Laws 1997-456, s. 27.
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 5 - Sale of Phonograph Records or Electrical Transcriptions. › § 66-28 - Prohibition of rights to further restrict or to collect royalties on commercial use.

§ 66-28. Prohibition of rights to further restrict or to collect royalties on commercial use.
When any phonograph record or electrical transcription, upon which musical performances are embodied, is sold in commerce for use within this State, all asserted common-law rights to further restrict or to collect royalties on the commercial use made of such recorded performances by any person is hereby abrogated and expressly repealed. When such article or chattel has been sold in commerce, any asserted intangible rights shall be deemed to have passed to the purchaser upon the purchase of the chattel itself, and the right to further restrict the use made of phonograph records or electrical transcriptions, whose sole value is in their use, is hereby forbidden and abrogated.
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to deny the rights granted any person by the United States copyright laws. The sole intendment of this enactment is to abolish any common-law rights attaching to phonograph records and electrical transcriptions, whose sole value is in their use, and to forbid further restrictions of the collection of subsequent fees and royalties on phonograph records and electrical transcriptions by performers who were paid for the initial performance at the recording thereof. (1939, c. 113.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 8 - Public Warehouses. › § 66-35 - Who may become public warehousemen.

§ 66-35. Who may become public warehousemen.
Any person or any corporation organized under the laws of this State whose charter authorizes it to engage in the business of a warehouseman may become a public warehouseman and authorized to keep and maintain public warehouses for the storage of cotton, goods, wares, and other merchandise as hereinafter prescribed upon giving the bond hereinafter required. (1901, c. 678; Rev., s. 3029; 1919, c. 212; C.S., s. 5118.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 8 - Public Warehouses. › § 66-36 - Bond required.

§ 66-36. Bond required.
Every person or every corporation organized under G.S. 66-35, to become a public warehouseman, except such as shall have a capital stock of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), shall give bond in a reliable bonding or surety company, or an individual bond with sufficient sureties, payable to the State of North Carolina, in an amount not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), to be approved, filed with and recorded by the clerk of the superior court of the county in which the warehouse is located, for the faithful performance of the duties of a public warehouseman; but if such person or corporation has a capital stock of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), then it shall not be required to give the bond mentioned in this section. (1901, c. 678, s. 2; 1905, c. 540; Rev., s. 3030; 1908, c. 56; 1919, c. 212; C.S., s. 5119.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 8 - Public Warehouses. › § 66-37 - Person injured may sue on bond.

§ 66-37. Person injured may sue on bond.
Whenever such warehouseman fails to perform any duty or violates any of the provisions of this Article, any person injured by such failure or violation may bring an action in his name and to his own use in any court of competent jurisdiction on the bond of said warehouseman. (1901, c. 678, s. 3; Rev., s. 3031; C.S., s. 5120.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 8 - Public Warehouses. › § 66-38 - When insurance required; storage receipts.

§ 66-38. When insurance required; storage receipts.
Every such warehouseman shall, when requested thereto in writing by a party placing property with it on storage, cause such property to be insured; every such warehouseman shall give to each person depositing property with it for storage a receipt therefor. (1901, c. 678, s. 4; 1905, c. 540, s. 2; Rev., s. 3032; C.S., s. 5121.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 8 - Public Warehouses. › § 66-39 - Books of account kept; open to inspection.

§ 66-39. Books of account kept; open to inspection.
Every such warehouseman shall keep a book in which shall be entered an account of all its transactions relating to warehousing, storing, and insuring cotton, goods, wares and merchandise, and to the issuing of receipts therefor, which books shall be open to the inspection of any person actually interested in the property to which such entry relates. (1901, c. 678, s. 7; Rev., s. 3035; C.S., s. 5122.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 8 - Public Warehouses. › § 66-40 - Unlawful disposition of property stored.

§ 66-40. Unlawful disposition of property stored.
If any person unlawfully sells, pledges, lends, or in any other way disposes of or permits or is a party to the unlawful selling, pledging, lending, or other disposition of any goods, wares, merchandise, or anything deposited in a public warehouse, without the authority of the party who deposited the same, he shall be punished by a fine not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) and by imprisonment in the State's prison for not more than three years; but no officer, manager, or agent of such public warehouse shall be liable to the penalties provided in this section unless, with the intent to injure or defraud any person, he so sells, pledges, lends, or in any other way disposes of the same, or is a party to the selling, pledging, lending, or other disposition of any goods, wares, merchandise, article, or thing so deposited. (1901, c. 678, s. 11; Rev., s. 3831; C.S., s. 5123.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 9 - Collection of Accounts. › §§ 66-41 through 66-49: Recodified as §§ 66-49.24 through 66-49.50.

Article 9.
Collection of Accounts.
§§ 66-41 through 66-49: Recodified as §§ 66-49.24 through 66-49.50.
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 9B - Motor Clubs and Associations. › §§ 66-49.9 through 66-49.23: Recodified as Article 69 of Chapter 58.

Article 9B
Motor Clubs and Associations.
§§ 66-49.9 through 66-49.23: Recodified as Article 69 of Chapter 58.
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 9C - Collection Agencies. › §§ 66-49.24 through 66-49.50: Recodified as Article 70 of Chapter 58.

Article 9C.
Collection Agencies.
§§ 66-49.24 through 66-49.50: Recodified as Article 70 of Chapter 58.
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 10A - Inventions Developed by Employee. › § 66-57.1 - Employee's right to certain inventions.

§ 66-57.1. Employee's right to certain inventions.
Any provision in an employment agreement which provides that the employee shall assign or offer to assign any of his rights in an invention to his employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee developed entirely on his own time without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facility or trade secret information except for those inventions that (i) relate to the employer's business or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development, or (ii) result from any work performed by the employee for the employer. To the extent a provision in an employment agreement purports to apply to the type of invention described, it is against the public policy of this State and is unenforceable. The employee shall bear the burden of proof in establishing that his invention qualifies under this section. (1981, c. 488, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 10A - Inventions Developed by Employee. › § 66-57.2 - Employer's rights.

§ 66-57.2. Employer's rights.
(a) An employer may not require a provision of an employment agreement made unenforceable under G.S. 66-57.1 as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer, in an employment agreement, may require that the employee report all inventions developed by the employee, solely or jointly, during the term of his employment to the employer, including those asserted by the employee as nonassignable, for the purpose of determining employee or employer rights.
(b) An employer's ownership of an employee's invention, discovery, or development that has or becomes vested in the employer by contract or by operation of law shall not be subject to revocation or rescission in the event of a dispute between the employer and employee concerning payment of compensation or benefits to the employee, subject to any contrary provision in the employee's written employment agreement. The foregoing provision shall not apply where the employee proves that the employer acquired ownership of the employee's invention, discovery, or development fraudulently.
(c) If required by a contract between the employer and the United States or its agencies, the employer may require that full title to certain patents and inventions be in the United States. (1981, c. 488, s. 1; 2016-114, s. 4.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.1 - Title; purpose.

§ 66-58.1. Title; purpose.
This Article shall be known and may be cited as the Electronic Commerce Act. The purpose of this Article is to facilitate electronic commerce with public agencies and regulate the application of electronic signatures when used in commerce with public agencies. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.2 - Definitions.

§ 66-58.2. Definitions.
The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1) "Certification authority" means a person authorized by the Secretary to facilitate electronic commerce by vouching for the relationship between a person or public agency and that person's or public agency's electronic signature.
(2) "Electronic signature" means any identifier or authentication technique attached to or logically associated with an electronic record which is intended by the party using it to have the same force and effect as the party's manual signature.
(3) "Person" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or combination thereof of whatsoever form or character.
(4) "Public agencies" means and includes every public office, public officer or official (State or local, elected or appointed), institution, board, commission, bureau, council, department, authority, or other unit of government of the State or of any county, unit, special district, or other political subdivision of government.
(5) "Secretary" means Secretary of State.
(6) "Transaction" means an electronic transmission of data between a person and a public agency, or between public agencies, including, but not limited to, contracts, filings, and legally operative documents. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.3 - Certification authority licensing.

§ 66-58.3. Certification authority licensing.
All persons acting as a certification authority with respect to transactions under this Article shall be licensed by the Secretary prior to representing themselves or acting as a certification authority under this Article. Certification authority licensing standards set by the Secretary may include, but are not limited to, technical, physical, procedural, and personnel security controls, repository obligations, and financial responsibility standards. Upon payment of the required fees, a certification authority meeting the standards adopted by the Secretary by rule shall be licensed for a period of one year. Licenses of certification authorities complying with the standards adopted by the Secretary may be renewed for additional one-year terms upon payment of the required renewal fee. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.4 - Use of electronic signatures.

§ 66-58.4. Use of electronic signatures.
All public agencies may use and accept electronic signatures pursuant to this Article, pursuant to Article 40 of this Chapter (the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act), or pursuant to other law. (1998-127, s. 1; 2003-233, s. 1; 2007-119, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.5 - Validity of electronic signatures.

§ 66-58.5. Validity of electronic signatures.
(a) An electronic signature contained in a transaction undertaken pursuant to this Article between a person and a public agency, or between public agencies, shall have the same force and effect as a manual signature provided all of the following requirements are met:
(1) The public agency involved in the transaction requests or requires the use of electronic signatures.
(2) The electronic signature contained in the transaction embodies all of the following attributes:
a. It is unique to the person using it;
b. It is capable of certification;
c. It is under sole control of the person using it;
d. It is linked to data in such a manner that if the data are changed, the electronic signature is invalidated; and
e. It conforms to rules adopted by the Secretary pursuant to this Article.
(b) A transaction undertaken pursuant to this Article between a person and a public agency, or between public agencies, is not unenforceable, nor is it inadmissible into evidence, on the sole ground that the transaction is evidenced by an electronic record or that it has been signed with an electronic signature.
(c) This Article does not affect the validity of, presumptions relating to, or burdens of proof regarding an electronic signature that is accepted pursuant to Article 40 of this Chapter or other law. (1998-127, s. 1; 2003-233, s. 2.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.6 - Enforcement.

§ 66-58.6. Enforcement.
(a) The Secretary may investigate complaints or other information indicating fraudulent or unlawful conduct that violates this Article or the rules promulgated thereunder.
(b) The Superior Court Division of the General Court of Justice has jurisdiction and authority upon application of the Secretary to enjoin or restrain violations of this Article.
(c) It shall be the duty of the Attorney General, when requested, to represent the Secretary in actions or proceedings in connection with this Article.
(d) Nothing in this Article shall adversely affect any rights or the enforcement of any rights acquired by any person or public agency under any other statute or at common law with respect to matters also covered by this Article. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.7 - Civil penalty.

§ 66-58.7. Civil penalty.
The Secretary may assess a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) per violation against any certification authority that violates a provision of this Article or any rule promulgated thereunder. In determining the amount of a penalty under this section, the Secretary shall give due consideration to each of the following factors:
(1) The organizational size of the certification authority cited;
(2) The good faith of the certification authority cited;
(3) The gravity of the violation;
(4) The prior record of the violator in complying or failing to comply with this Article or a rule adopted pursuant to this Article; and
(5) The risk of harm caused by the violation.
Chapter 150B of the General Statutes governs the imposition of a civil penalty under this section. A civil penalty owed under this section may be recovered in a civil action brought by the Secretary or the Attorney General. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.8 - Criminal penalty.

§ 66-58.8. Criminal penalty.
(a) Any person who willfully violates any provision of this Article, or who willfully violates any rule or order under this Article, with intent to defraud, is guilty of a Class I felony.
(b) The Secretary shall provide such evidence as is available concerning criminal violations of this Article or of any rule or order promulgated hereunder to the proper district attorney, who may, with or without such a reference, institute appropriate criminal proceedings under this Article.
(c) Nothing in this Article limits the power of the State to punish any person for any conduct which constitutes a crime by statute or common law. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.9 - Exemptions.

§ 66-58.9. Exemptions.
This Article shall not apply to any of the following:
(1) Electronic signatures and facsimile signatures that are otherwise allowed by law.
(2) The execution of documents filed with, issued, or entered by a court of the General Court of Justice. However, a document or transaction validly executed under this Article is not rendered invalid because it is filed with, or attached to, a document issued or entered by a court of the General Court of Justice.
(3) Transactions where a public agency is not a party. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.10 - Rule making.

§ 66-58.10. Rule making.
(a) The Secretary may promulgate rules under this Article. Such rules may include, but are not limited to:
(1) Definitions, including, but not limited to, more technical definitions of "certification authority" and "electronic signature";
(2) The creation, accreditation, bonding, licensing, operation, regulation, and sanctioning of certification authorities;
(3) The imposition of licensing and renewal fees in amounts not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per year; and
(4) The imposition of civil monetary penalties for noncompliance with this Article or the rules promulgated thereunder.
(b) Notwithstanding G.S. 150B-21.1(a), the Secretary may adopt temporary rules to implement the certification authority technology provisions of this Article using the procedure for adoption of temporary rules under G.S. 150B-21.1(a2).
(c) The Secretary shall deposit licensing and renewal fees in the General Fund. (1998-127, s. 1.)
2023 North Carolina General Statutes › Chapter 66 - Commerce and Business › Article 11A - Electronic Commerce In Government. › § 66-58.11 - Reciprocal agreements.

§ 66-58.11. Reciprocal agreements.
The Secretary is hereby authorized to enter into reciprocal arrangements with appropriate and duly authorized public agencies of other jurisdictions having a law substantially similar to this Article so as to further the purpose of this Article. (1998-127, s. 1.)