# North Carolina

North Carolina certifies corrections staff through two commissions: the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission certifies Department of Adult Correction officers and probation and parole officers, and the Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission certifies county detention officers. The Department of Health and Human Services sets jail standards. Since 2023 the State has let courts delegate probation term reductions to officers, required jails to check immigration status and hold detainer subjects for a judicial official, exempted execution protocols from rulemaking, and extended survivor tuition waivers to probation officers’ families.

Source: https://uscli.org/corrections-tracker/north-carolina

## At a glance

- **Certifying body:** Two commissions, both in the Department of Justice. The Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission certifies “criminal justice officers,” which by statute include State correctional officers and State probation and parole officers, and staff of local confinement facilities not run by sheriffs ([G.S. 17C-2(3), 17C-6, 17C-10](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_17C.html)). The Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission certifies sheriffs’ justice officers, including detention officers in county jails ([G.S. 17E-4, 17E-7](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_17E.html)). The Department of Adult Correction (DAC) runs State prisons and community supervision. Both commissions are covered on the [North Carolina Officer Ledger page](https://uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/north-carolina).
- **Statute:** G.S. Chapter 17C (Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards); Chapter 17E (Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards); 153A-216 to -229 (local confinement facilities); Chapter 148 (State prisons). Rules: 12 NCAC 09G (correctional and probation and parole officers) and 12 NCAC 10B (sheriffs’ justice officers, including detention officers).
- **Minimum standards:** DAC correctional officers must be U.S. citizens, or green card holders who have lived in the United States at least three years; be at least 18; hold a high school diploma or equivalent; be fingerprinted; pass a medical exam, a drug screen, and a psychological screening (valid one year); have a DAC background investigation with interview; have no disqualifying crimes (09G .0302); and be of good moral character. Officers authorized to carry firearms must complete DAC firearms training within a year of hire. Certified officers must report criminal charges, dispositions, and domestic violence protective orders within 30 days ([12 NCAC 09G .0208](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2012%20-%20justice/chapter%2009%20-%20criminal%20justice%20education%20and%20training%20standards/subchapter%20g/subchapter%20g%20rules.pdf), effective May 1, 2023, amended effective July 1, 2024). Probation and parole officers have a separate rule (09G .0209). Sheriffs’ detention officers must be at least 20 (12 NCAC 10B .0301).
- **Basic training:** Correctional Officer Basic Training: at least 160 hours (firearms, defensive protection, legal issues, emergency procedures, operations, institutional culture, basic life support, correctional theory), with a 50-hour abbreviated course for experienced officers. Probation and Parole Officer Basic Training: at least 216 hours, abbreviated 50. Both rules were readopted effective July 1, 2026 (12 NCAC 09G .0411, .0412). County detention officers take the 182-hour Detention Officer Certification Course developed by the North Carolina Justice Academy ([12 NCAC 10B .0601](http://reports.oah.state.nc.us/ncac/title%2012%20-%20justice/chapter%2010%20-%20sheriffs'%20education%20and%20training%20standards%20commission/subchapter%20b/subchapter%20b%20rules.pdf), amended July 1, 2025 and June 1, 2026).
- **In-service training:** Detention officers must complete the Sheriffs’ Commission annual in-service program, with topics and credits set each year, and firearms in-service training if armed (12 NCAC 10B .2005, Section .2100). For DAC officers, the Criminal Justice Commission recognizes in-service training run by agency in-service coordinators (12 NCAC 09G .0102, .0304). An annual hour total for DAC correctional officers was not confirmed.
- **Decertification:** Each commission may certify, recertify, suspend, revoke, or deny certification under its standards, with grounds and periods set by rule (12 NCAC 09G .0504, .0505; 10B .0204 to .0206, including summary suspension). Felony convictions may count even if expunged, but since June 23, 2023, offenses committed as minors and expunged under G.S. 15A-145.4 or 15A-145.8A do not (entry below). The Sheriffs’ Commission must keep a public database of suspensions and revocations of justice officer certifications, which include detention officers ([G.S. 17E-14](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_17E/GS_17E-14.html)). The Criminal Justice Commission’s database covers “law enforcement officer certifications” ([G.S. 17C-14](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_17C/GS_17C-14.html)); whether it includes DAC correctional or probation and parole officers was not confirmed.
- **Jail standards:** The Secretary of Health and Human Services sets minimum standards for local confinement facilities, which take effect with the approval of the Commission and the Governor and then have the force of law. They cover security, design, space, supervision, medical and mental health care, sanitation and food, and the “Dignity for Women Incarcerated in Local Confinement Facilities” part ([G.S. 153A-221](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_153A/GS_153A-221.html)). Jails are inspected by the Construction Section of the DHHS Division of Health Service Regulation, which S.L. 2024-55 funded to hire two more jail inspectors.
- **Probation and parole officers:** Probation and parole officers in DAC’s Division of Community Supervision and Reentry are certified by the Criminal Justice Commission after the 216-hour basic course. Since December 1, 2023, a court may delegate to the probation officer its power to reduce a supervised probation term for compliant offenders who show “diligent progress,” once restitution is paid (G.S. 15A-1344.2; entry below). The Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission sets parole and post-release conditions.
- **Restrictive housing:** No general statutory limit was found. Pregnant women and women in postpartum recovery may not be placed in restrictive housing unless a correctional employee makes an individualized determination that an “important circumstance” exists, with a written report to the warden ([G.S. 148-25.2(d)](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_148.html)). Jails are covered by the parallel “Dignity for Women Incarcerated in Local Confinement Facilities” part (G.S. 153A-221(a)(11)).
- **Corrections use of force:** Restraints may not be used on pregnant women in the second and third trimesters, during labor and delivery, or in postpartum recovery. A postpartum woman may be restrained only on an individualized “important circumstance” finding, with front wrist cuffs only while she is ambulatory and a written report within 5 days. Front wrist restraints are allowed in transport, but not during labor. Body cavity searches of pregnant or postpartum women by non-medical staff require probable cause of dangerous contraband and a report (G.S. 148-25.2(a), (b)). No general corrections use-of-force statute was found.

## Changes, 2023 to 2026

- Jul 7, 2026 — **Tuition waiver for families of fallen probation officers; retirement definition extended to certified officers in training roles** — S.L. 2026-44 (S 355) · Approved July 7, 2026; effective when it became law, except the sexually violent predator expert-board provision, effective December 1, 2026 — The act adds “probation officer” to the tuition-waiver law (G.S. 115B-1, -2, -5), which already covered correctional officers, so eligible family members of probation officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty get free tuition at UNC institutions and community colleges. It redefines “Probation/Parole Officer” for retirement purposes (G.S. 135-1(17a)) to include certified officers serving in DAC’s Office of Staff Development and Training. It also lets a single Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission member set post-release terms, issue reprimands, and continue supervision, adds parole questions under G.S. 20-179(p) to what a three-member panel may decide, updates electronic-filing definitions in G.S. 15A-101.1, moves satellite-monitoring release decisions after post-release supervision from the Commission to the superior court, has the State Reentry Council meet annually, and exempts DAC investigations from certain IT restrictions. — **For corrections staff:** Probation and parole officers who move to academy or training roles now count as a “Probation/Parole Officer” under the State retirement system definition (G.S. 135-1(17a)), and families of probation officers killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty can qualify for the tuition waiver. — [S.L. 2026-44](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2025-2026/SL2026-44.html)
- Oct 3, 2025 — **Iryna’s Law: backup execution methods; DAC execution protocols exempt from rulemaking** — S.L. 2025-93 (H 307), section 6.5, amending G.S. 15-187, 15-188, 15-188.1, 15-190, 7A-27, 150B-1(d) · Approved October 3, 2025; section 6.5 has no separate effective date, so it took effect on approval. Other parts of the act take effect December 1, 2025 or later — Lethal injection remains the default method. If a North Carolina court declares it unconstitutional, or it is otherwise unavailable, the Secretary of Adult Correction must use an alternative method under new G.S. 15-188(b). The warden may obtain drugs and equipment, and correction custody personnel designated by the warden carry out executions. The Administrative Procedure Act does not apply to “The Department of Adult Correction, with respect to the establishment and administration of any method of execution pursuant to G.S. 15-188.” — **For corrections staff:** Execution-team staff work under protocols the Secretary sets outside the rulemaking process, including any backup method. — [S.L. 2025-93](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2025-2026/SL2025-93.html)
- Oct 1, 2025 — **Jail immigration checks expanded to any felony and impaired driving; 2-hour hold at pretrial release** — S.L. 2025-85 (H 318), amending G.S. 162-62 and adding 15A-534(d4) · Became law over the Governor’s veto July 29, 2025; effective October 1, 2025 — The jail inquiry under 162-62(a) now covers any felony, Class A1 misdemeanors under Articles 6A, 7B, or 8 of Chapter 14, violations of G.S. 50B-4.1, and any impaired-driving offense, and asks whether the person is a legal resident “or citizen.” Under new 15A-534(d4), for those charges, if the judicial official cannot determine the defendant’s status, the defendant is committed to a detention facility to be fingerprinted and queried with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is held “for a period of two hours from the query.” If a detainer and administrative warrant arrive in that window, the 162-62(b1) process applies. — **For corrections staff:** Detention staff must hold qualifying arrestees for 2 hours after the immigration query before releasing them on pretrial conditions. — [S.L. 2025-85](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2025-2026/SL2025-85.html)
- Dec 1, 2024 — **Jails must check immigration status for listed charges and bring detainer subjects before a judicial official** — S.L. 2024-55 (H 10), section 9.1, rewriting G.S. 162-62 · Became law over the Governor’s veto November 20, 2024; section 9.1(a) effective December 1, 2024, for offenses committed on or after that date — The jail administrator’s status inquiry, previously limited to people charged with a felony or impaired driving, now applies to listed drug felonies, felonies under Articles 6, 7B, 10, 10A, and 13A of Chapter 14, Class A1 misdemeanors and felonies under Article 8, and G.S. 50B-4.1 violations. The query to Immigration and Customs Enforcement is now mandatory; the words “where possible” were struck. Under new 162-62(b1), when a detainer and administrative warrant arrive, “the prisoner shall be taken without unnecessary delay before a State judicial official.” The official orders the person held if identity matches, and the person must be released at the first of 48 hours after receipt of the detainer, the agency taking custody, or the detainer being rescinded. New (b2) gives officers and agencies immunity for acts under such an order. Section 9.1(b) funds two DHHS jail inspectors. — **For corrections staff:** Jail staff must run status checks for the listed charges and bring detainer cases before a magistrate or other judicial official before release. — [S.L. 2024-55](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2023-2024/SL2024-55.html)
- Dec 1, 2023 — **Courts may delegate the power to reduce supervised probation terms to probation officers** — S.L. 2023-45 (H 87), new G.S. 15A-1344.2; amending 15A-1344, 7A-451, 143-131.1 · Section 15A-1344.2 effective December 1, 2023; other sections effective on approval, June 16, 2023 — Under new G.S. 15A-1344.2, “the court may delegate, by written order filed with the clerk of superior court, the court’s authority to reduce a term of supervised probation when a probation officer finds that an offender (i) is currently in compliance” and has made diligent progress, for example by completing a validated treatment program. No reduction is allowed until restitution is paid in full, and the court may revoke the delegation. In force since June 16, 2023: district attorneys may petition to modify, extend, or revoke probation, with the petition served by the supervising officer, and every sheriff may buy jail food and food-service supplies outside formal bidding. — **For corrections staff:** Officers with a delegation order can shorten terms for compliant probationers who meet the diligent-progress criteria. — [S.L. 2023-45](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2023-2024/SL2023-45.html)
- Sep 22, 2023 — **DAC omnibus: concealed carry for designated staff, handgun-permit training credit, early transfers, ammunition ban for supervisees** — S.L. 2023-121 (S 492) · Approved September 22, 2023; most sections effective on approval; transfer provision effective October 1, 2023; ammunition and DWI-delegation provisions effective December 1, 2023 — DAC may designate employees to carry concealed weapons (G.S. 14-269(b)). “A qualified correctional officer, a qualified retired correctional officer, a qualified State probation or parole certified officer, or a qualified retired probation or parole certified officer is deemed to have satisfied the requirement” of a firearms course for a concealed handgun permit (G.S. 14-415.10, 14-415.12A). The Division of Prisons is exempt from the contested-case provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, and peer-support confidentiality is expanded. From October 1, 2023, DAC may transfer a prisoner with a detainer to the requesting jail or federal agency up to 5 days before the sentence expires (G.S. 15A-1352(g)). From December 1, 2023, the regular conditions of probation, post-release supervision, and parole bar possessing firearm ammunition, and probation officers’ delegated authority extends to DWI cases. A 2-year pilot allowed contract nursing from October 1, 2023. — **For corrections staff:** Certified DAC officers no longer need a separate handgun-safety course for a concealed carry permit, and people under supervision may not possess ammunition. — [S.L. 2023-121](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2023-2024/SL2023-121.html)
- Jun 23, 2023 — **Expunged juvenile offenses no longer count against certification; commission files get personnel-record privacy** — S.L. 2023-56 (H 611) · Approved June 23, 2023; effective when it became law — For both commissions, “the terms ‘commission of offense,’ ‘convicted,’ or ‘conviction’ shall not include an offense expunged pursuant to G.S. 15A-145.4 or G.S. 15A-145.8A,” which cover offenses committed as minors, pending permanent rules. The act expands the commissions’ authority over instructors, including those with probationary or limited privileges, and adds G.S. 17E-5(c): papers in a justice officer’s commission personnel file get the same privacy as personnel records under Chapters 126, 153A, and 160A. The Officer Ledger page covers the police side. — **For corrections staff:** Applicants for correctional, probation, and detention officer jobs cannot be denied certification over juvenile offenses expunged under those statutes. — [S.L. 2023-56](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2023-2024/SL2023-56.html)

## Enacted, not yet in force, pending, and bills that did not pass

- **Sexually violent predator expert board (S.L. 2026-44):** from December 1, 2026, the Medical Society-panel expert on the sexually violent predator board of experts, which the Division of Prisons of DAC already selected, must not be employed full-time by the Division of Prisons (previously, not employed by it at all) or full-time by another State agency.

Pending and failed 2025 to 2026 bills were not searched. Only the enacted session-law lists for 2023-2024, 2025-2026, and the 2025 Extra Session 1 were scanned by title.

## Checked and unchanged

- Not credited as changes: 12 NCAC 09G .0208 took effect May 1, 2023 and was amended effective July 1, 2024; the separate citizenship rule .0202 was repealed effective July 1, 2024, and the age rule .0203 effective November 1, 2024. 10B .0601 was amended July 1, 2025 and June 1, 2026. Prior texts were not retrieved, so what changed was not determined.
- Not verified: whether the July 1, 2026 readoption of 09G .0411 and .0412 changed basic training hours or topics.
- Not reviewed: budget acts S.L. 2023-134 and S.L. 2026-41 and its correction acts, for DAC staffing, pay, or hiring provisions.