As the calendar turns to 2026, a suite of new state laws passed by the North Carolina General Assembly will go into effect on January 1, bringing changes that could affect everything from healthcare access and road planning to professional licensing and legal processes. These laws, which span diverse areas of public policy, reflect the legislature’s priorities heading into the new year and will influence daily life for people living in Charlotte and communities across the state. Axios
One of the most talked-about measures is the SCRIPT Act (S.B. 479), aimed at tackling rising prescription drug costs by requiring greater transparency in how prices are set and helping protect independent pharmacies. This could have tangible implications for healthcare affordability for patients across Mecklenburg County. Axios
Another key change involves local control over transportation standards. Under H.B. 926, municipalities like Charlotte will no longer be permitted to adopt road design standards that are more stringent than those established by the state Department of Transportation, shifting how local officials can regulate street and infrastructure projects. Axios
Healthcare workforce expansion is also part of this legislative package: H.B. 67 opens the door for internationally trained doctors to pursue medical licenses in North Carolina, potentially boosting provider availability in underserved areas. Axios
Other laws affect a range of practical areas:
- Temporary university employees at the University of North Carolina will be exempted from certain overtime and minimum wage rules under H.B. 74, a move with implications for campus staffing. Axios
- Certified Public Accountant certification requirements are being loosened through S.B. 321, reducing some educational barriers to licensure. Axios
- Control of the state’s massive pension investments will shift from the Treasurer to a newly created North Carolina Investment Authority under H.B. 506, signaling a major structural change in public finance governance. Axios
- Updates to civil documentation laws — such as simplified access to birth certificates for adoptive parents (S.B. 248) and allowing wills to be stored digitally (H.B. 388) — reflect modernizing trends in recordkeeping. Axios
Taken as a whole, these new laws represent both practical regulatory shifts and broader policy changes that will begin shaping life in Charlotte in 2026 — from how residents access medications to who can practice medicine, how roads are built, and how state investments are managed.
(Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
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