Find Legal Opinions
The Attorney General may issue legal opinions to state agencies and officials. These opinions provide advice on legal matters. While these opinions do not have the full effect of law or court order, they provide the State’s interpretation of the legal question presented and should be complied with by State agencies and officials.
Requesting a Legal Opinion
The General Assembly, Governor, Auditor, Treasurer, or any other State officer may ask the Attorney General for an opinion (N.C.G.S. § 114-2(5)).
- State officers may request opinions by writing to the Attorney General at the Attorney General’s Office, 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001.
- The Attorney General is not authorized to provide legal advice or give legal opinions to the public.
Legal Opinion Copies
- Viewable/downloadable Attorney General opinions are available on this page approximately one week after issuance.
- Copies of opinions prior to 1977 can be obtained free of charge by calling (919) 716-6400 or emailing the office.
- Printed copies of opinions are also available at the NC Supreme Court Library and other law libraries across the state.
Legal Opinion Search
| Date | Title | Statute | Requestor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/08/10 | Personnel Information Required to Be Made Available For Inspection By Public Employers | N/A | N/A |
| 01/12/10 | Design, Build, Finance Agreements for the Construction of Transportation | NCGS � 136-18(39) | Eugene A. Conti, Jr. |
| 09/17/09 | North Carolina Constitution Art. IV, Sec. 22 | North Carolina Constitution Art. IV, Sec. 22 | Honorable Jim Gulley |
| 06/15/09 | Public Records Act; Accrued Leave Balances | 132-1; 126-22; 126-23 | Laura B. Luger |
| 06/15/09 | Public Records Act; Accrued Leave Balances | 132-1; 126-22; 126-23; 135-1 | Laura B. Luger |
| 02/05/08 | Confidentiality of Retirement Benefit Information | 126-23, 136-22, 135-5, 135-2 | Rand, Tony |
| 07/02/07 | Workers’ Compensation Act; N.C.G.S. �97-19.1; Regulation of Motor Carriers | 97-19.1, 97-93, | Saunders, Drew |
| 11/07/06 | Authority of State Personnel Commission to Implement Career Banding | 126-1, 126-4, | Wright, Thomas |
| 06/06/06 | Applicability of Public Records Act to Certain Investment Documents | 132-1, 132-1.2, 66-152 | Moore, Richard |
| 04/03/06 | Public Records Law – Criminal Records | 120-47.10, 132-1, 132-1.4, | Maddox, Rodney |
| 10/05/05 | Open Government | 143-318.11, Chapter 143, Article 33C, | N/A |
| 10/03/05 | Status Of Proposed Limited Liability Company-Rex Hospital | 116-37, 135-1, 135-8, | Gilbert, Benjamin |
| 09/12/05 | Review of Reserve Funds in the 2004-2005 Revised Certified Budget | 143-12, 143-16.3, | Merritt, Leslie |
| 05/19/05 | Qualification for Funding Under Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 | 143B-164.15, 115C-105.31, 115C-110, 115C-325, 115C-37, 115C-5, 115C-66, 143B-164.10, 143B-164.13, 143B-164.14, 143B-216.41, 143B-525, 143B-529, | Willoughby, Patricia |
| 04/14/05 | Local Board of Education Authority to Adopt Modified School Calendars | 115C-84.2, | Watson, Earl |
| 02/09/05 | Drivers Privacy Protection Act | 105-319, 105-321, 105-322, 105-330.2, 132-1, 20-166.1, 20-43, 20-43.1, 20-7, 20-9, | Tatum, George |
| 12/02/04 | Vacancy on Board of Education; Election of Unqualified Candidate | 115C-37, | Lamar, L. Wardlaw |
| 11/18/04 | District Court Vacancy | 128-7, 128-7.1, 163-327, 163-9, 7A-140, 7A-142, | Bragg, Christopher |
| 10/12/04 | Applicability of Open Meetings Law to Tax Review Board Proceedings | 105-122, 105-130.4, 105-259, 105-269.2, 132-1.1, 143-1, 143-318.10, 143-318.11, 143-318.18, | Moore, Richard |
| 09/23/04 | Notary Public Commission and Effective Date of the Oath | 10A-3, 10A-8, 11-11, 11-7, | Montgomery, Haley Haynes |
| 08/18/04 | Premium Tax on Surplus Lines Insurance; Exemption for Cherokee Indian Reservation | 58-21-10, 58-21-85, 58-28-5, 58-28-65, | Kolbe, Peter |
| 08/03/04 | Permissible Mortgage Lending Activities of Exempt Entities | 53-243.01, 53-243.02, 53-243.15, | Kinnaird, Ellie |
| 06/30/04 | Commissioner of Motor Vehicles; State 401(k) Plan | N/A | Williamson, Michael |
| 05/06/04 | Vacancy on Elizabeth City Pasquotank County Board of Education | 115C-37, 115C-5, | Hornthal, L |
| 04/13/04 | Term of Appointments to Fill Vacancies on Brunswick County Board of Education | 115-19, 115-24, 115C-37, 115C-37.1, | Causey, B. Joseph |
| 03/28/04 | Issuance of Marriage Licenses to Individuals of Same Gender; Penalties | 161-27, 51-1, 51-1.2, 51-17, 51-6, 51-8, | Covington, Willie |
| 03/25/04 | Disclosure of Settlements | 132-1.3, 96-4, | Payne, Harry |
| 03/11/04 | Appointment of Guardians Ad Litem in Incompetency Proceedings | 35A-1107, 35A-1112, 35A-1114, 35A-1130, | Hunter, Director, Malcolm Ray |
| 10/28/03 | Wholesale Power Transactions between Electric Membership Corporations and other Persons | 117-10, 117-16, 117-17, 117-18, 117-20, 55-3-01, 55A-3-01, | Dalton, Walter |
| 10/21/03 | Centennial Authority; Vacancies | 160A-480.3, | Gray, Jeffrey |
| 09/22/03 | Authority to Grant Leases for Cultivation of Shellfish | 113-169.2, 113-201, 113-202, 113-202.1, 113-261, | Pate, Preston |
| 09/16/03 | Age Requirements for Entry Into Public School | 115C-288, 115C-364, | Skinner, T. Brooks |
| 09/15/03 | Bogue Inlet | 113A-100, 146-6, | Preston, Jean |
| 09/12/03 | Drug Testing | 7B-302, | Beal, Pheon |
| 08/19/03 | Dual Office | 115D-16, 128-1.1, 143B-313.2, | Oakley, Daniel |
| 08/15/03 | Escheats Fund | 116B-6, 116B-62, 116B-65, 116B-65(b), | Stewart, Joseph |
| 06/20/03 | Unauthorized Practice of Law | 84.1, | State Bar, North Carolina |
| 02/18/03 | Conversion Plans | 58-65-131, 58-65-132, 58-65-133, | Kolbe, Peter |
| 02/06/03 | Public Records | 126-22, 126-23, 126-24, 132-1, | Waldrup, Charles |
| 01/23/03 | Occupancy Tax | 160A-206, 160A-215, | Eggers-Gryder, Rebecca |
| 12/12/02 | State Treasurer | 135-7, 143-12, 143-16.3, 143-23, 143-25, 143-28, 143-3.2, 143-64.20, 143.2, 147-68, 147-69.2, 147-69.3, | Campbell, Ralph |
| 11/26/02 | Centennial Campus Executive Conference Center | 116-198.34, 116-41.1, 198.34, 57C-2-20, 66-58, | Nesbitt, Martin |
| 11/18/02 | Access of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety to Tax Information | 105-259, | Faires, Sabra |
| 11/18/02 | Piedmont Triad Airport Authority | 143-128, 143-128.2, 143-128.3, 143-131, 63-1, 63-54, | Cooke, William |
| 11/12/02 | State Ports Authority | 143B-452, 143B-454, 143B-468, 143B-469, 143B-469.3, | Basnight, Marc |
| 11/08/02 | Confidentiality of Information to be Presented | 132-6.1, 147-33.82, 147-64.4, 147-64.6, | Perdue, Beverly |
| 10/09/02 | Junkyard Control Act Applicability to Ashe County | 136-141, 136-144, 136-145, 136-152, 136-155, | Kilby, John |
| 10/08/02 | Judicial Standards Commission; Confidentiality of Records | 126-22, 126-5, 132-1, 7A-109, 7A-377, | Carrington, Deborah |
| 09/06/02 | Mental Health Authorities | 122C-115, 122C-115.1, 153A-77, | Winstead, Eddie |
| 08/01/02 | Appointments to the State Board of Mortuary Science | 90-210.18, | Sullivan, Terrence |
