North CarolinaText assigns felony penalties for looting during emergencies
During a declared emergency, the text assigns a Class F felony for looting temporary housing after unlawful entry, and a Class H felony for looting other property.
What it does
A person who commits emergency trespass and then loots temporary housing faces a Class F felony under the text. Looting other property carries a Class H felony penalty.
Argument forA Class F felony for looting temporary housing could discourage people from taking or damaging shelter during an emergency.
Argument againstSomeone who loots temporary housing could face a Class F felony, even when the emergency has already left the property with weak security.
More detail
A person who commits emergency trespass and then loots temporary housing faces a Class F felony under the text. Temporary housing includes portable shelters, vehicles used as living quarters, equipment used to move them, and items attached or meant to be attached to provide heating, cooling, or power. Emergency trespass means entering another person's property without legal justification in an emergency area during a declared emergency, when the emergency that prompted the declaration has made the property's usual security ineffective. The person must also, without legal justification, take control of, damage, ransack, or destroy someone else's property. Looting other property carries a Class H felony penalty. The text says these penalties apply to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 12Withdrawn From ComLatest
- May 12Re-ref to the Com on Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- 2025
- Jun 3Reptd Fav Com SubstituteMinor
- Jun 3Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- May 29Withdrawn From Com
- May 29Re-ref to the Com on Judiciary 2, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- May 8Passed 1st ReadingMinor
- May 8Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the HouseMinor
- May 7Passed 2nd ReadingMinor
- Vote recorded Second Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 7Passed 3rd ReadingPassed Senate
- May 7Special Message Sent To House
- May 7Special Message Received From Senate
- May 6Reptd Fav Com SubstituteMinor
- May 6Com Substitute Adopted
- May 6Re-ref Com On Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- May 6Reptd FavMinor
- Apr 14Withdrawn From Com
- Apr 14Re-ref to Judiciary. If fav, re-ref to Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- Feb 26Passed 1st ReadingMinor
- Feb 26Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the SenateMinor
- Feb 25FiledIntroduced
Criminal JusticePublic Safety