North Carolina Statutes

Chapter 1 Civil Procedure

Article 1 - Definitions.

  • § 1-1   Remedies
    Remedies in the courts of justice are divided into (1) Actions. (2) Special proceedings. (C.C.P., s. 1; Code, s. 125; Rev., s. 346; C.S., s.
  • § 1-2   Actions
    An action is an ordinary proceeding in a court of justice, by which a party prosecutes another party for the enforcement or protection of a...
  • § 1-3   Special proceedings
    Every other remedy is a special proceeding. (C.C.P., s. 3; Code, s. 127; Rev., s. 348; C.S., s. 393.)
  • § 1-4   Kinds of actions
    Actions are of two kinds (1) Civil. (2) Criminal. (C.C.P., s. 4; Code, s. 128; Rev., s. 349; C.S., s. 394.)
  • § 1-5   Criminal action
    A criminal action is (1) An action prosecuted by the State as a party, against a person charged with a public offense, for the punishment...
  • § 1-6   Civil action
    Every other is a civil action. (C.C.P., s. 6; Code, s. 130; Rev., s. 351; C.S., s. 396.)
  • § 1-7   When court means clerk
    In the following sections which confer jurisdiction or power, or impose duties, where the words "superior court," or "court," in reference to a superior court...

Article 2 - General Provisions.

Article 3 - Limitations, General Provisions.

Article 4 - Limitations, Real Property.

Article 5 - Limitations, Other than Real Property.

  • § 1-46   Periods prescribed
    The periods prescribed for the commencement of actions, other than for the recovery of real property, are as set forth in this Article. (C.C.P., s....
  • § 1-47   Ten years
    Within ten years an action ‑ (1) Upon a judgment or decree of any court of the United States, or of any state or territory...
  • § 1-48   Transferred to § 1-54, subdivision (6), by Session Laws 1951, c. 837, s. 2
  • § 1-49   Seven years
    Within seven years an action (1) Repealed by Session Laws 1961, c. 115, s. 1. (2) By a creditor of a deceased person against his...
  • § 1-50   Six years
    (a) Within six years an action (1) Repealed by Session Laws 1997‑297, s. 1. (2) Against an executor, administrator, collector, or guardian on his official...
  • § 1-51   Five years
    Within five years (1) No suit, action or proceeding shall be brought or maintained against a railroad company owning or operating a railroad for damages...
  • § 1-52   Three years
    Within three years an action ‑ (1) Upon a contract, obligation or liability arising out of a contract, express or implied, except those mentioned in...
  • § 1-53   Two years
    Within two years ‑ (1) An action against a local unit of government upon a contract, obligation or liability arising out of a contract, express...
  • § 1-54   One year
    Within one year an action or proceeding ‑ (1) Repealed by Session Laws 1975, c. 252, s. 5. (2) Upon a statute, for a penalty...
  • § 1-54.1   Two months
    Within two months an action contesting the validity of any zoning ordinance or amendment thereto adopted by a county under Part 3 of Article 18...
  • § 1-55   Six months
    Within six months an action (1) Upon a contract, transfer, assignment, power of attorney or other instrument transferring or affecting unearned salaries or wages, or...

Article 5A - Limitations, Actions Not Otherwise Limited.

  • § 1-56   All other actions, 10 years
    An action for relief not otherwise limited by this subchapter may not be commenced more than 10 years after the cause of action has accrued....

Article 6 - Parties.

Article 6A - Jurisdiction.

Article 7 - Venue.

Article 8 - Summons.

Article 9 - Prosecution Bonds.

Article 10 - Joint and Several Debtors.

Article 11 - Lis Pendens.

  • § 1-116   Filing of notice of suit
    (a) Any person desiring the benefit of constructive notice of pending litigation must file a separate, independent notice thereof, which notice shall be cross‑indexed in...
  • § 1-116.1   Service of notice
    In all actions as defined in G.S. 1‑116 in which notice of pendency of the action is filed, a copy of such notice shall be...
  • § 1-117   Cross-index of lis pendens
    Every notice of pending litigation filed under this Article shall be cross‑indexed by the clerk of the superior court in a record, called the "Record...
  • § 1-118   Effect on subsequent purchasers
    From the cross‑indexing of the notice of lis pendens only is the pendency of the action constructive notice to a purchaser or incumbrancer of the...
  • § 1-119   Notice void unless action prosecuted
    (a) The notice of lis pendens is of no avail unless it is followed by the first publication of notice of the summons or by...
  • § 1-120   Cancellation of notice
    The court in which the said action was commenced may, at any time after it is settled, discontinued or abated, on application of any person...
  • § 1-120.1   Article applicable to suits in federal courts
    The provisions of this Article shall apply to suits affecting the title to real property in the federal courts. (1945, c. 857.)
  • § 1-120.2   Filing of notice by cities and counties in certain cases
    The governing body of a city or county may, by ordinance under Part 5 of Article 19 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes relating...

Article 12 - Complaint.

Article 13 - Defendant’s Pleadings.

Article 14 - Demurrer.

Article 15 - Answer.

Article 16 - Reply.

Article 17 - Pleadings, General Provisions.

Article 18 - Amendments.

Article 18A - Pretrial Hearings.

Article 19 - Trial.

Article 20 - Reference.

Article 21 - Issues.

Article 22 - Verdict and Exceptions.

Article 23 - Judgment.

Article 24 - Confession of Judgment.

Article 25 - Submission of Controversy without Action.

Article 26 - Declaratory Judgments.

  • § 1-253   Courts of record permitted to enter declaratory judgments of rights, status and other legal relations
    Courts of record within their respective jurisdictions shall have power to declare rights, status, and other legal relations, whether or not further relief is or...
  • § 1-254   Courts given power of construction of all instruments
    Any person interested under a deed, will, written contract or other writings constituting a contract, or whose rights, status or other legal relations are affected...
  • § 1-255   Who may apply for a declaration
    Any person interested as or through an executor, administrator, trustee, guardian or other fiduciary, creditor, devisee, legatee, heir, next of kin, or cestui que trust,...
  • § 1-256   Enumeration of declarations not exclusive
    The enumeration in G.S. 1‑254 and 1‑255 does not limit or restrict the exercise of the general powers conferred in G.S. 1‑253 in any proceedings...
  • § 1-257   Discretion of court
    The court may refuse to render or enter a declaratory judgment or decree where such judgment or decree, if rendered or entered, would not terminate...
  • § 1-258   Review
    All orders, judgment and decrees under this Article may be reviewed as other orders, judgments and decrees. (1931, c. 102, s. 6.)
  • § 1-259   Supplemental relief
    Further relief based on a declaratory judgment or decree may be granted whenever necessary or proper. The application therefor shall be by petition to a...
  • § 1-260   Parties
    When declaratory relief is sought, all persons shall be made parties who have or claim any interest which would be affected by the declaration, and...
  • § 1-261   Jury trial
    When a proceeding under this Article involves the determination of an issue of fact, such issue may be determined in the same manner as issues...
  • § 1-262   Hearing before judge where no issues of fact raised or jury trial waived; what judge may hear
    Proceedings under this Article shall be tried at a session of court, as in other civil actions. If no issues of fact are raised, or...
  • § 1-263   Costs
    In any proceeding under this article the court may make such award of costs as may seem equitable and just. (1931, c. 102, s. 11.)
  • § 1-264   Liberal construction and administration
    This Article is declared to be remedial, its purpose is to settle and to afford relief from uncertainty and insecurity with respect to rights, status,...
  • § 1-265   Word "person" construed
    The word "person" wherever used in this Article, shall be construed to mean any person, State agency, partnership, joint‑stock company, unincorporated association, or society, or...
  • § 1-266   Uniformity of interpretation
    This Article shall be so interpreted and construed as to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law of those states which enact it,...
  • § 1-267   Short title
    This Article may be cited as the Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act. (1931, c. 102, s. 16.)

Article 26A - Three-Judge Panel for Redistricting Challenges.

Article 26B - Distribution of Unpaid Residuals in Class Action Litigation.

Article 27 - Appeal.

Article 27A - Appeals and Transfers From the Clerk.

Article 28 - Execution.

Article 29 - Execution and Judicial Sales.

Article 29A - Judicial Sales.

Article 29B - Execution Sales.

Article 29C - Validating Sections.

Article 30 - Betterments.

Article 31 - Supplemental Proceedings.

Article 32 - Property Exempt from Execution.

Article 33 - Special Proceedings.

Article 34 - Arrest and Bail.

  • § 1-409   Arrest only as herein prescribed
    No person may be arrested in a civil action except as prescribed by this Article, but this provision shall not apply to proceedings for contempt....
  • § 1-410   In what cases arrest allowed
    The defendant may be arrested, as hereinafter prescribed, in the following cases: (1) In an action for the recovery of damages on a cause of...
  • § 1-411   Order and affidavit
    An order for the arrest of the defendant must be obtained from the court in which the action is brought or a judge thereof, and...
  • § 1-412   Undertaking before order
    Before making the order the court or judge shall require a written undertaking on the part of the plaintiff of at least one hundred dollars...
  • § 1-413   Issuance and form of order
    The order may be made to accompany the summons, or to issue at any time afterwards, before judgment. It shall require the sheriff of the...
  • § 1-414   Copies of affidavit and order to defendant
    The affidavit and order of arrest shall be delivered to the sheriff, who, upon arresting the defendant, shall deliver him a copy thereof. (C.C.P., s....
  • § 1-415   Execution of order
    The sheriff shall execute the order by arresting the defendant and keeping him in custody until discharged by law. The sheriff may call the power...
  • § 1-416   Vacation of order for failure to serve
    The order of arrest is of no avail, and shall be vacated or set aside on motion, unless it is served upon the defendant, as...
  • § 1-417   Motion to vacate order; jury trial
    A defendant arrested may at any time before judgment apply on motion to vacate the order of arrest or to reduce the amount of bail....
  • § 1-418   Counter affidavits by plaintiff
    If the motion is made upon affidavits on the part of the defendant, but not otherwise, the plaintiff may oppose the same by affidavits, or...
  • § 1-419   How defendant discharged
    The defendant, at any time before execution, shall be discharged from the arrest, either upon giving bail or upon depositing the amount mentioned in the...
  • § 1-420   Defendant's undertaking
    The defendant may give bail by causing a written undertaking, payable to the plaintiff, to be executed by sufficient surety to the effect that the...
  • § 1-421   Defendant's undertaking delivered to clerk; exception
    Within the time limited for that purpose, the sheriff shall deliver the order of arrest to the clerk of the court in which the suit...
  • § 1-422   Notice of justification; new bail
    On the receipt of notice of exception to the bail, the sheriff or defendant may, within 10 days thereafter, give to the plaintiff or his...
  • § 1-423   Qualifications of bail
    The qualifications of bail must be as follows: (1) Each of them must be a resident and freeholder within the State (2) They must each...
  • § 1-424   Justification of bail
    For the purpose of justification, each of the bail shall attend before the court or judge, at the time and place mentioned in the notice,...
  • § 1-425   Allowance of bail
    If the court or judge finds the bail sufficient, he shall annex the examination to the undertaking, endorse his allowance thereon, and cause them to...
  • § 1-426   Deposit in lieu of bail
    The defendant may, at the time of his arrest, instead of giving bail, deposit with the sheriff the amount mentioned in the order. The sheriff...
  • § 1-427   Deposit paid into court; liability on sheriff's bond
    Within four days after the deposit the sheriff must pay it into court, and take from the officer receiving it two certificates of such payment,...
  • § 1-428   Bail substituted for deposit
    If money is deposited, as provided in G.S. 1‑426 and 1‑427, bail may be given and justified upon notice according to law at any time...
  • § 1-429   Deposit applied to plaintiff's judgment
    When money has been deposited, and remains on deposit at the time of an order or judgment for the payment of money to the plaintiff,...
  • § 1-430   Defendant in jail, sheriff may take bail
    If a person for want of bail is lawfully committed to jail, at any time before final judgment, the sheriff, or other officer having him...
  • § 1-431   When sheriff liable as bail
    If, after arrest, the defendant escapes, or is rescued, or bail is not given or justified, or a deposit is not made instead thereof, the...
  • § 1-432   Action on sheriff's bond
    If a judgment is recovered against the sheriff, upon his liability as bail, and an execution thereon is returned wholly or partly unsatisfied, the same...
  • § 1-433   Bail exonerated
    At any time before final judgment against them, the bail may be exonerated, either by the death of the defendant or his imprisonment in a...
  • § 1-434   Surrender of defendant
    At any time before final judgment against them, the bail may surrender the defendant in their exoneration, or he may surrender himself to the sheriff...
  • § 1-435   Bail may arrest defendant
    For the purpose of surrendering the defendant, the bail, at any time or place, before they are finally charged, may themselves arrest him, or by...
  • § 1-436   Proceedings against bail by motion
    In case of failure to comply with the undertaking the bail may be proceeded against by motion in the cause on 10 days' notice to...
  • § 1-437   Liability of bail to sheriff
    The bail taken upon the arrest are, unless they justify, or other bail are given or justified, liable to the sheriff by action for damages...
  • § 1-438   When bail to pay costs
    When a notice issues against a person, as the bail of another, and the bail, at or before the term of the court at which...
  • § 1-439   Bail not discharged by amendment
    No amendment of process or pleading discharges the bail of the party arrested thereon, unless it enlarges the sum demanded beyond the sum expressed in...

Article 35 - Attachment.