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Non-Compete Laws in North Carolina

North Carolina requires an agreement limiting a person's right to do business in the state to be in writing and signed by the person agreeing not to compete.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

North Carolina at a glance

Status
Must be in writing and signed
G.S. 75-4 sets the writing requirement; it does not set salary or notice rules.
Salary threshold
No salary threshold
G.S. 75-4 sets no salary minimum.
Advance notice required
No
G.S. 75-4 contains no advance notice requirement.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in North Carolina

Are employee non-compete agreements banned, restricted or enforceable in North Carolina?

Status in North Carolina: Must be in writing and signed. G.S. 75-4 sets the writing requirement; it does not set salary or notice rules.

Is there a minimum salary for a non-compete to be enforceable in North Carolina?

Salary threshold in North Carolina: No salary threshold. G.S. 75-4 sets no salary minimum.

Does North Carolina require employers to give advance notice of a non-compete?

No. Advance notice required in North Carolina: no. G.S. 75-4 contains no advance notice requirement.

Where do the North Carolina non-compete laws come from?

The rules above come from N.C. Gen. Stat. 75-4. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

What this means in practice

Read the restriction closely before signing. Note how long it lasts, the area it covers, which activities it bars and which state's law the contract says applies. A choice-of-law clause does not always control, because some states refuse to apply another state's law to their own residents or workers.

Salary thresholds are often adjusted every year for inflation. If a state uses a threshold, check the figure for the year the agreement was signed or is being enforced, and how the statute defines earnings.

A non-compete is different from a non-solicitation or confidentiality agreement. Many states that limit non-competes still allow narrower clauses that protect trade secrets or customer lists. An employment lawyer can explain how the rules apply to a specific agreement.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.