Bill > S493

This bill addresses three main areas of land use regulation in North Carolina: First, it allows public schools to be sited in commercially zoned areas by right or through a special use permit, ensuring that educational facilities can be more flexibly located. Second, the bill clarifies existing property use rights, specifying that obtaining a vested right for one type of property use does not eliminate other existing use rights for the same property, and it provides additional guidance on special use permits. Third, and most significantly, the bill eliminates municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction, which previously allowed cities to regulate land use beyond their corporate limits, typically extending one to three miles from city boundaries depending on the city's population. The bill phases out this extraterritorial jurisdiction over time, with different implementation dates for counties based on their population size, effectively returning land use regulation authority to county governments for areas outside city limits. The legislation also makes numerous technical amendments to various state laws to remove references to extraterritorial jurisdiction and ensure a smooth transition of regulatory powers. Importantly, the bill does not affect law enforcement extraterritorial jurisdiction and includes provisions to protect existing vested rights during the transition of land use regulatory authority.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S493