Bill > S662

This bill modifies North Carolina's domestic violence protection order law to explicitly include same-sex couples and remove gender-specific language regarding personal relationships. Specifically, the bill eliminates references to "opposite sex" when describing who can seek a protective order, thereby expanding legal protections to include same-sex couples and individuals in dating relationships. The bill broadens the definition of "personal relationship" to encompass current or former spouses, people living together, related persons (like parents and children), those with a child in common, current or former household members, and individuals in romantic relationships. The legislation maintains existing criteria for what constitutes a dating relationship, defining it as a continuous, romantic involvement over time, and clarifies that casual acquaintances or business/social interactions do not qualify. The bill becomes effective immediately upon becoming law and applies to domestic violence protective orders issued from that point forward, ensuring that same-sex couples have the same legal protections against domestic violence as heterosexual couples.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S662