North Carolina SB 688: Sports Wagering.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 688

Short Title: Local Government Land Use Reform. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Jarvis (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S688-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO AMEND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT LAWS. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 160D-101 reads as rewritten: 4
"§ 160D-101. Application. 5
(a) The provisions of this Article shall apply to all development regulations and programs 6
adopted pursuant to this Chapter or applicable or related local acts. To the extent there are 7
contrary provisions in local charters or acts, G.S. 160D-111 is applicable unless this Chapter 8
expressly provides otherwise. The provisions of this Article also apply to any other local 9
ordinance that substantially affects land use and development. 10
(b) The provisions of this Article are supplemental to specific provisions included in 11
other Articles of this Chapter. To the extent there are conflicts between the provisions of this 12
Article and the provisions of other Articles of this Chapter, the more specific provisions shall 13
control. 14
(c) Local governments may also apply any of the definitions and procedures authorized 15
by this Chapter to any ordinance that does not substantially affect land use and development 16
adopted under the general police power of cities and counties, Article 8 of Chapter 160A of the 17
General Statutes and Article 6 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes respectively, and may 18
employ any organizational structure, board, commission, or staffing arrangement authorized by 19
this Chapter to any or all aspects of those ordinances. 20
(d) This Chapter does not expand, diminish, or alter the scope of authority for planning 21
and development regulation authorized by other Chapters of the General Statutes. 22
(e) A local government may not exercise planning, zoning, or development regulation 23
authority except as expressly authorized by statute." 24
SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective January 1, 2026. Any local 25
government ordinance in effect on, or adopted subsequent to, that date that is inconsistent with 26
this section is void and unenforceable. 27
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 160D-702 reads as rewritten: 28
"§ 160D-702. (Effective January 1, 2025) Grant of power. 29
(a) A local government may adopt zoning regulations. Except as provided in subsections 30
(b) and (c) of this section, a zoning regulation may regulate and restrict the height, number of 31
stories, and size of buildings and other structures; the percentage of lots that may be occupied; 32
the size of yards, courts, and other open spaces; the density of population; the location and use 33
of buildings, structures, and land. A local government may regulate development, including 34
floating homes, over estuarine waters and over lands covered by navigable waters owned by the 35
State pursuant to G.S. 146-12. A zoning regulation shall provide density credits or severable 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 688-First Edition
development rights for dedicated rights-of-way pursuant to G.S. 136-66.10 or G.S. 136-66.11. 1
Where appropriate, a zoning regulation may include requirements that street and utility 2
rights-of-way be dedicated to the public, that provision be made of recreational space and 3
facilities, and that performance guarantees be provided, all to the same extent and with the same 4
limitations as provided for in G.S. 160D-804 and G.S. 160D-804.1. 5
(b) Any regulation relating to building design elements adopted under this Chapter may 6
not be applied to any structures subject to regulation under the North Carolina Residential Code 7
except under one or more of the following circumstances: 8
(1) The structures are located in an area designated as a local historic district 9
pursuant to Part 4 of Article 9 of this Chapter. 10
(2) The structures are located in an area designated as a historic district on the 11
National Register of Historic Places. 12
(3) The structures are individually designated as local, State, or national historic 13
landmarks. 14
(4) The regulations are directly and substantially related to the requirements of 15
applicable safety codes adopted under G.S. 143-138. 16
(5) Where the regulations are applied to manufactured housing in a manner 17
consistent with G.S. 160D-908 and federal law. 18
(6) Where the regulations are adopted as a condition of participation in the 19
National Flood Insurance Program. 20
Regulations Except as expressly provided in G.S. 160D-703(b), regulations prohibited by this 21
subsection may not be applied, directly or indirectly, in any zoning district or conditional district 22
unless voluntarily consented to by the owners of all the property to which those regulations may 23
be applied as part of and in the course of the process of seeking and obtaining a zoning 24
amendme