North Carolina SB 451: Occupational/Professional Licensing Relief.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 2
SENATE BILL 451
Regulatory Reform Committee Substitute Adopted 6/17/26

Short Title: Universal Licensure/Limit Continuing Ed. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 25, 2025
*S451-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING BOARDS TO OFFER 2
UNIVERSAL LICENSURE FOR OUT-OF-STATE LICENSEES AND TO EXEMPT 3
CERTAIN EXPERIENCED LICENSEES FROM CONTINUING EDUCATION. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. G.S. 93B-15.3 reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 93B-15.3. Licensure recognition for individuals licensed in neighboring other states. 7
(a) Applicability. – This section applies to all occupational licensing boards and State 8
agency licensing boards except as provided in this subsection. This section shall not apply to: 9
(1) Licensure of any healthcare practitioner licensed under Chapter 90 of the 10
General Statutes. 11
(1a) Clinical social workers licensed under Chapter 90B of the General Statutes. 12
(2) Architects licensed under Chapter 83A of the General Statutes. 13
(3) Certified public accountants licensed under Chapter 93 of the General 14
Statutes. 15
(4) Engineers licensed under Chapter 89C of the General Statutes. 16
(5) Veterinarians licensed, or veterinary technicians registered, under Article 11 17
of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes. 18
(6) Admission to the practice of law or licensure as an attorney under Chapter 84 19
of the General Statutes. 20
(7) Licensure of any practitioner licensed by the North Carolina Pesticide Board 21
under Article 52 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. 22
(8) Licensure of any practitioner licensed by the North Carolina Structural Pest 23
Control Committee under Article 4C of Chapter 106 of the General Statutes. 24
(9) Dealers, salesmen, issuers, investment advisors, investment advisor 25
representatives, and athlete agents athlete agents, and commodity merchants 26
under Chapters 78A, 78C, and 78D of the General Statutes. 27
(10) Certification of any practitioner by the North Carolina On-Site Wastewater 28
Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board under Article 5 of Chapter 90A 29
of the General Statutes. 30
(11) Licensure of any new motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, motor 31
vehicle sales representative, manufacturer, factory branch, factory 32
representative, distributor, distributor branch, distributor representative, or 33
wholesaler under Article 12 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes. 34
(12) Certification of sworn law enforcement officers certified pursuant to Chapter 35
17C, 17E, or 74E of the General Statutes. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 451-Second Edition
(13) Licensure, certification, or registration for an occupation to the extent that 1
recognition under this section would conflict with minimum standards that 2
federal law requires the State to impose as a condition of licensure. 3
(14) Licenses issued to a business or facility, rather than to an individual. 4
(b) Licensure Recognition. – Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an 5
occupational licensing board or a State agency licensing board subject to this section shall issue 6
a license, certification, or registration to any applicant who establishes residence in this State and 7
satisfies all of the following conditions: 8
(1) The applicant is currently licensed, certified, or registered in Georgia, South 9
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia another state or United States 10
territory or the District of Columbia in the discipline applied for in this State 11
at the same or substantially equivalent practice level, as determined by the 12
occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board.State. 13
(2) The applicant has been licensed, certified, or registered in one or more of the 14
states listed in subdivision (1) of this subsection or territories or the District 15
of Columbia for at least one year. 16
(3) The applicant has passed an examination required for the license, certification, 17
or registration in the jurisdiction in which the applicant holds a current license, 18
certification, or registration, if an examination was required. 19
(4) The applicant is in good standing in all jurisdictions within the United States 20
in which the applicant holds or has ever held a license, certification, or 21
registration in the profession for which the applicant is seeking licensure, 22
certification, or registration in this State. 23
(5) The applicant has not voluntarily surrendered a license, certification, or 24
registration or had a license, certification, or registration revoked in any 25
jurisdiction within the United States as a result of unprofessional conduct 26
related to the profession for which the applicant is seeking licensure, 27
certification, or registration in this State. 28
(6) The applicant demonstrates competency in the profession through methods 29
determined by the board, which may include