North Carolina One-Party

Licensing & Regulation

North Carolina licenses PIs through the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board under N.C.G.S. §74C-1 et seq. Applicants must be 18+, demonstrate three years of experience, pass a written examination, submit fingerprints, and post a $10,000 surety bond.

Physical Surveillance

Public surveillance is permitted. North Carolina's stalking statute (N.C.G.S. §14-277.3A) constrains intrusive conduct. GPS tracking on a non-owned vehicle is risky.

Audio & Video Recording Consent

North Carolina is a one-party-consent state under N.C.G.S. §15A-287. The recording party must be a participant.

Domestic, Marital & Infidelity Investigations

North Carolina is one of the few states retaining "alienation of affections" and "criminal conversation" as actionable civil torts. PIs are heavily retained to document third-party conduct. NC also allows fault-based divorce.

Cybersecurity, Hacking & Digital Investigations

N.C.G.S. §14-453 et seq. (Computer-Related Crimes) parallels the CFAA. OSINT is permitted; pretexting is barred.

Missing Persons, Skip Tracing & Harassment

North Carolina SBI coordinates missing-persons cases. DPPA fully applies. N.C.G.S. §14-277.3A (stalking) is broad.