State Government Ethics Act Requirements and Commission Jurisdiction Overview
Summary
The North Carolina State Ethics Commission published an overview of its role interpreting and enforcing the State Government Ethics Act and Lobbying Law. The eight-member bipartisan commission, appointed by the Governor and General Assembly leadership, requires certain state officials to file Statements of Economic Interest, complete ethics education, and adhere to conflict-of-interest standards and gift bans. The commission does not have jurisdiction over local government officials.
“The purpose of this Chapter is to ensure that elected and appointed State agency officials exercise their authority honestly and fairly, free from impropriety, threats, favoritism, and undue influence.”
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GovPing monitors North Carolina Ethics Commission for new government & legislation regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 1 changes logged to date.
What changed
The North Carolina State Ethics Commission published an overview page describing the scope of the State Government Ethics Act (Chapter 138A) and Lobbying Law (Chapter 120C). The Act requires certain designated state officials to file Statements of Economic Interest and complete ethics education, prohibits acceptance of certain gifts, restricts use of official positions for private gain, and establishes conflict-of-interest standards. Lobbying Law requires lobbyists and lobbyist principals to register and report expenditures to the Secretary of State's Office and imposes a six-month cooling-off period on former elected state officials.
State officials and employees subject to these requirements should verify their filing obligations, ensure compliance with gift bans and conflict-of-interest standards, and complete required ethics education. Lobbyists and lobbyist principals must register with the Secretary of State's Office and file expenditure reports. Regional Transportation Advisory Committee members must also file Statements of Economic Interest and real estate disclosure forms.
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
State Ethics Commission
"The purpose of this Chapter is to ensure that elected and appointed State agency officials exercise their authority honestly and fairly, free from impropriety, threats, favoritism, and undue influence."- State Government Ethics Act
### Meet the State Ethics Commission The State Ethics Commission interprets and enforces the State Government Ethics Act and portions of the Lobbying Law. Members of the eight-member bipartisan Commission are appointed by the Governor (four members) and by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate (two members) and the Speaker of the House (two members).
- The Ethics Act requires that certain State officials file Statements of Economic Interest and attend ethics education.
- The Ethics Act also establishes conflict of interest standards, a ban against the acceptance of certain gifts by covered officials, and restricts the use of official positions for private gain.
- Members of regional Transportation Advisory Committees are also required to file Statements of Economic Interest and real estate disclosure forms.
- The Ethics Commission does not have jurisdiction over local government officials.
- The Lobbying Law requires that lobbyists and entities that contract with lobbyists ("lobbyist principals") register and report lobbying expenditures to the Secretary of State's Office. It also restricts gifts to State officials from lobbyists and lobbyist principals, and imposes a six-month "cooling off period" on former elected State officials. The Commission provides informal and formal advice on the Ethics Act and Lobbying Law and investigates complaints alleging violations of those laws.
Highlights
SEI Newsletter Now Available. Please file your 2026 SEI No Later Than April 15, 2026.
State Ethics Commission Meeting 5/14/26 @ 10:00 A.M
The candidate SEI Filing Deadline was January 20th. Check Here to Check Whether a Candidate Has Filed by Selecting "2026 Candidate" Under the "Board" Drop-Down Menu
I am a ...
### Covered Person ### EthicsLiaison ### Member of the General Public ### Lobbyist or Lobbyist Principal
Helpful Links
For Covered Persons
- File Statement of Economic Interest
- Register for Ethics Education
- Review the Commission's Advisory Opinions
- Check Compliance with SEI and Education Requirements
For General Public
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Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from NC Ethics Commission.
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