Does North Carolina have the death penalty?
Not used in practice
The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by implementers moratorium).
North Carolina is classified “Not used in practice” for the death penalty, as are 10 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Retained / in use”.
Source
- Note
- Executions are suspended following a decision by the state's medical board that physicians cannot participate in executions, which is a requirement under state law.
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Retained / in use 16 states.
- Not used in practice 11 states, including North Carolina.
- Fully abolished 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Nearby states
- South Carolina
- Retained / in use The death penalty is legal and executions are not suspended.
- Virginia
- Fully abolished Virginia abolished the death penalty in 2021.
- West Virginia
- Fully abolished West Virginia abolished the death penalty in 1965.
- District of Columbia
- Fully abolished The District of Columbia abolished the death penalty in 1981.
- Maryland
- Fully abolished Maryland abolished the death penalty in 2013.
- Georgia
- Retained / in use The death penalty is legal and executions are not suspended.
Other laws in North Carolina
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Euthanasia
- Illegal
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Gun Laws
- Permissive
- Cannabis
- Decriminalized
The death penalty in the United States → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.