NC General Statutes

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 126-23 (2026)

Certain records to be kept by State agencies open to inspection

✓ current as of July 2026
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(a) Each department, agency, institution, commission and bureau of the State shall maintain a record of each of its employees, showing the following information with respect to each such employee:

(1) Name.

(2) Age.

(3) Date of original employment or appointment to State service.

(4) The terms of any contract by which the employee is employed whether written or oral, past and current, to the extent that the agency has the written contract or a record of the oral contract in its possession.

(5) Current position.

(6) Title.

(7) Current salary.

(8) Date and amount of each increase or decrease in salary with that department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau.

(9) Date and type of each promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation, or other change in position classification with that department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau.

(10) Date and general description of the reasons for each promotion with that department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau.

(11) Date and type of each dismissal, suspension, or demotion for disciplinary reasons taken by the department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau. If the disciplinary action was a dismissal, a copy of the written notice of the final decision of the head of the department setting forth the specific acts or omissions that are the basis of the dismissal.

(12) The office or station to which the employee is currently assigned.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term "salary" includes pay, benefits, incentives, bonuses, and deferred and all other forms of compensation paid by the employing entity.

(c) Subject only to rules and regulations for the safekeeping of the records, adopted by the State Human Resources Commission, every person having custody of such records shall permit them to be inspected and examined and copies thereof made by any person during regular business hours. Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, any person who is denied access to any such record for the purpose of inspecting, examining or copying the same shall have a right to compel compliance with the provisions of this section by application to a court of competent jurisdiction for a writ of mandamus or other appropriate relief.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, persons in the custody of, or under the supervision of, the Division of Prisons and persons in the custody of local confinement facilities are not entitled to access to the records made public under this section and are prohibited from obtaining those records, absent a court order authorizing access to, or custody, or possession.

(e) An attorney investigating allegations of unlawful misconduct or abuse by a Division of Prisons employee may request, and shall be provided with, information sufficient to identify the full name or names of the employee alleged to be involved in the misconduct or abuse in the current position of the employee within the Division; or, the last position held by the employee and the last date of employment by the Division. The attorney may not give the offender copies of departmental records or official documents absent a court order authorizing access to, or custody, or possession. (1975, c. 257, s. 1; c. 667, s. 2; 2007-508, s. 4; 2010-169, s. 18(a); 2011-145, s. 19.1(h); 2011-324, s. 1.1(b); 2013-382, s. 9.1(c); 2017-186, s. 2(ttttt); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(p).)

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2 cases, 2002–2013 · leading case: White v. Trew, 366 NC 360, 736 S.E.2d 166 (N.C. 2013).
White v. Trew, 366 NC 360, 736 S.E.2d 166 (N.C. 2013). · cites it 12× “TREW Opinion of the Court N.C.G.S. § 126-23 (2011). These records are accessible to employee supervisors, and department heads may, in their discretion, allow others to read the records if doing so “is essential to maintaining the integrity of such department or to maintaining…”
Toomer v. Garrett, 574 S.E.2d 76 (N.C. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 4× “§ 126-22 declares that: Personnel files of State employees, former State employees, or applicants for State employment shall not be subject to inspection and examination as authorized by G.”
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