North Carolina

An individual, who, without compensation, provides assistance or advice during or following an actual or imminent discharge of hazardous materials, will not be held legally responsible. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. They can be held legally responsible for causing the discharge. Click to Learn More

An emergency management worker, who performs emergency management services under any type of intra- or interstate mutual aid agreement, will have the same powers, duties, immunities, and privileges as they would have in their home jurisdiction. Click to Learn More

A firefighter, who is a member of a rural fire department, will not be held legally responsible for injury or damage to property caused by attempts to put out a fire. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, an emergency management worker, who attempts to comply with emergency orders, will not be held legally responsible for injury, death, or damage to property. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

An individual, who allows others to use their property for emergency management activities, will not be held legally responsible for injury, death, or damage to property that results. Click to Learn More

An individual who, in good faith and voluntarily, performs services for a charitable organization or in an emergency, will not be held legally responsible for acting or failing to act. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. They can be held legally responsible if they caused injury, death, or damage to property while operating a motor vehicle. Click to Learn More

Within 45 days of an emergency declaration, a professional architect who, voluntarily, without compensation, and at the request of a public official, provides structural, electrical, mechanical, or other architectural services at the scene of the declared emergency, will not be held legally responsible for injury, death, or damage to property that results from providing architectural services. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. They can also be held legally responsible if they caused injury, death, or damage to property while operating a motor vehicle. Click to Learn More

An individual who provides emergency care using an AED will not be held legally responsible for the use of the emergency use of an AED. An individual, who provides training relating to the proper use of an AED, or physician, who, without compensation, writes a prescription for the use of an AED, will also not be held legally responsible for the use of the emergency use of an AED. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

An individual, who is a member of a volunteer fire department or rescue squad and who, without compensation, provides emergency treatment to a person in need at the scene of a fire, will not be held legally responsible for acting or for failing to act. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

A health care provider or a retired health care provider with a limited license who, voluntarily and without compensation, provides health care under the direction of a nonprofit organization and within the scope of their license will not be held legally responsible for injury or death. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

Within 45 days of an emergency declaration, a professional engineer who, voluntarily, without compensation, and at the request of a public official, provides structural, electrical, mechanical, or other engineering services at the scene of the declared emergency, will not be held legally responsible for injury, death, or damage to property that results from providing engineering services. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. They can also be held legally responsible if they caused injury, death, or damage to property while operating a motor vehicle. Click to Learn More

An individual, who is a member of a Regional Response Team, will not be held legally responsible for responding to a hazardous materials or terrorist incident. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

A physician who treats a minor without first obtaining valid consent for treatment will not be held legally responsible if the parents or guardians could not be contacted, or where delaying treatment of the minor, in order to obtain consent, would threaten the minor’s life. Click to Learn More

A member of a search and rescue team will not be held legally responsible for activities related to urban search and rescue. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

When a war declaration is in effect, an individual, who, in good faith, attempts to comply with any emergency order, will not be held legally responsible. Click to Learn More

An individual, who provides emergency assistance to an injured person at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, will not be held legally responsible for acting or for failing to act. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Generally, Good Samaritan laws only offer protection for those individuals who provide care during spontaneous emergencies unrelated to volunteer deployment. Click to Learn More

An individual who, voluntarily and without compensation, provides first aid or emergency treatment to a person in need will not be held legally responsible. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Generally, Good Samaritan laws only offer protection for those individuals who provide care during spontaneous emergencies unrelated to volunteer deployment. Click to Learn More

An individual who, in good faith, attempts to provide medical care or other assistance to another by entering a railroad car, motor vehicle, trailer, aircraft, or boat, will not be held legally responsible for any damage to the vehicle that was necessary to gain access to the person needing assistance. They can be held legally responsible if acting with extreme carelessness or intent to cause harm. Click to Learn More

An emergency management worker, who performs emergency management services under any type of intra- or interstate mutual aid agreement, will have the same powers, duties, immunities, and privileges as they would have in their home jurisdiction. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, a perfusionist, licensed or certified in any state, can perform perfusion services without a North Carolina license or certification. They must provide identification and proof of licensure or certification to the North Carolina Medical Board within 3 days of providing services. Click to Learn More

A physician, licensed out-of-state, can obtain a special purpose license by providing documentation of current licensure in good standing, and can practice medicine to the extent authorized by the special purpose license. Click to Learn More

A retired physician assistant, from any state, can obtain a limited volunteer license and can perform delegated medical tasks, without compensation, at clinics serving the poor and needy. Click to Learn More

An out-of-state health care provider who, voluntarily and within the scope of their licensure, provides health care services for up to 7 days per year under the direction of a nonprofit organization will not have to obtain a North Carolina license to practice. They must have a current license to practice in good standing in their licensing jurisdiction. Click to Learn More

A physician, licensed out-of-state, can obtain a limited volunteer license by providing documentation of current licensure in good standing and can practice medicine, without compensation, at clinics serving the poor and needy for up to 30 days each year. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, the North Carolina Medical Board can waive licensure requirements for physicians and physician assistants. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, an emergency management worker does not need to comply with North Carolina licensing requirements to practice any professional, mechanical, or other skill that they will perform as part of their emergency management duties. Click to Learn More

A retired physician, from any state, can obtain a limited volunteer license and can practice medicine, without compensation, at clinics serving the poor and needy. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, a physician assistant can obtain a limited license for disasters and emergencies by submitting proof of current licensure, in good standing, along with a government-issued photo ID to the North Carolina Medical Board. The physician assistant must be supervised by a North Carolina licensed physician on site and can perform only uncompensated services and acts delegated by the physician. Neither the physician nor the physician assistant needs to keep documentation describing the supervisory arrangement or prescriptive authority. Click to Learn More

A physician assistant, licensed out-of-state, can obtain a limited volunteer license by providing documentation of current licensure in good standing and can perform medical tasks, without compensation, at clinics serving the poor and needy for up to 30 days each year. Click to Learn More

An emergency management worker, who performs emergency management services under any type of intra- or interstate mutual aid agreement, will have the same powers, duties, immunities, and privileges as they would have in their home jurisdiction. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, a physician assistant can obtain a limited license for disasters and emergencies by submitting proof of current licensure, in good standing, along with a government-issued photo ID to the North Carolina Medical Board. The physician assistant must be supervised by a North Carolina licensed physician on site and can perform only uncompensated services and acts delegated by the physician. Neither the physician nor the physician assistant needs to keep documentation describing the supervisory arrangement or prescriptive authority. Click to Learn More

An emergency management worker, who performs emergency management services under any type of intra- or interstate mutual aid agreement, will have the same powers, duties, immunities, and privileges as they would have in their home jurisdiction. Click to Learn More

A state employee, who is a disaster service volunteer, can request paid leave, up to 15 work days per year, to participate in disaster relief services for the American Red Cross. They will not lose seniority, pay, vacation time, sick time, or earned overtime by requesting leave. They will not be entitled to governmental workers’ compensation while serving with the American Red Cross. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, a member of the emergency medical services, volunteer fire department, or rescue squad, who is called into the service of the state, can take unpaid leave of their current employment without being forced to use vacation time or other accrued leave time. They must provide their organization with a copy of the written request for services before taking leave. Click to Learn More

When an emergency declaration is in effect, an emergency management worker, performing emergency management functions, is entitled to the workers’ compensation that they would normally be entitled to under their employment. Click to Learn More