North Carolina Delays Implementation of 2024 State Building Code
The implementation of the 2024 North Carolina State Building Code (“2024 Code”) has been postponed. Originally scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, recent legislative actions have introduced several delays. These include considerations for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in Western North Carolina. The most recent extension, enacted through S.L. 2025-2, pushes the effective date of the 2024 Code to 12 months after the State Fire Marshal certifies that two key conditions have been met.
According to Bladen Online, these two conditions are:
1. Publication and Distribution – The Building Code Council and Residential Code Council must complete the publication and distribution of the fully adopted 2024 Code, ensuring that all state and local officials receive copies and that the public can purchase the updated code.
2. Residential Code Council Formation – The Residential Code Council must be fully constituted in compliance with state regulations.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has been actively preparing the 2024 Code for release. The International Code Council (ICC®), the State’s publishing partner, is currently finalizing the printing and digital versions of the 2024 Code. All components, except for the 2024 North Carolina Energy Conservation Code, have been submitted for publication. The Energy Conservation Code was finalized on March 24, 2025, and is now being processed for printing.