North Carolina HOA Guides & Resources
Everything we publish for North Carolina boards — verification guides, state law, and the full management-company directory.
The essentials
Manager licensing
North Carolina does not require a separate community association manager license or certification. Any person or firm may offer HOA management services without holding a state-issued credential specific to that role. One important exception applies when a paid manager handles association funds: the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) treats those funds as trust money, and managers who are licensed real estate brokers must maintain each association's funds in a dedicated trust account, separate from all other clients, and provide periodic accounting statements at least every 90 days. Boards that self-manage are not subject to NCREC rules, but the Chapter 47F and 47C financial-recordkeeping requirements still apply.
Governing law
Planned communities created on or after January 1, 1999 are governed by the North Carolina Planned Community Act (Chapter 47F of the North Carolina General Statutes). Condominiums created on or after October 1, 1986 fall under the North Carolina Condominium Act (Chapter 47C). Together, these two statutes set the framework for board governance, assessment authority, meeting requirements, lien enforcement, insurance obligations, and financial recordkeeping. Approximately one-third of each chapter applies retroactively to older communities. No state agency provides ongoing regulatory oversight of associations or their management companies; disputes are resolved through the courts or through internal association procedures.