Attorney General Jeff Jackson has announced that North Carolina’s price gouging law is now in effect following the state of emergency declared for Tropical Storm Imelda. The declaration, issued on September 27, 2025, will remain active for 30 days.
“We’re not going to let bad actors take advantage of North Carolinians during a storm,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “If you see something that might be price gouging, report it to our office right away. We’re going to review every complaint to protect people from scammers.”
The law prohibits businesses and individuals from excessively increasing prices on goods or services they sell or rent while the state of emergency is in place. While some price increases may occur due to higher operational costs or disruptions caused by critical incidents, unreasonable increases intended only to boost profit are not allowed. Businesses are required to inform customers about any reasonable price increases before purchase.
Residents can report suspected price gouging to the North Carolina Department of Justice by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or visiting www.ncdoj.gov/pricegouging. Updates on the storm and evacuation orders can be found at https://www.readync.gov/.
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