Non-compete laws · NC
North Carolina physician non-compete law
As of October 21, 2026, North Carolina has no statute specific to physician non-competes; general non-compete law and court decisions apply.
No physician-specific statuteChecked 2026-10-21 · medium confidence
No physician-specific statute. G.S. 75-4 requires non-competes to be in writing and signed. Courts generally enforce reasonable covenants, may strike but not rewrite overbroad terms, and have refused enforcement where it would substantially harm public health, such as specialist shortages. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-4 (written, signed agreement required))
Limits in the law
- Must be in writing and signed by the restricted party (G.S. 75-4; applies to all such agreements)
Who it covers
All persons under G.S. 75-4 and common law; no physician- or clinician-specific statute. Public-health review of physician covenants comes from case law.
Notes
G.S. 75-4 requires a signed writing. Courts have refused enforcement where it would harm public health (Statesville Medical Group v. Dickey, 1992; Aesthetic Facial & Ocular Plastic Surgery Center v. Zaldivar, 2019), per secondary sources. S 978 (2026), which would bar noncompetes in hospital employment contracts, has not passed the Senate.
Bills that have not become law
Non-compete bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions that had not become law as of 2026-10-21, furthest along first. A bill that died has to be filed again to move in 2027. The 2027 session starts 2027-01-13 and ends no fixed date (long session usually runs into summer).
- S 978 (2025–2026) · Health care workers, some physicians
Healthcare Competition Reforms: bans noncompetes for hospital-employed physicians, PAs, APRNs, RNs; NDA limits; caps nonprofit hospital CEO pay.
Committee action · Stalled. Filed 2026-04-30; Senate Health Care reported favorable committee substitute 2026-06-11; Judiciary reported favorable 2026-06-16; re-referred to Appropriations/Base Budget 2026-06-16 (pending). Not eligible for the limited reconvened sessions under Res. 2026-6.
- H 973 (2025–2026) · All workers
Uniform Restrictive Employment Agreement Act (new G.S. Chapter 1H): general limits on noncompetes and other restrictive employment agreements.
Introduced · Stalled. Filed 2025-04-10; referred to House Rules, Calendar, and Operations 2025-04-14; no further action
- S 673 (2025–2026) · Health care workers, some physicians
Protect Physicians Voices/Freedom of Movement: same hospital-employed physician/PA/APRN/RN noncompete ban and NDA limits as S 978.
Introduced · Stalled. Filed 2025-03-25; referred to Senate Rules and Operations 2025-03-26; no further action. Not eligible for the limited reconvened sessions under Res. 2026-6.
Sources
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-4 (written, signed agreement required) (statute)
- NCGA: Senate Bill 978 (2025-2026), Healthcare Competition Reforms - in Senate Appropriations/Base Budget (bill)
- Parker Poe, NC Court of Appeals voids noncompete with specialized physician (Aesthetic Facial & Ocular Plastic Surgery Ctr. v. Zaldivar, 2019) (secondary)
- Parker Poe, NC Supreme Court reaffirms strict blue pencil (Beverage Systems, 2016) (secondary)
Questions to ask about your contract
- Is the radius measured from your practice site or from every location the employer owns?
- Does the restriction apply if the employer terminates you without cause?
- Is there a buyout, and how is the amount calculated?
- What does your state's law say about physician non-competes?
Not legal advice. This page summarizes the law as written. Whether a particular agreement is enforceable depends on its wording, when it was signed and court decisions. Ask an attorney licensed in North Carolina.