Universal Licensure/Limit Continuing Ed.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 2
SENATE BILL 451
Regulatory Reform Committee Substitute Adopted 6/17/26

Short Title: Universal Licensure/Limit Continuing Ed. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 25, 2025
*S451-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE CE RTAIN OCCUPATIONAL L ICENSING BOARDS TO O FFER 2
UNIVERSAL LICENSURE FOR OUT -OF-STATE LIC ENSEES AND TO EXEMPT 3
CERTAIN EXPERIENCED LICENSEES FROM CONTINUING EDUCATION. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. G.S. 93B-15.3 reads as rewritten: 6
"§ 93B-15.3. Licensure recognition for individuals licensed in neighboring other states. 7
(a) Applicability. – This section applies to all occupational licensing boards and State 8
agency licensing boards except as provided in this subsection. This section shall not apply to: 9
(1) Licensure of any healthcare practitioner licensed under Chapter 90 of the 10
General Statutes. 11
(1a) Clinical social workers licensed under Chapter 90B of the General Statutes. 12
(2) Architects licensed under Chapter 83A of the General Statutes. 13
(3) Certified public accountants licensed under Chapter 93 of the General 14
Statutes. 15
(4) Engineers licensed under Chapter 89C of the General Statutes. 16
(5) Veterinarians licensed, or veterinary technicians registered, under Article 11 17
of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes. 18
(6) Admission to the practice of law or licensure as an attorney under Chapter 84 19
of the General Statutes. 20
(7) Licensure of any practitioner licensed by the North Carolina Pesticide Board 21
under Article 52 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. 22
(8) Licensure of any practitioner licensed by the North Carolina Structural Pest 23
Control Committee under Article 4C of Chapter 106 of the General Statutes. 24
(9) Dealers, salesmen, issuers, investment advisors, investment advisor 25
representatives, and athlete agents athlete agents, and commodity merchants 26
under Chapters 78A, 78C, and 78D of the General Statutes. 27
(10) Certification of any practitioner by the North Carolina On -Site Wastewater 28
Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board under Article 5 of Chapter 90A 29
of the General Statutes. 30
(11) Licensure of any new motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, motor 31
vehicle sales representative, manufacturer, factory branch, factory 32
representative, distributor, distributor branch, distributor representative, or 33
wholesaler under Article 12 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes. 34
(12) Certification of sworn law enforcement officers certified pursuant to Chapter 35
17C, 17E, or 74E of the General Statutes. 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 451-Second Edition
(13) Licensure, certification, or registration for an occupation to the extent that 1
recognition under this section would conflict with minimum standards that 2
federal law requires the State to impose as a condition of licensure. 3
(14) Licenses issued to a business or facility, rather than to an individual. 4
(b) Licensure Recognition. – Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an 5
occupational licensing board or a State agency licensing board subject to this section shall issue 6
a license, certification, or registration to any applicant who establishes residence in this State and 7
satisfies all of the following conditions: 8
(1) The applicant is currently licensed, certified, or registered in Georgia, South 9
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia another state or United States 10
territory or the District of Columbia in the discipline applied for in this State 11
at the same or substantially equivalent practice level, as determined by the 12
occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board.State. 13
(2) The applicant has been licensed, certified, or registered in one or more of the 14
states listed in subdivision (1) of this subsection or territories or the District 15
of Columbia for at least one year. 16
(3) The applicant has passed an examination required for the license, certification, 17
or registration in the jurisdiction in which the applicant holds a current license, 18
certification, or registration, if an examination was required. 19
(4) The applicant is in good standing in all jurisdictions within the United States 20
in which the applicant holds or has ever held a license, certification, or 21
registration in the profession for which the applicant is seeking licensure, 22
certification, or registration in this State. 23
(5) The applicant has not voluntarily surrendered a license, certification, or 24
registration or had a license, certification, or registration revoked in any 25
jurisdiction within the United States as a result of unprofessional conduct 26
related to the profession for which the applicant is seeking licensure, 27
certification, or registration in this State. 28
(6) The applicant demonstrates competency in the profession through methods 29
determined by the board, which may include having met the minimum 30
education, clinical supervision, or work experience requirements in eff ect in 31
the originating state at the time the applicant obtained the license, certification, 32
or registration from that state. 33
(7) The applicant does not have any active or pending disciplinary actions from 34
an occupational licensing board or agency in anothe r jurisdiction within the 35
United States and, if applicable, the occupational licensing board or State 36
agency licensing board has completed verification under subsection (c) of this 37
section. 38
(8) The applicant does not have a disqualifying criminal history r ecord, as 39
determined by the occupational licensing board or State agency licensing 40
board under G.S. 93B-8.1 and related provisions of law. 41
(9) The applicant has paid all applicable fees, including fees for application 42
processing, license issuance, verifica tion of credentials, and background 43
checks. 44
(b1) No Requirement of Substantial Equivalency . – An occupational licensing board or 45
State agency licensing board shall not require an applicant eligible for universal licensure 46
recognition pursuant to this section to demonstrate that the applicant is licensed at the same or 47
substantially equivalent practice level in another jurisdiction or that the licensure, certification, 48
or registration requirements of another jurisdiction are substantially equivalent to or ex ceed the 49
requirements of this State. 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 451-Second Edition Page 3
(b2) Limitation on Additional Requirements. – Except as otherwise required by federal 1
law or by a State law applicable to all applicants for the same credential, an occupational 2
licensing board or State agency licensing board shall not require an applicant eligible for 3
universal licensure recognition pursuant to this section to complete additional education, training, 4
examination, apprenticeship, clinical supervision, supervised practice, or other experience as a 5
condition of licensure, certification, or registration, except that this subsection does not prohibit 6
a board from requiring any of the following: 7
(1) An examination specific to the laws of this State, if the occupational licensing 8
board or State agency licensing board administers an examination on the laws 9
of this State as part of its licensure, certification, or registration requirements 10
for all applicants. 11
(2) A criminal history record check. 12
(3) Other administrative requirement s imposed on all applicants for the same 13
credential. 14
(c) Prior Disciplinary Actions. – If the applicant has any prior resolved disciplinary 15
actions from an occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board at the tim e of 16
application, the occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board to which the 17
applicant is applying shall determine and verify that the disciplinary action is resolved and, if 18
applicable, corrective action has been taken. If a disciplinar y action is pending in another 19
jurisdiction, an occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board shall suspend the 20
application process for any license, certificate, or registration under this section until the 21
disciplinary action has been resolved. 22
(c1) Notice of Incomplete Application. – If an application for universal licensure 23
recognition under this section is incomplete, the occupational licensing board or State agency 24
licensing board shall notify the applicant in writing within 15 business days after receipt of the 25
application and shall identify with specificity the information needed to complete the application. 26
(c2) Board Action on Completed Application. – Within 30 days after receipt of a 27
completed application for universal licensure recognition under this section, the occupational 28
licensing board or State agency licensing board shall grant or deny the application. If the 29
application is denied, the board shall provide written notice of the denial and the basis for the 30
denial. 31
(d) Required Information. – Each occupational licensing board or State agency licensing 32
board shall publish a document that lists the specific criteria or requirements for licensure, 33
certification, or registration by the board under this sectio n and any necessary documentation 34
needed for satisfying the requirements. The information required by this subsection shall be 35
published on the occupational licensing board's or State agency licensing board's website. 36
(e) Effect on Other Agreements. – Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent 37
any occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board in this State from entering into 38
a reciprocity agreement with another jurisdiction or to invalidate any existing reciprocity 39
agreement betwee n any occupational licensing board or agency in this State and another 40
jurisdiction. 41
(f) Scope of License. – Any license, certification, or registration granted by an 42
occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board to any applicant under this section 43
shall be valid only in this State and does not extend validity to other jurisdictions, including 44
through an interstate compact, unless otherwise provided by law or interstate agreement. 45
(g) Rights and Obligations. – Any individual who is licensed, certified, or registered 46
under this section shall be entitled to the same rights and subject to the same obligations as 47
required of an individual who was licensed, certified, or registered by an occupational licensing 48
board or State agency licensing board in this State under any other provision of law. 49
(h) Alternative Pathway. – Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an 50
individual from proceeding under the existing licensure, certification, or registration 51
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 4 Senate Bill 451-Second Edition
requirements established by an occu pational licensing board or State agency licensing board in 1
this State. 2
(i) Complaint Procedure. – An applicant who alleges that an occupational licensing 3
board or State agency licensing board has violated this section by failing to act on a completed 4
application within the time required by subsection (c2) of this section or by imposing a 5
requirement prohibited by subsection ( b1) or (b2) of this section may file a complaint with the 6
Department of Labor. The Department of Labor shall do all of the following: 7
(1) Receive and review complaints filed pursuant to this subsection. 8
(2) Provide a copy of the complaint to the occupational licensing board or State 9
agency licensing board that is the subject of the complaint and allow the board 10
10 business days to respond. 11
(3) Issue written findings to the applicant and the board within 30 days after 12
receipt of the board 's response or, if no response is received, within 40 days 13
after the complaint is filed. 14
(4) Include in its written findings any recommendation for corrective action 15
necessary to bring the board into compliance with this section. 16
(5) Transmit a copy of its written findings to the Attorney General and the Joint 17
Legislative Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee. 18
(j) Alternative Relief. – Nothing in this section shall preclude an applicant from seeking 19
judicial review or other relief otherwise available under law. 20
(k) Universal Licensure Recognition Fee. – An applicant seeking licensure, certification, 21
or registration under this section shall pay a universal license recognition processing fee of 22
twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to the board f rom which the applicant is seeking licensure, 23
certification, or registration under this section. The fee shall be in addition to fees for the cost of 24
any criminal history record check, license verification, or other third -party verification required 25
by the occupational licensing board or State agency licensing board. The fee shall be used only 26
to administer this section. The fee shall be waived for an active duty military service member, a 27
member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, a member of the North 28
Carolina National Guard, a military veteran who applied within one year of separation from 29
service, or the spouse of a military service member, reserve component member, National Guard 30
member, or military veteran qualifying under this subsection , provided the marriage existed at 31
the time of the service member's discharge, retirement, death, or current active service." 32
SECTION 2. G.S. 93B-2(f) reads as rewritten: 33
"(f) Report. – Beginning on October 31, 2026, October 31, 2027 , each occupational 34
licensing board and State agency licensing board subject to G.S. 93B-15.3, as enacted by Section 35
1(a) of S.L. 2025-61, G.S. 93B-15.3 shall include all of the following data for the previous fiscal 36
year in the annual report to the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the Joint Legislative 37
Administrative Procedure Oversight Committee, as required by this section: 38
(1) The number of individuals who applied for licensure, certification, or 39
registration in accordance with G.S. 93B-15.3. 40
(2) The number of individuals who received licensure, certification, or 41
registration in accordance with G.S. 93B-15.3. 42
(3) The number of individuals who were denied licensure, certification, or 43
registration in accordance with G.S. 93B-15.3, including the reasons for 44
denial. 45
(4) The average number of days between receipt of a completed application 46
submitted pursuant to G.S. 93B-15.3 and final action on the application. 47
(5) The number of complaints filed with the Department of Labor under 48
G.S. 93B-15.3(i) concerning the board and the disposition of those 49
complaints." 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 451-Second Edition Page 5
SECTION 3. Chapter 93B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 1
section to read: 2
"§ 93B-9.1. Continuing education exemption for certain experienced licensees. 3
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an occupational licensing board or a 4
State agency licensing board shall not require an individual to complete continuing education or 5
other similar recurring training activities as a condition of renewing or maintaining a license, 6
certification, or registration if the individual satisfies both of the following conditions: 7
(1) The individual is 65 years of age or older. 8
(2) The individual has been actively engaged in the practice of the occupation, 9
profession, or activity for which the license, certification, or registration is 10
held in this State for at least 25 years. 11
(b) This section shall not apply to the occupational licensing boards and State agency 12
licensing boards that are exempt from G.S. 93B-15.3, as provided in subsection (a) of that 13
section. 14
(c) Nothing in this section shall prohibit an individual who qualifies fo r an exemption 15
under this section from voluntaril y completing continuing education or similar training 16
activities." 17
SECTION 4. This act becomes effective October 1, 2026. Sections 1 and 2 of this 18
act apply to applications for licensure, certification, or registration received on or after October 19
1, 2026. Section 3 of this act applies to licenses, certifications, and registrations that are active 20
on and after October 1, 2026. 21