International Residential Code
North Carolina enforces the 2015 IRC
The 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) has been in force in North Carolina since Jan 1, 2019. It applies statewide. Adopted by North Carolina Building Code Council (approved by Rules Review Commission). The legal citation is 2018 NC State Building Code, Residential Code volume; G.S. 143-138.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2015 IRC
2018 North Carolina State Building Code: Residential Code
Partial
- In force since
- Legal citation
- 2018 NC State Building Code, Residential Code volume; G.S. 143-138
- Adopted by
- North Carolina Building Code Council (approved by Rules Review Commission)
- Second reading
- Applies
- Statewide
- Also called
- NC Residential Code
OSFM says the 2018 NC codes were adopted along with the 2015 International Codes. The 2018 NC Residential Code and 2018 codes remain in force until the 2024 codes take effect.
Coming next
- 2021 IRCPartialAdopted; start date not setAdopted, not yet in force2024 North Carolina State Building Code; S.L. 2025-2, s. 5.12
Adopted and approved by the Rules Review Commission; effective date not set. The 2024 Residential Code’s own base edition (2021 IRC) rests on OSFM’s heading ‘2024 NC/ICC 2021 NC State Building Codes’ only. G.S. 143-138(d) gives the Residential Code Council a comprehensive review only every six years, first revision effective Jan 1, 2031.
How North Carolina adopts the IRC
The Residential Code Council (created by G.S. 143-136.1, 13 members, Governor’s appointees subject to General Assembly confirmation by joint resolution) oversees residential codes. G.S. 143-138(d) limits comprehensive Residential Code revisions to every six years, first effective Jan 1, 2031, with at least six months between adoption and effective date. S.L. 2025-2 s. 5.12 ties the 2024 code’s effective date to State Fire Marshal certification, including that the Residential Code Council is fully constituted.
Cycle. Six-year statutory cycle for the Residential Code from 2031; the 2024 code set is the interim step.
Laws, rulings, and other actions
- Other actionState licensing board notice: earliest possible effective date of the 2024 Code is May 1, 2027
Says effective date will be at least one year after the General Assembly approves the Governor’s Residential Code Council nominees; not set and may be further delayed.
- LegislationH 47 / S.L. 2025-2, s. 5.122025 regular session, Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I
Makes the 2024 State Building Code effective 12 months after the first day of the month following State Fire Marshal certification that publication/distribution is complete and the Residential Code Council is fully constituted.
Enacted Mar 19, 2025, effective Mar 19, 2025
ncleg.gov (opens in a new tab) - LegislationS 382 / S.L. 2024-57, s. 1F.32023 session, enacted in Dec 2024
Delayed the effective date of the 2024 North Carolina State Building Code from Jan 1, 2025, to Jul 1, 2025.
Enacted Dec 11, 2024; delay to Jul 1, 2025, superseded by S.L. 2025-2
ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)
How it was checked
Partial
Researched in the state’s own record. The seal stays broken until the passage is on file word for word.
Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .
The state’s record was last read on , from two source pages.
Evidence 3 sources
Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.
“The following 2018 Codes were effective from January 1, 2019 and are currently effective.”
Codes - Current and PastNC Office of State Fire Marshal (Department of Insurance)ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “along with the 2015 International Codes”
Codes - Current and Past (2015 International Codes)NC Office of State Fire Marshal (Department of Insurance)ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “Until the to-be- determined effective date of the 2024 Code, the 2018 North Carolina State Building Code remains in full force”
Letter re 2024 State Building Code Effective Date (State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor, Mar 31, 2025)NC Office of State Fire Marshal (Department of Insurance)ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not North Carolina’s own record.
ICC’s code adoption mapCross-checkDoes not agree with the record
State North Carolina 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 (April 2026 chart copy hosted by mitek-us.com); edition 2021, statewide