North Carolina Senate Bill S569

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/26/25

Caption

Eviction Record Expunction Act

Summary

Senate Bill 569, the Eviction Record Expunction Act, would require clerks of superior court to automatically seal certain summary ejectment records and proceedings from public access. The bill covers eviction cases that are more than three years old, pending cases with no decision yet, cases dismissed or decided in favor of the tenant, and cases involving a respondent under 18. It defines sealing as making the record confidential and unavailable for public inspection, while preserving the ability to docket or enforce monetary judgments tied to the case. The bill also amends North Carolina’s Fair Housing Act to make it an unlawful discriminatory housing practice to deny a rental application based on a summary ejectment proceeding that has been sealed under the new law. The sealing provisions would apply only to summary ejectment proceedings initiated on or after October 1, 2025, while the fair housing amendment would take effect when the act becomes law. The bill does not apply to summary ejectment proceedings filed under Article 7 of Chapter 42.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would change North Carolina court-record practices by creating an automatic sealing process for qualifying eviction-related records and limiting public access to those records. It would also expand fair housing protections by prohibiting landlords from using sealed eviction records as a basis to deny rental applications. The measure would affect clerks of superior court, tenants, landlords, housing providers, and applicants seeking rental housing, while leaving monetary judgments in eviction cases enforceable.

Sentiment

The bill’s title and structure suggest a tenant-protection and housing-access approach, with the apparent goal of reducing the long-term consequences of eviction filings on renters’ ability to secure housing. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded debate or vote history to indicate formal support or opposition. Based on the bill text alone, the policy direction appears favorable to tenants and housing advocates concerned with record-based barriers to housing.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is the balance between tenant privacy and housing access on one hand, and landlords’ interest in reviewing eviction history on the other. Supporters would likely emphasize relief for tenants with dismissed, unresolved, or old eviction cases, as well as protections for minors. Opponents may argue that automatic sealing could limit landlord screening tools and reduce transparency in rental decision-making, even though the bill preserves enforcement of monetary judgments.