Harassment And Stalking
G.S. 14-277.3A — more than one occasion, and a reasonable person in fear
In North Carolina, stalking is willfully harassing another person on more than one occasion, or willfully engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person, without legal purpose, when the defendant knows or should know it would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety or their family's or close associates' safety, or to suffer substantial emotional distress from fear of death, bodily injury or continued harassment.
A course of conduct is two or more acts of following, monitoring, observing, surveilling, threatening or communicating to or about a person, or interfering with their property, directly or through others. Harassment is knowing conduct, including calls, texts, email and other electronic messages, that torments, terrorizes or terrifies a specific person and serves no legitimate purpose.
| Stalking | Class |
|---|---|
| StalkingA first offense | ClassClass A1 misdemeanor, with supervised probation on a community punishment |
| StalkingWhile a court order prohibiting the conduct is in effect | ClassClass H felony |
| StalkingAfter an earlier stalking conviction | ClassClass F felony |
Separately, using profane or indecent language in a phone call, threatening bodily harm by phone, calling repeatedly to abuse, annoy, threaten or harass, or knowingly making false statements about a death, injury or crime to harass is a Class 2 misdemeanor, including messages left on a machine or sent by computer.
Sources for this section (2)
- G.S. 14-277.3A — Stalking
- G.S. 14-196 — Harassing or threatening telephone calls and messages
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Carolina attorney.