Public Intoxication
G.S. 14-444 — intoxicated and disruptive, not intoxicated alone
Intoxicated and disruptive. In North Carolina, the offense is being intoxicated in a public place and disruptive in one of the ways the statute lists. It is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
- Blocking or interfering with traffic on a highway or public vehicular area.
- Blocking or lying across a sidewalk or building entrance, or otherwise preventing passage.
- Grabbing, shoving, pushing or fighting others, or challenging others to fight.
- Cursing or shouting at others or otherwise rudely insulting them.
- Begging for money or other property.
Alcoholism is a defense to the charge. The judge considers it even when the defendant does not raise it, and after a plea may put off the proceedings for up to 15 days to find out whether the person suffers from alcoholism.
Sources for this section (2)
- G.S. 14-444 — Intoxicated and disruptive in public
- G.S. 14-445 — Defense of alcoholism
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.