When Someone Uses Your Name
G.S. 14-113.20 — identity theft is a felony, and what counts as identifying information
In North Carolina, knowingly obtaining, possessing or using another person's identifying information, living or dead, intending to pose as them to make financial or credit transactions in their name, to get anything of value, or to avoid legal consequences, is identity theft, a felony.
- Social security, taxpayer, license, ID and passport numbers.
- Checking, savings, credit and debit card numbers, and PIN codes.
- Email and internet account names, digital signatures and passwords.
- Biometric data and fingerprints, a parent's surname before marriage, and any other number that reaches a person's money.
Lawfully getting credit information in a real transaction, a creditor lawfully exercising a security interest, and complying in good faith with a warrant or court order are not violations.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.S. 14-113.20 — Identity theft
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.