State Activates Price Gouging Law Ahead of Hurricane Erin

RALEIGH, N.C – North Carolina’s price gouging law is now in effect statewide following Governor Josh Stein’s declaration of a State of Emergency in advance of Hurricane Erin. The law makes it illegal for businesses to charge excessively high prices for essential goods and services during a crisis.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced the activation of the law and urged consumers to be vigilant. "North Carolinians on the coast should be following emergency updates from local officials and make sure they’re prepared for the effects of Hurricane Erin," said Attorney General Jackson. "Folks should file a complaint with our office right away, if they see a business charging more for essential goods and services than they should. It’s wrong, and illegal, to take advantage of a natural disaster just to make an extra buck."

The law prohibits businesses from unreasonably raising prices to increase their profit during an emergency. While businesses may have a valid reason to increase prices to cover their own rising costs, they must disclose any such reasonable increases to customers before a purchase is made.

The North Carolina price gouging law is automatically triggered when a governor declares a state of emergency. Consumers who believe they are victims of price gouging can report it to the Department of Justice by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or by visiting the website at www.ncdoj.gov/pricegouging.

For ongoing updates from the State Emergency Response Team regarding Hurricane Erin, the public can visit https://www.readync.gov/Erin.