Sen. Lee files bill in North Carolina Senate to revise zoning and land use regulations

A new bill filed by State Sen. Michael V. Lee seeks to revise zoning regulations and clarify land use authority between cities and counties in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 493 on March 25 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Land Use Clarification and Changes.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill allows schools to be sited via special use permits in areas zoned for commercial use. It clarifies that property use rights remain intact when additional use rights are approved and eliminates municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction, revising zoning regulation authority and the administrative processes related to land use and planning. Cities can no longer expand extraterritorial jurisdiction beyond limits as of June 1, 2025. The relinquishment of jurisdiction over areas previously under city control will be activated by county authorities, effective Oct. 1, 2026, for counties with populations of 25,000 or less, and Oct. 1, 2027, for counties with 25,001 to 50,000 people. The bill maintains existing police jurisdiction while allowing cities to voluntarily decline jurisdiction earlier, following set protocols. Other parts are effective immediately upon enactment.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Timothy D. Moffitt proposed the most bills (70) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Lee graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991 with a BA and again in 1997 from Wake Forest University Law School with a JD.

Lee, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 7th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Jim Perry.