RALEIGH, NC — North Carolina’s temporary motor fuel tax suspension is entering its final weeks, with the zero-cent excise rate scheduled to expire on November 30, 2026.
State oversight and consumer compliance have intensified as the tax holiday nears its close. Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced on November 6 that the North Carolina Department of Justice has now followed up on 51 consumer complaints through its N.C. Fuel Check initiative, issuing formal inquiry letters to 42 gas stations and referring additional retailers across seven counties to the Department of Agriculture.
While retailers were legally permitted to clear fuel inventory purchased before October 10 at standard pre-suspension prices, failing to lower pump prices after receiving untaxed deliveries remains an active target for state enforcement through the online portal at ncdoj.gov/ncfuelcheckncdoj.gov/ncfuelcheck and the 1-877-5-NO-SCAM hotline.
On the infrastructure front, the projected $362.3 million revenue gap for the North Carolina Department of Transportation continues to be fully backstopped by scheduled cash transfers from the state’s Stabilization and Inflation Reserve.
These reserve allocations have successfully held regional road construction, repaving schedules, and municipal maintenance contracts harmless, preventing project delays while the state’s primary transportation funding mechanism sits at zero.
Administrative reminders remain in place for commercial operators as the November 30 expiration date approaches. The North Carolina Department of Revenue requires all fuel distributors and motor carriers to continue filing routine motor fuel tax returns and gallon reports despite the temporary zero-rate status, while the state’s fuel inspection tax remains mandatory.
Meanwhile, executive penalty waivers allowing farmers, commercial loggers, and fishermen to operate licensed highway vehicles using lower-cost dyed diesel remain active through December 31.
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