Administrative Laws in North Carolina.

North Carolina's APA governs rulemaking and contested cases. Rulemaking requires notice in the NC Register, public hearing, fiscal note, and Rules Review Commission approval.

OAH is a centralized independent agency that conducts contested-case hearings for most state agencies. ALJs issue final decisions (contested-case hearings) or proposed decisions (rulemaking). North Carolina is one of few states with consolidated centralized contested-case hearings.

Final agency decisions are reviewable in Superior Court. Standard: whether the decision is unsupported by substantial evidence, arbitrary or capricious, unlawful, or exceeds statutory authority.

Official publication of proposed and adopted agency rules.

Independent commission that reviews all proposed administrative rules for conformity with statutory authority, clarity, necessity, and other factors. Rules can be blocked by RRC disapproval.