Statutes, codes, and regulations
General Statutes of North Carolina
Chapter 15A - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ACTSubchapter XIII - DISPOSITION OF DEFENDANTSArticle 81B - STRUCTURED SENTENCING OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF CRIMES
Part 2 - FELONY SENTENCING
Section 15A-1340.17 - Punishment limits for each class of offense and prior record level

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.17

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Current through Session Law 2024-53
Section 15A-1340.17 - Punishment limits for each class of offense and prior record level
(a) Offense Classification; Default Classifications. - The offense classification is as specified in the offense for which the sentence is being imposed. If the offense is a felony for which there is no classification, it is a Class I felony.
(b) Fines. - Any judgment that includes a sentence of imprisonment may also include a fine. If a community punishment is authorized, the judgment may consist of a fine only. Additionally, when the defendant is other than an individual, the judgment may consist of a fine only. Unless otherwise provided, the amount of the fine is in the discretion of the court.
(c) Punishments for Each Class of Offense and Prior Record Level; Punishment Chart Described. - The authorized punishment for each class of offense and prior record level is as specified in the chart below. Prior record levels are indicated by the Roman numerals placed horizontally on the top of the chart. Classes of offense are indicated by the letters placed vertically on the left side of the chart. Each cell on the chart contains the following components:
(1) A sentence disposition or dispositions: "C" indicates that a community punishment is authorized; "I" indicates that an intermediate punishment is authorized; "A" indicates that an active punishment is authorized; and "Life Imprisonment Without Parole" indicates that the defendant shall be imprisoned for the remainder of the prisoner's natural life.
(2) A presumptive range of minimum durations, if the sentence of imprisonment is neither aggravated or mitigated; any minimum term of imprisonment in that range is permitted unless the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A-1340.16 that an aggravated or mitigated sentence is appropriate. The presumptive range is the middle of the three ranges in the cell.
(3) A mitigated range of minimum durations if the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A-1340.16 that a mitigated sentence of imprisonment is justified; in such a case, any minimum term of imprisonment in the mitigated range is permitted. The mitigated range is the lower of the three ranges in the cell.
(4) An aggravated range of minimum durations if the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A-1340.16 that an aggravated sentence of imprisonment is justified; in such a case, any minimum term of imprisonment in the aggravated range is permitted. The aggravated range is the higher of the three ranges in the cell.

PRIOR RECORD LEVEL

I

0-1 Pt

II

2-5 Pts

III

6-9 Pts

IV

10-13 Pts

V

14-17 Pts

VI

18+ Pts

A

Life Imprisonment With Parole or Without Parole, or Death, as Established by Statute

B1

A

240-300

192-240

144-192

A

276-345

221-276 166-221

A

317-397

254-317 190-254

A

365-456

292-365 219-292

A A

Life Imprisonment

Without Parole

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

336-420

252-336

386-483

290-386

B2

A

157-196 125-157 94-125

A

180-225 144-180 108-144

A

207-258 165-207 124-165

A

238-297 190-238 143-190

A

273-342 219-273 164-219

A

314-393 251-314 189-251

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

C

A

73-92

58-73

44-58

A

83-104

67-83

50-67

A

96-120

58-77

77-96

A

110-138

88-110

66-88

A

127-159

101-127

76-101

A

146-182

117-146

87-117

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

D

A

64-80

51-64

38-51

A

73-92

59-73

44-59

A

84-105

67-84

51-67

A

97-121

78-97

58-78

A

111-139

89-111

67-89

A

128-160

103-128

77-103

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

E

I/A

25-31

20-25

15-20

I/A

29-36

23-29

17-23

A

33-41

26-33

20-26

A

38-48

30-38

23-30

A

44-55

35-44

26-35

A

50-63

40-50

30-40

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

F

I/A

16-20

13-16

10-13

I/A

19-23

15-19

11-15

I/A

21-27

17-21

13-17

A

25-31

20-25

15-20

A

28-36

23-28

17-23

A

33-41

26-33

20-26

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

G

I/A

13-16

10-13

8-10

I/A

14-18

12-14

9-12

I/A

17-21

13-17

10-13

I/A

19-24

15-19

11-15

A

22-27

17-22

13-17

A

25-31

20-25

15-20

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

H

C/I/A

6-8

5-6

4-5

I/A

8-10

6-8

4-6

I/A

10-12

8-10

6-8

I/A

11-14

9-11

7-9

I/A

15-19

12-15

9-12

A

20-25

16-20

12-16

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

I

C

6-8

4-6

3-4

C/I

6-8

4-6

3-4

I

6-8

5-6

4-5

I/A

8-10

6-8

4-6

I/A

9-11

7-9

5-7

I/A

10-12

8-10

6-8

DISPOSITION

Aggravated

PRESUMPTIVE

Mitigated

(d) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class F through Class I Felonies. - Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, for each minimum term of imprisonment in the chart in subsection (c) of this section, expressed in months, the corresponding maximum term of imprisonment, also expressed in months, is as specified in the table below for Class F through Class I felonies. The first figure in each cell in the table is the minimum term and the second is the maximum term.

3-13

4-14

5-15

6-17

7-18

8-19

9-20

10-21

11-23

12-24

13-25

14-26

15-27

16-29

17-30

18-31

19-32

20-33

21-35

22-36

23-37

24-38

25-39

26-41

27-42

28-43

29-44

30-45

31-47

32-48

33-49

34-50

35-51

36-53

37-54

38-55

39-56

40-57

41-59

42-60

43-61

44-62

45-63

46-65

47-66

48-67

49-68

(e) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class B1 through Class E Felonies for Minimum Terms up to 339 Months. Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, for each minimum term of imprisonment in the chart in subsection (c) of this section, expressed in months, the corresponding maximum term of imprisonment, also expressed in months, is as specified in the table below for Class B1 through Class E felonies. The first figure in each cell of the table is the minimum term and the second is the maximum term.

15-30

16-32

17-33

18-34

19-35

20-36

21-38

22-39

23-40

24-41

25-42

26-44

27-45

28-46

29-47

30-48

31-50

32-51

33-52

34-53

35-54

36-56

37-57

38-58

39-59

40-60

41-62

42-63

43-64

44-65

45-66

46-68

47-69

48-70

49-71

50-72

51-74

52-75

53-76

54-77

55-78

56-80

57-81

58-82

59-83

60-84

61-86

62-87

63-88

64-89

65-90

66-92

67-93

68-94

69-95

70-96

71-98

72-99

73-100

74-101

75-102

76-104

77-105

78-106

79-107

80-108

81-110

82-111

83-112

84-113

85-114

86-116

87-117

88-118

89-119

90-120

91-122

92-123

93-124

94-125

95-126

96-128

97-129

98-130

99-131

100-132

101-134

102-135

103-136

104-137

105-138

106-140

107-141

108-142

109-143

110-144

111-146

112-147

113-148

114-149

115-150

116-152

117-153

118-154

119-155

120-156

121-158

122-159

123-160

124-161

125-162

126-164

127-165

128-166

129-167

130-168

131-170

132-171

133-172

134-173

135-174

136-176

137-177

138-178

139-179

140-180

141-182

142-183

143-184

144-185

145-186

146-188

147-189

148-190

149-191

150-192

151-194

152-195

153-196

154-197

155-198

156-200

157-201

158-202

159-203

160-204

161-206

162-207

163-208

164-209

165-210

166-212

167-213

168-214

169-215

170-216

171-218

172-219

173-220

174-221

175-222

176-224

177-225

178-226

179-227

180-228

181-230

182-231

183-232

184-233

185-234

186-236

187-237

188-238

189-239

190-240

191-242

192-243

193-244

194-245

195-246

196-248

197-249

198-250

199-251

200-252

201-254

202-255

203-256

204-257

205-258

206-260

207-261

208-262

209-263

210-264

211-266

212-267

213-268

214-269

215-270

216-272

217-273

218-274

219-275

220-276

221-278

222-279

223-280

224-281

225-282

226-284

227-285

228-286

229-287

230-288

231-290

232-291

233-292

234-293

235-294

236-296

237-297

238-298

239-299

240-300

241-302

242-303

243-304

244-305

245-306

246-308

247-309

248-310

249-311

250-312

251-314

252-315

253-316

254-317

255-318

256-320

257-321

258-322

259-323

260-324

261-326

262-327

263-328

264-329

265-330

266-332

267-333

268-334

269-335

270-336

271-338

272-339

273-340

274-341

275-342

276-344

277-345

278-346

279-347

280-348

281-350

282-351

283-352

284-353

285-354

286-356

287-357

288-358

289-359

290-360

291-362

292-363

293-364

294-365

295-366

296-368

297-369

298-370

299-371

300-372

301-374

302-375

303-376

304-377

305-378

306-380

307-381

308-382

309-383

310-384

311-386

312-387

313-388

314-389

315-390

316-392

317-393

318-394

319-395

320-396

321-398

322-399

323-400

324-401

325-402

326-404

327-405

328-406

329-407

330-408

331-410

332-411

333-412

334-413

335-414

336-416

337-417

338-418

339-419.

(e1) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class B1 through Class E Felonies for Minimum Terms of 340 Months or More. - Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, when the minimum sentence is 340 months or more, the corresponding maximum term of imprisonment shall be equal to the sum of the minimum term of imprisonment and twenty percent (20%) of the minimum term of imprisonment, rounded to the next highest month, plus 12 additional months.
(f) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class B1 Through Class E Sex Offenses. - Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, for offenders sentenced for a Class B1 through E felony that is a reportable conviction subject to the registration requirement of Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes, the maximum term of imprisonment shall be equal to the sum of the minimum term of imprisonment and twenty percent (20%) of the minimum term of imprisonment, rounded to the next highest month, plus 60 additional months.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.17

Amended by 2013 N.C. Sess. Laws 410, s. 3-b, eff. 8/23/2013.
Amended by 2013 N.C. Sess. Laws 101, s. 6, eff. 10/1/2013.
Amended by 2011 N.C. Sess. Laws 412, s. 2.4.(a), eff. 12/1/2011.
Amended by 2011 N.C. Sess. Laws 307, s. 1, eff. 12/1/2011.
Amended by 2011 N.C. Sess. Laws 192, s. 2-e, s. 2-f, s. 2-g, eff. 12/1/2011.
Amended by 2009 N.C. Sess. Laws 556, s. 1, eff. 12/1/2009.
Amended by 2009 N.C. Sess. Laws 555, s. 2, eff. 12/1/2009.
1993 , c. 538, s. 1; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 14, ss. 20, 21; c. 22, s. 7; c. 24, s. 14(b); 1995 , c. 507, s. 19.5 (l); 1997-80, s. 3.