January 1 marks the effective date for many new laws passed by legislatures in the previous calendar year. While individual statutes (or subsections of statutes) may include language indicating that they will take effect immediately upon passage or at a different specified point in time, most jurisdictions have a default time period for new laws to take effect if the text does not otherwise specify an effective date. See charts of the general dates at LegiScan and StateScape . January 1 is the general effective date for laws passed in the states of California, Oregon, and Illinois (at least for laws enacted prior to May 31). Other popular dates for new state laws to usually take effect are August 1, October 1, or 60–90 days after enactment or legislative adjournment. The North Carolina General Assembly maintains annual Effective Dates compilations on its website, with the 2025-26 document available here . New laws or portions of laws taking effect on January 1 in North Carolina i...
News and Announcements from the J. Michael Goodson Law Library at Duke