§ 141-1. Governor to cause boundaries to be established and protected.
The Governor of North Carolina is hereby authorized to appoint two competent commissioners and a surveyor and a sufficient number of chainbearers, on the part of the State of North Carolina, to act with the commissioners or surveyors appointed or to be appointed by any of the contiguous states of Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia, to return and remark, by some permanent monuments at convenient intervals, not greater than five miles, the boundary lines between this State and any of the said states.
The Governor is also authorized, whenever in his judgment it shall be deemed necessary to protect or establish the boundary lines between this State and any other state, to institute and prosecute in the name of the State of North Carolina any and all such actions, suits, or proceedings at law or in equity, and to direct the Attorney General or such other person as he may designate to conduct and prosecute such actions, suits, or proceedings. (1881, c. 347, s. 1; Code, s. 2289; 1889, c. 475, s. 1; Rev., s. 5315; 1909, c. 51, s. 1; C.S., s. 7396.)
§ 141-2. Payment of expenses of establishing boundaries.
When the line has been rerun and remarked as above provided between this State and any of the contiguous states, or such portion of said lines as shall be mutually agreed by the commissioners, the Governor is authorized to issue his warrant upon the State Treasurer for such portion of the expenses as shall fall to the share of this State. (1881, c. 347, s. 2; Code, s. 2290; 1889, c. 475, s. 2; Rev., s. 5316; C.S., s. 7397.)
§ 141-3. Appointment of arbitrators.
If any disagreement shall arise between the commissioners, the Governor of this State is hereby authorized to appoint arbitrators to act with similar officers to be appointed by the other states in the settlement of the exact boundary. (1881, c. 347, s. 3; Code, s. 2291; 1889, c. 475, s. 3; Rev., s. 5317; C.S., s. 7398.)
§ 141-4. Disagreement of arbitrators reported to General Assembly.
In case of any serious disagreement and inability on the part of the said arbitrators to agree upon said boundary, such fact shall be reported by the Governor to the next General Assembly for their action. (1881, c. 347, s. 4; Code, s. 2292; 1889, c. 475, s. 4; Rev., s. 5318; C.S., s. 7399.)
§ 141-5. Approval of survey.
When the commissioners shall have completed the survey, or so much as shall be necessary, they shall report the same to the Governor, who shall lay the same before the Council of State; and when the Governor and the Council of State shall have approved the same the Governor shall issue his proclamation, declaring said lines to be the true boundary line or lines, and the same shall be the true boundary line or lines between this and the states above referred to. (1881, c. 347, s. 5; Code, s. 2293; 1889, c. 475, s. 5; Rev., s. 5319; C.S., s. 7400.)
§ 141-6. Eastern boundary of State; jurisdiction over territory within littoral waters and lands under same.
(a) The Constitution of the State of North Carolina, adopted in 1868, having provided in Article I, Sec. 34, that the "limits and boundaries of the State shall be and remain as they now are," and the eastern limit and boundary of the State of North Carolina on the Atlantic seaboard having always been, since the Treaty of Peace with Great Britain in 1783 and the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, one marine league eastward from the Atlantic seashore, measured from the extreme low-water mark, the eastern boundary of the State of North Carolina is hereby declared to be fixed as it has always been at one marine league eastward from the seashore of the Atlantic Ocean bordering the State of North Carolina, measured from the extreme low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean seashore aforesaid.
(b) The State of North Carolina shall continue as it always has to exercise jurisdiction over the territory within the littoral waters and ownership of the lands under the same within the boundaries of the State, subject only to the jurisdiction of the federal government over navigation within such territorial waters.
(c) The Governor and the Attorney General are hereby directed to take all such action as may be found appropriate to defend the jurisdiction of the State over its littoral waters and the ownership of the lands beneath the same. (1947, c. 1031, ss. 1-3; 1969, c. 541, s. 1.)
§ 141-7. Repealed by Session Laws 1977, c. 342.
§ 141-7.1. Southern lateral seaward boundary.
The lateral seaward boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina from the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean shall be and is hereby designated as a continuation of the North Carolina-South Carolina boundary line as described by monuments located at Latitude 33° 51' 50.7214" North, Longitude 78° 33' 22.9448" West, at Latitude 33° 51' 36.4626" North, Longitude 78° 33' 06.1937" West, and at Latitude 33° 51' 07.8792" North, Longitude 78° 32' 32.6210" West, in a straight line projection of said line to the seaward limits of the States' territorial jurisdiction, such line to be extended on the same bearing insofar as a need for further delimitation may arise. (1979, c. 894; 1981, c. 744.)
§ 141-8. Northern lateral seaward boundary.
The lateral seaward boundary between North Carolina and Virginia eastward from the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean shall be and is hereby designated as a line beginning at the intersection of the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean and the existing North Carolina-Virginia boundary line; thence due east on a true 90 degree bearing to the seaward jurisdictional limit of North Carolina; such boundary line to be extended on the true 90 degree bearing as far as a need for further delineation may arise. (1969, c. 841; 1971, c. 452, s. 1.)
§ 141-9. Reestablishment of North Carolina-South Carolina boundary.
(a) Findings. - The General Assembly finds that:
(1) North Carolina and South Carolina were created as separate British colonies.
(2) Surveys to determine the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina began in 1735 and concluded in 1815.
(3) Resurveys of three sections of the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina were performed in 1813, 1905, and 1928.
(4) The boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina has not changed; however, over the course of time from the original survey of the boundary, some of the markers denoting the boundary from the original surveys have been lost or destroyed by the elements.
(5) The boundary commission authorized pursuant to Chapter 141 of the General Statutes has worked with commissioners appointed by South Carolina to reestablish the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina.
(b) Intent. - It is the intent of the General Assembly to address the effects on persons or land with a situs recognized, as a result of a boundary certification, to be in this State and to avoid disputes with such persons or owners of such land. This act does not apply to persons whose property, rights, and businesses are not affected by boundary certification. For purposes of this act, "boundary certification" means the certification by the General Assembly of the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina, as provided for in subsection (c) of this section.
(c) Certification. - For purposes other than property tax, the General Assembly hereby certifies that, as of January 1, 2017, the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina is the boundary that was established by the original survey and resurveys that were adopted through legislative and executive actions, and the reestablished boundary has been approved by the boundary commissions of North Carolina and South Carolina and proclaimed as the boundary by the Governor, pursuant to G.S. 141-5. For property tax purposes, the General Assembly hereby certifies that, as of January 1 of the year following the year this act becomes effective or the year an executive order has been issued by the Governor proclaiming the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina, whichever is earlier, the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina is the boundary that was established by the original survey and resurveys that were adopted through legislative and executive actions, and the reestablished boundary has been approved by the boundary commissions of North Carolina and South Carolina and proclaimed as the boundary by the Governor, pursuant to G.S. 141-5. (2016-23, ss. 1(a)-(c).)