North Carolina Rep. Moss occupational licensing reciprocity bill passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Rep. Ben T. Moss Jr. aims to facilitate occupational licensing recognition for individuals relocating from nearby states while excluding medical professionals and attorneys, according to the North Carolina State House.

In the House, 39 Democrats and 63 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 19 Democrats and 27 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Moss filed the bill in the North Carolina House on April 2 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as HB 763, was passed on June 23 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Neighbor State License Recognition Act.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill, effective Oct. 1, 2025, mandates that occupational licensing boards in North Carolina recognize licensure for individuals relocating from neighboring states—Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The bill excludes medical professionals and attorneys from this provision. To qualify, applicants must be currently licensed in good standing in these states for at least one year, have passed any required examinations, and have no disciplinary actions or relevant criminal history. Boards are required to publish specific licensure criteria online, and the bill does not affect existing reciprocity agreements. Annual reporting of application statistics is mandated starting Oct. 31, 2026.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Mark Pless (Republican-118th District), Rep. Steve Tyson (Republican-3rd District), and Rep. Jeff Zenger (Republican-74th District), along with one other sponsor.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Moss, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 to represent the state’s 52nd House district, replacing previous state representative Jamie Boles.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.