North Carolina § 90-108 - Prohibited acts; penalties.

Full text of North Carolina North Carolina General Statutes § 90-108 — Prohibited acts; penalties., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 90-108. Prohibited acts; penalties.

It shall be unlawful for any person: Other than practitioners licensed under Articles 1, 2, 4, 6, 11, 12A of this Chapter to represent to any registrant or practitioner who manufactures, distributes, or dispenses a controlled substance under the provision of this Article that he or she is a licensed practitioner in order to secure or attempt to secure any controlled substance as defined in this Article or to in any way impersonate a practitioner for the purpose of securing or attempting to secure any drug requiring a prescription from a practitioner as listed above and who is licensed by this State. Who is subject to the requirements of G.S. 90-101 or a practitioner to distribute or dispense a controlled substance in violation of G.S. 90-105 or G.S. 90-106. Who is a registrant to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance not authorized by his or her registration to another registrant or other authorized person. To omit, remove, alter, or obliterate a symbol required by the Federal Controlled Substances Act or its successor. To refuse or fail to make, keep, or furnish any record, notification, order form, statement, invoice or information required under this Article. To refuse any entry into any premises or inspection authorized by this Article. To knowingly keep or maintain any store, shop, warehouse, dwelling house, building, vehicle, boat, aircraft, or any place whatever, which is resorted to by persons using controlled substances in violation of this Article for the purpose of using such substances, or which is used for the keeping or selling of the same in violation of this Article. Who is a registrant or a practitioner to distribute a controlled substance included in Schedule I or II of this Article in the course of his or her legitimate business, except pursuant to an order form as required by G.S. 90-105. To use in the course of the manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance a registration number which is fictitious, revoked, suspended, or issued to another person. To acquire or obtain possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. To furnish false or fraudulent material information in, or omit any material information from, any application, report, or other document required to be kept or filed under this Article, or any record required to be kept by this Article. To make, distribute, or possess any punch, die, plate, stone, or other thing designed to print, imprint, or reproduce the trademark, trade name, or other identifying mark, imprint, or device of another or any likeness of any of the foregoing upon any drug or container or labeling thereof so as to render such drug a counterfeit controlled substance. To obtain controlled substances through the use of legal prescriptions which have been obtained by the knowing and willful misrepresentation to or by the intentional withholding of information from one or more practitioners. Who is a registrant or practitioner or an employee of a registrant or practitioner and who is authorized to possess controlled substances or has access to controlled substances by virtue of employment, to embezzle or fraudulently or knowingly and willfully misapply or divert to his or her own use or other unauthorized or illegal use or to take, make away with or secrete, with intent to embezzle or fraudulently or knowingly and willfully misapply or divert to his or her own use or other unauthorized or illegal use any controlled substance which shall have come into his or her possession or under his or her care. Who is not a registrant or practitioner nor an employee of a registrant or practitioner and who, by virtue of his or her occupation or profession, administers or provides medical care, aid, emergency treatment, or any combination of these to a person who is prescribed a controlled substance, to embezzle or fraudulently or knowingly and willfully misapply or divert to his or her own use or other unauthorized or illegal use or to take, make away with, or secrete, with intent to embezzle or fraudulently or knowingly and willfully misapply or divert to his or her own use or other unauthorized or illegal use any controlled substance that is prescribed to another. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Provided, that if the criminal pleading alleges that the violation was committed intentionally, and upon trial it is specifically found that the violation was committed intentionally, such violations shall be a Class I felony unless one of the following applies: A person who violates subdivision (7) of subsection (a) of this section and also fortifies the structure, with the intent to impede law enforcement entry, (by barricading windows and doors) shall be punished as a Class I felon. A person who violates subdivision (14) or (15) of subsection (a) of this section shall be punished as a Class G felon. A person who violates subdivision (14) or (15) of subsection (a) of this section and intentionally diverts any controlled substance by means of dilution or substitution or both shall be punished as a Class E felon. As used in this subdivision, the following terms have the following meanings: Dilution. - The act of diluting or the state of being diluted; the act of reducing the concentration of a mixture or solution. Substitution. - To take the place of or replace. History (1971, c. 919, s. 1; 1973, c. 1358, s. 11; 1979, c. 760, ss. 5, 6; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1316, s. 47; 1981, c. 63, s. 1; c. 179, s. 14; 1983, c. 294, s. 7; c. 773; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1041, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 622; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2013-90, s. 1; 2018-44, s. 9.) Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2018-44, s. 1, provides: "This act shall be known and may be cited as "The Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Enforcement (HOPE) Act of 2018." Session Laws 2018-44, s. 16, is a severability clause. Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2013-90, s. 1, effective December 1, 2013, added "unless one of the following applies:" to the end of subsection (b); added subdivision (b)(1) designation, and added subdivision (b)(2). For applicability, see Editor's note. Session Laws 2018-44, s. 9, effective December 1, 2018, added subdivisions (a)(15) and (b)(3), and made minor stylistic changes throughout subsection (a). Legal Periodicals. - For note on the punishment of physicians under the Controlled Substances Act, see 56 N.C.L. Rev. 154 (1978). For note, "My Own (Not So) Private Garbage: the North Carolina Supreme Court Gives the Green Light to Warrantless Police Searches of Trash Placed Behind Your House in State v. Hauser," see 31 Wake Forest L. Rev. 1141 (1996).

Source: official North Carolina text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About North Carolina § 90-108

What does North Carolina General Statutes § 90-108 cover?

Section 90-108 ("Prohibited acts; penalties.") is part of the North Carolina General Statutes, the codified statutory law of North Carolina. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

How do I cite North Carolina § 90-108?

A common citation format is "North Carolina General Statutes § 90-108" (North Carolina). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.

Is this the official text of North Carolina law?

No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the North Carolina official source linked on this page or consult a licensed North Carolina attorney.

How does North Carolina § 90-108 apply to my situation?

Statutes are interpreted in context, and application depends on your specific facts. Only a licensed attorney in North Carolina can advise on how this section applies to you. Contact your state or local bar association for a referral.

Sources & Verification

Not legal advice. Verify against the official source and consult a licensed attorney in North Carolina.