§ 138-1. Annual salaries payable at periodic intervals.
All annual salaries shall be paid at least monthly and may be paid twice a month, every two weeks, or weekly. A unit of State government whose payroll is processed through the central payroll disbursing account of the Office of the State Controller must obtain the approval of the State Controller to pay annual salaries on any basis other than a monthly basis. (Code, s. 3731; 1893, c. 54; Rev., s. 2772; C.S., s. 3847; 1925, c. 230; 1928, c. 100; 1973, c. 1430; 1991, c. 542, s. 3.)
§ 138-2. Payment of fees; when to be paid in advance.
All public officers shall receive the fees prescribed for them respectively, from the persons for whom, or at whose instance, the service shall be performed, except persons suing as paupers, and no officer shall be compelled to perform any service, unless his fee be paid or tendered, except in criminal actions. The said officers shall receive no extra allowance or other compensation whatever, unless the same shall be expressly authorized by statute. In case the service shall be ordered by any proper officer of the State, or of a county, for the benefit of the State or county, the fees need not be paid in advance; but if for the State, shall be paid by the State, as other claims against it are; if for a county, by the board of commissioners, out of the county funds. The fees in criminal cases are not demandable in advance. (Code, ss. 1173, 3758; Rev., s. 2804; C.S., s. 3849.)
§ 138-3. Compensation limited to that fixed by law.
No officer or employee of the State shall receive any compensation other than the salaries fixed by law, except as provided by way of fees or by special appropriation or from any departmental funds. (1907, c. 830, s. 1; c. 994, s. 1; C.S., s. 3850; 1925, c. 128, s. 1.)
§ 138-4. Governor to set salaries of administrative officers; exceptions; longevity pay.
The salaries of all State administrative officers not subject to the North Carolina Human Resources Act shall be set by the Governor, unless a law provides otherwise.
Whenever by law it is provided that a salary shall be fixed or set by the General Assembly in the Current Operations Appropriations Act, and that office or position is filled by appointment of the Governor, or the appointment is subject to the approval of the Governor, or is made by a commission a majority of whose members are appointed by the Governor, then the Governor may, increase or decrease the salary of a new appointee by a maximum of ten percent (10%) over or under the salary of that position as provided in the Current Operations Appropriations Act, such increased or decreased salary to remain in effect until changed by the General Assembly or until the end of the fiscal year, whichever occurs first. The Governor under this paragraph may not increase the salary of any nonelected official above the level set in the Current Operations Appropriations Act for any member of the Council of State. This section does not apply to any office filled by election by the people, and does not apply to any office in the legislative or judicial branches.
Officials whose salaries are covered by the provisions of this section shall be eligible for longevity pay on the same basis as is provided to employees of the State who are subject to the State Personnel Act. (1947, c. 898; 1957, c. 541, s. 1; 1983, c. 717, s. 49; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, ss. 164, 216; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 955, ss. 51-53; 1987, c. 738, s. 32(a); 1991, c. 542, s. 4; 2006-203, s. 79; 2013-382, s. 9.1(c).)
§ 138-5. Per diem and allowances of State boards, etc.
(a) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (f) of this section, members of State boards, commissions, committees and councils which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be compensated for their services at the following rates:
(1) Except as otherwise provided by this subdivision, compensation at the rate of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per diem for each day of service. Members of the North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Council, the Statewide Independent Living Council, and the Commission for the Blind who are unemployed or who shall forfeit wages from other employment to attend Council or Commission meetings or to perform related duties, may receive compensation not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per diem for attending these meetings or performing related duties, as authorized by sections 105 and 705 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, P.L. 102-569, 42 U.S.C. § 701, et seq., as amended. Members of the Board of Trustees of the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina School for the Deaf, and the Board of Trustees of the Governor Morehead School for the Blind may receive compensation not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per diem for attending trustee meetings or performing related duties.
(2) Reimbursement of subsistence expenses at the rates allowed to State officers and employees by subdivision (3) of G.S. 138-6(a).
(3) Reimbursement of travel expenses at the rates allowed to State officers and employees by subdivisions (1) and (2) of G.S. 138-6(a).
(4) For convention registration fees, the actual amount expended, as shown by receipt.
(b) Except as provided in subsections (c) and (f) of this section, the schedules of per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances established in this section shall apply to members of all State boards, commissions, committees and councils which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer, excluding those boards, commissions, committees and councils the members of which are now serving without compensation and excluding occupational licensing boards as defined in G.S. 93B-1; and all special statutory provisions relating to per diem, subsistence, and travel allowances are hereby amended to conform to this section.
(c) Repealed by Session Laws 1979, 2nd Session, c. 1137, s. 29.
(d) The subsistence reimbursement for actual lodging expenses provided in this section must be documented by a receipt of lodging expenses from a commercial establishment.
(e) Out-of-state travel on official business by members of State boards, commissions, committees and councils which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be reimbursed only upon authorization obtained in the manner prescribed by the Director of the Budget.
(f) Members of all State boards, commissions and councils whose salaries or any portion of whose salaries are paid from State funds shall receive no per diem compensation from State funds for their services; provided, however, that members of State boards, commissions and councils who are also members of the General Assembly shall receive subsistence and travel allowances in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 120-3.1. (1961, c. 833, s. 5; 1963, c. 1049, s. 1; 1965, c. 169; 1971, c. 1139; 1973, c. 1397; 1979, c. 838, s. 18; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1137, s. 29; 1983, c. 761, s. 24; c. 923, s. 217; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1034, s. 185; 1985, c. 757, s. 201(b); 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1014, s. 39(a); 1987, c. 738, s. 58(a), (b); 1999-237, s. 11.49; 2023-10, s. 2(d); 2023-134, s. 27.8(a); 2024-1, s. 2.8E(a).)
§ 138-6. Travel allowances of State officers and employees.
(a) Travel on official business by the officers and employees of State departments, institutions and agencies which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be reimbursed at the following rates:
(1) For transportation by privately owned automobile, the business standard mileage rate set by the Internal Revenue Service per mile of travel and the actual cost of tolls paid. Any other law which sets a mileage rate by referring to the rate set herein, instead establishes a rate of twenty-five cents (25¢) per mile. No reimbursement shall be made for the use of a personal car in commuting from an employee's home to his duty station in connection with regularly scheduled work hours.
(2) For bus, railroad, Pullman, or other conveyance, actual fare.
(3) For expenses incurred for subsistence, payment of eighty-one dollars ($81.00) per day when traveling in-state or ninety-three dollars ($93.00) per day when traveling out-of-state. Payment of sales tax, lodging tax, local tax, or service fees applied to the cost of lodging are to be paid in addition to the daily subsistence amount. The employee may exceed the part of the ceiling allocated for lodging without approval for overexpenditure provided that the total lodging and food reimbursement does not exceed the maximum provided by this subdivision. When travel involves less than a full day (24-hour period), a reasonable prorated amount shall be paid in accordance with regulations and criteria which shall be promulgated and published by the Director of the Budget. Reimbursement to State employees for lunches eaten while on official business may be made only in the following circumstances:
a. When an overnight stay is required reimbursement is allowed while an employee is in travel status;
b. When the cost of the lunch is included as part of a registration fee for a formal congress, conference, assembly, or convocation, by whatever name called. Such assembly must involve the active participation of persons other than the employees of a single State department, institution, or agency and must be necessary for conducting official State business; or
c. When the State employee is a member of, or providing staff assistance to, a State board, commission, committee, or council which operates from funds deposited with the State Treasurer, and the lunch is preplanned as part of the meeting for the entire board, commission, committee, or council.
(4) For convention registration fees not to exceed the actual amount expended as shown by a valid receipt or invoice.
(5) Effective July 1, 2001, and effective July 1 of each odd-numbered year thereafter, the Director of the Budget shall revise the amounts of payment of subsistence per day when traveling in-State and out-of-state by an amount equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the most recent 24-month period.
(b) Out-of-state travel on official business by the officers and employees of State departments, institutions, and agencies which operate from funds deposited with the State Treasurer shall be reimbursed only upon authorization obtained in the manner prescribed by the Director of the Budget.
(c) Reimbursement of actual costs of overnight lodging, whether in-state or out-of-state, must be documented by a receipt of actual lodging expenses from a commercial establishment. This documentation shall be attached to the reimbursement request. All reimbursement requests shall be filed for approval and payment within 30 days after the travel period for which the reimbursement is being requested. (1961, c. 833, s. 6; 1963, c. 1049, s. 2; 1965, c. 1089; 1969, c. 1153; 1971, c. 881, ss. 1, 2; 1973, c. 595, s. 1; c. 1456; 1975, c. 892, s. 1; 1977, c. 928; 1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1136, s. 38.1; c. 1237, ss. 1, 2; 1979, c. 34, s. 1; c. 1002, s. 1; c. 1050, s. 1; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1137, s. 26; 1981, c. 859, ss. 57-59; 1983, c. 761, s. 22; c. 913, s. 27; c. 923, s. 217; 1985, c. 757, s. 201(a); 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1014, s. 39(b); 1987, c. 738, ss. 58(c), 58(d), 60; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1086, s. 30(a); c. 1100, s. 38(a); 1993, c. 321, s. 24(a); 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 769, s. 7.27A; 1998-212, s. 28.20(a); 1999-237, s. 28.20; 2000-140, s. 93.1(a); 2001-424, s. 12.2(b); 2007-322, s. 8.)
§ 138-7. Exceptions to §§ 138-5 and 138-6.
Expenditures in excess of the maximum amounts set forth in G.S. 138-5 and 138-6 for travel and subsistence may be reimbursed if the prior approval of the department head is obtained. The Director of the Budget shall establish and publish uniform standards and criteria under which actual expenses in excess of the travel and subsistence allowances and convention registration fees as prescribed in G.S. 138-5 and 138-6 may be authorized by department heads for extraordinary charges for hotel, meals, and registration, whenever such charges are the result of required official business. (1961, c. 833, s. 6.1; 1965, c. 1089; 1969, c. 1153; 1971, c. 881, s. 3; 1973, c. 595, s. 2; 1979, c. 838, s. 17.)
§ 138-8. Moving expenses of State employees.
Subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the Office of State Budget and Management and approved by the Director of the Budget, any department, institution or agency of the State is hereby authorized to pay, from funds available to it, reasonable expenses for transporting the household goods of an employee and members of his household when the transfer of the employee is considered by the Director of the Budget to be in the best interests of the State. (1977, c. 802, s. 15; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1137, s. 27; 2000-140, s. 93.1(a); 2001-424, s. 12.2(b).)