§ 53B-4.  Access to financial records.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no government authority may have access to a customer's financial record held by a financial institution unless the financial record is described with reasonable specificity and access is sought pursuant to any of the following:

(1) Customer authorization that meets the requirements of the Right to Financial Privacy Act § 1104, 12 U.S.C. § 3404, provided, however, a customer authorization received by a State agency or a county department of social services for the purpose of determining eligibility for the programs of public assistance under Chapter 108A of the General Statutes, or for purposes of a government inquiry concerning these same programs of public assistance, cannot be revoked and shall remain valid for 12 months unless a shorter period is specified in the authorization, or a customer authorization that is given by a licensed attorney with respect to an account in which the attorney holds funds as a fiduciary.

(2) Authorization under G.S. 105-242 or G.S. 105-258.

(3) Search warrant as provided in Article 11 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes.

(4) Statutory authority of a supervisory agency to examine or have access to financial records in the exercise of its supervisory, regulatory, or monetary functions with respect to a financial institution.

(5) The authority granted under G.S. 116B-72 and G.S. 116B-75.

(6) Examination and review by the State Auditor or his authorized representative under G.S. 147-64.6(c)(9) or G.S. 147-64.7(a).

(7) Request by a government authority authorized to buy and sell student loan notes under Article 23 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes for financial records relating to insured student loans.

(8) Pending litigation to which the government authority and the customer are parties.

(9) Subpoena or court order in connection with a grand jury proceeding.

(10) A writ of execution under Article 28 of Chapter 1 of the General Statutes.

(11) Other court order or administrative or judicial subpoena authorized by law if the requirements of G.S. 53B-5 are met.

(12) The authority granted to the Attorney General under Chapter 75 of the General Statutes.

(13) A subpoena delivered to the financial institution pursuant to G.S. 108A-116 by (i) a county department of social services director investigating a credible report of financial exploitation of a disabled adult or (ii) a law enforcement agency investigating a credible report of financial exploitation of a disabled adult or older adult.

As used in this section, the term "reasonable specificity" means that degree of specificity reasonable under all the circumstances, and, with respect to requests under G.S. 116B-72 and G.S. 116B-75, may include designation by general type or class. (1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 1002, s. 1; 1999-460, s. 11; 2006-259, s. 14(b); 2007-527, s. 1; 2010-31, s. 31.8(j); 2013-337, s. 2(a).)