There is one question that determines whether you get hired. Not the application. Not the background check. Not what the charge was or how long you were inside.
The question is this: why you, over the thirty other people I could hire who don't have a criminal record?
If you walk in without a ready answer, you will not get the job. The interviewer can see the pause the moment you don't have something prepared, and once they see it, the room shifts against you. What you need is an answer practiced enough to say with confidence and humility at the same time.
The answer that works is this:
Everybody deserves a second chance. Somebody is going to give me one. And they are going to get the best employee they ever had, because I am never, ever going to do something that sends me back to prison.
Say it clean. Say it without flinching. It makes no excuses, asks for no sympathy, and tells the employer the one thing they actually need to know: you have more reason to perform than anyone else in that stack.
Then live it. The light is on you from the first day. Use it. Work twice as hard as the person next to you. Show up earlier, stay later, and make that scrutiny your shining light, not a shadow. The person standing next to you does not have anyone watching them that closely. You do. That is the advantage if you decide to use it.
What the Law in North Carolina Says About Your Record
North Carolina's ban the box law covers public employers only. Executive Order 158, signed by Governor Roy Cooper in August 2020, prohibits state agencies from asking about criminal history on initial job applications and requires that inquiry be delayed until after the initial interview, once a candidate has been deemed qualified for the position. The order is estimated to affect more than 1.7 million North Carolinians who have criminal records and face barriers to employment. It does not apply to private employers.
Private employers in North Carolina face no statewide timing restriction on when they can ask about criminal history. A private company can ask on the application and decide without any state-mandated review process.
The federal FCRA applies statewide. Non-conviction records older than seven years cannot appear on consumer reporting agency background checks for most positions. North Carolina has no separate state lookback limit, so for convictions, employers using third-party screening services are limited only by the FCRA framework and EEOC guidance on the use of criminal records.
Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 303 in January 2024, directing state agencies to improve reentry services for formerly incarcerated people who were struggling to find jobs, healthcare, and housing. Governor Josh Stein continued the order. The results have been concrete: NCDOT launched a Transitional Work Pilot Program in 2024 under EO 303, with Highway Construction Trade Academies developed in partnership with Correction Enterprises, the prison industry division of the NC Department of Adult Correction. Two-week training in highway construction was followed by on-site hiring at the end of the academy for participants in the Raleigh area. In August 2025, Governor Stein announced a $4 million federal Pathway Home grant to fund pre-release and post-release workforce services through the NCWorks system, with services beginning within the first 72 hours of release.
North Carolina also has a meaningful expunction system. In North Carolina, the process is called an "expunction" -- not expungement -- and a true expunction results in the destruction of the record. A person whose record is expunged may deny under oath that the charge or conviction ever occurred. A 2025 law reduced the waiting period to expunge one non-violent misdemeanor from five years to three years. Dismissed and not-guilty charges are eligible for immediate expunction, with no waiting period.
Building the Answer Before You Need It
In North Carolina, your answer to the question in the interview is what carries you with private employers. There is no timing protection to rely on before that moment. So you have to walk in ready.
NC Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) provides vocational training, educational programming, and work experience through Correction Enterprises inside state facilities. NCWorks -- North Carolina's statewide workforce system -- is now being integrated directly into NCDAC, with incarcerated individuals enrolled in NCWorks before release so they have an active job search profile with "Second Chance" employer listings ready on Day 1.
NCDOT's Highway Construction Trade Academy and On the Job Training program, operating under Executive Order 303, trains formerly incarcerated individuals in highway construction, heavy equipment operation, traffic direction, and land surveying -- and hires participants directly at the end of the academy.
Start with what you did inside. Any NCDAC vocational program, Correction Enterprises work assignment, educational credential, or program completion is content, not a gap. Then connect it to what this employer specifically needs.
North Carolina's economy runs on finance and banking (Charlotte is one of the largest banking centers in the United States), research and technology (Research Triangle), healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, military, and construction. Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem are the primary labor markets. Whatever you are applying for, make the answer specific to what that employer needs.
Practice it out loud. Until the hesitation is completely gone. The pause is what loses the room. Eliminate it before you sit down.
Companies in North Carolina That Hire People with Criminal Records
North Carolina's economy, anchored by Charlotte's financial sector, the Research Triangle's technology and healthcare industries, and a strong manufacturing base across the Piedmont and eastern regions, creates consistent demand across sectors.
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have extensive North Carolina operations and national fair chance commitments. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Truist have significant Charlotte-area operations and fair chance hiring programs particularly in operations and support roles. Healthcare systems including Atrium Health, Duke Health, UNC Health, and Novant Health hire in support and entry-level roles. Defense contractors and military support operations across Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), Camp Lejeune, and Seymour Johnson AFB hire in logistics, maintenance, and support. Construction contractors across the state face consistent labor shortages.
NCWorks career centers across all 100 North Carolina counties connect returning citizens to "Second Chance" employers and provide WOTC documentation.
NC WORKS connects individuals to NCWorks Online, where returning citizens can build a profile matched to second-chance employers statewide.
Staffing agencies across Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, and Fayetteville are the most accessible first step, placing workers in logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare support with more flexibility than direct hire.
For the full national list of companies with public fair chance commitments, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
The Tax Credit Employers Get for Hiring You
Here is the closing argument for every conversation with an employer on the fence.
There is a federal program called the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC. When an employer hires someone from a qualifying group, including individuals recently released from prison, the employer may receive a significant federal tax credit per qualifying hire. That is not charity. It is a business incentive the federal government created specifically to make hiring returning citizens financially advantageous.
You are not asking anyone to take a risk on you. You are telling them your hire comes with a tax benefit attached that none of the other thirty applicants can offer. Say it at the end of the interview, after you have made your case: I qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Hiring me may put money back in your business. And I will give you the best work you have ever gotten from a new hire, because I have too much to lose to give you anything less.
NCWorks career centers, operated through the NC Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions, coordinate WOTC certification and Federal Bonding access for employers statewide.
Where to Get Help in North Carolina
NCWorks career centers, operated statewide through the NC Department of Commerce Division of Workforce Solutions, provide job search assistance, career counseling, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access in all 100 North Carolina counties. Returning citizens enrolled in NCWorks before release through NCDAC already have a job search profile active on Day 1. Find your nearest center at ncworks.gov.
NC Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC), Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry, provides vocational training, educational programming, Correction Enterprises work experience, and reentry services. NCDAC is actively enrolling incarcerated individuals in NCWorks before release. Contact through dac.nc.gov.
NCDOT Highway Construction Trade Academy (Executive Order 303 program) -- a 2-week training program in highway construction, heavy equipment operation, and related trades, followed by on-site hiring, for formerly incarcerated individuals. Contact through NCDAC or NCDOT at ncdot.gov.
Legal Aid of North Carolina (legalaidnc.org) provides free expunction guidance and legal assistance for eligible North Carolinians. Their expunction resource page provides detailed eligibility information and forms.
NC Second Chance Alliance (ncsecondchance.org) provides expunction resources, advocacy, and connections to expunction assistance statewide.
NCWorks Online (ncworks.gov) lists Second Chance employers in North Carolina that specifically welcome returning citizens.
The Federal Bonding Program, coordinated through NCWorks, provides free fidelity bonding to employers who hire returning citizens.
Frequently asked questions
Can employers in North Carolina ask about my record?
Public employers in North Carolina cannot ask about criminal history on initial applications under Executive Order 158 (2020) -- inquiry is delayed until after the initial interview once a candidate is deemed qualified. Private employers face no statewide timing restriction and can ask on the initial application. Federal FCRA protections apply to all third-party background checks, including the 7-year limit on non-conviction records for most positions. North Carolina has no separate state lookback limit for convictions.
Does North Carolina have ban the box for private employers?
No. Executive Order 158 covers state agencies only. Private employers in North Carolina face no state-level timing restriction. Your answer in the interview is your primary tool with private employers. Check your expunction eligibility -- if your record qualifies, a successful expunction destroys the record and allows you to deny under oath that the charge or conviction ever occurred.
What jobs can I not get with a felony in North Carolina?
Specific licensed fields including healthcare with direct patient care, childcare, education, law enforcement, and some financial services have statutory background check requirements. Research the specific licensing board before investing in training. For most private sector finance support, healthcare support, technology, manufacturing, construction, and logistics employment, the decision rests with the individual employer. NC's expanding expunction law and a successful expunction can remove barriers in many licensed fields for qualifying convictions.
How do I explain my record in a job interview?
Do not pause. Come in with the answer ready: everybody deserves a second chance, somebody is going to give me one, and they are going to get the best employee they ever had because you are never going back. Private employers in NC have no timing restriction, so your answer may be needed at any point. Connect your NCDAC programming, Correction Enterprises work experience, or any credential inside directly to what this employer needs. Then close by mentioning that your hire qualifies for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. End strong. And check your expunction eligibility -- a North Carolina expunction destroys the record entirely.
What is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit?
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit, or WOTC, is a federal tax credit available to employers who hire workers from qualifying groups, including people recently released from prison. The credit can be significant per qualifying hire based on wages and hours worked in the first year. It is administered through the IRS and the Department of Labor. NCWorks career centers coordinate certification for employers statewide. It is a real financial incentive, and you should mention it at the end of every interview.
Do employers get a tax credit for hiring ex-felons?
Yes. Under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, employers who hire qualifying returning citizens may receive a meaningful federal tax credit. Bring this up at the end of your interview as a closing argument. Your hire comes with a tax benefit the other applicants cannot offer. Ask your NCWorks counselor for documentation you can share with a prospective employer so they can apply for the credit.
What NC programs help people with records find work?
NCWorks career centers in all 100 counties offer job search help, training referrals, WOTC coordination, and Federal Bonding access; returning citizens can be enrolled before release. NCDAC Division of Rehabilitation and Reentry provides vocational training and reentry services inside facilities. NCDOT Highway Construction Trade Academy (EO 303) provides two-week training with on-site hiring at end. $4 million Pathway Home federal grant (August 2025) funds pre-release and post-release NCWorks services starting within 72 hours of release. Legal Aid of North Carolina (legalaidnc.org) provides free expunction help. NC Second Chance Alliance (ncsecondchance.org) provides expunction resources.
Can I get my record expunged in North Carolina?
In North Carolina it is called an "expunction" and is a true destruction of the record. Eligibility: dismissed or not-guilty charges, no waiting period, file immediately; one non-violent misdemeanor conviction, 3 years (reduced from 5 years by 2025 law); multiple misdemeanor convictions, 7 years from end of most recent sentence; non-violent felony conviction, 10 years. Cases dismissed after July 2024 are eligible for automatic expunction. Once expunged, the record is destroyed and you may deny under oath it ever occurred (with limited exceptions for immigration). Legal Aid of North Carolina (legalaidnc.org) and NC Second Chance Alliance (ncsecondchance.org) provide free guidance. Filing fee is $175.
What companies in NC hire people with felonies?
Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, and major food service operators have NC operations and fair chance commitments. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Truist hire in operations and support in Charlotte. Atrium Health, Duke Health, UNC Health, and Novant Health hire in healthcare support. Defense contractors near Fort Liberty, Camp Lejeune, and Seymour Johnson AFB hire in logistics and maintenance. Construction contractors statewide face persistent labor shortages. NCWorks lists Second Chance employers by county at ncworks.gov. Staffing agencies across Charlotte, Raleigh, and Fayetteville are the most accessible first step. For the full national list, see the InmateAid Fair Chance Employer Reference List.
How do I get hired if I have a long gap in my work history?
Name what you did inside and present it as work with context. NCDAC vocational training, Correction Enterprises work assignments, educational programs, and any certifications inside are all content. NCWorks enrollment before release means you have a job search profile active and second-chance employer connections ready on Day 1. NCDOT's Highway Construction Trade Academy provides two weeks of training followed by immediate on-site job offers. Check expunction eligibility -- one non-violent misdemeanor is now eligible after 3 years. Staffing agencies are the fastest path back into regular employment. Build ninety days of solid performance anywhere and that recent record becomes what employers see instead of the gap. ---