{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-15a-266.12","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-266.12","heading":"Confidentiality of records.","body":"(a)\tAll DNA profiles and samples submitted to the Crime Laboratory pursuant to this Article shall be treated as confidential and shall not be disclosed to or shared with any person or agency except as provided in G.S. 15A-266.8.\n(b)\tOnly DNA records and samples that directly relate to the identification of individuals shall be collected and stored. These records and samples shall solely be used as a part of the criminal justice system for the purpose of facilitating the personal identification of the perpetrator of a criminal offense; provided that in appropriate circumstances such records may be used to identify potential victims of mass disasters or missing persons.\n(c)\tDNA records and DNA samples submitted to the Crime Laboratory pursuant to this Article are not a public record as defined by G.S. 132-1.\n(d)\tIn the case of a criminal proceeding, requests to access a person's DNA record shall be in accordance with the rules for criminal discovery as defined in G.S. 15A-902. The Crime Laboratory shall not be required to provide the State DNA Database for criminal discovery purposes.\n(e)\tDNA records and DNA samples submitted to the Crime Laboratory may only be released for the following authorized purposes:\n(1)\tFor law enforcement identification purposes, including the identification of human remains, to federal, State, or local criminal justice agencies.\n(2)\tFor criminal defense and appeal purposes, to a defendant who shall have access to samples and analyses performed in connection with the case in which such defendant is charged or was convicted.\n(3)\tIf personally identifiable information is removed to local, State, or federal law enforcement agencies for forensic validation studies, forensic protocol development or quality control purposes, and for establishment or maintenance of a population statistics database.\n(f)\tIn order to maintain the computer system security of the Crime Laboratory DNA database program, the computer software and database structures used by the Crime Laboratory to implement this Article are confidential. (1993, c. 401, s. 1; 2003-376, s. 4; 2010-94, s. 11; 2013-360, s. 17.6(f).)","path":["Chapter 15A. Criminal Procedure Act.","SUBCHAPTER II. LAW-ENFORCEMENT AND INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURES.","Article 13. DNA Database and Databank."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15A/GS_15A-266.12.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:56:42Z","sha256":"9c0e680e811437a55d34c78fd67d8b34aa2180a766b11aadc7eb06ac784f012f","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-15a-266.11","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-15a-267"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}