{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-55-3-02","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-3-02","heading":"General powers.","body":"(a)\tUnless its articles of incorporation or this Chapter provide otherwise, every corporation has perpetual duration and succession in its corporate name and has the same powers as an individual to do all things necessary or convenient to carry out its business and affairs, including without limitation power:\n(1)\tTo sue and be sued, complain and defend in its corporate name;\n(2)\tTo have a corporate seal, which may be altered at will, and to use it, or a facsimile of it, by impressing or affixing it or in any other manner reproducing it;\n(3)\tTo make and amend bylaws, not inconsistent with its articles of incorporation or with the laws of this State, for managing the business and regulating the affairs of the corporation;\n(4)\tTo purchase, receive, lease, or otherwise acquire, and own, hold, improve, use, and otherwise deal with, real or personal property, or any legal or equitable interest in property, wherever located;\n(5)\tTo sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange, and otherwise dispose of all or any part of its property;\n(6)\tTo purchase, receive, subscribe for, or otherwise acquire; own, hold, vote, use, sell, mortgage, lend, pledge, or otherwise dispose of; and deal in and with shares or other interests in, or obligations of, any other entity;\n(7)\tTo make contracts and guarantees, incur liabilities, borrow money, issue its notes, bonds, and other obligations (which may be convertible into or include the option to purchase other securities of the corporation), and secure any of its obligations by mortgage or pledge of any of its property, franchises, or income;\n(8)\tTo lend money, invest and reinvest its funds, and receive and hold real and personal property as security for repayment;\n(9)\tTo be a promoter, partner, member, associate, or manager of any partnership, joint venture, trust, or other entity;\n(10)\tTo conduct its business, locate offices, and exercise the powers granted by this act within or without this State;\n(11)\tTo elect or appoint directors, officers, employees, and agents of the corporation, define their duties, fix their compensation, and lend them money and credit;\n(12)\tTo pay pensions and establish pension plans, pension trusts, profit sharing plans, stock bonus plans, stock option plans, and other benefit or incentive plans for any or all of its current or former directors, officers, employees, and agents;\n(13)\tTo make donations for the public welfare or for charitable, religious, cultural, scientific, or educational purposes;\n(14)\tTo transact any lawful business that will aid governmental policy;\n(15)\tTo make payments or donations, or do any other act, not inconsistent with law, that furthers the business and affairs of the corporation; and\n(16)\tTo provide insurance for its benefit on the life or physical or mental ability of any of its directors, officers or employees or on the life or physical or mental ability of any security holder for the purpose of acquiring at his death or disability its securities owned by such security holder, and for these purposes the corporation is deemed to have an insurable interest in its directors, officers, employees, or security holders; and to provide insurance for its benefit on the life or physical or mental ability of any other person in whom it has an insurable interest.\n(b)\tIt shall not be necessary to set forth in the articles of incorporation any of the powers enumerated in this section. (Code, ss. 663, 666, 691, 692, 693; 1893, c. 159; 1901, c. 2, s. 1; Rev., s. 1128; 1909, c. 507, s. 1; C.S., s. 1126; 1925, cc. 235, 298; 1929, c. 269; 1939, c. 279; 1945, c. 775; G.S., s. 55-26; 1951, c. 1240, s. 1; 1955, c. 1371, s. 1; 1959, c. 1316, ss. 4, 5; 1969, c. 751, ss. 7, 8; 1989, c. 265, s. 1.)","path":["Chapter 55. North Carolina Business Corporation Act.","Article 3. Purposes and Powers."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_55/GS_55-3-02.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T18:05:57Z","sha256":"51ee56cdf2c99d0ad21abbe87508154e95add04207f376b40e0c64adf631dcff","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-55-3-01","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-55-3-03"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}