FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov
RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that the state price gouging law is in effect after Governor Josh Stein declared a state of emergency ahead of this weekend’s winter storm. North Carolinians can report price gouging to the Department of Justice at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or www.ncdoj.gov/pricegouging.
“When severe weather impacts our state, North Carolinians should be able to focus on their safety, not excessive price hikes,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Report suspected price gouging to our office, and we will take action against businesses that take advantage of this winter storm to rip people off.”
North Carolina has a strong price gouging law, which prohibits charging excessive prices during a crisis, and takes effect when the governor declares a state of emergency. Once the law is in place, businesses and individuals may not charge prices for goods or services they sell or rent that are unreasonably excessive under the circumstances while the state of emergency is in effect. In some cases, businesses may adjust prices to account for higher costs or the impact of critical events on their operations. However, they may not raise prices unreasonably to boost profits and should clearly disclose any reasonable increases to customers before a purchase is made.
You can learn more about preparing for winter weather here.
After Hurricane Helene, the Department of Justice sued Lorenzo Huggins, Sr. and his son, Lorenzo Huggins, Jr., for violating North Carolina’s price gouging law. A Hendersonville couple hired Huggins to remove two trees that had fallen on their home and paid Huggins $25,500 upfront. Huggins didn’t complete the tree removal work, instead dropping additional tree limbs and debris into the couple’s home and damaging a retaining wall. A court granted a judgment against the Huggins duo. As a result of the judgment, the defendants are no longer allowed to advertise, offer, or enter into agreements for contracting or landscaping work. The court also cancelled any tree and debris removal contracts that North Carolina consumers signed with the defendants and ordered the defendants to reimburse customers for any costs they had already paid.
A copy of the court’s order is available here.
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