North Carolina does not have a statewide CROWN Act. Lawmakers have introduced the bill in every legislative session since 2021, and each version has died in committee without a hearing. Protection against hair discrimination in North Carolina currently depends on where you live and work: five local jurisdictions have passed their own ordinances, and federal law under Title VII offers partial backup everywhere else.
Where the State Bill Stands
The pattern in the General Assembly has been consistent. In the 2021–2022 session, Senate Bill 165 and House Bill 170 proposed adding a new section to the General Statutes (GS 95-28.1) that would have barred any employer, state agency, or local government from refusing to hire or firing someone because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locks, Bantu knots, and twists.1North Carolina General Assembly. Senate Bill 165 – North Carolina CROWN Act2Legislative Reporting Service. Bill Summaries: S 165 North Carolina CROWN Act Both were referred to committee on March 1, 2021, and neither received a hearing.3North Carolina General Assembly. House Bill 170 – North Carolina CROWN Act
Senate Bill 168 in the 2023–2024 session met the same fate.4Legislative Reporting Service. North Carolina CROWN Act (S 168, 2023-2024 Session) For the current 2025–2026 session, House Bill 168 was filed and referred to the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations committee on February 24, 2025.5North Carolina General Assembly. House Bill 168 – North Carolina CROWN Act (2025-2026 Session) Governor Josh Stein proclaimed National CROWN Day in 2025, but a proclamation carries no legal force.6Office of the Governor. Governor Stein Proclaims National Crown Day Act
Until a bill actually passes, there is no uniform statewide requirement that employers refrain from hair-based discrimination.
Which Cities and Counties Protect You
Five North Carolina jurisdictions have passed their own hair discrimination ordinances. These local laws are the primary source of enforceable protection in the state right now.
- Durham. The City Council voted on January 19, 2021, to ban employers from discriminating based on protected hairstyles, defined to include braids, locks, twists, cornrows, Bantu knots, and afros. The ordinance covers both employment and public accommodations.7ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. Durham Passes Ordinance Banning Discrimination Based on Hairstyle
- Greensboro. The City Council passed a similar measure the same day as Durham.8Town and Country Today. North Carolina Cities OK Ban on Hairstyle Discrimination
- Orange County. The Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted CROWN Act language into its non-discrimination ordinance in March 2021, covering employment, housing, and public accommodations.9Chapelboro. Orange County CROWN Act Expands Non-Discrimination Ordinances to Natural Hair
- Raleigh. The City Council amended its non-discrimination code to include hair texture and hairstyles commonly associated with a particular race or national origin, listing braids, locks, twists, cornrows, Bantu knots, and afros.10Raleigh City Council. Raleigh City Council Meeting – CROWN Act Legislation
- Charlotte. The City Council voted on August 9, 2021, to add natural hairstyle as a protected class, effective October 1, 2021. The ordinance has no minimum employer size, so even a small business within city limits must comply.11City of Charlotte. City Council Expands Nondiscrimination Protections to New Classes
If you work outside these areas, no local hair discrimination ordinance applies and you will have to rely on federal law. Students face a similar patchwork: individual school boards in Wake County, Durham, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg have adopted their own policies permitting protective and natural hairstyles, but the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has not issued a statewide mandate.12Charlotte Observer. NC Schools Address CROWN Act, Hair Discrimination
What Hairstyles Count
Local ordinances and the stalled state bills share a common framework. They define race to include traits historically associated with it, then list specific textures and styles. The styles typically named are:
- Braids, including cornrows
- Locks and locs (sometimes written “dreadlocks”)
- Twists
- Bantu knots
- Afros
- Tight coils and curls
The lists are not exhaustive. Ordinances use phrases like “including but not limited to,” meaning other natural or protective styles qualify.2Legislative Reporting Service. Bill Summaries: S 165 North Carolina CROWN Act
What Federal Law Covers
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits race discrimination in employment, and the EEOC has taken the position that employers cannot bar Black employees from wearing natural afro hairstyles that comply with otherwise neutral grooming rules. The EEOC guidance also states that employers cannot apply neutral hairstyle rules more restrictively to styles worn by Black employees.13U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Section 15 Race and Color Discrimination
Federal courts have not uniformly extended Title VII to protective styles. The Eleventh Circuit held that a company’s refusal to hire a woman because she wore locs did not violate Title VII, reasoning that locs are a changeable hairstyle rather than an immutable racial trait. The Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal. That ruling does not bind North Carolina courts, which sit in the Fourth Circuit, but it illustrates that Title VII protection for specific styles remains uneven.
A federal CROWN Act has been introduced in Congress multiple times. The House passed a version in 2022, but the Senate did not act on it. In the 2025–2026 session, Senate Bill 751 was referred to the Judiciary Committee in February 2025.14Congress.gov. S.751 – CROWN Act of 2025
Safety-Based Grooming Rules
CROWN Act protections, where they apply, do not override legitimate safety requirements. Employers in manufacturing, food service, healthcare, and similar settings can still require workers to restrain or cover their hair to prevent entanglement in machinery or product contamination. OSHA guidance on machine safeguarding recommends that long hair be secured under a cap or net to prevent entanglement with moving parts.15Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Safeguarding Equipment and Protecting Employees from Amputations
The distinction is between a policy addressing a hazard and one targeting appearance. Requiring every machine operator to wear a hair net applies equally regardless of texture. Telling one employee that locks look “unprofessional” while ignoring another employee’s long ponytail is a different matter.
How to File a Complaint
Your filing options depend on where the discrimination occurred.
Local Human Relations Office
If you work in Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Raleigh, or Orange County, start with your city or county Human Relations Commission. These offices accept intake forms, assign investigators, and pursue conciliation with employers. Resolutions may include changes to the employer’s grooming policy, back pay, or other corrective measures.
EEOC Charge
Regardless of where you live in the state, you can file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The standard deadline is 180 calendar days from the discriminatory act. That deadline extends to 300 calendar days when a state or local agency enforces an anti-discrimination law covering the same conduct. Workers in jurisdictions with local CROWN ordinances likely qualify for the longer 300-day window. Workers elsewhere should assume 180 days applies and act quickly. You can file online through the EEOC portal, in person at a field office, or by phone.16U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination
Filing is a protected activity. Your employer cannot punish you for reporting discrimination, participating in an investigation, or cooperating as a witness. The EEOC reads retaliation broadly to include demotions, transfers to less desirable positions, increased scrutiny, negative reviews, and threats.17U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retaliation An employer can still discipline you for genuine performance issues unrelated to the complaint.
What You Can Recover
Available remedies depend on the path you took. Under Title VII, remedies for intentional race discrimination can include back pay, reinstatement or front pay, compensatory damages for emotional harm and out-of-pocket costs, and punitive damages where the employer acted with malice or reckless disregard. Compensatory and punitive damages combined are capped by employer size:18U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Remedies for Employment Discrimination
- 15 to 100 employees: $50,000
- 101 to 200 employees: $100,000
- 201 to 500 employees: $200,000
- More than 500 employees: $300,000
Back pay is not subject to these caps. Local ordinance remedies vary by jurisdiction and often center on conciliation agreements that require the employer to change grooming policies, compensate the employee, or take other corrective steps. For most workers, the practical value lies in getting the policy changed and recovering lost wages rather than pursuing a large damage award, especially against smaller employers.