A North Carolina bill will forbid the use of boot devices on commercial vehicles a parking enforcement tool.

On June 30, 2025, North Carolina Senate Bill 311, also known as the “Law and Order Act,” hit the desk of Governor Josh Stein after passing through the House and Senate.

Among the wide-ranging provisions in the bill is a prohibition on commercial booting:

“A commercial motor vehicle shall not be immobilized using a device such as a boot or any other device for the purposes of parking enforcement. Using an immobilization device on a commercial vehicle in violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.“

A Class 2 misdemeanor in North Carolina is punishable by 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The bill also includes a provision that would require tow companies to “promptly return any commercial cargo towed by the tower to the owner of the commercial cargo, or to a designee of the owner, upon request” following a non-consensual tow.

If signed into law, both provisions would go into effect on December 1, 2025.

Several other states have recently passed similar legislation to crack down on predatory tow companies, including Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee.