Post-Conviction Relief in North Carolina
Compare North Carolina post-conviction attorneys, non-attorney document support, innocence resources, city guides, and official relief procedures.
Relief routes in North Carolina
A Motion for Appropriate Relief is North Carolina’s established procedure for qualifying challenges to a conviction or sentence. G.S. 15A-1415 identifies grounds and timing provisions. The Post-Conviction Review Commission separately investigates qualifying factual-innocence claims.
Record the verdict and judgment dates, appeal mandate, prior MAR filings, and the evidence supporting the proposed issue. Distinguish a constitutional challenge from an innocence-review request; the Commission is not a general appeals service or the applicant’s lawyer.
Timing and earlier filings
The seven-year noncapital MAR provision enacted in 2025 applies to verdicts entered on or after December 1, 2025, with statutory exceptions. Earlier verdicts require review under the applicable earlier law. Preserve the verdict date and prior filings; the rule is not a blanket seven-year deadline for every North Carolina conviction.
Compare help options
| Type of help | Typical purpose | Confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| Law firm | Legal advice and court representation | Licensing, case fit, and engagement terms |
| Non-attorney legal support | Document preparation, research, organization | Permitted scope; who signs and files |
| Nonprofit / innocence review | Qualifying case review or legal services | Eligibility, intake, and representation status |
| Official resources | Forms, rules, records, and court contacts | Current version and local requirements |
North Carolina providers and resources
Listings have no scores or ratings. Listing methodology
Post-Conviction Relief Center (PCRC)
Non-attorney legal support and document preparation for people representing themselves. PCRC operates this directory; services do not include attorney representation.
North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services
Reviews eligible North Carolina guilty-plea and trial convictions after direct appeals. Representation may include an MAR when its review identifies a qualifying error.
North Carolina Post-Conviction Review Commission
State agency that evaluates qualifying factual-innocence claims separately from ordinary appeals. It is not general legal representation.
Cotten Law Firm, PLLC
Raleigh-area law firm publishing Motion for Appropriate Relief services for challenges to convictions or sentences.
Patterson Harkavy LLP
North Carolina firm publishing criminal appeals, MAR and federal habeas work, with offices in Chapel Hill and Greensboro.
Guirguis Law
Raleigh firm publishing post-conviction MAR services for Raleigh, Durham and Johnston County matters and federal compassionate-release work.
Harrison Freelance Legal
New Bern legal drafting and research support advertising services to law firms, including MAR and habeas work. Direct services to consumers have not been verified.
Browse by city
City guides connect the search to local court and county sources. Statewide listings do not imply local offices.
Explore issues and services
- Post-Conviction Relief
- Legal Help Options
- Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
- Guilty Plea Challenge
- Newly Discovered Evidence
- Wrongful Conviction
- Habeas Corpus
- Actual Innocence
- Brady Violation
- Prosecutorial Misconduct
- Sentence Error / Reduction
- Appeal vs. Post-Conviction
- Federal 2254
- Federal 2255
- Post-Conviction Lawyer Alternatives
Sources & official resources
- Current G.S. 15A-1415
- NC county court locations
- 2025 MAR legislation summary
- Innocence review eligibility
PCRC offers non-attorney legal support and document preparation for pro se clients.
Updated October 8, 2026. General information; the appropriate filing, deadline, and relief depend on the case. Provider information is based on linked public pages, not a licensing audit.