Effective December 1, 2019, the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act (aka Raise the Age) raises the cut-off age for juveniles from 16 to 18. For offenses committed on or after this date, if the offender is under the age of 18 on the date of offense, the case must be initiated in juvenile court. Exceptions exist for emancipated minors, 16- and 17-year-olds charged with Chapter 20 offenses, and juveniles with prior criminal convictions in district or superior court.

The original "Raise the Age" legislation was enacted in 2017 with Session Law 2017-57 (Senate Bill 257). The effective date to increase jurisdiction is December 1, 2019, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In 2019, the General Assembly passed Session Law 2019-186 (Senate Bill 413), modifying the original legislation to facilitate its implementation.

Former Chief Justice Martin Recommends Juvenile Justice Reinvestment at General Assembly – May 2017

Juvenile Recidivism Reports – North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission

North Carolina School Justice Partnership – A program focused on keeping kids in school and out of court.