(a) Upon receipt of a valid petition signed by all of the owners of real property in the area described therein, a city may annex an area not contiguous to its primary corporate limits when the area meets the standards set out in subsection (b) of this section. The petition need not be signed by the owners of real property that is wholly exempt from property taxation under the Constitution and laws of North Carolina, nor by railroad companies, public utilities as defined in G.S. 62-3(23), or electric or telephone membership corporations. A petition is not valid in any of the following circumstances:
(1) It is unsigned.
(2) It is signed by the city for the annexation of property the city does not own or have a legal interest in. For the purpose of this subdivision, a city has no legal interest in a State-maintained street unless it owns the underlying fee and not just an easement.
(3) It is for the annexation of property for which a signature is not required and the property owner objects to the annexation.
(b) A noncontiguous area proposed for annexation must meet all of the following standards:
(1) The nearest point on the proposed satellite corporate limits must be not more than three miles from the primary corporate limits of the annexing city.
(2) No point on the proposed satellite corporate limits may be closer to the primary corporate limits of another city than to the primary corporate limits of the annexing city, except as set forth in subsection (b2) of this section.
(3) The area must be so situated that the annexing city will be able to provide the same services within the proposed satellite corporate limits that it provides within its primary corporate limits.
(4) If the area proposed for annexation, or any portion thereof, is subject to subdivision regulation as described in G.S. 160D-802, all of the subdivision must be included.
(5) The area within the proposed satellite corporate limits, when added to the area within all other satellite corporate limits, may not exceed ten percent (10%) of the area within the primary corporate limits of the annexing city.
This subdivision does not apply to the Cities of Archdale, Asheboro, Belmont, Claremont, Concord, Conover, Durham, Elizabeth City, Gastonia, Greenville, Hickory, Kannapolis, Kings Mountain, Locust, Lowell, Marion, Mount Airy, Mount Holly, New Bern, Newton, Oxford, Randleman, Roanoke Rapids, Rockingham, Saluda, Sanford, Salisbury, Shelby, Southport, Statesville, and Washington and the Towns of Ahoskie, Angier, Apex, Ayden, Belville, Benson, Bladenboro, Bridgeton, Bunn, Burgaw, Calabash, Carthage, Catawba, China Grove, Clayton, Columbia, Columbus, Cramerton, Creswell, Dallas, Dobson, Four Oaks, Franklin, Franklinton, Franklinville, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Godwin, Goldston, Granite Quarry, Green Level, Grimesland, Harrisburg, Holly Ridge, Holly Springs, Hookerton, Hope Mills, Huntersville, Jamestown, Kenansville, Kenly, Knightdale, Landis, Laurel Park, Liberty, Lillington, Louisburg, Maggie Valley, Maiden, Mayodan, Maysville, Middlesex, Midland, Mocksville, Morrisville, Mount Pleasant, Nashville, North Wilkesboro, Norwood, Oak Island, Oakboro, Ocean Isle Beach, Pembroke, Pine Level, Pollocksville, Princeton, Ramseur, Ranlo, Richlands, Rockwell, Rolesville, Rutherfordton, Shallotte, Siler City, Smithfield, Spencer, Spring Lake, Stanley, Stem, Stovall, Surf City, Swansboro, Taylorsville, Troutman, Troy, Vass, Wallace, Warsaw, Watha, Waynesville, Weldon, Wendell, West Jefferson, Wilson's Mills, Windsor, Wingate, Yadkinville, Youngsville, and Zebulon.
(b1) Repealed by Session Laws 2004-203, ss. 13(a) and 13(d), effective August 17, 2004.
(b2) A city may annex a noncontiguous area that does not meet the standard set out in subdivision (b)(2) of this section if the city has entered into an annexation agreement pursuant to Part 6 of this Article with the city to which a point on the proposed satellite corporate limits is closer and the agreement states that the other city will not annex the area but does not say that the annexing city will not annex the area. The annexing city shall comply with all other requirements of this section.
(c) The petition shall contain the names, addresses, and signatures of all owners of real property within the proposed satellite corporate limits (except owners not required to sign by subsection (a)), shall describe the area proposed for annexation by metes and bounds, and shall have attached thereto a map showing the area proposed for annexation with relation to the primary corporate limits of the annexing city. When there is any substantial question as to whether the area may be closer to another city than to the annexing city, the map shall also show the area proposed for annexation with relation to the primary corporate limits of the other city. The city council may prescribe the form of the petition.
(d) A city council which receives a petition for annexation under this section may by ordinance require that the petitioners file a signed statement declaring whether or not vested rights with respect to the properties subject to the petition have been established under G.S. 160D-108 or G.S. 160D-108.1. If the statement declares that such rights have been established, the city may require petitioners to provide proof of such rights. A statement which declares that no vested rights have been established under G.S. 160D-108 or G.S. 160D-108.1 shall be binding on the landowner and any such vested rights shall be terminated. (1973, c. 1173, s. 2; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 996, s. 4; 1997-2, s. 1; 2001-37, s. 1; 2001-72, s. 1; 2001-438, s. 1; 2002-121, s. 1; 2003-30, s. 1; 2004-203, s. 13(a), (c); 2004-57, s. 1; 2004-99, s. 1; 2004-203, ss. 13(a)-(d); 2005-52, s. 1; 2005-71, s. 1; 2005-79, s. 1; 2005-173, s. 1; 2005-433, s. 9; 2006-62, s. 1; 2006-122, s. 1; 2006-130, s. 1; 2007-17, s. 1; 2007-26, ss. 1, 2(a); 2007-62, s. 1; 2007-225, s. 1; 2007-311, s. 1; 2007-342, s. 1; 2008-24, s. 1; 2008-30, s. 1; 2009-40, s. 2; 2009-53, s. 1; 2009-111, s. 1; 2009-156, s. 1; 2009-298, s. 1; 2009-323, s. 1; 2011-57, s. 1; 2012-96, s. 1; 2013-248, s. 1; 2014-30, s. 2(a); 2015-80, s. 1; 2015-81, s. 2(a); 2015-172, s. 2; 2016-48, s. 2; 2018-56, s. 1; 2019-58, s. 1; 2019-103, s. 1; 2019-160, s. 1; 2021-17, s. 2; 2021-21, s. 1; 2021-86, s. 1; 2021-87, s. 1; 2021-101, s. 1; 2022-22, s. 1; 2022-26, s. 1; 2022-62, s. 45; 2023-143, s. 5; 2024-21, s. 7.)