North Carolina General Statutes 66-318. Provision of information in writing; presentation of records
(a) If parties have agreed to conduct a transaction by electronic means and a law requires a person to provide, send, or deliver information in writing to another person, the requirement is satisfied if the information is provided, sent, or delivered, as the case may be, in an electronic record capable of retention by the recipient at the time of receipt. An electronic record is not capable of retention by the recipient if:
(1) The sender or its information processing system inhibits the ability of the recipient to print or store the electronic record; or
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 66-318
- Agreement: means the bargain of the parties in fact, as found in their language or inferred from other circumstances and from rules, regulations, and procedures given the effect of agreements under laws otherwise applicable to a particular transaction. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- Electronic: means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- Electronic record: means a record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- in writing: may be construed to include printing, engraving, lithographing, and any other mode of representing words and letters: Provided, that in all cases where a written signature is required by law, the same shall be in a proper handwriting, or in a proper mark. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Information: means data, text, images, sounds, codes, computer programs, software, databases, or the like. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- Information processing system: means an electronic system for creating, generating, sending, receiving, storing, displaying, or processing information. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, governmental agency, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- Transaction: means an action or set of actions occurring between two or more persons relating to the conduct of consumer, business, commercial, or governmental affairs. See North Carolina General Statutes 66-312
- United States: shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
(2) It is not capable of being accurately reproduced for later reference by all parties or persons who are entitled to retain the contract or other record.
(b) If a law other than this Article requires a record (i) to be posted or displayed in a certain manner, (ii) to be sent, communicated, or transmitted by a specified method, or (iii) to contain information that is formatted in a certain manner, the following rules apply:
(1) The record must be posted or displayed in the manner specified in the other law.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (d)(2) of this section, the record must be sent, communicated, or transmitted by the method specified in the other law.
(3) The record must contain the information formatted in the manner specified in the other law.
(c) If a sender inhibits the ability of a recipient to store or print an electronic record, the electronic record is not enforceable against the recipient.
(d) The requirements of this section may not be varied by agreement, but:
(1) To the extent a law other than this act requires information to be provided, sent, or delivered in writing, but permits that requirement to be varied by agreement, the requirement under subsection (a) of this section that the information be in the form of an electronic record capable of retention may also be varied by agreement; and
(2) A requirement under a law other than this Article to send, communicate, or transmit a record by regular United States mail may be varied by agreement to the extent permitted by the other law. (2000-152, s. 1; 2001-295, s. 3.)