How to File a Complaint With the North Carolina Attorney General

The North Carolina Department of Justice, led by the Attorney General, takes consumer complaints about unfair or deceptive business practices and works to resolve them through mediation. This is one of the enforcement paths described in North Carolina consumer protection: your rights under state law. This article covers which complaint form fits your problem, how to submit it, and what the office does, and does not do, once it has your complaint.

What the Attorney General’s office does with consumer complaints

North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act declares unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce to be unlawful, under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-1.1. The Attorney General also has a statutory duty to investigate businesses that may be violating the state’s trade laws, under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-9.

The Consumer Protection Division inside the North Carolina Department of Justice receives these complaints, opens communication between the consumer and the business, and tries to reach a fair settlement without a lawsuit. When complaints show a pattern of illegal conduct, the office can take legal action to enforce the law on behalf of the public.

What the office does not do is act as a private attorney. It cannot file a lawsuit solely to recover money or property for one person, and only a court can decide whether a business has broken the law and order it to pay. A single complaint still matters, because it helps the office spot the patterns that support broader enforcement.

Which complaint form to use

The NCDOJ file-a-complaint page lists several consumer complaint forms, and picking the one that matches your problem routes it to the right staff. As of 2026, the available forms are:

• General Consumer Complaint Form, the default choice for most disputes with a business.
• Consumer Complaint Form in Spanish, the same general form in Spanish.
• Price Gouging Complaint Form, available only during a declared state of emergency.
• Elder Fraud Complaint Form, for scams and fraud targeting older adults.
• Robocalls and Telemarketing Complaint Form, for unwanted or illegal calls.
• Automobile Complaint Form, for vehicle sales and repair disputes.

If more than one category seems to fit, the general form is a safe default. For a vehicle sales or repair problem, the automobile form asks for the specific documents the office needs to review that kind of dispute.

How to file your complaint

You can file online through the forms on the NCDOJ website, or you can call the Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (1-877-566-7226) within North Carolina, or (919) 716-6000 from outside the state, to request a printed form. Complete the form, attach copies of your supporting documents, and submit it.

1. Gather your records

   Collect contracts, receipts, invoices, warranties, advertisements, and any letters or emails between you and the business. Attach copies, not originals, the office keeps what you send and does not return documents.

2. Choose the matching form

   Open the file-a-complaint page and select the form for your type of problem: general consumer, elder fraud, robocalls and telemarketing, automobile, or price gouging during a state of emergency.

3. Describe the problem clearly

   State who you dealt with, the dates, the amounts involved, and what happened, in plain order. Explain what you have already done to resolve it and what outcome you are asking for.

4. Submit and keep a copy

   Submit the completed form with your document copies online, or mail the printed form. Keep a copy of everything you send for your own records.

What happens after you file

After the office reviews your complaint and supporting documents, it will likely forward them to the business named in the complaint for a response. You receive copies of the correspondence, so you can follow what each side says.

If the complaint falls within the jurisdiction of another local, state, or federal agency, the office may refer it to that agency instead. If mediation does not produce a resolution, the office may suggest that you file an action in small claims court or consult a private attorney.

Limits, deadlines, and your private options

Filing with the Attorney General does not replace your own legal rights, and it does not pause the clock on them. A consumer injured by a violation of Chapter 75 has a private right of action and can recover three times the actual damages a court awards, under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-16. That private lawsuit is separate from the complaint process and is filed by you, not the state.

For scams, imposters, and illegal calls that cross state lines, the Federal Trade Commission takes reports through ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Federal reports feed a national database used by law enforcement, though the FTC, like the state office, does not resolve individual disputes or recover money for one person.