As of Today, North Carolina Recognizes only Male and Female Sexes

New law in NC only recognizes male, female sexes as part of HB 805; other mandates in the bill

Starting January 1st, North Carolina will officially recognize only two sexes: male and female as part of House Bill 805, a wide-ranging measure.

North Carolina to Officially Recognize Only Two Sexes in State Policies in 2026

Starting Thursday, North Carolina will officially recognize only two sexes—male and female—in all state rules, regulations and public policies under a new law.  The change follows a veto override of Democratic Gov. Josh Stein by the Republican-controlled General Assembly in July 2025, enshrining the definitions in House Bill 805, formally called the Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women...

North Carolina Recognizes Biological Sex

A new law taking effect on January 1 officially recognizes biological sex in North Carolina. The law, House Bill 805, biological sex is defined as the “indication of male and female in the context of reproductive potential or capacity, such as sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at birth, without regard to an individual’s psychological, chosen, or subjective experien…

As of today, North Carolina recognizes only male and female sexes

Starting Jan. 1, the state of North Carolina officially recognizes only two sexes, male and female, after Republican lawmakers passed a wide-ranging bill targeting the transgender community. The bill, House Bill 805, titled Prevent Sexual Exploitation/Women and Minors, began as a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at protecting people who have explicit content of themselves posted on pornography websites. However, Republicans later tacked on …

New North Carolina law strictly defining sexes as male or female goes into effect

A new North Carolina law that strictly defines individual sexes as either male or female will go into effect on Thursday, Jan. 1.

North Carolina Enacts Law Defining Sex Strictly as Male or Female Based on Biology

House Bill 805 provision takes effect January 1, 2026, establishing biological definitions for state rules and policies amid partisan debateJanuary 01, 2026 | RALEIGH, N.C. — A new provision in North Carolina law officially recognizing only two sexes — male and female — based solely on biological characteristics took effect on January 1, 2026, marking the state as the latest to codify binary sex definitions in its statutes.The measure, embedded …