2005 North Carolina Code - General Statutes § 14-149. Desecrating, plowing over or covering up graves.

§ 14‑149.  Desecrating, plowing over or covering up graves.

(a)       It is a Class I felony, without authorization of law or the consent of the surviving spouse or next of kin of the deceased, to knowingly and willfully:

(1)       Open, disturb, destroy, remove, vandalize or desecrate any casket, human remains or any portion thereof or the repository of any such remains, by any means including plowing under, tearing up, covering over or otherwise obliterating or removing any grave;

(2)       Take away, vandalize or destroy any stone, brick, iron or other material or fence enclosing a cemetery, causing damage of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000); or

(3)       Take away, vandalize, destroy or deface any tombstone, headstone, monument, grave marker, grave ornamentation, grave artifacts, shrubbery, flowers, plants or other articles within any cemetery erected or placed to designate the place where any dead body is interred or to preserve and perpetuate the memory and the name of any person, causing damage of more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(b)       The provisions of this section shall not apply to a professional archaeologist as defined in G.S. 70‑28(4) acting pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 70 of the General Statutes. (1889, c. 130; Rev., s. 3681; 1919, c. 218; C.S., s. 4321; 1981, c. 752, s. 2; c. 853, s. 5.)