This report reviews the law and practice of zoning ordinance amendment in North Carolina. It summarizes the rules set by the legislature and courts for the process that local governments must follow and reports the results of a survey of how this process is applied by the state’s cities and counties. Over five hundred North Carolina cities and counties have adopted zoning ordinances, which regulate many aspects of land use and development. For landowners, neighbors, and entire communities, zoning ordinances play a critical regulatory role in shaping the character of a community’s development.