[1][2][3] North Carolina's executive branch is governed by Article III of the state constitution.

The first North Carolina Constitution in 1776 called for a governor and a seven member Council of State elected by the legislature.

[7] The ten North Carolina Cabinet departments, headed by department secretaries appointed by the Governor, are as follows:[4] The North Carolina Register includes information about state agency rules, administrative rules, executive orders and other notices, and is published bimonthly.

[18] The Administrative Office of the Courts oversees all clerical and financial aspects of the state judicial system.

[20] The primary function of the tribunal is to decide questions of law that have arisen in the lower courts and before state administrative agencies,[21] and its docket is typically dominated by cases concerning interpretation of the constitution, major legal questions, and appeals of criminal cases involving capital punishment.

[26] In criminal matters, the District Courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor and infraction cases adjudicated without the presence of a jury.

[27] Magistrates in the court issue criminal processes, perform marriages, hear eviction and other small claims cases, and order involuntary commitments.

[29] The General Assembly's authority to create local governments comes from Article VII of the Constitution of North Carolina.

[30] Local governments in North Carolina primarily consist of counties, cities, and towns.

[33] There are also special purpose governments, most of which concern either soil and water conservation or housing and community development.

In addition to the manager, the commissioners usually hire the county's clerk, attorney, assessor, and tax collector.