Is your gas station overcharging? NC attorney general wants you to report it

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Days after a bill pausing the state tax on fuel became law, North Carolina’s attorney general is asking the public to help enforce it.

Jeff Jackson announced a new online tool, N.C. Fuel Check, to allow drivers to report gas stations they believe aren’t passing along the savings.

“We are here to make sure that families see the benefit of this suspension of the gas tax, and it doesn’t simply become windfall profits for gas stations across our state,” Jackson told reporters at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Jackson’s office will be monitoring gas stations and prices across North Carolina, looking for “clear outliers.” A news release from the Attorney General’s Office said “publicly available gas price data” will be used to track prices.

The tax is paid at the wholesale level, and because of the tax suspension, it won’t be charged on new gasoline deliveries.

“If a couple of weeks from now we haven’t seen any drop at all from a particular station, then we’re going to ask. And if they have a reasonable explanation that has to do with logistics and transportation, then so be it. If they don’t, they’ve got a problem,” Jackson said. “Then you’ve got prices relative to each other post-tax suspension, in the same area, in the same town. If every gas station in town is charging $3.60 and one of them is charging four bucks, they’re going to get a phone call from me. ”

No state of emergency has been declared, so the attorney general can’t use price-gouging authority to enforce the law. Jackson is allowed to hold gas stations accountable under the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, he told reporters.

There’s precedent for getting involved, Jackson said. State attorneys general in New York, Indiana and Connecticut have done it when there is a gas tax suspension.

Gas stations that violate the law may face damages plus civil penalties of up to $5,000 per transaction, Jackson said.

“Your interest is in making sure that every penny of this gas savings that you are now receiving is passed along to families of North Carolina,” Jackson said at the news conference, addressing gas stations.

On Tuesday, the average cost of gallon of regular gas in North Carolina was $3.81, down from $4.09 a week earlier, according to AAA. Diesel was $5.76 per gallon Tuesday, down from $6 a week before.

If you think a gas station is violating the law, you can report it online at ncdog.gov/ncfuelcheck.

The online form asks you for your name and contact information, basic identifying details about the gas station and prices. You can also provide photos of the sign and your receipt.

“If they think that something weird is happening with pricing at their gas station, let us know,” Jackson said.

Gov. Josh Stein signed the bill into law Friday. It was fast-tracked through a special session called by Republican leaders of the General Assembly just days earlier.

The law, which received bipartisan support, pauses the state tax of 41 cents per gallon through Nov. 30. Customers will still have to pay the federal taxes on fuel.

The law also allows farmers to use red-dyed diesel on highways through the end of the year. Previously, Stein had issued an executive order allowing the same thing.

Drivers shouldn’t expect to see prices drop 41 cents per gallon right away — or maybe even ever. State lawmakers acknowledged that the market will determine how much of the tax savings oil companies pass on to consumers, The News & Observer previously reported.

Past studies of gas tax holidays shed some light on what might happen in North Carolina. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania completed a study of gas tax holidays in 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, causing oil prices to jump. They found that anywhere from 58% to 87% of the gas tax savings were passed on to customers; gas suppliers received the rest.

House Speaker Destin Hall previously said he expects it to be “a gradual decline over time.” He also told reporters that lawmakers could extend the gas tax holiday through the end of the year when they return in November.

The tax pause will cost the state an estimated $360 million. The state will use funds from the Stabilization and Inflation Reserve to cover the loss, so the N.C. Department of Transportation won’t lose any money. It uses the gas tax to fund highway projects.

This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 12:37 PM with the headline “Is your gas station overcharging? NC attorney general wants you to report it.”