Online Academy

Know Your Rights: North Carolina and Beyond
Constitutional rights, safer police encounters, legal help, and practical state comparisons
- Level
- Beginner
- Estimated study
- About 10 hours
- Lessons
- 48 lessons in 12 modules
- Format
- Online, self-paced
Monthly: $0 today with a card, then $34 on day 8 unless you cancel before then. After the trial, 30 days' notice applies. Active on-campus students have academy access included. Check your existing student account before buying another subscription.
About this course
For North Carolina adults with no legal background. In 48 short lessons you will learn what police may and may not do during street encounters, traffic stops, searches and arrests; what information you must give and which questions you may decline; how release, court dates and appeals work; and how to protect deadlines in housing, work, debt and protective-order cases. Each lesson has a scenario, an exercise and a quiz, and cites the statute or case behind each rule. This is general legal education, not legal advice. It has been reviewed by a licensed North Carolina attorney. For your own situation, talk to a licensed North Carolina attorney. Sources last checked October 9, 2026.
Course outline
Module 1: Foundations: Your Rights and the Sources of Law
4 lessons · 50 minLearn how federal and North Carolina law fit together, map the Bill of Rights, and connect equal protection with everyday legal decisions.
- Start Here: Two Constitutions and a Practical Legal Map
- The Bill of Rights, Part One: Speech, Arms, Homes, and Searches
- The Bill of Rights, Part Two: Criminal Process and Reserved Rights
- Later Amendments: Equality, Citizenship, and Civic Participation
Module 2: Police Encounters: Clarify, Communicate, and Preserve Rights
4 lessons · 50 minDistinguish voluntary conversation, detention, and arrest; handle identification and questioning with attention to North Carolina law and communication needs.
- Conversation, Detention, or Arrest?
- Identification in North Carolina: Pedestrians, Drivers, and Passengers
- Silence and Questioning: Clear Choices Before and After Custody
- De-escalation, Medical Needs, and Disability Communication
Module 3: Traffic Stops: Drivers, Passengers, Searches, and Testing
4 lessons · 51 minApply constitutional protections to real roadside choices, with particular attention to North Carolina document duties and impaired-driving consequences.
- The First Minutes of a Traffic Stop
- Passengers, Exit Orders, Pat-Downs, and Stop Duration
- Vehicle Searches: Consent and the Main Exceptions
- Impaired-Driving Investigations: Know the Test and the Deadline
Module 4: Searches and Privacy
4 lessons · 50 minConsent, home entry, device searches, and evidence preservation, with North Carolina procedures and federal constitutional protections.
- Consent, Pat-downs, and Search Limits
- When Officers Come to Your Home
- Phones, Passwords, and Digital Privacy
- Seized Property and Preserving Evidence
Module 5: Arrest and Interrogation
4 lessons · 50 minCustodial questioning, clear attorney requests, current North Carolina release rules, and practical family support.
- Custody, Questioning, and Miranda
- Requesting an Attorney Clearly
- Booking, First Appearances, and Release
- Family Support After an Arrest
Module 6: Courts and Legal Help
4 lessons · 50 minNorth Carolina’s case roadmap, appointed and civil counsel, plea and appeal deadlines, and distinct misconduct remedies.
- The North Carolina Criminal Case Roadmap
- Finding Counsel and Asking for Appointed Representation
- Deadlines, Pleas, Appeals, and Court Records
- Complaints, Civil Rights Claims, and Court Remedies
Module 7: Young People and Schools
4 lessons · 50 minRecognize youth-specific protections, distinguish school discipline from criminal investigation, and help families respond safely.
- Young People: Questioning and North Carolina Juvenile Rules
- School Searches and Discipline: Know Which Process Applies
- Parents and Guardians: Support Without Becoming the Lawyer
- Digital Conduct, Student Speech, and Safeguarding
Module 8: Speech and Public Accountability
4 lessons · 50 minUse speech, recording, assembly, and records requests to seek accountability while respecting lawful limits and privacy.
- Speech, Criticism, and Peaceful Protest
- Recording Police and Respecting Audio Privacy
- Assembly, Public Spaces, and Event Safety
- Public Records and North Carolina Police Footage
Module 9: Everyday Civil Rights
4 lessons · 50 minRecognize housing, workplace, debt, and personal-safety issues, preserve evidence, and act before important deadlines.
- Housing, Repairs, and Eviction in North Carolina
- Work, Discrimination, and Retaliation: Deadlines Matter
- Debt, Scams, and Civil Papers: Keep the Clocks Separate
- Urgent Safety and Protective Orders
Module 10: Special Settings: Immigration, Firearms, Voting and Tribal Courts
4 lessons · 50 minImmigration, firearms, voting, jury service, and overlapping state, federal, and tribal authority require careful attention to special rules.
- Immigration Encounters, Home Entry, and Border Rules
- Firearms, Restricted Places, and the Limits of Self-Defense
- Voting Rights, Voter Access, and Jury Responsibilities
- State, Federal, and Tribal Authority
Module 11: Across State Lines: Compare and Verify
4 lessons · 50 minUse sourced examples from North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, California, New York, Texas, and Nevada to practice careful topic-specific comparison.
- Identification Across State Lines: North Carolina, Nevada, and Texas
- Audio Privacy and Recording in Different States
- Road Trips, Searches, Testing, and Cannabis Differences
- Verify a Rights Claim Using Official Law
Module 12: Putting Knowledge into Action
4 lessons · 54 minBuild a pocket action card, private incident log, lawyer consultation worksheet, and personal action plan, then complete a twelve-question integrated course capstone.
- Build a Practical Pocket Action Card
- Document an Encounter Privately and Preserve Evidence
- Prepare for a Lawyer and Protect Deadlines
- Integrated Capstone: Make a Safe Personal Action Plan