North Carolina appeal brief requirements

Format, length, required sections and appendix rules — and a brief formatted to them for $299.

In North Carolina, most appeals are decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of North Carolina is the court of last resort. Each court has its own rules for how a brief must look and what it must contain.

At a glance

Court	Type	Margins	Opening brief	Reply	Appendix
North Carolina Court of Appeals	Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	8,750 words	3,750 words	Appendix to brief · App. 12
Supreme Court of North Carolina	Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced	1-inch margins	No fixed limit found	No fixed limit found	Appendix to brief · App. 12

Rules profiles reviewed September 2026. Court rules change — confirm the current rules with the clerk.

Required parts of the brief, court by court

North Carolina Court of Appeals

Intermediate appellate court — hears appeals from superior and District Courts; agencies (Industrial Commission etc.)

INDEX · TABLE OF CASES AND AUTHORITIES · ISSUES PRESENTED · STATEMENT OF THE CASE · STATEMENT OF THE GROUNDS FOR APPELLATE REVIEW · STATEMENT OF THE FACTS · ARGUMENT · CONCLUSION · Signature block · CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE · CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE · APPENDIX

Full rules Format my brief for this court

Supreme Court of North Carolina

Court of last resort — hears appeals from court of Appeals (discretionary review, dissent-based appeals as applicable); direct appeals (e.g. death penalty, Business Court)

Full rules Format my brief for this court

Questions

What are the brief format requirements in the North Carolina Court of Appeals?

Times New Roman 12 pt, double-spaced; 1-inch margins; opening brief limit 8,750 words.

Does the North Carolina Court of Appeals require an appendix?

Appendix to brief: required when applicable.

How long can a brief be in the Supreme Court of North Carolina?

Opening brief: No fixed limit found; reply brief: No fixed limit found.

Can AppealDraft format my North Carolina appeal brief?

Yes. Upload your draft and record documents, choose the court, and pay once ($299). You get the brief and appendix in Word and PDF, formatted to that court’s rules.

Have a draft for a North Carolina appeal?

Upload it with your record documents. We put it in the court’s required form and build the appendix — Word and PDF, $299.

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