North Carolina has modernized its ski safety laws for the first time in nearly 45 years, introducing new responsibilities for skiers and snowboarders, requiring resorts to provide clearer information about trail conditions, and making it a criminal offense to leave the scene of a collision without identifying yourself.
Governor Josh Stein signed the Winter Sports Safety Act (Senate Bill 648) into law on July 7 after it passed the North Carolina General Assembly with bipartisan support. The legislation takes effect October 1, 2026, and applies to all six of North Carolina’s six ski areas: Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, Cataloochee Ski Area, Hatley Pointe, Sapphire Valley Ski Area, and Sugar Mountain Resort.
While much of the legislation updates language written long before snowboarding, detachable chairlifts, and electronic ticketing became commonplace, one provision is likely to attract the most attention from skiers: hit-and-run collisions on the slopes are now a Class 1 misdemeanor. “These improvements modernize the law related to skiing and snowboarding, keep pace with changes in technology, and ensure that our industry remains viable,” said Kimberley Jochl, president of the North Carolina Ski Areas Association in a press releases.
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Under the new law, anyone involved in a collision must remain at the scene and provide their name and current address to the injured skier, a member of ski patrol, or another ski area employee. If leaving is necessary to obtain emergency medical assistance, the information must be provided as soon as reasonably possible afterward.
Failing to do so is now a Class 1 misdemeanor, placing ski hit-and-runs alongside offenses that can carry criminal penalties under North Carolina law. The change mirrors legislation already in place in several established ski states, including California, Washington, and Wyoming, where leaving the scene of a collision has long carried legal consequences.
The updated Winter Sports Safety Act also expands what is expected of skiers and snowboarders. The law now explicitly requires guests to:
- Ski and ride only within designated trail boundaries.
- Obey all posted closures and avoid skiing outside operating hours.
- Properly load, ride, and unload lifts while using restraining devices as intended.
- Refrain from skiing or snowboarding while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
At the same time, ski area operators are given clearer legal responsibilities. Resorts must now provide reasonable notice of trail and slope conditions through signage at lift terminals, ticket windows, or online, and the legislation formally codifies that operators may not engage in willful or grossly negligent conduct that causes injury.
Like most North American ski states, North Carolina’s law is built around the concept that skiing involves inherent risks.
The revised legislation formally defines those risks, including changing weather, natural snow conditions, collisions with other skiers, lift towers, fences, hydrants, signs, and other on-mountain infrastructure, as well as injuries resulting from skiing beyond one’s own ability. The changes also allow ski areas to use assumption of risk as an affirmative defence in civil lawsuits. Another notable legal change shortens the statute of limitations for skiing-related injury claims to one year, significantly less than North Carolina’s general personal injury limitation period.
The original Winter Sports Safety Act was enacted around 45 years ago, when fixed-grip double chairlifts dominated, snowboarding had yet to enter the mainstream, and terrain parks did not exist. The revised law reflects how much the sport has evolved since then. Among the updates is language formally recognizing snowboarders under the law’s definition of a skier, eliminating a long-standing legal ambiguity dating back to the era before snowboarding became widespread.
The legislation also allows qualified volunteers under 18 to assist ski areas—a provision intended to support youth ski patrol and volunteer programs.
Although better known for the Blue Ridge Parkway than deep powder, North Carolina is home to the largest concentration of ski resorts in the southeastern United States. Each winter, hundreds of thousands of skiers and snowboarders visit Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, Cataloochee Ski Area, Hatley Pointe, Sapphire Valley Ski Area, and Sugar Mountain Resort. Together, the six resorts form an important part of western North Carolina’s winter tourism economy. “The ski industry is a vital part of the Western North Carolina economy, and we are grateful for the support of the General Assembly and the Governor in recognizing our industry’s commitment to recreation, health and wellness, and a great North Carolina experience,” Jochl said. Representative Dudley Greene, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the legislation was modeled in part on modern ski safety laws in Colorado and West Virginia.
While most visitors are unlikely to notice many of the legal updates when they arrive next winter, the message behind the overhaul is clear: North Carolina wants its ski safety framework to reflect the realities of today’s sport — not the one that existed four decades ago.
