How to Transfer Your Section 8 Voucher to North Carolina (2026)

Quick answer: You can move a tenant-based Section 8 voucher to North Carolina from any state. Ask your current housing authority in writing to port your voucher to North Carolina. It sends your file to the North Carolina housing authority for the area you pick, which gives you a new voucher and uses its own payment standard. You do not have to join a North Carolina waitlist.
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Steps to port your voucher to North Carolina

  1. Pick your city in North Carolina. Find the housing authority that covers it in the list below or with Find My PHA.
  2. Tell your current housing authority in writing. Say you want to port to that North Carolina housing authority. Keep a copy.
  3. Your current office sends your file. It sends form HUD-52665 and your paperwork to the North Carolina office.
  4. Contact the North Carolina office quickly. Call them yourself. Some require a briefing before they issue your voucher.
  5. Get your new voucher and search. Your search time runs at least 30 days past your old voucher's end date.
  6. Lease up. The unit passes inspection, you sign the lease, and assistance starts.

The 12-month rule

If you or your spouse did not live in your current housing authority's area when you applied, it can make you wait 12 months after you first lease up before you move. If you already lived there when you applied, this rule does not apply. Survivors of domestic violence can move sooner under VAWA.

What your voucher may cover in North Carolina

After you move, the North Carolina housing authority uses its own payment standard, usually 90% to 110% of HUD's Fair Market Rent. Your voucher could cover more or less than it does now.

Area1BR FMR2BR FMR3BR FMR
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$1,194$1,416$1,848
Raleigh-Cary, NC$1,209$1,445$1,880

Source: HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rents. Look up an exact ZIP code with the Section 8 calculator.

Largest voucher programs in North Carolina

Your new housing authority is the one that covers the city you move to. North Carolina has 123 housing authorities. These run the most vouchers:

  1. Inlivian, Charlotte - (704) 336-5183
  2. Housing Authority Of The City Of Greensboro, Greensboro - (336) 275-8501
  3. Housing Authority Of The City Of Winston-Salem, Winston Salem - (336) 917-6118
  4. Housing Authority Of The City Of Raleigh, Raleigh - (919) 831-8300
  5. Housing Authority Of The City Of Asheville, Asheville - (828) 239-3513
  6. The Housing Authority Of The City Of Durham, Durham - (919) 683-1551
  7. Northwestern Regional Housing Authority, Boone - (828) 264-6683
  8. Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority, Fayetteville - (910) 483-3648
  9. Housing Authority Of The City Of Wilmington, Wilmington - (910) 341-7700
  10. Western Piedmont Council Of Governments, Hickory - (828) 485-4247

A closed waitlist does not stop a port. You already have a voucher, so you do not go on the waitlist.

Can I transfer my Section 8 voucher to North Carolina?
Yes. A tenant-based Housing Choice Voucher can be moved to any area of North Carolina that has a voucher program. Ask your current housing authority in writing to start the port.
Do I have to get on a North Carolina waiting list?
No. You already have a voucher, so the North Carolina housing authority takes you through portability, not its waitlist.
Will my voucher pay the same in North Carolina?
Not always. The North Carolina housing authority uses its own payment standard and bedroom rules, so the amount can go up or down. Your share is still based on your income.
Can my housing authority say no to my move?
Sometimes. It can deny a move if you owe it money, have broken program rules, fall under the 12-month rule, or if a move to a higher-cost area would leave it short of funding.
Portability GuideNorth Carolina Landlord GuideVoucher ClockSection 8 Calculator