Under North Carolina law, officers must execute a criminal search warrant within how many hours of signing?

• A. 24 hours
• B. 48 hours
• C. 72 hours
• D. 96 hours

Answer: (B)

Execute a criminal search warrant within 48 hours of the warrant being signed. This 48-hour window keeps the warrant timely and tied to the probable cause at filing, so officers must carry out the search within that period or risk the warrant becoming invalid and needing a new one. The other timeframes listed do not reflect North Carolina’s requirement.