Open Movie Captioning in Movie Theaters.

HB 677 requires North Carolina movie theaters with more than 10 weekly showings to provide open captioning (on-screen text for dialogue and sounds) for at least one-fourth of showings for movies with four or more showings per week. Theaters must advertise captioned showings in the same way as other showings, keep compliance records for three years, and face $100-$500 penalties per violation for noncompliance. This applies to theaters showing movies with four or more weekly showings, excluding films produced without captioning. The law takes effect October 1, 2025, and focuses on ensuring accessible viewing during peak attendance hours where possible.