Privacy Policy
Effective October 16, 2026
This policy covers the website at ncstatutes.com and the MCP server at mcp.ncstatutes.com (together, "the Service"). ncstatutes is a service of SmartBump, Inc. ("we", "us").
In short: the Service has no accounts. The website uses Google Analytics, which sets cookies, to count visits. The MCP server keeps a usage log of each lookup, including the citation or search terms, for 180 days so we can see how the Service is used and improve it. We don't store IP addresses in that log, and we don't sell or share data with anyone.
What we don't collect
- No accounts, logins or API keys.
- No advertising or ad-tracking pixels on the website.
- No cookies or analytics in the MCP server, the part your AI assistant talks to.
- No IP addresses in our usage log.
Website analytics
The website (ncstatutes.com) uses Google Analytics to understand how many people visit and which pages they use. When you load a page, Google Analytics sets first-party cookies and sends Google information such as the pages you view, how you arrived (for example a search engine or link), your browser and device type, and your approximate location (city or region, derived from your IP address). We use it only to see how the site is used and improve it. We don't use it for advertising.
Google processes this data under Google's privacy policy; see also how Google uses information from sites that use its services. You can block it with your browser's cookie or tracker settings, or with Google's Analytics opt-out browser add-on. Blocking it doesn't affect the website or the MCP server. The MCP server itself never uses Google Analytics.
Usage log for the MCP server
Each time an AI assistant calls the MCP server, we record:
- which tool was called, and when;
- the citation or search terms sent with the call, for example "20-141" or "assault with a deadly weapon";
- whether it succeeded, how long it took, and how many results it returned;
- the name and version of the calling app, as reported by the app (for example its User-Agent).
Search terms are whatever was typed or generated in the assistant, so don't include personal details in a statute search. We use this log only to understand how the Service is used, find statutes people look for but can't find, and fix errors. It is stored with our database provider, Neon. Entries are deleted automatically after 180 days, and the log is never sold or shared.
What our hosting providers process
Like every website, the Service runs on infrastructure that has to handle your network requests in order to deliver them:
- Cloudflare serves the website and handles DNS. To deliver pages and protect against abuse, it processes request data such as your IP address, browser type and the page requested.
- Render hosts the MCP server. Its standard request logs can include IP addresses, timestamps and the URL path requested (for example
/mcp). These logs are kept for a limited time under Render's retention policy, and we use them only to keep the Service running.
If a request causes an error, the server may write a short technical error message to these logs to help us fix the problem. On rare occasions that message can include part of the request, such as a statute citation.
For details, see Cloudflare's privacy policy, Render's privacy policy and Neon's privacy policy.
Your AI assistant
When you use the Service through an AI assistant such as Claude, ChatGPT or Grok, the assistant decides when to call the Service. It sends only the arguments for that call, such as a citation or search terms. We never receive your conversation, your account details or anything else you share with the assistant. Your AI provider's own privacy policy governs how it handles your conversations. When you use the Service through ChatGPT, the call arrives from OpenAI on your behalf, so OpenAI also handles the arguments the assistant sends.
The statute data
The Service publishes the North Carolina General Statutes, which are public law, mirrored from ncleg.gov. It contains no personal information about you.
If you email us
If you write to us, we keep your email address and message so we can reply. We don't add you to a mailing list or share your email.
Your choices
- Keep personal details out of searches. The usage log keeps the citation or search terms sent with each call, so a statute search is the wrong place for names, addresses or case details.
- Entries aren't tied to you. The usage log stores no account, name, email or IP address, so we can't find or delete entries for a particular person. Every entry is deleted automatically after 180 days.
- Website cookies: block Google Analytics with your browser settings or Google's opt-out add-on.
- You can stop at any time. Remove or disconnect the NC General Statutes connector or plugin in your AI assistant's settings, and nothing more is sent to us.
- Questions or requests: email mike@smartbumpinc.com and we'll do what we reasonably can.
Children
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them.
Changes
If this policy changes, we'll update it on this page and change the effective date at the top.
Contact
Privacy questions: mike@smartbumpinc.com