N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-421

This Article shall not apply to the possession, exhibition, or handling of reptiles by employees or agents of duly constituted veterinarians, zoos, serpentariums, museums, laboratories, educational or scientific institutions, public and private, in the course of their educational or scientific work, or Wildlife Damage Control Agents in the course of the work for which they are approved by the Wildlife Resources Commission.