Sixteen new laws will take effect in North Carolina at the start of the new year.

They range from changes in day care safety to tougher penalties for grease thieves.

Parents of young children in day care will see added protections starting Tuesday.

Day care workers will have to undergo expanded criminal background checks, and anyone with a child abuse or sex offense conviction will be banned from working in day care centers.

In an effort to crack down on illegal immigration, the state will require cities, counties and large employers to use the federal government's E-Verify system to authorize new hires.

One Henderson County commissioner worries it could be a costly burden.

"Whenever you start these E-Verify machines, then who's going to do all the paperwork? Who's going to make sure everything's in order?" said Henderson County Commission Chairman Charlie Messer.

Restaurants that sell their used fryer grease will see stricter guidelines to stop oil thieves.

Anyone caught with more than $1,000 worth of stolen grease will face a felony charge.

Restaurants often sell their grease to recycling companies that turn it into biofuels.