Section 7A-170 - Nature of office and oath; age limit for service(a) A magistrate is an officer of the district court. Before entering upon the duties of his office, a magistrate shall take the oath of office prescribed for a magistrate of the General Court of Justice. A magistrate possesses all the powers of his office at all times during his term.(b) No magistrate may continue in office beyond the last day of the month in which the magistrate reaches the mandatory retirement age for district judges specified in G.S. 7A-140.1.Amended by 2023 N.C. Sess. Laws 134,s. 16.14-k, eff. 9/22/2023, applicable to justices, judges, and magistrates serving on or after that date, provided that nothing in this section shall be construed to automatically halt the retirement process of a justice, judge, or magistrate that has already initiated that process.Amended by 2013 N.C. Sess. Laws 277, s. 1, eff. 1/1/2015.1965, c. 310, s. 1; 1969, c. 1190, s. 13; 1977, c. 945, s. 2.