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Court Records

North Carolina Court Records

How North Carolina's courts are organized, where their records are kept and how to search them.

North Carolina runs a unified, state-funded court system called the General Court of Justice. Each of the 100 counties has an elected clerk of superior court, who keeps records for both the superior and district courts and also serves as the probate judge.

North Carolina has moved all of its courts to a new electronic system, eCourts, which offers public online access to case information statewide.

North Carolina's move to eCourts happened county by county starting in 2023, so older cases from before a county's switch may show limited detail online. In those cases, the clerk of superior court can search the older statewide systems for you.

How North Carolina's courts are organized

North Carolina's courts have two appellate levels and two trial levels.

Supreme Court of North Carolina

Seven justices hear appeals of major importance and review Court of Appeals decisions.

North Carolina Court of Appeals

Fifteen judges hear most appeals from the trial courts.

Superior courts

The general jurisdiction trial courts, hearing felonies, larger civil cases and appeals from district court. The North Carolina Business Court is a special superior court for complex business cases.

District courts

Hear misdemeanors, traffic, family law, juvenile cases, smaller civil cases and, through magistrates, small claims.

Searching North Carolina court records online

eCourts is North Carolina's statewide portal.

Getting records from the clerk's office

The clerk of superior court in each county keeps the records for both superior and district courts, including estates and special proceedings. Clerks provide copies and certified copies for set fees.

Deeds are kept by the county register of deeds.

Clerks of superior court in North Carolina hold an unusual amount of authority. Besides keeping records, the clerk serves as judge of probate, handles estates and guardianships, conducts foreclosure hearings and presides over some adoptions and special proceedings, so many non-trial records are kept and decided in the same office.

What is public, and what is not

Most North Carolina court records are public, but juvenile, adoption, mental health and some other records are confidential.

North Carolina allows expunction of dismissed charges and many convictions after a waiting period. Its Second Chance Act also provides automatic expunction of some dismissed charges. Expunged records are removed from public view.

North Carolina law makes most court records public, but juvenile records, adoption files, involuntary commitment records and some domestic violence information are confidential. Expunged records are destroyed or removed from public systems, and the state now automatically expunges many charges that were dismissed or ended in a not guilty verdict.

Older and archived records

The State Archives of North Carolina holds an extensive collection of historical court records, including colonial and county court records, wills and estates.

The State Archives holds an extensive collection of county court minutes, estate records and wills from before 1900, many of which are indexed and searchable online through the Archives' catalog.

Criminal history and background records

A court file tells you what happened in one case in one court. A criminal history record (often called a rap sheet) pulls together arrests, charges and outcomes reported from across the state, so it is a different product kept by a different agency.

In North Carolina, the clerk of superior court can provide a statewide criminal record check of court records for a fee. The State Bureau of Investigation keeps fingerprint-based records.

Federal court records in North Carolina

Federal cases, including federal crimes, bankruptcies, and lawsuits over federal law or between citizens of different states, are not filed in North Carolina's state courts. North Carolina is divided into 3 federal judicial districts, and each has its own clerk's office:

Federal case files are searched through PACER, the federal judiciary's records system. PACER charges a small fee per page, but you pay nothing if your charges stay under the quarterly fee-waiver threshold, court opinions are free, and every federal courthouse has public terminals you can use at no cost. Many PACER documents have also been copied into the free RECAP Archive on CourtListener. Appeals from North Carolina's federal courts go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Tips for a faster search

  • North Carolina file numbers include the year, a case type such as CRS (criminal superior) or CVD (civil district), and a sequence number.
  • The clerk of superior court is also the probate judge, so estates are handled by the same office.
  • Expunged records will not appear anywhere online.
  • If you need a statewide search of North Carolina court records, the clerk of superior court in any county can run a criminal record check for a fee.
  • Have the full names of the parties, the county and a rough date range ready. A case number is the fastest way in if you have one.
  • Online indexes are not the official record. If a decision depends on it, get a copy (or a certified copy) from the clerk's office that holds the file.

Legal help and law libraries

Clerks and law librarians can explain how to find a record, but they cannot give legal advice. These organizations can point you in the right direction:

This guide is general information about public records, not legal advice. Court websites, fees and rules change, so confirm details with the court before you rely on them. Civics-Online.org is not affiliated with any court or government agency.