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North Carolina · How-To Guide

How do I find an inmate or search a jail roster?

NC Department of Adult Correction - NCDAC (state prisons) / County Sheriff's Office / County Detention Center (county level - 100 counties)
Details

What you need to know

Fee
Online searches free; certified records requests may involve fees ONLINE OPTION: Yes - NCDAC Offender Search at doc.nc.gov; county Sheriff/Detention Center websites WHERE TO GO: NCDAC (state prisons); County Sheriff's Office or County Detention Center (county inmates)
Online Option
Yes - NCDAC Offender Search at doc.nc.gov; county Sheriff/Detention Center websites
Where to Go
NCDAC (state prisons); County Sheriff's Office or County Detention Center (county inmates)
County-specific variations apply

NC's 100 counties each have a Sheriff's Office operating a county jail/detention facility. Wake County (Raleigh), Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), Guilford County, Forsyth County (Winston-Salem), and Durham County have the best online inmate search tools. Rural NC counties - especially in the mountains (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey, Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Swain) and inner coastal plain - may have very limited online access; direct phone calls to the Sheriff's Office are necessary.

North Carolina Notes

Important state-specific details

  • NC Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) manages all state prisons including Central Prison (Raleigh), Albemarle Correctional, and 55+ facilities statewide; the Offender Search at doc.nc.gov covers current state inmates.
  • County detention facilities operated by County Sheriffs - separate from NCDAC; recent arrests will NOT appear in NCDAC database.
  • NC Sex Offender Registry: ncsor.gov - searchable online.
  • Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Police and their tribal justice system operate separately within Swain and Cherokee counties.
  • For visitation, phone calls, sending money, commissary, or mailing to a NC inmate: inmateaid.com has NCDAC and county jail facility details.
Official Source

State office contact

State Office
NC Department of Adult Correction - doc.nc.gov | (919) 838-4000; Offender Search: webapps.doc.state.nc.us/opi/offendersearch.do