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North Carolina · How-To Guide

How do I access court records?

Clerk of Superior Court (county level - each of NC's 100 counties) / NC Administrative Office of the Courts (state level - nccourts.gov)
Step by Step

How to do it

  1. Identify what type of record you need: Superior Court (felonies, civil over $25,000, domestic, probate/estates), District Court (misdemeanors, civil up to $25,000, small claims up to $10,000, family), or NC Court of Appeals / NC Supreme Court
  2. Search online:
  3. NC COURTS CASE LOOKUP (eCourts/Portal): portal.nccourts.gov - NC's statewide court portal; searchable public access to case information for civil and criminal cases across NC's 100 counties; basic case information free
  4. NC JUDICIAL BRANCH: nccourts.gov - NC courts main website; links to case lookup, opinions, and court information
  5. PROBATE/ESTATE RECORDS: held by the Clerk of Superior Court in each county; some online access through portal.nccourts.gov
  6. For full case documents or certified copies: contact the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the case was filed
  7. In-person access: visit the county courthouse; bring photo ID and case details
Details

What you need to know

Required Docs
  • Valid photo ID (for in-person requests)
  • Case number or full legal name of parties
Fee
portal.nccourts.gov online access: free for basic case information; certified copies: typically $1-$2 per page; contact specific county Clerk of Superior Court for current schedule
Processing Time
Online case search: immediate; same day or by mail for certified copies
Online Option
Yes - portal.nccourts.gov (statewide case search - good resource)
Where to Go
Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the case was filed
County-specific variations apply

NC has 100 county Clerks of Superior Court organized into 50 Judicial Districts. Wake County (Raleigh), Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), Guilford County (Greensboro), Forsyth County (Winston-Salem), and Durham County have the busiest court systems. NC's eCourts system is being rolled out statewide and providing increasingly good online access. Rural mountain and coastal NC counties may have more limited staffing.

North Carolina Notes

Important state-specific details

  • NC Courts portal (portal.nccourts.gov): NC's statewide case management and public access system; covers both civil and criminal cases across all counties.
  • Divorce records: held by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was filed (NOT NC Vital Records' primary focus; NC Vital Records does issue divorce certificates).
  • Marriage license records: held by the County Register of Deeds (NOT the Clerk of Superior Court).
  • Criminal history background checks: NC Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) - sbi.nc.gov; fee-based.
  • NC Sex Offender Registry: ncsor.gov - searchable online.
  • Juvenile records: sealed; special access rules.
  • NC Public Records Law (NCGS Chapter 132): presumption of public access; agencies must respond promptly.
Official Source

State office contact

State Office
NC Administrative Office of the Courts - nccourts.gov | (919) 890-1000; NC Courts Portal (case search): portal.nccourts.gov; NC SBI (criminal records) - sbi.nc.gov | (919) 662-4500