Find North Carolina Court Records

This page helps users handle court records in North Carolina, including online case searches, courthouse record access, copies, court dates, judgments, and related public record requests.

The main official options include the NC Judicial Branch Portal for case information and the Clerk of Court in the county where the case is assigned for specific case records and files.

NC Judicial Branch Portal

The NC Judicial Branch Portal provides online access to case information and selected court services. Use the NC Judicial Branch Portal to search for court records and case information through Smart Search.

The Portal also includes Search Hearings for court dates and hearings, Make Payments for probation, parole, and some criminal or infraction cases, and NC Judgment Search for the judgment index under NCGS 7A-109(b)(6).

• Defendant or party name
• Case number, when available
• County, when using hearing search tools
• Date range, when searching hearings

Online access may not replace courthouse record review when the user needs official copies, paper files, or background-check handling.

• Open the Portal and allow JavaScript and cookies in the browser.
• Choose Smart Search for case information, Search Hearings for court dates, Make Payments for eligible payments, or NC Judgment Search for judgment index records.
• Enter the available search details and review the matching results.
• Contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the case is assigned when case-specific help or file access is needed.

Background checks: Individuals performing background checks should use the county clerk's office, not the Portal.

Criminal, civil, special proceeding, and estates records

Criminal case information can be accessed at a public self-service terminal in a clerk of court’s office in any North Carolina county. Users can search the terminal by defendant name, case number, or victim or witness name.

Civil, special proceeding, and estates case information can also be accessed from public self-service terminals in the clerk of court’s office in any county. The court file itself is handled by the clerk’s office in the county where the case is located.

Paper court files may be reviewed at the clerk of court’s office in the county where the case is filed. Copies of court documents may be available for a fee.

For more detail on courthouse and online access, review obtaining court records.

Court dates and hearing searches

The court date tools let users search by name, county, date range, and related hearing details. The Judicial Branch also provides county calendars for upcoming civil and criminal case schedules.

Use North Carolina court date resources to search for court dates, view calendars by county, and check other court calendars.

If a courthouse is closed or a court session is canceled due to inclement weather, the case will be rescheduled. Notice of the new court date is generally sent by mail, but users may contact the clerk’s office in the county where the charge is pending after normal office hours resume.

Copies, certificates, and records held by other offices

Divorce judgments are available from the clerk of court’s office in the county where the divorce was granted, for a fee.

Birth, marriage, death certificates, and some divorce certificates are not handled the same way as court files. The Register of Deeds in the county where the event occurred may provide birth, marriage, or death certificates. North Carolina Vital Records may also provide birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates.

Police reports should be requested from the law enforcement agency that investigated or was otherwise involved in the case. Complete reports may not be public records in every situation.

Deeds and most real estate records are kept by the Register of Deeds office in the county where the property is located. The clerk of court’s office has records of court proceedings affecting real estate, including foreclosures, evictions, partitions, condemnations, estates, divorces, judgments, and liens on real property.

Judicial Branch public record requests

For Judicial Branch public records that are not handled through the Portal or a county clerk file review, use the Judicial Branch public record request page. Request options may include online, mail, or in-person methods, depending on the record.

State agencies and employees are not required to create or compile a public record that does not already exist.

Remote Public Access Program

The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts offers access to criminal and civil court data in all 100 North Carolina counties through the Remote Public Access Program. This program is intended for licensed access to statewide data through online access or bulk extracts.

Businesses and organizations that need ongoing criminal and civil court data can review the Remote Public Access Program for access options, costs, and connectivity details.

Transcripts and audio court records

An official transcript is a verbatim written version of court proceedings prepared by an official court reporter or by an approved transcriptionist from an audio recording.

Transcripts are prepared by request and require payment of fees to the transcriptionist or court reporter. They are often used for appeals. If an audio recording was made by the clerk or a digital recording technician, users may request a copy from the clerk’s office in the county where the case is filed.

For non-confidential proceedings, the request may use Form AOC-G-114. For confidential proceedings, the request must seek court permission using Form AOC-G-115.

Portal access and payment notes

The Portal requires JavaScript and cookies. It supports current and previous major releases of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari on a rolling basis.

The Portal may require a CAPTCHA challenge every ten minutes for anonymous, registered, and elevated access users.

For payments, accepted credit and debit cards include Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Digital payment applications such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, and Venmo are not accepted.

Court records contacts

Use the county clerk for case-specific questions, paper files, certified searches, copies, and local procedures.

• Clerk of Court in the county where the case is assigned — Contact this office for specific case information and court file access.
• eCourts support — [email protected]