This page helps users look for Court Records in New Hanover County, North Carolina and understand where to search, request copies, check court dates, and contact the right court office.

For many searches, the NC Judicial Branch Portal is the main online starting point. For official copies, background checks, paper case files, and case-specific questions, the New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court is the key local contact.

NC Judicial Branch Portal for New Hanover County court records

The NC Judicial Branch Portal provides online access to case information and court records. The Portal includes Smart Search for court records and case information, Search Hearings for court dates and hearings, Make Payments for eligible probation, parole, criminal, and infraction cases, and NC Judgment Search.

  • Name
  • Case number
  • Attorney
  • County
  • Date range for hearing searches
  • Citation number when searching court dates

Use the Portal for case information, but use the clerk’s office when you need an official background check or a copy from a court file.

  • Go to the Portal.
  • Select Smart Search to search court records or case information.
  • Select Search Hearings to look for court dates by name, county, date range, and related details.
  • Use Make Payments only for eligible probation, parole, criminal, or infraction cases.
  • Contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the case is assigned if the result is unclear or case-specific help is needed.

Portal access note: JavaScript and cookies must be enabled, and users may see a CAPTCHA challenge about every ten minutes.

Clerk of court records and copies

Criminal, civil, special proceeding, and estates case information can be reviewed on public self-service terminals in a clerk of court’s office in any county. Paper files are available through the clerk of court’s office in the county where the case is located, and copies may be made for a fee.

For divorce judgments, request a copy from the clerk of court’s office in the county where the divorce was granted. For audio recordings of recorded hearings, request the recording from the clerk’s office in the county where the case is filed.

The North Carolina Judicial Branch also provides guidance on obtaining court records, including criminal, civil, special proceeding, estates, divorce judgment, transcript, and audio recording information.

Background checks and certified searches

For a certified criminal record search in one county, submit Form AOC-CR-314 to the Clerk of Superior Court office with the required fee. The fee listed for a certified single-county search is $25.

For a non-certified search, public access computers at any courthouse can be used to search, view, or email criminal records without charge. Printing charges may apply.

People performing background checks should use the county clerk’s office, not Portal. The North Carolina Judicial Branch explains the available options on its criminal background check page.

Court dates and calendars

New Hanover County court dates can be searched by name, citation number, county, and more. The Portal is recommended for searching court dates and case information.

For schedule-focused browsing, users can review the Court Dates page or check New Hanover County civil and criminal calendars when available.

If a court session is canceled because of inclement weather, the case will be rescheduled. Notice is generally sent by mail, but users may contact the clerk of court’s office after normal hours resume to ask about local procedures.

Payments, judgments, and remote access

The Portal includes Make Payments for probation, parole, and some criminal or infraction cases. Accepted credit and debit cards include Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. Digital payment apps such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, and Venmo are not accepted.

The Portal also includes NC Judgment Search, an index of judgments under NCGS 7A-109(b)(6).

Businesses and agencies that need ongoing access may review the Remote Public Access Program. It provides access to criminal and civil court data in all 100 North Carolina counties through online real-time access or bulk extracts.

Records handled outside the clerk’s office

Some public records connected to a court-related search are handled by other offices. Birth, marriage, and death certificates are handled by the Register of Deeds in the county where the event took place, and divorce certificates may be available through North Carolina Vital Records.

Police reports should be requested from the law enforcement agency that investigated or was involved in the case. Deeds and most real estate records are kept by the Register of Deeds, while the clerk’s office has court proceedings affecting real estate, such as foreclosures, evictions, partitions, condemnations, estates, divorces, judgments, and liens on real property.

For Judicial Branch public records that are not covered by the court records help topic, use the Judicial Branch public records request page.

New Hanover County court contacts

Use these contacts for New Hanover County court record questions, case-specific help, and division routing.

Common questions

Where can I search New Hanover County court records online?

Use the NC Judicial Branch Portal for Smart Search, hearing searches, eligible payments, and judgment searches.

Can I use Portal for a background check?

Portal can show case information, but individuals performing background checks should use the county clerk’s office instead. Certified single-county searches are handled through the Clerk of Superior Court office.

How do I get copies from a court file?

Visit or contact the clerk of court’s office in the county where the case is located. Staff can provide copies of documents in court files for a fee.

How do I get a copy of a divorce judgment?

Request the divorce judgment from the clerk of court’s office in the county where the divorce was granted. A fee applies.

Who should I contact for case-specific help?

Contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the case is assigned. For New Hanover County, the Clerk of Superior Court can be reached through the courthouse main number at (910) 772-6600.

What should I do if Portal will not load?

Make sure JavaScript and cookies are enabled and use a supported current browser. Portal users may also be asked to complete a CAPTCHA challenge during the session.