Free links to official North Carolina state and county government records — courts, criminal histories, vital records, property, voter, business, and licenses across all 100 counties.
How to Search North Carolina Court Records (Start Here)
North Carolina court records are filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in each county. The Superior Court / District Court handles trial-level cases. North Carolina does not have a single statewide court search portal — you must go to the county where the case was filed.
What this page covers: North Carolina state court case records. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.
Where to start: Identify the county where the case was filed, then contact the Clerk of Superior Court in that county. Some counties courts offer online case search on their individual websites.
Common mistake: Without a statewide portal, many people search the wrong county. If you are unsure where a case was filed, start with the county where the defendant lived or where the incident occurred.
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all North Carolina court URLs verified against the official .gov / state-judiciary publisher on the review date. 6 primary .gov / .uscourts.gov sources cited below.
North Carolina Court Records — Key Numbers (FY2024-25)
NC's new Case Statistics Dashboard launched in 2025, allowing users to filter and compare court data and create custom views.
NC Judicial Branch
Court system
Statewide
FY2024-25
Latest fiscal year
Official .gov data
.gov
Primary source
Never data brokers
Free
Public access
Most case records
June 04, 2026
Last reviewed
By SearchSystems editorial
How to access court records — typical costs
Search online
$0
View docket entry
$0
Download document
$1
Certified copy
$5
Expungement filing
$50
Unit: USD typical fee. Fees and access policies vary by court; see Primary Sources below.
What Changed in 2026 — North Carolina Court Records
2026
North Carolina FY2024-25 caseload report active
The NC Judicial Branch publishes its current FY2024-25 case filings, dispositions, and trends on the official statistics portal.
For more information, also view the Criminal and Infraction Court Costs Help Topic. What are the online disposition options for a reduction or dismissal? To determine whether requesting an online reduction or an online dismissal is an option in your case, go to Citation Services. For certain speeding offenses, the District Attorney’s office may agree to process an online reduction of the charge to a less serious offense. For certain “correctable” traffic offenses (for example, an expired inspection), the District Attorney’s office may agree to process an online dismissal of the charge upon…
Cases involving complex and significant issues of corporate and commercial law in our state are designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina as complex business cases for assignment to a Business Court judge who oversees resolution of all matters in the case through trial.
SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA · Docket Sheet · Hoke County Board of Education, et al. v State of North Carolina, et al. Case Number: 425A21-3 · As of: 10/22/2025 · Case Closed: No · Close Date: Case Type: Civil (Civil_othr) HOKE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION; et al., Plaintiffs ·
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by dismissing defendants' appeal from the trial court's interlocutory order denying defendants' motion to reconsider. Armistead v. County of Carteret, (66A25 - Published) Author: Justice Richard Dietz Whether the proposed class members in a class action against a county are ascertainable and whether the proposed class satisfies the predominance and superiority criteria. Jay v. Jay, (97A25 - Published) Author: Justice Allison Riggs (View COA Opinion) Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the trial court's order issuing a domestic violence…
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The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is one of twelve regional appellate courts within the federal judicial system. The court hears appeals from the nine federal district courts in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and from federal ...
Official websites use .gov A .gov ... to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. ... Multi-court Voice Case Information System: 866-222-8029 ext. ...
100 North Carolina counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
How do I search North Carolina court cases online?▼
North Carolina's trial courts publish case lookups through the NC Judicial Branch. Start at www.nccourts.gov — most case dockets, filings, and hearing calendars are searchable by name, case number, or filing date. County-level clerks publish additional searches; see the cards below for direct county court links.
Is there a free statewide court case search in North Carolina?▼
The NC Judicial Branch operates North Carolina's official statewide judicial portal at www.nccourts.gov. Basic case lookups are typically free of charge; certified copies and bulk-data exports may incur a per-document or per-search fee. Federal cases for North Carolina residents are searched separately through PACER.
What's the difference between trial and appellate courts in North Carolina?▼
Trial courts in North Carolina handle the original filing of civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic matters. Appellate courts review questions of law from trial-court decisions. The NC Judicial Branch publishes the full court structure, judge rosters, and jurisdiction maps at www.nccourts.gov.
How far back do North Carolina court records go online?▼
Online coverage varies by court and case type. Most North Carolina county courts have digitized records from approximately the late 1990s or early 2000s forward; older case files may require an in-person clerk visit or a written record request. Check the NC Judicial Branch portal at www.nccourts.gov for each court's coverage window.
Are sealed or expunged North Carolina cases visible in the online search?▼
No. North Carolina courts redact or remove sealed, expunged, juvenile, and certain confidential records from public-facing searches as required by state statute and court rule. If a record was previously visible and has since been sealed, it will no longer appear in the NC Judicial Branch portal. For verification you can contact the county clerk where the case was filed.
