Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County, has about 125,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the New Hanover County Superior Court and the District Court, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of Superior Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files and common questions.
Related guides: Wilmington public records, New Hanover County court records, Wilmington arrest records, Wilmington warrants, Wilmington inmate search, Wilmington criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Wilmington
In Wilmington, the New Hanover County Superior Court hears felonies and civil cases over $25,000.
The District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, divorces, child custody, small claims and civil cases up to $25,000.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of Superior Court.
The Clerk of Superior Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the North Carolina Public Records Act.
Looking Up a Case from Wilmington
For New Hanover County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county (page title: New Hanover County | North Carolina Judicial Branch), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Statewide, eCourts Portal is the North Carolina Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
The North Carolina court page SearchSystems verified is at nccourts.gov/help-topics/court-records/obtaining-court-records.
What Reaches the Court from Wilmington
Together, the five agencies in New Hanover County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 6,206 arrests to the FBI that year; the District Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the New Hanover County Superior Court or the District Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at nccourts.gov/news/tag/general-news/governor-cooper-appoints-distric... (page title: Governor Cooper Appoints District Attorney for New Hanover and Pender Counties | North Carolina Judicial Branc), phone (910) 772-6600, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other Wilmington guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Wilmington criminal records, Wilmington divorce records, Wilmington DUI and Wilmington property records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Wilmington?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county. Statewide, eCourts Portal is the North Carolina Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Which court hears felonies in Wilmington?
The New Hanover County Superior Court, which hears felonies and civil cases over $25,000. The District Court takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, divorces, child custody, small claims and civil cases up to $25,000.
Who keeps the court records in Wilmington?
The Clerk of Superior Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in North Carolina?
Yes: eCourts Portal, the North Carolina Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Is this the official Wilmington website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.