Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. 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). The divorce record of a couple from Wilmington is a file of the District Court, kept by the Clerk of Superior Court, not a vital record. This guide says where the file is, how a certified copy of the decree is had and what the state issues.
This guide covers the court, copies, related records and common questions.
Related guides: Wilmington public records, New Hanover County divorce records, Wilmington arrest records, Wilmington warrants, Wilmington inmate search, Wilmington criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Where a Divorce from Wilmington Is Filed and Kept
Divorce records are not vital records in North Carolina. The decree and the file of a divorce from Wilmington are court records of the District Court, and certified copies come from the Clerk of Superior Court.
For New Hanover County the court records page SearchSystems verified is 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. Most of a divorce file is open to the public; the papers the law keeps confidential and anything the court has sealed are not.
Statewide, eCourts Portal is the North Carolina Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Copies of a Divorce Decree from Wilmington
The copy another court or an agency asks for is a certified copy of the judgment, issued by the Clerk of Superior Court.
North Carolina Vital Records also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1958.
The North Carolina vital records page SearchSystems verified is at vitalrecords.nc.gov/fees.htm.
The Register of Deeds, whose page SearchSystems verified is at nhcgov.com/436/Records-Search, records deeds and liens, not divorces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a copy of a divorce decree from Wilmington?
From the District Court, through the Clerk of Superior Court (nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county). North Carolina Vital Records also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1958.
Are divorce records public in North Carolina?
Mostly. The court file is open except for the papers the law makes confidential and anything the court seals.
Which court hears divorces from Wilmington?
The District Court. The file is kept by the Clerk of Superior Court.
Does North Carolina issue divorce certificates?
North Carolina Vital Records also issues divorce certificates for divorces granted since 1958.
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.