SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 2, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.

About this guide

Durham County is a county in North Carolina with about 344,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values, vital records and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 8 county office pages for Durham County, every one opened and checked.

In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, District Attorney, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.

Where Durham County public records live

Each kind of Durham County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.

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Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Durham County

A person arrested in Durham County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Durham County.

Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.

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Court records and case lookups in Durham County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Durham County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Durham County.

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County Clerk of Durham County

The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Durham County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Durham County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Durham County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.

Recorded documents: Register of Deeds

  • Website: dconc.gov/Register-of-Deeds (page title: Durham County | Register of Deeds)
  • Phone: 919-560-0480
  • Address: 201 East Main Street, 2nd Floor Durham County Administration Building II Durham, NC 27701
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: Tax Assessor

  • Website: dconc.gov/Tax-Administration/Real-Property (page title: Durham County | Real Property)
  • Phone: 919-560-0300
  • Address: 201 East Main Street 3rd Floor Administration Bldg. II Durham, NC 27701
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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Birth, death and marriage records in Durham County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Durham County are issued by the office below. The North Carolina state vital records office also issues certified copies for any event in the state.

  • Website: vitalrecords.nc.gov/order.htm (page title: NCDHHS: DPH: NC Vital Records: Order a Certificate)
  • Phone: 800-669-8310
  • Hours: Wednesday, July 22; 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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District Attorney for Durham County

The District Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Durham County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.

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Public records requests to Durham County

Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Durham County.

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Statewide North Carolina sources

Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the North Carolina state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.

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These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Durham County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Durham County

Durham County has 1 incorporated city or town (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city.

  • Durham (301,870)

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Other counties in North Carolina

SearchSystems has a guide like this one for every county in North Carolina.

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Durham County Arrest Records

The Durham County arrest records guide names the six agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 3,688 arrests the two agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.

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Durham County Records Guides

SearchSystems has nine more guides to Durham County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Durham County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Durham County inmate search (the custody page of the Durham County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Durham County criminal records (the court file, the North Carolina criminal history and the local arrest records), Durham County court records (which court hears what, the case search and who keeps the files), Durham County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the North Carolina Public Records Act requires), Durham County traffic tickets (which court takes the ticket, who writes them and the driving record), Durham County DUI (the DWI law, the arrest, the court case and the license case), Durham County divorce records (which court holds the file and how a certified copy is had) and Durham County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Durham County website?

No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.

How do I find out if someone is in jail in Durham County?

Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Durham County at durhamsheriff.com. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.

Where do I look up a court case in Durham County?

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Durham County is at dconc.gov. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Durham County?

The Register of Deeds, at dconc.gov/Register-of-Deeds. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Durham County are filed there.

How do I get a birth or death certificate for Durham County?

From the office SearchSystems verified for Durham County vital records at vitalrecords.nc.gov/order.htm, phone 800-669-8310, or from the North Carolina state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Durham County?

Through the records request page at dconc.gov. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
344K
County Seat
Durham
Libraries
9
Schools
65