SearchSystems Editorial

Reviewed and updated October 4, 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

Forsyth County is a county in North Carolina with about 398,000 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 7 county office pages for Forsyth 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 Forsyth County public records live

Each kind of Forsyth 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 Forsyth County

A person arrested in Forsyth 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 Forsyth County.

SearchSystems has not yet verified an online jail or inmate page for Forsyth County. The sheriff's office is the place to ask, and the state inmate locator in the statewide sources below covers state prisons.

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Court records and case lookups in Forsyth County

Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Forsyth 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 Forsyth County.

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County Clerk of Forsyth 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 Forsyth County.

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Deeds, land records and property values in Forsyth County

Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Forsyth 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: co.forsyth.nc.us/rod/online_lookup.aspx (page title: Register of Deeds | Forsyth County Government | Forsyth County North Carolina)
  • Phone: 866-670-9085
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

Property values: Tax Assessor

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Birth, death and marriage records in Forsyth County

Certified copies of birth and death certificates for events in Forsyth 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 (page title: NCDHHS: DPH: NC Vital Records Home)
  • Phone: 919-733-3000
  • Address: 225 N. McDowell St. Raleigh, NC 27603-1382
  • Hours: Wednesday, July 22; 10:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
  • Checked: September 30, 2026, the page answered.

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District Attorney for Forsyth County

The District Attorney is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County.

  • Website: co.forsyth.nc.us/rod/online_lookup.aspx (page title: Register of Deeds | Forsyth County Government | Forsyth County North Carolina)
  • Phone: 866-670-9085
  • Checked: September 23, 2026, the page answered.

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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 Forsyth County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.

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Cities and towns in Forsyth County

Forsyth County has 8 incorporated cities and towns (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. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of Winston-Salem; the linked name open it.

  • Winston-Salem (255,769)
  • Kernersville (28,760)
  • Clemmons (22,471)
  • Lewisville (14,203)
  • Walkertown (6,027)
  • Rural Hall (3,562)
  • Tobaccoville (2,740)
  • Bethania (361)

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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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Forsyth County Arrest Records

The Forsyth County arrest records guide names the seven agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 10,416 arrests the three 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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Forsyth County Records Guides

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the official Forsyth 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.

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

The court records page SearchSystems verified for Forsyth County is at nccourts.gov/locations/forsyth-county. A case number finds a case fastest; a name search returns every case with that name.

Who records deeds in Forsyth County?

The Register of Deeds, at co.forsyth.nc.us/rod/online_lookup.aspx. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Forsyth County are filed there.

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

From the office SearchSystems verified for Forsyth County vital records at vitalrecords.nc.gov, phone 919-733-3000, or from the North Carolina state vital records office.

How do I request a public record from Forsyth County?

Through the records request page at co.forsyth.nc.us/rod/online_lookup.aspx. A record that is not covered there is requested from the office that holds it.

Population
398K
County Seat
Winston-Salem
Libraries
13
Schools
84