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. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Wayne County, North Carolina, has about 120,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Wayne County is held at the county jail, run by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Wayne County public records, Wayne County arrest records, Wayne County warrants, Wayne County criminal records, Wayne County court records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Wayne County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Wayne County is held at the county jail, run by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at waynegov.com/371/Detention-Center (page title: Detention Center | Wayne County, NC), phone 919-731-1660, 207 E Chestnut Street Goldsboro, NC 27530, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at 919-731-1660.
The Wayne County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2024 the jail held about 340 people, down from about 370 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2019, the last year with a capacity figure, was 421 beds, and it ran at 88 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Wayne County has about 120,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 28 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Wayne County Jail
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Goldsboro, Mount Olive, Fremont, Walnut Creek and Pikeville make the arrests that end in a booking in Wayne County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Wayne County: Cherry Hospital and the State Park Rangers at Cliffs of the Neuse (state agency).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Pikeville's 1,153 for 2025, Walnut Creek's 1,153 for 2025 and Fremont's 1,153 for 2025.
Together, the six agencies in Wayne County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5,283 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Wayne County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction lists its inmates at dac.nc.gov/dac-services/criminal-offender-searches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Wayne County?
Ask the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 919-731-1660; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at waynegov.com/371/Detention-Center.
How many people are in the Wayne County jail?
About 340 on an average day in 2024, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 421 beds.
What is the phone number for the Wayne County jail?
919-731-1660, the number on the page of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Wayne County go?
To a facility of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction; its inmate locator is at dac.nc.gov.
Is this the official Wayne County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.