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Public Records NC Criminal Records
Find North Carolina public criminal records through court services and choose between case lookup, free courthouse research, and a certified county search.
North Carolina offers three different public criminal-record routes
Certified one-county background check
The NC Judicial Branch says a Clerk of Superior Court can perform a certified name search for one county for $25.
Free noncertified search
Public-access computers at courthouse clerk offices can search criminal records by county or statewide without charge.
Specific case file
The court-record guide sends paper case-file requests to the clerk in the county where the case is located.
Portal is useful, but it is not the Judicial Branch background-check instruction for individuals
The official background-check page says individuals performing background checks should use the county clerk’s office rather than Portal. Portal can still help locate case information, but do not label a Portal search as a certified background check.
Certified county search versus free statewide terminal search
| Need | Route | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Formal certified result for one county | Clerk of Superior Court; published $25 fee. | One county only. |
| Exploratory criminal-record search | Public courthouse computer. | Noncertified; printing fees may apply. |
| Filed complaint, judgment, or disposition | Clerk in the county identified through court records guidance. | Specific court file, not a statewide repository certificate. |
Court, police, and custody records are different products
The NC public-record guidance separates court records from police reports and prisoner records. If your question is about an arrest report, jail/prison status, or a court conviction, use the matching custodian rather than treating one database as complete for all three.
Use a case hit to verify the disposition
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01
Capture county and case number
These identify the court that owns the file.
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02
Read the current status
Distinguish pending charge, dismissal, conviction, or other disposition.
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03
Request the underlying filing when the outcome matters
Use the county clerk described by the Judicial Branch.
Checklist before reporting “no NC criminal record”
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Name the system searched
Certified single-county clerk search and free statewide terminal search are not the same.
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Record identifiers
Save the exact name and other lawful identifiers used.
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State the date
Court data changes as cases are filed, disposed, sealed, or expunged.
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Use narrow language
A no-match result should be described in the scope of the system and date searched, not as proof of no record anywhere.
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