Find Free North Carolina Arrests & Criminal Records: All NC Counties

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Free North Carolina Arrest Records & Criminal Records Search

Access North Carolina Records: background checks, warrants, probation and parole, court records, and all criminal and arrest records.

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Find free North Carolina criminal records through official agencies and gain insight into a person’s past.

Whether you’re looking for North Carolina arrest records, criminal proceedings, probation or parole details, warrant information, state or federal prisoners, if someone is on the sex offender registry, or wanting to run a background check, this guide provides everything you need to know, making the process quick and efficient.

Can the Public View or Access Criminal Records & Arrest Records in the State of North Carolina (NC)?

As seen in our North Carolina public records search guide, criminal, arrest and many other records, are publicly accessible unless the record is sealed, expunged, or a juvenile record.

The North Carolina General Assembly has passed a public records law known as the North Carolina General Statutes § 132-6-6.2 which stipulates and mandates that public records including criminal and arrest records should promptly be provided to members of the public with no proof of purpose but with some exception.¹

These exceptions include court records that have been sealed, juvenile records, photographs of the crime scene and fingerprints of offenders, etc.

Records requested may or may not be certified—the fees to certify these records shall be provided by law and except as otherwise provided by law, no public agency should charge a fee for a copy (uncertified) of a public record that exceeds the cost of the agency producing a copy. This implies for the most part, viewing North Carolina arrest records is generally free or at little cost.

In addition to obtaining information directly from government entities, there are a number of third-party websites that will provide the service of searching for public records for a fee. This is makes the process faster, easier, and may also provide some sense of privacy.

Differences Between Criminal Records & Arrest Records in North Carolina

Criminal record searches and arrest record searches will have a number of marked differences due to the purpose of the record. Arrest records generally pertain to an individual’s interaction with law enforcement when they have been taken into custody for allegedly committing a crime—this information may include charges, bond amount, and arresting agency.

Criminal record searches will provide information of offenders who have had interaction with law enforcement and have been convicted of the crime they were charged with in the courts. They will generally have information such as court case number, date of conviction and guilty pleas if any.

Criminal Records Consist Of:

• Full names
• Date of birth (DOB)
• Age
• Sex
• Race
• Case numbers
• Court information
• Addresses (former and present)
• Type of conviction
• Guilty pleas if any
• Date of conviction
• Charges of the court (felony or misdemeanor charge)
• Date of release
• Mug shot (photograph)
• Former arrest records
• Date of disposition

Arrest Records Include:

• Names of the arrested individual
• Booking number
• Court case number
• Age
• Address
• Gender
• Arresting agency
• Date of arrest
• Arrest location
• Cell Number
• Charges
• Warrant information
• Severity of the charge
• Bail amount

How To View North Carolina Arrest Records, the Reason for Detainment, & Mugshots for Free

North Carolina arrest records can be retrieved from the county sheriff’s offices, local police departments and city jails at no cost to the requesters. County sheriff’s department will many times have online rosters where arrests may be viewed. Members of the public may also physically visit sheriff’s offices to ascertain this information or make a phone call when wondering how do I know if I have been charged with a crime.

It is possible that information on current arrests may be withheld and there may not be a complete arrest report available, especially if it may jeopardize an ongoing investigation or severely infringing on an offender’s privacy such as obtaining fingerprints.

For the most part however, the rules of discovery in a criminal case will require for the information to be provided to the public— therefore, an offender’s record will display information such as date of arrest, reasons for arrest, and the arresting agency.²

Perform an Arrest Records Search Through North Carolina County Sheriff’s Offices

Other than local police departments, the county sheriff’s offices are a viable law enforcement agency to obtain information on recent arrests. The state of North Carolina has 100 counties, with each one having a sheriff’s office.

Many of these sheriff’s offices will maintain online rosters of offenders in custody and several will have photographs of the arrestee in the mugshot database which is part of the arrest record. Using online search features to find out if someone is in jail and locating daily arrests is not only free, but it’s the quickest method if a county hosts this information online. Otherwise, calling them is the next quickest option.

In cases where there is no online roster, citizens may physically visit the sheriff’s office or make a phone call in case they are not able to find recent arrests online. The sheriff’s offices typically provide the most viable way how to find recent arrests.

The image below shows an inmate’s details from the inmate inquiry tool provided by Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.

The table below provides links to online rosters for sheriff’s offices in all 100 counties. Those that don’t have an online roster will have an (*) next to the link which will instead point to a contact page that can be used to contact the law enforcement agency and find detailed information on who’s in jail.

There is also a column that displays whether or not mug shots can be viewed for those with rosters.

County Inmate Search Tool	County Jail or Sheriff’s Office Phone Number	Shows Mugshots?
Alamance County Sheriff’s Office	(336)570-6300	X
Alexander County Sheriff’s Office	(828)632-4658	✓
Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)372-4455	X
Anson County Sheriff’s Office*	(704)694-9328	X
Ashe County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)846-5633	X
Avery County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)733-2071	X
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)946-7111	X
Bertie County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)794-5330	X
Bladen County Sheriff’s Office*	(910)862-6960	X
Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office	(910)253-2777	✓
Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office	(828)250-4503	✓
Burke County Sheriff’s Office	(828)438-5500	✓
Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office	(704)920-3000	✓
Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office	(828)754-1518	X
Camden County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)338-5046	X
Carteret County Sheriff’s Office	(252)728-8400	✓
Caswell County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)694-9311	X
Catawba County Sheriff’s Office	(828)464-5241	✓
Chatham County Sheriff’s Office*	(919)542-2811	X
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)837-2589	X
Chowan County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)482-8484	X
Clay County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)389-6354	X
Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office	(704)484-4888	✓
Columbus County Sheriff’s Office	(910)642-6551	X
Craven County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)636-6620	X
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office	(910)323-1500	✓
Currituck County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)453-8204	X
Dare County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)475-5980	X
Davidson County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)242-2105	X
Davie County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)751-6238	X
Duplin County Sheriff’s Office	(910)296-2150	✓
Durham County Sheriff’s Office	(919)560-0897	X
Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)641-7911	X
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office	(336)917-7600	✓
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office*	(919)496-2186	X
Gaston County Sheriff’s Office	(704)869-6800	✓
Gates County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)357-0210	X
Graham County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)479-3352	X
Granville County Sheriff’s Office*	(919)693-3213	X
Greene County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)747-3411	X
Guilford County Sheriff’s Office	(336)641-3694	X
Halifax County Sheriff’s Office	(252)583-8201	✓
Harnett County Sheriff’s Office*	(910)893-9111	X
Haywood County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)452-6666	X
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office	(828)697-4596	✓
Hertford County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)358-7800	X
Hoke County Sheriff’s Office*	(910)875-5111	X
Hyde County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)926-3171	X
Iredell County Sheriff’s Office*	(704)664-7500	X
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)586-8901	X
Johnston County Sheriff’s Office	(919)989-5010	X
Jones County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)448-0035	X
Lee County Sheriff’s Office	(919)775-5531	✓
Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)559-6100	X
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office	(704)732-9050	✓
Macon County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)349-2263	X
Madison County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)649-2721	X
Martin County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)789-4500	X
McDowell County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)652-2236	X
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office*	(704)336-8100	X
Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)688-3982	X
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office*	(910)572-1313	X
Moore County Sheriff’s Office	(910)947-2931	✓
Nash County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)459-4121	X
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office	(910)798-4200	✓
Northampton County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)534-2611	X
Onslow County Sheriff’s Office*	(910)455-3113	X
Orange County Sheriff’s Office*	(919)644-3050	X
Pamlico County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)745-3101	X
Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)338-2191	X
Pender County Sheriff’s Office	(910)259-1212	✓
Perquimans County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)426-5615	X
Person County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)597-0500	X
Pitt County Sheriff’s Office	(252)902-2800	✓
Polk County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)894-3001	X
Randolph County Sheriff’s Office	(336)318-6699	✓
Richmond County Sheriff’s Office	(910)895-3232	✓
Robeson County Sheriff’s Office*	(910)671-3100	X
Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)634-3232	X
Rowan County Sheriff’s Office	(704)216-8700	✓
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)287-6247	X
Sampson County Sheriff’s Office	(910)592-4141	✓
Scotland County Sheriff’s Office	(910)276-3385	✓
Stanly County Sheriff’s Office	(704)986-3714	✓
Stokes County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)593-8787	X
Surry County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)401-8900	X
Swain County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)488-0159	X
Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office	(828)884-3188	✓
Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)796-2251	X
Union County Sheriff’s Office	(704)283-3789	✓
Vance County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)738-2200	X
Wake County Sheriff’s Office	(919)856-6900	X
Warren County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)257-3364	X
Washington County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)793-2422	X
Watauga County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)264-3761	X
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)265-7614	X
Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)903-7600	X
Wilson County Sheriff’s Office*	(252)237-2118	X
Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office*	(336)849-7810	X
Yancey County Sheriff’s Office*	(828)682-2124	X

Check North Carolina Municipal Jails & Police Department’s Inmate Rosters

In addition to finding recent arrests in county jails, members of the public can locate inmates who have been recently booked in city jails in local police departments. The Southern Pines Police Department maintains a database that shows recent arrests.

However, just like with counties, some cities may not maintain online rosters. In cases like this, interested individuals can either phone or physically visit the local law enforcement agencies to obtain this information. Therefore, citizens looking at how to find out someone’s charges in jail can look to the city jails as well when ascertaining this information.

When applicable, type “[name of the city] North Carolina arrest search” into a search engine to see if the local police department hosts an online inmate roster.

Many police departments in North Carolina, such as the Southern Pines (See “Police Data & Alerts), partner with Citizens Connect to publish online arrest reports.

The following North Carolina towns’ and cities’ arrest logs can be searched through Citizens Connect:

• Aberdeen, North Carolina
• Bessemer City, North Carolina
• Forest City, North Carolina
• Pinehurst, North Carolina
• Southern Pines, North Carolina
• Greensboro, North Carolina

How To Get Ahold of Someone in a North Carolina Jail & Post Their Bail

Members of the public can communicate with offenders through phone, mail, and in-person visitations—they can also help get offenders out of jail by posting bail on their behalf.

Contacting an Inmate

Prisoners who are located in county jails may communicate with family and friends but each facility has its own protocols and members of the public should contact the sheriff’s office to ascertain what are the procedures for establishing communication

Generally, contacting an inmate can be done in 3 ways:

• In-person visitations or video visitations
• Inmates may make outbound calls but typically do not receive calls.
• They can also send and receive mail.

In-Person Visitation—For illustrative purposes, the Pender County Sheriff’s Office is used to give an impression of some visitation protocols that can be expected:

• Dress code is strictly enforced and the visit time is limited to 15 minutes for every session.
• Children can visit as long as they are accompanied by an adult. A maximum of 2 adults per inmate are allowed to visit.
• Visitors must have a government-issued ID.
• Visitors must be on a visitation list or cannot visit etc.

Calls—Inmates cannot receive calls but can make outbound collect calls.

Mail—Jones County Detention Center for example allows mail but no phone calls and their protocol for inmate correspondence can be found here:⁴

• Mail should have the full name and address of both sender and recipient.
• All mail is subject to inspection for contraband.
• No illicit photos, materials advocating violence, or perfume sprayed on envelopes and so on.
• No profanity on envelopes etc.

Bailing Out an Inmate

Bond is generally set by the courts in North Carolina when offenders have been charged for an offense and depending on what crime has been committed, the inmate will have to remain in jail until the bond is posted or the case is resolved. There are a number of bonds that can be set in North Carolina, these are:

• Cash Bond—monetary bond
• Unsecured Bond—a monetary bond set by the judge but that doesn’t have to be paid unless the offender forfeits court.
• Written Promise To Appear—the defendant is free to leave custody with a promise to attend court.
• Secured Bond—the most common bond satisfied by cash or hiring a bondsman.

When a defendant is required to post bond, it is not meant as a form of punishment but is instead meant to be a strong incentive for them to attend court. Therefore, as per the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the bond amount should not be excessive.⁵

There are 3 ways in which family and friends can set bail for a defendant:

1. Paying The Entire Amount—Paying the entire bond amount to the court which most people typically cannot afford.
2. Collateral—The courts will accept collateral such as a home or land in lieu or excess of the bond amount.
3. Hiring a Bondsman—Since most people don’t have the resources to pay the full bond amounts, they will turn to bail bondsmen. The defendant will contract with a bonding company to eventually pay the full amount in exchange for a fee which is usually capped at 15% of the total bond amount but could be lower. The defendant will not get the fee refunded upon completion of the case.

It is therefore ideal and recommended to retain the services of a lawyer who may help reduce the bond amount. They should then proceed to enlist a bonding company— in this way, they are not deprived of financial resources which prevents them from hiring a defense lawyer once they incur the initial higher bond expenses.

How To Look Up North Carolina (NC) Criminal Records

Other than local, state, and federal agencies, members of the public can obtain North Carolina criminal records from these jurisdictions; these will be elaborated on in the sections below:

• Searching the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the State Bureau of Investigation.
• Using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database to retrieve appellate court records and records of federal offenses. While searching is free, these records may incur a nominal cost.
• Requesters can also obtain criminal records through county courts which contain court records and information on ongoing court cases.

Search Criminal Records Through North Carolina’s eCourts System & County Clerk of Courts

As court records are part of public records, they are available to members of the public. Court records can also be obtained from some counties by physically visiting the county courthouses that have self-service terminals. These terminals can be searched using case number, defendant name, victim, and/or witness name. Copies may be made of these records for a fee.

North Carolina is in the process of transitioning away from paper to digital records for all its 100 counties in a system known as eCourts—currently, only Harnett, Johnston, Lee and Wake are eCourt counties.^{6, 7}

Interested individuals may search for court and criminal records by case number, name, attorney etc.

However, background checks cannot be conducted through this portal but should be conducted through the county clerk’s office either through phone, mail or physically visiting the court.

The table below and this Court Locator Tool maintained by the North Carolina Judicial Branch can be used to pinpoint courts that serve counties and cities.⁸

This table however makes it easier since interested individuals can quickly locate the address and phone number of the courts.

County	County Courthouse Address	Phone Number
Alamance County	1 Court Square, Graham, NC 27253	(336)570-5200
Alexander County	29 W Main Ave, Taylorsville, NC 28681	(828)635-3113
Alleghany County	12 N Main St, Sparta, NC 28675	(336)372-3900
Anson County	114 N Greene St, Wadesboro, NC 28170	(704)994-3800
Ashe County	150 Government Cir, Jefferson, NC 28640	(336)219-1400
Avery County	200 Montezuma St, Newland, NC 28657	(828)737-6700
Beaufort County	112 W 2nd St, Washington, NC 27889	(252)940-4000
Bertie County	108 Dundee St, Windsor, NC 27983	(252)794-6800
Bladen County	106 W Broad St, Elizabethtown, NC 28337	(910)872-7200
Brunswick County	310 Government Center Dr NE, Bolivia, NC	(910)253-3900
Buncombe County	60 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801	(828)259-3400
Burke County	201 S Green St, Morganton, NC 28655	(828)433-3200
Cabarrus County	77 Union St S, Concord, NC 28025	(704)262-5500
Caldwell County	216 Main St SW, Lenoir, NC 28645	(828)759-3503
Camden County	117 N Carolina Hwy 343 S, Camden, NC 27921	(252)336-4000
Carteret County	300 Courthouse Square, Beaufort, NC 28516	(252)504-4400
Caswell County	139 E Church St, Yanceyville, NC 27379	(336)459-4000
Catawba County	100 Government Dr, Newton, NC 28658	(828)695-6100
Chatham County	40 E Chatham St, Pittsboro, NC 27312	(919)545-3500
Cherokee County	75 Peachtree St, Murphy, NC 28906	(828)835-7740
Chowan County	101 S Broad St, Edenton, NC 27932	(252)368-5000
Clay County	261 Courthouse Dr # 1, Hayesville, NC 28904	(828)389-2300
Cleveland County	100 Justice Pl, Shelby, NC 28150	(704)476-7800
Columbus County	113 Courthouse Sq, Whiteville, NC 28472	(910)641-4400
Craven County	302 Broad St, New Bern, NC 28560	(252)639-3000
Cumberland County	117 Dick St, Fayetteville, NC 28301	(910)475-3000
Currituck County	2801 Caratoke Hwy, Currituck, NC 27929	(252)232-6200
Dare County	962 Marshall C Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954	(252)475-5200
Davidson County	110 W Center St, Lexington, NC 27292	(336)242-6701
Davie County	140 S Main St, Mocksville, NC 27028	(336)936-3000
Duplin County	112 Duplin St, Kenansville, NC 28349	(910)275-7000
Durham County	510 S Dillard St, Durham, NC 27701	(919)808-3000
Edgecombe County	301 St Andrew St, Tarboro, NC 27886	(252)824-3200
Forsyth County	200 N Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101	(336)779-6300
Franklin County	102 S Main St, Louisburg, NC 27549	(919)497-4200
Gaston County	325 Dr M.L.K. Jr. Way #1004, Gastonia, NC 28052	(704)852-3100
Gates County	202 Court St, Gatesville, NC 27938	(252)357-1365
Graham County	12 Court St, Robbinsville, NC 28771	(828)479-7000
Granville County	101 Main St, Oxford, NC 27565	(919)690-4800
Greene County	301 N Greene St, Snow Hill, NC 28580	(252)747-6200
Guilford County	201 S Eugene St, Greensboro, NC 27401	(336)412-7300
Halifax County	357 Ferrell Ln, Halifax, NC 27839	(252)593-3000
Harnett County	301 W Cornelius Harnett Blvd, Lillington, NC 27546	(910)814-4400
Haywood County	285 N Main St, Waynesville, NC 28786	(828)454-6501
Henderson County	200 N Grove St Suite 163, Hendersonville, NC 28792	(828)694-4100
Hertford County	119 Justice Drive, Winton, NC 2798	(252)358-7100
Hoke County	304 N Main St, Raeford, NC 28376	(910)878-4100
Hyde County	40 Oyster Creek St, Swanquarter, NC 27885	(252)926-4101
Iredell County	226 Stockton St, Statesville, NC 28677	(704)832-6600
Jackson County	104 W Jefferson St, Jackson, NC 27845	(252)534-1631
Johnston County	207 E Johnston St, Smithfield, NC 27577	(919)209-5400
Jones County	101 Market St, Trenton, NC 28585	(252)448-6220
Lee County	1400 S Horner Blvd, Sanford, NC 27330	(919)718-6300
Lenoir County	130 S Queen St, Kinston, NC 28501	(252)520-5300
Lincoln County	120 Justice Dr, Lincolnton, NC 28092	(704)742-7800
Macon County	5 W Main St, Franklin, NC 28734	(828)349-7200
Madison County	2 N Main St, Marshall, NC 28753	(828)649-2200
Martin County	213 E Main St, Williamston, NC 27892	(252)809-5100
McDowell County	21 S Main St, Marion, NC 28752	(828)655-4100
Mecklenburg County	832 E 4th St, Charlotte, NC 28202	(704)686-0400
Mitchell County	328 Long View Dr, Bakersville, NC 28705	(828)688-5100
Montgomery County	108 E Main St, Troy, NC 27371	(910)571-3700
Moore County	102 Monroe St, Carthage, NC 28327	(910)722-5000
Nash County	234 W Washington St, Nashville, NC 27856	(252)220-3000
New Hanover County	316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401	(910)772-6600
Northampton County	104 W Jefferson St, Jackson, NC 27845	(252)574-3100
Onslow County	625 Court St, Jacksonville, NC 28540	(910)478-3600
Orange County	106 E Margaret Ln, Hillsborough, NC 27278	(919)644-4500
Pamlico County	202 Main St, Bayboro, NC 28515	(252)745-6600
Pasquotank County	206 E Main St, Elizabeth City, NC 27907	(252)331-4600
Pender County	100 S Wright St, Burgaw, NC 28425	(910)663-3900
Perquimans County	128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944	(252)404-5000
Person County	105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573	(336)503-5200
Pitt County	100 W 3rd St, Greenville, NC 27834	(252)695-7100
Polk County	One Courthouse Square, Columbus, NC 28722	(828)894-4900
Randolph County	176 E Salisbury St, Asheboro, NC 27203	(336)328-3000
Richmond County	105 W Franklin St, Rockingham, NC 28379	(910)419-7400
Robeson County	500 N Elm St, Lumberton, NC 28359	(910)272-5900
Rockingham County	170 Hwy 65 Reidsville, NC 27320	(336)634-6000
Rowan County	210 N Main St, Salisbury, NC 28144	(704)797-3001
Rutherford County	229 N Main St, Rutherfordton, NC 28139	(828)288-6100
Sampson County	101 E Main St, Clinton, NC 28328	(910)596-6600
Scotland County	212 Biggs St # 100, Laurinburg, NC 28352	(910)266-4400
Stanly County	201 S 2nd St, Albemarle, NC 28002	(704)986-7000
Stokes County	Hwy 89 – 1012 Main St, Danbury, NC 27016	(336)593-4400
Surry County	201 E Kapp St, Dobson, NC 27017	(336)386-3700
Swain County	101 Mitchell St, Bryson City, NC 28713	(828)488-7400
Transylvania County	7 E Main St, Brevard, NC 28712	(828)885-3000
Tyrrell County	403 Main St, Columbia, NC 27925	(252)766-6510
Union County	500 N Main St, Monroe, NC 28112	(704)698-3100
Vance County	156 Church St, Henderson, NC 27536	(252)430-5100
Wake County	316 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601	(919)792-4000
Warren County	109 S Main St, Warrenton, NC 27589	(252)257-6300
Washington County	120 Adams St # 1, Plymouth, NC 27962	(252)791-4000
Watauga County	842 W King St # 13, Boone, NC 28607	(828)268-6600
Wayne County	224 E Walnut Street #230, Goldsboro, NC 27530	(919)722-6100
Wilkes County	500 Courthouse Dr, Wilkesboro, NC 28697	(336)651-4400
Wilson County	115 Nash St, Wilson, NC 27894	(252)206-3000
Yadkin County	101 S State St, Yadkinville, NC 27055	(336)679-3600
Yancey County	110 Town Square, Burnsville, NC 28714	(828)678-5700

The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) provides access to criminal and civil court data in all 100 counties in the state through its Remote Public Access Program (RPA). This is however reserved for entities that have RPA licensees.

Use the Remote Public Access Program (RPA) Hosted by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) To Retrieve Criminal Records

In addition to eCourts which is yet to be made available for all counties, North Carolina has a central public records repository that allows its users to access criminal and record data in all its 100 counties known as the Remote Public Access Program.⁹ This information is the same that can be obtained from a public terminal at any North Carolina courthouse.

It is also possible to conduct statewide and real-time criminal background checks in Automated Criminal/Infractions System (ACIS) and the Civil Case Processing System (VCAP).^{10, 11}

The North Carolina General Assembly has provided authorization to NCAOC to enter into contracts with third parties that are non-exclusive to allow for remote electronic access to court records by the public. This service is not free and quite costly, requiring payment and registration for the license to use it.¹²

NCAOC offers four criminal extracts and four civil extracts and in addition to other fees found in this extract fee schedule, there is a setup fee of $495 if a historical extract is not purchased.¹³ A bond amount of $5000 is required to execute an extract licensing agreement with the NCAOC.

How To Obtain a Copy of Criminal Records in North Carolina Through Various Agencies

Interested individuals can obtain copies of North Carolina criminal records through multiple avenues including law enforcement agencies and the courts—these are outlined below:

• The NC Department of Public Safety collaborates with the court system to provide background checks.¹⁴
• The North Carolina Court System contains a complete database of convictions and charges made by the state, county, and city law enforcement agencies against offenders.¹⁵
• The State Bureau of Investigation is the primary central repository for criminal information for the state of North Carolina and facilitates finger-based background checks. This is referred to as the “Right to Review” your North Carolina record and costs $14.¹⁶
• For federal background checks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation can provide finger-based criminal history background checks known as Identity History Summary Check for an $18 processing fee.¹⁷
• Members of the public can also proceed to contact their local county courts from the table above to obtain copies of these records.

The intricacies on how to conduct these checks will be delved into the sections below.

Accessing Probation or Parole Information in North Carolina (Finding Someone on Probation and Parole in NC

Finding whether an offender is on probation or parole is a simple and straightforward process that is facilitated by the North Carolina Department of Corrections which has an easy-to-use parolee database.

This tool is also generally used to find offenders that are located in state prisons.

The North Carolina Post-Release Supervision & Parole Commission is an independent agency that oversees the releasing of offenders who meet eligibility requirements set forth by the North Carolina General Statutes.¹⁸

Parole in North Carolina is the conditional and supervised release of an offender prior to the expiration of their prison sentence—probation on the other hand is a release that is ordered by the court without any form of imprisonment except as otherwise exempted by law.

To give searchers an idea of how prevalent probation and parole are in North Carolina vs other states, the following image displays the total number of probationers and parolees in North Carolina, compares it with other states across the United States, and contains the ethnicities of individuals on community supervision (probationers and parolees combined) in North Carolina.

In 1994, the N.C General Assembly eliminated parole and enacted Structured Sentencing—this mandates that crimes that were committed by offenders on or after October 1, 1994, must have the offenders serve 100% of the minimum sentence and 85% of the maximum sentence.¹⁹ Once these requirements are met, they are released on post-release supervision.

Those that committed crimes before this date are still eligible for parole.

To perform a probation search, members of the public simply open the parolee search tool and select the ‘Active Probation/Parolee’ radio button and input the bio-data such as the names, offender number, birth date, and even an age range.

Upon selecting an offender, the status of the probation shows as being active and the inmate status as being inactive.

How Does the Process of Sealing or Expunging a Criminal Record in North Caroline Work?

Sealing and expunging criminal records in North Carolina has been made a relatively faster and easier process thanks to the new expungement law signed in 2017 known as Senate Bill 445.²⁰ Senate Bill 445’s main goal is to reduce the wait time to expunge felony convictions and misdemeanors (non-violent); components of the change are outlined below:²⁰

• It is possible to expunge misdemeanor convictions after 5 years instead of 15 years.
• Permissible to expunge felony convictions after 10 years rather than 15 years.
• No limit on the number of dismissals that can be expunged.
• Law enforcement and prosecutors will still have access to these records.

Expunction is a legal process that pertains to the removal of a person’s criminal conviction or other charges that were dropped or dismissed.²¹ Expunctions will generally not make offenders immune from all consequences of their records such as when making determinations in matters regarding federal immigration.

Before being able to petition for an expunction, petitioners should fulfill these criteria:

• Meet required waiting periods
• Pay all court-related costs and have proof for the same
• Cannot be on probation or parole anywhere
• Have no criminal summons or warrant for arrest.
• Have no open criminal cases or pending criminal charges.

To file for a petition for expunction:

1. Petitions for expunctions are filed with the clerk of court in the county where the offender was charged.
2. The exact process of filing varies by each expunction statute and links to the petition forms of each form of expunction can be found here. Each form will have an instruction sheet for each petition.
3. Some petitions will require additional supporting documents such as affidavits of good character from people who know the petitioner. This will be detailed in the instructions.
4. There is generally a $175 filing fee to file the expunction petition. Nevertheless, some expunctions statutes may not require a fee such as charges that were dismissed or those that ended in a non-guilty verdict.
5. Some petitions may require a court hearing where a judge can determine whether the petitioner is of good character.
6. The process may take months due to the time required to run criminal record checks and schedule a hearing.

It is possible to self-file for an expunction. However, due to the process being lengthy and quite complicated, any error in filing can lead to major delays in what is already a year-long process. Therefore, it is recommended to hire the services of an attorney.

How To Locate Someone in a Federal Prison or North Carolina (NC) State Prison

Prisoners in North Carolina are housed in either 57 state prisons dotted throughout the state and 1 federal prison located at The Federal Correctional Complex near Butner. Interested individuals looking to locate state prisoners can obtain information from the database maintained by the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NC DAC) and federal prison records can be searched through the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Federal Prisoner Search

Members of the public can locate federal inmates at the facility in Butner maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BPO) by querying the Federal Prison Inmate Locator.²²

This can be searched using either the last name of the offender or their BOP Register Number. Using this requires no fee and no need for registration.

North Carolina State Prisoner Search

Searching for state prisoners in North Carolina who are housed by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction is simple, free and straightforward.²³ The agency maintains a North Carolina State Prisoner Locator Tool and an Automated System Query (ASQ) Tool. Both tools use the same database, but the latter allows requesters to create customized special reports based on select criteria.

This prison locator tool that doubles up as a people finder can be searched using offender bio-data such as names, offender number, gender and DOB, etc.

The ASQ tool is searched using criteria such as ‘probation’, and ‘community supervisions’ and matching them with ‘entries’ or ‘exits’.

It is possible for family and family to communicate with state prisoners in North Carolina. Inmates located in state prisons can send and receive mail receiving only copies of the mail rather than the original copies.³

All mails are processed by Text Behind and all mail for inmates should be sent to the company’s facility in Maryland using the format below:

Name & Opus Number
Name of Prison (should not be abbreviated)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

This mailing system prevents the smuggling of contraband into prison facilities and all mail must be approved before being delivered to offenders.

Inmates who are in the general population with the exception of those in central prison can also make phone calls out of prison but cannot receive calls. If a family member has an emergency that they need to communicate to an offender, then they should contact the facility to explain to staff members and provide the relative contact information to verify the emergency.

GTL (Global Tel*Link) has a contract with the NCDOC which allows family and friends to purchase telephone time for calls.

How To Determine If Yourself or Someone Else Has an Arrest Warrant

The state of North Carolina defines a warrant for arrest as consisting of the crime of the person accused, a direction to arrest the accused person, and the authorization to hold the person to answer to the crimes in which they were accused—it is based upon a showing of probable cause which is either supported either by oath or affirmation.²⁴

Unlike other states in the union, North Carolina does not have an overarching database and search tool that can be used to retrieve warrant information for its citizens. Nevertheless, interested individuals have a number of options to obtain this information including:

• Querying the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI)
• Some county sheriffs may provide a warrant list.
• Contacting local county courts
• Third-party websites.

Querying The NCSBI

Due to the Right to Review Process mentioned earlier, members of the public can run a criminal history check with the NCSBI which will also include warrant information. A written request is sent to the NCSBI to:

Civilian Services Unit: Right to Review
PO Box 29500
Raleigh, North Carolina 27626

Requesters should fill out the Request Form-Right to Review and mail it into the above address along with a $14 certified check or money order made payable to the NC State Bureau of Investigation.²⁵

The process should take 2 calendar weeks.

County Courts

As the responsibility of issuing warrants lies with the courts, citizens may contact the county courts using the Court Locator Tool to ascertain the status of warrants. The clerks of courts would be the point of contact for this.

County Sheriff’s Office

To see if someone has a warrant out for their arrest, most county sheriff’s offices in North Carolina provide arrest warrant details upon request or have a dedicated online page for warrants. For example, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office website mentions that citizens can contact their office and they’ll provide warrant details.

Third-Party Websites

Some third-party websites may offer a search service that may be used to obtain warrant information for a fee. They generally make the process much simpler, since requesters don’t need to scour around government websites trying to find this information.

How To Get a Background Check Done for Personal or Professional Purposes in North Carolina

Government agencies in North Carolina are mandated to ensure some professions such as caregivers and those engaged in volunteer work to complete background screenings to ensure they don’t have North Carolina arrest records. Many occupations that require state issued licenses such as pharmacists and real estate appraisers will need background checks completed.

These background checks are mandated to ensure public safety and to maintain a high quality of professionalism by individuals to whom these licenses are issued. Background checks primarily fall on the shoulders of:

• The North Carolina Court System: Allows the general public to check other’s criminal history
• The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI): For professional uses
• Third-party vendors: For professional uses

While it is possible for members of the public to perform a background check on someone else in North Carolina for personal reasons and without consent, background checks that are completed for professional purposes must conform to the guidelines set by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Fair Credit and Reporting Act (FCRA).

Guidelines like those set forth by the EEOC prohibit employers from conducting background checks and using the information gathered to undermine equal employment opportunities for potential employees.

The FCRA also mandates that employers obtain consent to conduct background checks from potential employees. In addition, it gives employees the right to review the results from the checks and rectify any mistakes and also to appeal any decisions that have been made resulting from the background checks.

Background Check Process via North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI)

There are several background checks that can be performed through the NCSBI, these are:

• Personal background checks
• Background checks by employers and licensing entities as those in the table above

Employers and Licensing Entities

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) performs the role of CJIS Systems Agency (CSA) for the State of North Carolina. FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) is the nation’s central records repository for the information system providing assistance to state law enforcement, and public, governmental, and private entities that share information for criminal justice (CJ) and noncriminal justice (NCJ) purposes.

Agencies such as licensing entities and employees that require background checks have a contract with NCSBI known as an access agreement—these organizations seeking access to criminal history record information (CHRI) must provide the statutory authority to authorize checks for records on applicants and/or employees.

Personal Background Checks

Both North Carolina State and Federal laws allow individuals to request copies of CHRI for background checks as methods how to check if someone has a criminal record—fingerprint checks that are done for someone else will require consent:

NC State Fingerprint-Based Check:

1. This costs $14 as mentioned earlier and is a finger-based CHRI check known as the right to review.
2. An NC state conducted by the SBI will include a response letter on a letterhead from the SBI. Instruction and more information to complete the Request Form-Right to Review are found here.

National Finger-print-Based Check:

National checks can be conducted through the FBI as aforementioned and are finger-print based. The fastest way to do this is online which will take 3-5 days, but can also be done by mail which will take up to 2 months.

Online:

1. Proceed to Identity History Summary Checks
2. Follow the steps outlined under the section labeled ‘Obtaining Your Identity History Summary’.
3. Obtain fingerprints from participating U.S. post office locations electronically; this option will require the application completed online and payment made. Those who don’t choose to use a U.S. post office location may mail their completed fingerprint card along with the confirmation email received when the electronic request was made. These finder print cards can be done at county sheriff’s offices.
4. The cost for this check is $18.

By Mail:

1. Complete the Applicant information form.
2. Obtain fingerprints to be placed on a standard fingerprint form (FD-1164) on ink or live scan. This can be done at the county sheriff’s offices.
3. The cost of this CHRI (rap sheet) is $18 and payment through credit card is done through this Credit Card Payment Form or money order which is payable to the Treasury of the United States.
4. Mail the required items (signed applicant information form, fingerprint card, and payment of $18 per person) to:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Rd
Clarksburg, WV 26306

Individuals that do not have a record will receive a response by first-class mail via the USPS stating that they have no prior arrest data while those that do have a record on file will receive a full rap sheet.

Background Checks Through the North Carolina Court System & North Carolina Department of Public Safety

The NC court system and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety allow members of the public to run background checks on others and themselves.

North Carolina Court System

1. Go to North Carolina Judicial Branch’s Criminal Background Check page and determine the type of check you need.
2. This request for a criminal record search by name for either yourself or others in a single county is done through the clerk of the superior court office. It is not statewide and only for one county.
3. Fill out Form AOC-CR-314 and send it to the county court clerk’s office with the fee of $25 which can either be a money order, credit card, or cash.

North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS)

It is possible to view criminal records for those that have served prison sentences through the NC Department of Adult Corrections as discussed before. Those who may have committed sex offenses can be viewed through the NC Sex Offender Registry which is delved into in the next section below.

There is also a National Sex Offender Search to locate sex offenders on a national level.

Third-Party Vendors or Criminal Background Check Companies Endorsed by the North Carolina Judicial Branch

Unofficial records can also be performed by third parties that sell information to members of the public. The N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) has a list of third-party vendors that obtain information from them pursuant to a licensing agreement but does not however guarantee the accuracy of information from these vendors.

How To View & Search the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry

The NC General Assembly established the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry in 1996 as per North Carolina Code § 14-208.5 which requires persons convicted of sex crimes to register with law enforcement agencies.²⁶

This registry is a resource to inform the public and keep communities safe.

There are multiple ways to find offenders using this felony registry and online directory, including:

• First and last name
• By your address or a nearby address
• Their sex offender registration number
• Latitude and longitude for general areas or areas without an actual address

Your Rights Regarding Criminal Records & Arrest Records Under North Carolina Laws

While the North Carolina General Statutes § 132-6-6.2 and the Freedom for Information Act (FOIA) give the public the right to access criminal and arrest records at the state and federal levels respectively—there are a number of laws that safeguard citizens’ rights by restricting the access of certain criminal records by the public. 

These include laws enforced by government agencies such as the Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Fair Credit and Reporting Act (FCRA).

FCRA: The FCRA has guidelines that mandates a 7 year look back rule that consumer reporting agencies (CRA’s) can report on an individual’s criminal history. This period varies between states with some states having longer or shorter look back periods.

EEOC: Criminal convictions always get displayed during background checks. Employers who refuse to offer a job to applicants due to a criminal conviction that took place several years before a job application was lodged are in violation of EEOC laws. The reason is due to the EEOC enforcing civil rights in the workplace to prohibit employee discrimination.

Additionally, certain criminal records in North Carolina are not subject to the right of access including criminal investigation records and records that involve public security.²⁷

Expunction: North Carolina passed an expunction law dubbed Senate Bill 445 which reduces the wait time to file expunctions for felony and misdemeanor convictions. When criminal records are sealed and/or expunged, individuals can now be in a position to legally deny a conviction.

However, expunctions will not make offenders immune from all consequences of their records such as when making determinations in matters regarding federal immigration.

Juvenile Records: Certain criminal records such as juvenile records barring that those are extreme in nature like felonies and murder cases, or records that may jeopardize the safety of inmates and facility personnel cannot be scrutinized in North Carolina except by court order.

Ban The Box: The state of North Carolina does have a ban the box law in place due to executive order No.158 signed in 2020 which:²⁸

1. Prohibits employers from requesting potential employee’s criminal background and history in their job applications—rather this is reserved later in the hiring process, as a conditional offer of employment.
2. Job applications cannot include questions about criminal records.
3. There should be no considerations made on:
   • Expunged records
   • Dismissed charges
   • Charges that deemed the defendant not guilty
   • Pardoned convictions

Ban the box laws make certain that job applicants are first judged by their credentials without the blemish of a criminal history.

It is permissible to perform personal named based criminal background checks without someone’s consent in North Carolina through the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the county courts. However, checks that are being completed for professional purposes such as employment, property management, licensing, etc., must conform to federal and local laws.

Accessing North Carolina criminal records can prove to be a complicated and daunting task that may not be for the faint-hearted. However, with the right direction and guidance, virtually anyone can quickly and easily access free North Carolina arrest records and criminal history reports through the official channels detailed in this guide.