Perform a North Carolina Probation Search (Resource)

Carry out a free North Carolina probation search online using various convenient resources. State and government public records offer a great deal of information about offenders.

In North Carolina, offenders who have committed a relatively minor offense may be eligible for probation where they live in the community while serving a suspended sentence instead of going to jail. Probation is not typically offered for those who have committed more serious offenses; however, those who are jailed may have the opportunity for early release on parole depending on their behavior and the outcome of a hearing.

This streamlined resource explores some of the options available to people interested in finding official records relating to probationers in North Carolina.

Conduct a Free North Carolina Probation Search To Determine Community Supervision Status

The Offender Public Information Search is a free tool providing up-to-date information about offenders, probationers and parolees in North Carolina.¹

The database is maintained by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) and includes information about cases dating back to 1972. However, it’s not fed with information from county jails, so these must be searched separately.

Users can search for offenders by their first name, last name and middle initial. There is a “name sounds like” search flag to support phonetic matches. Users can also narrow down the search results by gender, ethnicity and age range too.

The search results page will list all individuals matching the details provided.

Clicking on a name will show the current status of the offender, including:

• Which jail they are being held in (if applicable)
• The date of their release (either past, or scheduled)
• Whether the offender is in custody, on probation, parole or some other form of release

The NCDAC can be contacted by writing to:

North Carolina Department of Adult Correction
5201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-5201

Offender Information: 800-368-1985
Prison Records: 919-726-3200

Court records can also be useful when conducting a probation search in North Carolina. The North Carolina Judicial Branch provides access to court records via the eCourts Portal. Users can search by name, case number or attorney and see details of upcoming hearings as well as information about any judgements that the court has already passed.

To access court information via the eCourts Portal, click on the “Smart Search” box and enter the name of the offender in the format of last name, first name and middle initial, in that order. Add a date range for the court hearings if this is known.

The results page will show any exact or similar matches for the search terms.

Click on the underlined link to view information about the hearing, including what the case was about, and any citation information or dispositions.

Another source of court records is the nationwide PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system.⁴ This system includes information from courts all over the United States. Users must register with PACER to search the records and there is a small fee to view information on the platform.

PACER allows users to search either a specific court’s records (if the court where the hearing took place is known), or the nationwide court database.

Some courthouses offer public access terminals, which can be used to access court records.

Look Up Probation Records on the County & Municipal Levels in North Carolina

The courts in North Carolina provide information about cases and judgements to the eCourts Portal database.⁵ It can be used online conveniently and is a good source of information when conducting a probation search in North Carolina.

However, those who are looking for records from prior to 1972 or who are unable to use the online search tool can access court information by contacting the clerk of court at the relevant county court.

A list of the county courts for some of the biggest counties in North Carolina is provided below:⁶

In most cases, details of recent cases will be accessible via the eCourts portal. However, the clerk of court can offer advice or assistance with searching court records.

District courts cover a wide variety of cases – not just criminal trials. Court records can also be helpful for finding information about civil and family law cases.

Contact Someone’s Probation Officer in North Carolina & Look Up Violations

The results of a probation search in North Carolina will indicate if a person has been released from prison, and also which probation office they’re being supervised by.

Probation officers are responsible for supervising people while they’re serving the remainder of their time in the community. Among the conditions that a probationer is required to abide by as part of their release are requirements to stay within a given area and report regularly to their probation officer.

Probation and parole departments are responsible for ensuring a probationer is complying with the terms of their release. These departments are not custodians of public records, so they cannot usually advise callers on if a person is on probation or not. However, they may be able to assist with other queries.

A list of some probation and parole departments for the most populous North Carolina counties is provided below:

Probation officers may be able to respond to concerns about an offender’s safety or take action if an offender has violated the terms of their release. These officers are not frontline law enforcement officers, however, and any pressing concerns should be reported to the police.

If someone is thought to be in violation of the terms of their probation, they may be wanted by the local sheriff’s office. The North Carolina Sheriff’s Association maintains a list of the sheriff’s offices across the state.⁷ Contact the local sheriff to find out if an individual is on a wanted list in that county.

Offenders who have committed crimes of a sexual nature may be required to join the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry.⁸

This registry is provided for public safety and includes information about sex offenders, their aliases, locations and the crimes they committed. The registry is free to search and open to the general public.

How To View Details of Parolees Throughout North Carolina

While a probation search will show people who were released from jail before serving their sentence in full, parole is granted at an earlier stage, so finding a parolee would require searching different databases.

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) provides some concise guides which explain how the parole process works.⁹ The Post Release Supervision & Parole Commission of the NCDAC determines whether or not a person is eligible for parole.

N.C. Post-Release Supervision & Parole Commission
2020 Yonkers Road 4222 Mail Service Center
Raleigh N.C. 27699-4222

Phone: 919-716-3010
Fax: 919-716-3987
E-mail: [email protected]

There are several organizations that can help people keep track of parolees in North Carolina. One of the main resources is the North Carolina Statewide Automated Victim Assistance & Notification (NC SAVAN) system, which informs interested parties when an offender’s custody status changes.¹⁰

The system covers a variety of changes, including:

• Escape & Recapture
• Transfer
• Completed a Sentence
• Released on Parole
• Released for Other Reasons (e.g. a Work Program)

Victims can sign up for email or telephone notifications through NC SAVAN. The service also provides victims with information about their rights and the options they have for participating in the criminal justice process.

Those seeking information about offenders who were convicted in a different state may find VINELink useful. This service is similar to NC SAVAN but receives information about offenders from across the United States. Victims can sign up for notifications from VINELink via their website or download the app from the Google Play Store or the iPhone App Store.

VINELink is available online 24 hours a day and receives notifications from courts and jails across the United States, not only in North Carolina. This makes the platform a handy system for tracking down offenders convicted in other parts of the country too.

Being a victim of crime can affect people in a variety of ways. The North Carolina Victim Assistance Network offers support for victims of violent crime and their loved ones. The organization also offers advocacy services.

In addition to the resources above, the North Carolina Department of Justice offers trauma support and other resources for victims and survivors.¹¹

Using the available lookup methods provided in this resource, individuals can easily carry out a North Carolina probation search without having to spend a significant amount of money.