Official Court Access
North Carolina Public Court Records
Start with the North Carolina Judicial Branch online portal; use the case county Clerk of Superior Court if not found.
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Case Search
Docket Lookup
Clerk Of Superior Court
Appellate Dockets
Look up North Carolina court case information and dockets.
North Carolina Judicial Branch online public access.
Page Sections:
Best first step
Use the state judiciary’s online public access as your starting point.
Often searchable online
Available case summaries, docket entries, calendars, and appellate materials.
Often requires clerk or courthouse
Full case files, older records, certified copies, and records from non‑online counties.
Official North Carolina court-record access
| Official Path | Best For | How to Access | What You May Find |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Judicial Branch online public access | Quick case/docket lookups and calendars where available | Use the state portal to run a public search; if no result, proceed to the case county clerk. | Available case details and docket entries posted online. |
| Clerk of Superior Court (case county) | Official files, certified copies, and records not online | Contact or visit the Clerk of Superior Court in the county of filing. | Complete case files, registers of actions, certifications. |
| Courthouse public access terminals | On‑site searches of local trial court records | Use the public terminals at the courthouse during clerk hours. | Local case indexes and docket views maintained in that courthouse. |
| North Carolina appellate courts public access | Supreme Court and Court of Appeals dockets and opinions | Use the state appellate public access pages to locate the case. | Appellate dockets, opinions, and orders. |
Practical access questions
If a case is not in the state portal, what should I do?
Confirm the filing county and request the record from that county’s Clerk of Superior Court or use the courthouse public terminals.
How do I get a certified copy of a court record?
Request it from the Clerk of Superior Court in the case county and provide enough case details for staff to locate the file.
Are all North Carolina counties online?
Coverage varies; start with the state portal, then check with the case county clerk for records not posted online.
Can I view sealed or restricted records?
No. Restricted records are not available to the public; the clerk can advise on permissible access.