Searching Durham County Court Records
How do I search Durham County court records online?
Use the North Carolina eCourts Portal Smart Search at portal-nc.tylertech.cloud. You can search by case number, party name, citation number, attorney name, attorney bar number, business name, cross-reference, or nickname. Advanced Filtering lets you narrow to Durham County, a case type, a filing date range, and a status. Case groups include Criminal Actions, Civil Actions, Estates, and Special Proceedings. The Portal is free, but it is not the official court record. The Durham County court records page walks through each search step.
How do I find my Durham County court date?
Use the eCourts Portal Search Hearings tool, or the court date links on the Durham Judicial Branch page. You can search by case number, party name, business name, attorney name, attorney bar number, judicial officer, or courtroom. For criminal and traffic dates, the Durham Clerk page says people without an attorney may use the Portal or call the Clerk's Office at (919) 808-3002. The Durham County court dockets page explains how to read the calendar and what a docket entry shows.
Can I search criminal history statewide online?
You can search public court case information through the Portal, but a full statewide criminal check is different. The state court system says it does not run criminal background searches through its public-records request form. A record check may need clerk procedures, courthouse searches, or other authorized channels. Public terminals at clerks' offices can be used for record searches, yet certified checks and copies still go through the Clerk and carry fees. For arrest and booking detail, see the Durham County arrest records page.
Can I get certified court copies from the eCourts Portal?
No. The Portal gives public internet access to case information and some documents, but it is not the official court record. For certified copies or official files, contact the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse. Different divisions handle different requests, including Civil, Criminal and Traffic, Superior Criminal, Estates, Judgments, and Special Proceedings. More on certified copies and request paths sits on the Durham County public records page.
Courthouse and Clerk Questions
Where is the Durham County Courthouse?
The courthouse is at 510 South Dillard Street, Durham, NC 27701. The main phone is (919) 808-3000. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All public entry is through the main entrance at 510 South Dillard Street. Ramp access is on the Mangum Street side, and accessible access from the parking deck is on level three. The building, also called the Justice Center, holds the trial courts, the Clerk, and the District Attorney under one roof.
Who is the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court?
The county page lists Aminah M. Thompson as Clerk of Superior Court. The office email is Durham.Clerk@nccourts.org. The Clerk is elected and runs the record-keeping and clerical work for both the District and Superior Court divisions. The Clerk also acts as Judge of Probate for wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, name changes, partitions, foreclosures, and related special proceedings. For office functions, fees, and the room directory, see the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court page.
What is the difference between Superior Court and District Court?
Superior Court hears felony criminal cases and civil cases over $25,000. District Court hears misdemeanors, infractions, family law, juvenile matters, and civil cases of $25,000 or less. Magistrates work within District Court and take small claims, evictions, early criminal process, warrants, and marriage ceremonies. Knowing which division hears a case helps you guess where its file lives before you search. The Durham County Superior Court page covers the trial divisions in more depth.
How do I request a public record from the state court office?
Use the Judicial Branch public-records request form for existing administrative records of the state court office. The form has a section for the requester and a section for the records you want. The office warns that it is not the custodian of county court documents, case files, marriage certificates, or birth certificates, so it will not fill requests for those. For county case files, the Clerk is the custodian. The Durham County public records page maps each request to the right office.
Jail, Inmates, and Warrants
How do I find someone in the Durham County jail?
Use the official Durham County Sheriff Inmate Population Search at durhamsheriff.com. If the web roster does not answer your question, call the Durham County Detention Facility at (919) 560-0912. The jail is at 219 South Mangum Street. The roster shows custody, not a full case history, so a booking can mean a pretrial hold, a short sentence, or a hold for another agency. The Durham County inmate records page covers the roster fields and how to read them.
How do I add money to an inmate account?
Durham uses TouchPay. You can deposit online, at a kiosk in the Detention Center lobby, by phone at 1-866-232-1899, or by mailed cashier's check or money order. The facility number is 227701, and an inmate ID or JCA number is required. Mail deposits to DCSO Money Intake, P.O. Box 544, Durham, NC 27702, and do not include personal letters with the payment. The Durham County inmate records page lists deposit, mail, and visitation rules in one place.
Does Durham County publish active warrants online?
No broad official active-warrant search page was found. The Sheriff FAQ says Warrant Control staff do not give active warrant information by phone and directs people to the Warrant Control Center inside the Durham County Jail at 219 South Mangum Street. Some warrant-related case events may show in the eCourts Portal if they are attached to a public case. There is no public portal that lists every open warrant. The Durham County warrant records page explains the options and what to do about an outstanding warrant.
How do I search state prison or parole records?
Use the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Offender Public Information Search. It covers state prison offenders, probationers, and parolees, with historical data back to 1972. It does not include the Durham County jail roster, which is a separate system. The department also offers release, absconder, and escape or capture tools. For federal custody, use the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. The Durham County released inmates page links each locator and release notification tool.
Does Durham County have a released inmates page?
No separate official released-inmates page was located. The Sheriff's Inmate Population Search may show custody or release status, but for verification you should call the detention facility or use VINELink and NC SAVAN for release notifications. State prison releases are checked through the Department of Adult Correction, and federal releases through the Bureau of Prisons locator. The Durham County released inmates page pulls these tools together, and the jail population data page covers custody counts.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate
Where do I get a Durham County marriage license?
Marriage licenses come from the Durham County Register of Deeds, not the courts. The office issues them by appointment, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You must finish the online application before the appointment. Both applicants should be present, bring valid photo ID and proof of Social Security, and pay the $60 cash fee. The Durham County Register of Deeds page covers the application steps, and the marriage and divorce records page covers searches.
Where do I get a Durham County divorce decree?
A divorce decree is a court record from the Clerk of Superior Court, not the Register of Deeds. The Durham Clerk page files divorce decrees less than 10 years old under the Civil division and decrees more than 10 years old under Judgments. Call the Clerk or visit the right room for certified copies. Remember the split: a marriage license is a Register of Deeds record, but a divorce decree is a court file. The marriage and divorce records page explains both paths.
Who handles probate in Durham County?
The Estates Division of the Clerk of Superior Court handles wills and probate, inventories, guardianships, year's allowance claims, and title-transfer matters after a death. Estates sits in Room 2300 on the second floor, phone (919) 808-3004. The Clerk acts as Judge of Probate under North Carolina's court structure, so probate runs through the courthouse rather than a separate probate court. The Durham County probate records page covers filing fees, estate steps, and how to search estate files.
Records Access and Expunction
Are juvenile court records public?
No. Juvenile court records are confidential under North Carolina law, even when a juvenile hearing is open in some situations. Access is limited to people the law names, such as the juvenile, a parent or guardian, attorneys, prosecutors, juvenile court counselors, and certain officials, unless a court order allows release. These files do not appear in the public Portal. For the broader access framework and the statutes that govern it, see the Durham County public records page.
Are adoption records public in Durham County?
No. North Carolina adoption records are confidential and sealed under N.C.G.S. § 48-9-102, except for limited items such as the decree and a special proceedings index entry. Access takes statutory authority or a court process. The Durham Clerk's Special Proceedings division handles adoptions, but ordinary public access is restricted. Do not rely on third-party sites for sealed-record status, since their data can be stale. The Durham County Clerk of Superior Court page lists the right division to contact.
How do I expunge a Durham County criminal record?
File the correct expunction petition with the Durham Clerk of Superior Court if the case qualifies under North Carolina law. The Judicial Branch expunction page provides the forms and instructions. Many expunctions carry a $175 fee, though dismissed or not-guilty petitions often do not unless they are tied to a diversion or deferred prosecution. Processing can take several months. A granted expunction removes the record from public view. The Durham County arrest records page covers what stays public versus sealed.
How do I get my official driving record?
Use the North Carolina DMV official driving record request service. The NCDMV lets you order online, by mail, or in person. Requests are governed by the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act and need certification of a permissible use. The official mail form is DL-DPPA-1. A court traffic record and a state driver record are different files, so a clean court result does not always match the DMV record. The Durham County traffic court records page explains the difference and how to fix errors.