Guilford County Court Records

Guilford County court records are documents submitted to or created by a court during legal proceedings. In North Carolina, court records are broadly classified as all documents, letters, papers, recordings, magnetic or other tapes, and other documentary materials maintained by a court clerk's office, regardless of physical form or characteristics. The records include briefs (summaries and arguments about a case), transcripts, evidentiary materials, opinions, calendars, notes, motions, pleadings, etc.

In Guilford County, North Carolina, they provide a detailed account of court cases, including the reasoning behind a court's judgment. Court records are also valuable as reference materials for legal practitioners and judges.

According to the District and Superior Court Rules, the court clerk is the custodian of North Carolina court records, including records originating from Guilford County.

Are Court Records Public in Guilford County?

Yes. North Carolina's Public Records Law (N.C.G.S. 132-1 et seq.) permits the disclosure of public records, which include court records, and a requester is not required to state the reason for their request. In addition to the public records law, N.C.G.S. 7A-109(a) also declares that records maintained by the court clerk per Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) rules are public.

However, specific court documents are exempt from public disclosure. Examples include:

• Attorney-client communications
• Juvenile records (abuse, neglect, dependency, delinquency)
• Records of settlements in medical malpractice actions against public hospitals (G.S. 132-1.3(a))
• Arrest and search warrants that have not been executed and returned (G.S. 132-1.4(k))
• Grand jury records
• Adoption records
• Judges or other court officials' personal notes

However, where only certain parts of a requested document are confidential, the courts may exclude that part and furnish the requestor with the rest.

Guilford County Court Records Search

An interested person may search for Guilford County court records via the following options:

• Through the Clerk of the Superior Court's office
• At courthouse self-service terminals
• Via third-party public records websites

Guilford County Court Records Search by Name

A Guilford County court records name-based search uses the name of a litigant (who may be an individual or an organization) to find matching records. The search can be performed as follows:

• Accessing the eCourts portal provided by the North Carolina judicial branch. Searches can be conducted using party (first and last), attorney, and business names, as well as other search criteria.
• The courthouse where a case was handled. Researchers may access self-service terminals or query the Superior Court Clerk's office for records.

Guilford County Courts

The Guilford County court system comprises superior and district courts. The courts hear proceedings at the following locations:

Guilford County Courthouse
201 South Eugene Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
Phone: (336) 412-7300

Guilford County Courthouse - High Point
505 East Green Drive
High Point, NC 27262
Phone: (336) 822-6700

Guilford County Superior Court Case Search

The Guilford County Superior Court exclusively hears all felony cases, civil cases involving over $25,000, and probate and guardianship cases. The court also hears some infractions and misdemeanors that exceed the district court's jurisdiction.

To find court case documents maintained by the Guilford County Superior Court, one may access the eCourts portal. They can also visit any courthouse to use self-service terminals or contact/mail the Superior Court Clerk's office to request copies.

Guilford County District Court Records

Guilford County's district courts hear civil and criminal cases, including infractions and misdemeanors, civil claims of less than $25,000, domestic violence protection orders, involuntary mental health commitment, and small claims. They also handle domestic relations cases and some juvenile matters.

Guilford County district court records can be obtained from the Superior Court Clerk's office. One may contact the Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court at (336) 412-7300 for more information.

Guilford County Criminal Records

Guilford County criminal records can be obtained from law enforcement departments, such as municipal police agencies, county sheriff's offices, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

Local Police Departments: Individuals can request criminal history reports from the law enforcement agency that made an arrest. For instance, the Greensboro City Police Department provides arrest history reports to the public at no cost. However, the agency's Records Division only releases information about charges/arrests made by the Greensboro Police Department. Typically, Guilford County Arrest Record information is contained within the subject’s criminal records.

Guilford County Sheriff's Office: The Guilford County Sheriff's Office provides a fingerprinting service to check someone's criminal background for employment purposes. Citizens must schedule an appointment and bring along a valid photo ID and $10 to:

Greensboro Courthouse
201 South Eugene Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
Phone: (336) 641-3005

Processing fees apply if paying with a credit card.

The sheriff's office also provides online services for the public to obtain some Guilford County arrest records and other criminal data.

Statewide Criminal Records: The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the central repository for criminal information in North Carolina, provides fingerprint background checks that reveal a person's criminal history. Each SBI fingerprint check for North Carolina costs $14 and is only provided to the subject of the record.

A person may also find sex offender records with the SBI's Sex Offender Search tool using an address, name, registration number, or map coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Guilford County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Guilford County criminal court case records can be obtained from the Clerk of the Superior Court's office. Individuals can fill out and submit Form AOC-CR-314 to the Clerk's office in person or by mail. The service costs $25, which is payable by money order or check (for mail requests) or via credit card, cash, certified check, or money order (for in-person orders)

Alternatively, one can access the North Carolina Judicial Branch's eCourts portal to look up criminal cases or the District and Superior Court Search to find upcoming criminal and infraction cases by defendant name, court type, and county.

Members of the public can also visit any of the Guilford County courthouses to use public, self-service terminals to look up criminal case information. Search parameters include a defendant's name, case number, or victim or witness name.

Get Guilford County Civil Court Records

Guilford County civil court records carry information about noncriminal cases initiated to establish rights or resolve conflicts between two or more parties. Guilford County civil court records can be obtained at the courthouse (by using self-service terminals) or from the Superior Court Clerk's office in person or via mail. Records can also be obtained from the North Carolina Judicial Branch's eCourts portal.

Guilford County Family Court Records

In Guilford County, the district courts hear all family-related cases, including adoption, paternity, domestic violence, child custody and support, juvenile delinquency, and divorce. Family court records can be obtained in the same manner as other district court records. That is to say, a person can stop by any of the local courthouses, contact the Superior Court Clerk's office, or access the state judiciary's eCourts portal.

However, researchers should note that some family court records, such as those pertaining to juvenile matters, adoptions, and domestic violence, may be restricted to protect the privacy of the involved persons. These confidential records may be limited to authorized individuals (e.g., parties involved in the case) or those with a court order.

Guilford Dissolution of Marriage Records

An interested person may obtain a Guilford marriage dissolution record from the Clerk of the Superior Court. As mentioned earlier, the Clerk accepts in-person and mail inquiries.

One can also obtain copies of marriage dissolution records from the North Carolina Vital Records office for $24, which includes one copy of the certificate if a record is found.

Guilford County Marriage and Divorce Records

Anyone seeking a divorce record in Guilford County can submit a request to the Superior Court Clerk's office or the North Carolina Vital Records (see above).

On the other hand, individuals can obtain their Guilford County marriage records from the Register of Deeds by submitting a completed application form and a $10 fee to the office. One may also mail the request, along with a check or money order and a valid photo ID, to:

Register of Deeds
P.O. Box 3427
Greensboro, NC 27402-3427

A Guilford marriage certificate can also be obtained from the North Carolina Vital Records office. According to N.C.G.S § 130A-93, marriage (and divorce) records may only be issued to an individual, their spouse or direct relative, an authorized legal representative, or a person seeking information to legally determine personal or property rights.

A record request may be submitted as follows:

• Online or Via Phone: The requester must provide the necessary information to the office's authorized vendor to place an online or phone order. Orders may arrive within four to five months and may cost between $37.95 to $57.95.
• In-Person: Any person who wants to order their marriage or divorce records through the Vital Records Office must book an appointment beforehand. Applicable costs are provided on the agency's website.
• Mail Request: Mail orders should be forwarded to:

North Carolina Vital Records
ATTN: VC Certificate Orders
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1900

Each application should contain the standard marriage certificate ordering form, along with $24 for the first copy and $15 for each additional certificate, plus other processing fees. Fees can be paid via credit card, personal check, or money order.

Guilford County Birth and Death Records

N.C.G.S $ 130A-93 (c) to (j) clarifies who can obtain certified birth and death records in Guilford County. The NC Vital Records provides ordering guidelines on its Order a Certificate page.

Moreover, the Guilford County Register of Deeds provides certificates for births and deaths in Guilford County. These requests may be made online, in person, or via mail.

• Online: Online requests are processed by the approved online vendor. Requesters must indicate the type of record they seek and provide their name and shipping information. This service costs $10.
• In Person: One may print out an application form (available on the Register's birth or death certificate pages) and take it to the High Point or Greensboro office, along with a picture identification. Each in-person certified copy costs $10, payable in cash or money order addressed to the "Register of Deeds".
• Mail Requests: Mail requests for Guilford County birth and death records cost $10 for each certified copy and $1 for every uncertified copy. The fees, along with the completed application form, should be mailed to the following address:
  Register of Deeds Vital Records Section
  P.O. Box 3427
  Greensboro, NC 27402-3427

Birth certificate requests must include the full name on the certificate, the person's birth date, the mother's maiden name, the father's full name, the relationship with the certificate owner, and the requestor's signature.

Death certificate requests must include the deceased's full name, the date of death, the requestor's relationship to the deceased person, and the requestor's signature.

Guilford County Probate Court Records

Probate court cases encompass the estate administration of a person who has passed on. The Superior Court Clerk's office maintains records from these cases. Interested parties can obtain these records by visiting the Clerk's office during regular business hours or accessing the eCourts portal. The Clerk also accepts mail requests for copies.

Guilford County Property Records

The Register of Deeds office preserves deeds and other real estate (property) records in Guilford County. Requesters can access the Register's Real Estate Property Search website to search using different criteria, including a grantor/grantee's name. They can also visit the office in person or use other county search tools to find property records.

Guilford County Court Records Online

Unofficial court record searches may be performed through third-party companies like Northcarolinacourtrecords.us. While third-party sites are typically convenient to use, with the added benefit of comprehensive public records coverage across counties and states, searchers must note that the information obtained is not the official court record. As a result, some information may be outdated or incomplete. Thus, cross-checking the accuracy of records is advised.