Haywood County Court Records

A Haywood County court record is a document or material filed with a court in a case. The Clerk of Court maintains these records and issues them to members of the public upon request. Requesters can find the following information in a court record:

• Case summary (case number and title, location, court’s name, and filing date)
• Case information (offense name and date, statute, decree, case type and status, and the name of the agency that reported the offense)
• Assignment information (case number, court, and date assigned)
• Party information (defendant’s name, address, sex, height, state, complainant name)
• Case event (date, time, and events)
• Dispositions (date, time, and disposition)
• Hearings (date and time)

Information contained in court records can be helpful to different individuals. For example, legal professionals like attorneys can use past court decisions to support arguments in similar cases. Landlords, employers, or individuals can use court records to check for civil disputes or criminal convictions involving a potential tenant, employee, or business partner.

Are Court Records Public in Haywood County?

Yes. Disputes regarding the public disclosure of court records are resolved under the North Carolina Public Records Law. This law allows courts to release any information or document in their custody to members of the public who want to view or copy it. However, the release of some court records is restricted to a selected few. Some typical examples of restricted court records in Haywood County include:

• Grand jury proceedings
• Adoption records (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 48-9-102)
• Juvenile records (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-2901)
• Trial preparation material
• Arrest and search warrants before a law enforcement officer returns them to the issuing court
• Settlement documents in cases relating to medical malpractice actions against public hospital facilities.

Haywood County Court Records Search

Here are the primary ways of finding court records in Haywood County:

• Electrically through the eCourts portal
• In-person at the courthouse
• Online through third-party platforms.
• Through the public self-service terminals in the courthouse

Haywood County Courts

Haywood County has trial court divisions that handle all court-related issues. The Superior Court hears felony crimes, civil cases whose amount in controversy is $25,000 or more, and appeals from the District Court. In contrast, the District Court hears serious but lower-level crimes and civil cases from $10,000 to $25,000. All courts in Haywood County are located at:

Haywood County Courthouse
285 N Main St
Suite 1500
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 454-6501

Haywood County Criminal Records

Haywood County criminal records are also called background checks. Individuals can obtain these records from the Clerk of Superior Court in person from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Customers will be given an application form to complete that will help locate the appropriate record. The clerk charges $25 for criminal records, payable by cash, money order, certified check, or credit/debit card. All fees should be paid at the Cashier's Office.

Get Haywood County Civil Court Records

The Haywood County Superior Court hears civil cases involving more than $25,000. Information about these civil cases can be accessed on the public self-service terminals in the courthouse. Requesters must know the case party’s name or case number to search via the computer. They can also obtain copies of civil court records from the staff for a fee. Inquirers who cannot visit the courthouse can view records online using the eCourts Portal. Below is a step-by-step guide to locating a record on the portal:

• Go to the Haywood County Superior Court's official website.
• Scroll down to the “Services” tab and click the “Get Started” button.
• Scroll down to the “Search Court Records” tab and click the “Get Started” button.
• Click the “Smart Search” tool
• Click the “Advanced Filtering Options” link, scroll down to the “General Options” area, and select Haywood County from the “Filter by Location” dropdown.
• Scroll to the “Case Search Criteria” and select any civil case type to help narrow the search.
• Scroll back up and enter a name or number in the search field.
• Select the reCAPCHA button and click the Search button.

Haywood County Marriage Records

The Register of Deeds does not include certified copies of marriage certificates as part of Haywood County public records. However, anyone can access uncertified copies. A fee of $10 and a valid photo ID is required to obtain copies of Haywood County marriage certificates. Individuals can submit requests via the following ways:

• Online: The office provides public access to certified copies of marriage records online for an extra processing fee of $1. Requests are usually processed by the end of the next business day and sent by mail to the requester. Customers can also use the Vital Search portal to view marriage records for free. A last name is required for the search.
• By mail: Requesters should send a valid ID, the standard fee in the form of a check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the office.
• In-person: During business hours, individuals can appear at the office to obtain copies of Haywood County marriage records. They must present a valid government-issued photo ID and the necessary fee.

Haywood County Divorce Records

The Haywood County Clerk of Court has public, self-service terminals at the courthouse that can be used to view divorce records for free. Copies of divorce records can be printed from the terminals or retrieved from the staff for a fee.

Alternatively, requesters can use the eCourts Portal to view divorce records for free. Users must enter a name or number in the search field to locate the appropriate record. To narrow the search, click the “Advanced Filtering Options” link, scroll to the “General Options” area, and select Haywood County from the “Filter by Location” dropdown. Then scroll to the Case Search Criteria area and select Family from the Filter by Case Type dropdown.

Haywood Birth and Death Records

The Register of Deeds is the custodian of all Haywood County vital records, including birth and death certificates. These records have been available since 1913. Noncertified copies of birth and death records are available to members of the public, but North Carolina law limits access to certified copies to the following individuals:

• The person named in the Haywood County birth certificate
• Spouse, sibling, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, grandparent, and step-parent.
• Individuals seeking birth or death records can do so to determine personal or property rights legally.
• Authorized attorney, agent, or legal representative of the subject of record

The Haywood County birth and death records can be obtained online, by mail, or in person at the Register of Deeds. A government-issued ID is required for requests with a fee of $10 per certificate. However, online requests attract an additional processing fee of $1, and delivery is by mail. Checks or money orders are the only acceptable forms of request by mail.

Haywood County Probate Court Records

The Haywood County Clerk of Court presides over probate matters involving wills and estate administration. Records of these cases are available online and in person at the clerk’s office. The clerk uses the eCourts Portal to disseminate probate court records for free to customers. The search criteria are name or number. Users should click the “Advanced Filtering Options” link beneath the search area to get better results. Afterward, scroll to the General Options section and select Haywood County from the Filter by Location dropdown. Locate the “Case Search Criteria” section and select “Estates,” “Civil/Family/Probate (excluding Summary Ejectment),” or “Wills Deposited for Safekeeping” to find only probate court records.

In-person requesters can visit the clerk’s office during business hours. They can use the public, self-service terminals available in the courthouse to find probate court records or obtain copies from the staff. The clerk charges a fee for copies of documents.

Haywood County Property Records

The Haywood County Register of Deeds collects, maintains, and provides property records to the public through the Search Real Estate Look Up. The search parameters are name, book/page, property address, and instrument number. Users can also view non-indexed deed images, Clerk of Court plat book, index from 1808 to 1985, and temp index. Individuals interested in obtaining copies of property records can visit the Register of Deed’s Office on Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Requesters should come to the office with the appropriate copying fees. Certified copies of property records cost $5 for the first page and $2 for each additional page. Copies of plats cost $2. The office is located at:

Haywood County Register of Deeds
215 North Main Street
Suite 213
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 452-6635

Haywood County Court Records Online

Individuals can view court records online on third-party platforms like northcarolinacourtrecords.us. Most sites require a name or case number to locate appropriate records. The search will return basic case information without charges, but users can view and download copies of complete reports when they subscribe to the site or pay a small fee. Users may find irregularities in the information available on third-party sites compared to the official records in the Haywood County Clerk of Court’s office.