Surry County Court Records

Surry County court records are documents created or filed during legal proceedings in Surry County. These records include dockets, orders, pleadings, motions, petitions, evidence, transcripts, and warrants. The clerk of court is the custodian of court records in Surry County.

North Carolina court records are important documentation of the judicial system's proceedings. They serve as a resource that informs future judgments and educates citizens about how their justice system works.

Are Court Records Public in Surry County?

Yes. Per the North Carolina Public Records Law, court records are classified as public records. Therefore, record custodians are mandated to make these records publicly available for inspection and copying unless legally restricted, just as court records are. The record custodian of court records is the Surry County Clerk.

To protect privacy, not all information in court records is publicized. Some confidential records include:

• Expunged records
• Sealed records
• Juvenile records
• Records containing Trade secrets
• Records containing personal information (passwords, social security numbers, bank accounts)
• Records of law enforcement investigation techniques
• Records of ongoing cases
• Health information.

Surry County Court Records Search

Surry County court records search can be conducted through various channels including the following:

• Online search tools
• An in-person visit to the record custodian’s office
• Contacting the record custodian (phone, email, and mail)
• Third-party websites.

Surry County Courts

The contact information of Surry County Superior Court is listed below.

Surry County Courthouse
201 East Kapp Street
Dobson, NC 27017
Phone: (336) 386-3700

Surry County Criminal Records

Individuals can obtain Surry County Criminal Records using one of the following methods:

• Clerk of Superior Court’s Office: Individuals can request certified copies of local criminal history information by contacting the Surry County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office at the local courthouse. They are required to complete and submit a Criminal Records Search Form ( Form AOC-CR-314) and then pay the applicable $25 fee by money order, credit card, or cash to obtain a certified record. A non-certified record from a background check can also be obtained in person using public access terminals available at the Clerk’s Office.
• eCourts: Individuals can conduct an online search for local criminal records using the Smart Search feature of the eCourts Portal. To complete a search, information about the case such as the party name and record number should be provided. This service is for obtaining Surry County arrest and criminal records only and not for background checks.

For statewide criminal records, individuals can conduct non-certified fingerprint-based searches of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) database. The Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) also allows individuals to conduct criminal background checks through its Remote Public Access Program (RPA).

Get Surry County Civil Court Records

Civil court records are legal documents relating to dispute resolution and noncriminal proceedings. They include personal injury, family law, and property disputes. The Surry County Superior Court handles civil cases in Surry County, and the official record custodian of civil court records is the Surry County Clerk of Superior Court.

To get a Surry County civil record, individuals need to complete a formal application, have a valid form of identification, and be ready to pay applicable searching and copying fees. Civil court records can be obtained from one of the following avenues:

• Surry County Clerk of Court: During business hours, individuals can contact the Clerk’s Office by phone, mail, or visit the Surry County Courthouse.
• North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC): The NCAOC offers the Remote Public Access Program (RPA), which gives interested individuals online access to civil and criminal court data for all North Carolina counties, including Surry County. A connection fee is required for remote access to this platform.

Surry County Marriage Records

Surry County marriage records are maintained and disseminated by the Register of Deeds Office just like other vital records in the county. To obtain these records individuals must submit a completed Vital Records Request Form, pay the applicable fee of $10 per copy, and provide a valid form of ID to the Register of Deeds Office by mail or in person. An online Vital Records Search can also be conducted for a marriage record using the tool provided by the Register of Deeds Office. Select “Marriages” as the vital record type for more exact search results.

Individuals eligible to request a copy of a marriage record include the following:

• The registrants of the marriage as stated on the certificate
• Registrants spouses
• Registrants’ biological family (Parent, grandparent, child, stepchild, sibling, or any direct ancestor)
• Authorized agents or legal representatives of the registrants.

The contact address for obtaining marriage records and other vital records is as follows:

Surry County Register of Deeds
P.O. Box 303
201 East Kapp Street
Dobson, NC 27017
Phone: (336) 401-8150, (336) 401-8151
Fax: (336) 401-8149
Email: harrist@co.surry.nc.us.

Surry County Divorce Records

As divorce settlements go through legal proceedings, the Surry County Clerk of Court is the custodian of divorce records as with other court records. As long as the divorce was granted in Surry County, interested individuals can contact the Court Clerk’s Office by mail or in person during business hours to obtain a copy of a divorce record. A public record request can also be sent to the North Carolina Judicial Branch to obtain a divorce or dissolution of marriage records as they will be filed with other court records of the state.

If the divorce was granted, an online judgment search can be conducted through the North Carolina Judicial Branch’s eCourt portal to find the divorce case records. Although divorce records are public and generally accessible, only the parties of the divorce or their legal representatives can request certified copies of the records. Fees may apply for copying and obtaining certified copies of divorce records. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also allows individuals to apply for a divorce certificate at a fee of $24 per record search.

Surry Birth and Death Records

The Surry County Register of Deeds is the custodian of vital records including birth and death records in Surry County. The county keeps original birth records and also keeps computerized birth data from which certified copies of birth records are created. Death records in the county are in book format, accessible using the office’s imaging system, and also kept in a computerized index.

Not everyone is eligible to request vital records according to the North Carolina General Statute 130A-93. Individuals eligible to request these records include the following:

• The owner of the record
• The record owner’s spouse, sibling, stepparent, stepchild or descendant
• Legal representative, attorney, or agent of the record owner
• Funeral service or director (for death certificates).

To obtain a certified copy of a Surry County birth or death record, interested individuals can fill out a Vital Records Request Form, pay the statutory fee of $10 per copy, and return the form to the Register of Deeds office by mail or in person. Payment for the record request should be made by in-state check, cash, debit card, credit card, or money order. A valid form of ID is also required to complete this request.

The Register of Deeds Office also maintains an online platform for individuals to get certified copies of vital records online. When requesting a birth or death record online using this platform, requesters need to note that they have only 30 minutes to complete their application before the process restarts.

Surry County Probate Court Records

Surry County probate records are legal documents created or filed during the process of administering a deceased person’s estate. Examples of probate documents include wills, estate inventory, court orders, letters of administration, final accountings, and final distributions. The Superior Court handles probate matters in North Carolina and the official record custodian for probate records is the Surry County Clerk of Superior Court. Individuals interested in obtaining probate records can contact the Clerk of the Superior Court’s Office by phone or during office hours (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Monday to Friday). The contact details and address of the Clerk’s Office is as follows:

The Clerk of the Superior Court’s Office
201 East Kapp Street
Dobson, NC 27017
Phone: (336) 386-3700

Surry County Property Records

Surry County property records are documents relating to real estate that provide information on property ownership and transactions. The Surry County Register of Deeds oversees the maintenance of property records in Surry County. These property records include deeds, liens, plat maps, mortgage information, tax records, and easements. Property records are considered public information, so they are available for public inspection and copying with sensitive information redacted to protect privacy.

As the official record custodian, the Register of Deeds Office can be contacted to obtain property records either by phone, mail, in person, or online through the Public Search Tool. Individuals can search the consolidated land index by name or date using the Public Search tool. Surry County also has a Real Estate Search tool for individuals to look up real estate records using owner names, parcel numbers, or addresses. The contact address for obtaining property information is as follows:

Surry County Register of Deeds Office
East Kapp Street
Dobson, NC 27017
Phone: (336) 401-8150

Surry County Court Records Online

Third-party websites like Northcarolinacourtrecords.us can also be used as an additional resource for obtaining Surry County Court records online. They allow basic to extensive searches of their databases using keywords like name, case number, and location. The advantage of third-party websites is that they offer a single location for accessing multiple county, state, and federal court records, thereby removing distance as a restriction to records accessibility. Compared to government resources updated in real-time, records obtained from third-party resources may vary in completeness and accuracy.