Wayne County Arrest Records

In Wayne County, law enforcement typically arrests individuals found breaking the law or suspected of violating the North Carolina criminal code. An arrest means the individual was taken into custody and transported to a facility, usually the Sheriff’s Office or county jail, where they are processed pending court adjudication of guilt.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is the primary law enforcement agency in the county and carries out most arrests. However, depending on the crime, state and federal agencies may also make arrests within this jurisdiction. In any way, after an arrest, the arresting agency creates a record of the event. The arrest record contains information about the arrestee, their photo, physical description, details about the arrest, the charges, bail conditions, etc.

Wayne County arrest records are among several records created as a person moves through the criminal justice system. For example, Wayne County court records detail the court events following an arrest and the outcome as determined by a judge or jury. Thus, arrest records merely state that a person was taken into custody on suspicion of a crime. They are not conclusive evidence of guilt.

Are Arrest Records Public in Wayne County?

Yes. Wayne County arrest records are public information per the North Carolina Public Records Law (NC Gen. Stat. § 132). The law requires all records compiled by North Carolina public agencies be made available unless otherwise restricted by law or court order.

Generally, restricted records contain sensitive information, such as information about minors, witnesses in protection, ongoing criminal investigations, etc. In other words, if a record violates or threatens the privacy or safety of an individual or potentially compromises active criminal investigations, access to it will be on a need-to-know basis only. For example, arrest warrant information is only available to the warrant subject and their attorneys following identity verification.

Persons who wish to view or obtain restricted arrest records must submit a court order or subpoena issued by a court of competent jurisdiction. The success of these petitions varies. In deciding whether to grant the petition, the court will consider whether the petitioner’s need to access the record outweighs the reasons for sequestering the record in the first place.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Generally, persons who obtain Wayne County arrest records can expect to find the following information:

• The arrestee’s full name and aliases
• Physical characteristics (sex, height, weight, race, ethnicity, etc.)
• Date of birth
• Booking photo
• Custody status
• Custody location
• Time and date of booking
• Booking number
• Arrest summary (agency, address, etc.)
• Charges description (offense, degree, and status)
• Bond/bail amount
• Bail date and conditions of release.

In addition to these details, Wayne County arrest records may contain information about when an arrestee is scheduled to appear in court, the case number, the presiding judge, and instructions for inmate visitation.

Wayne County Crime Rate

According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation 2022 annual summary report, the index crime rate in Wayne County was 3003.6 per 100,000 people in 2022, a 6.3% rise in county crime rate from 2021. The violent crime rate increased by 5.9% to 505.9 per 100,000 in 2022, while the property crime rate increased by 6.4% to 2497 per 100,000 people in the same year.

A report from the FBI uniform crime reporting program showed that Wayne County recorded 206 violent crimes in 2022, including murder (2), rape (2), robbery (24), and aggravated assault (178). Law enforcement also reported 1181 property crimes, including burglary (458), larceny (574), motor vehicle theft (149), and arson (6). The Department of Adult Corrections also reported a total of 3,034 persons from Wayne County incarcerated in state prisons in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Wayne County Arrest Statistics

In 2017, Wayne County law enforcement made 7,361 arrests for Group A and Group B offenses, a 16% increase in arrest rate from 2016, when law enforcement made 6,348 arrests.

Per information submitted to the NCSBI, Wayne County law enforcement made 568 arrests for Group B offenses in 2022. Group B offenses are minor criminal offenses, such as bad checks (4), disorderly conduct (10), driving under the influence (259), drunkenness (8), nonviolent family offenses (82), liquor law violations (4), trespassing (67), as well as other petty offenses (134).

Find Wayne County Arrest Records

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of arrest records. Interested persons may contact this agency to obtain records of arrests made within the county’s jurisdiction. The means of finding arrest records from this record custodian include in-person, mail-in, and online requests, depending on which is most convenient for the searcher.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
207 East Chestnut Street
Goldsboro, NC 27530

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 1877
Goldsboro, NC 27533
Phone: (919) 731-1481
Fax: (919) 731-1699

Name-based searches on databases are most convenient for finding arrest records, especially if the record custodian makes one available. For instance, the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections (NCDAC) maintains an offender information portal for looking up arrest and incarceration information on persons serving time in state prisons.

Free Arrest Record Search in Wayne County

Per the North Carolina Public Records Law, public agencies must make public records available to interested persons for free or at a minimal cost. Generally, when an agency maintains its records on online databases, such records are available for free. However, the records available online may not be as detailed as the ones maintained at the custodian’s office.

Interested persons may obtain arrest records from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office by searching the inmate locator tool with the subject’s name. However, this tool only provides limited arrest information — like the arrestee’s physical description, arrest date, booking facility, and bail status. Additional details are only available at the Sheriff’s Office.

While viewing arrest records at the Sheriff’s Office is usually free, obtaining copies attracts service fees.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
207 East Chestnut Street
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Phone: (919) 731-1481
Fax: (919) 731-1699

That said, arrest records from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office are limited to the county’s jurisdiction. If the individual was arrested in another county, a record of that arrest may not be available unless there is an information-sharing agreement between the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the other law enforcement agency.

One way to overcome this geographic limitation is to search public records databases maintained by third parties. These aggregate websites source and make public records from several locations available on one central database and support name-based searches for arrest records. While it is possible to obtain free arrest records from these sources, the search results are often limited. To access more details, searchers may need to pay a one-time search fee or sign up for a subscription.

Besides the cost of third-party sources, another thing to bear in mind is that these service providers are not affiliated with the North Carolina state government. Hence, there is no guarantee of record accuracy, completeness, or availability. Furthermore, the records obtained from these sites may not be used for official purposes like tenant or employment screening.

Get Wayne County Criminal Records

A criminal record, also known as a criminal history record, is a document containing a person’s involvement with the North Carolina criminal justice system, including arrests, prosecutions, and convictions.

Obtaining Wayne County criminal records entails running a certified criminal record search with the Clerk of the Superior Court’s Office. To begin, visit the Clerk’s Office in person during business hours or mail in a completed criminal record search form. For mail-in requests, requestors must enclose three items in the application packet: the completed form, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a certified check or money order for $25.00. Mail the application packet to:

Wayne County Superior Court
Clerk of Court’s Office
224 East Walnut Street
Room 230
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Phone: (919) 722-6100

Free criminal records are also available through the Clerk’s Office, but the information is not certified. In other words, the Clerk’s Office does not guarantee the completeness, currency, or accuracy of the record. To get free criminal records, visit the Clerk’s Office during business hours and use the public access computers in the court lobby.

Meanwhile, statewide criminal history information is available through the Bureau of Investigation. Unlike the county-limited record search, which mainly requires the subject’s name, the statewide search requires a full set of fingerprints. The service costs $14.00, payable by money order or certified check.

For more information on obtaining statewide criminal history information, contact the NCSBI using the information below.

NC State Bureau of Investigation
Criminal Information and Identification Section
Phone: (919) 582-8660
Email: CIIShelp@ncsbi.gov.

Wayne County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest and criminal criminal records share certain similarities—because arrest records are essentially a subset of criminal records. For example, both records will contain a physical description of the subject and their biographical information. However, these records are different in that the level of detail they contain differs.

Criminal records are comprehensive reports of all a person’s interactions with the criminal justice system, i.e., arrests, prosecutions, sentencing, and convictions. On the other hand, arrest records merely detail when and why law enforcement took an individual into custody. Furthermore, arrest records are not sources of conclusive evidence of guilt. That information does not make it into arrest records because it happens down the line. On the other hand, criminal records contain information about the case outcome as decided in court.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Permanently. Arrests in Wayne County remain on the individual’s record unless the arrestee files a petition for expungement under NC Gen. Stat. § 15A. Not all arrests or charges are eligible for expunction. To be eligible for expunction, the offense or charges must fall under circumstances outlined in NC Gen. Stat. § 15A-145.

Some circumstances under which arrests are eligible for expunction include:

• The charge was dismissed after the arrest
• The arrest was made due to identity theft or mistaken identity
• The individual received a pardon of innocence
• The individual was a first-time non-violent crime offender
• The charges were set aside as part of a diversion program.

Expunge Wayne County Arrest Records

The North Carolina judicial branch has a step-by-step guide for filing arrest and criminal charges expunction. Generally, petitions for expunction are filed at the Clerk of Superior Court’s Office. The court must be located in the county where the arrest happened.

To begin, obtain a Certificate of Verification of Prior Expunction from the eCourts filing page. Next, complete the applicable expunction application form. Each type of offense has a specific application form (available online), which the petitioner must complete. For example, the form for expunging nonviolent misdemeanors is different from the form applicable for expunging prostitution arrests. If unsure of which expunction application form to fill, visit or call the Clerk’s Office during business hours.

Wayne County Superior Court
Clerk of Court’s Office
224 East Walnut Street
Room 230
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Phone: (919) 722-6100

Upon completing the expunction application form, pay the $175 filing fee (if applicable) via certified check or money order. Petitioners may also request a fee waiver if they can demonstrate financial need. After filing the expunction petition, the court may issue a summary judgment or hold a hearing to grant the expunction. If the expunction petition is successful, the court will issue a notice of expunction to all criminal justice agencies and order them to destroy the record. The expunction process often takes several weeks.

Wayne County Arrest Warrants

A warrant for arrest is a statement issued by a judge or magistrate authorizing law enforcement to take an individual into custody based on charges laid against them (NC Gen. Stat. § 15A-304).

The issuance of arrest warrants is based on probable cause. In other words, to obtain an arrest warrant, law enforcement must establish probable cause—usually by affidavit or oral testimony under oath. Under North Carolina laws, arrest warrants must contain the following information:

• Subject’s name
• Statement of crime
• City or county of warrant issue
• The name and signature of the issuing officer
• The date and time of issuance
• A copy of the affidavit of complaint.

Wayne County Arrest Warrant Search

Generally, only the warrant subject and their legal representatives may obtain warrant information subject to identity verification. The Sheriff’s Office does not provide warrant information to third parties or over the phone. Hence, eligible requestors may search arrest warrants by visiting the Sheriff’s Office during business hours. Note that visiting the Sheriff’s Office carries the risk of arrest for warrant subjects.

Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
207 East Chestnut Street
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Phone: (919) 731-1481
Fax: (919) 731-1699

Do Wayne County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Wayne County arrest warrants typically remain active until executed or recalled (NC Gen. Stat. § 15A-741). Unless recalled, active arrest warrants in North Carolina may be executed at any place or time (NC Gen. Stat. § 15A-728).