Find Burke County Criminal Court Records

Burke County criminal court records are managed by the Clerk of Superior Court in Morganton. The county is part of Judicial District 25 in North Carolina. You can search criminal court records from Burke County online or at the courthouse. The clerk's office keeps all case files, including felonies and misdemeanors. Both the eCourts portal and the self-service terminals at the courthouse give you ways to look up criminal cases. Burke County criminal court records are open to the public under state law, and staff can help you find what you need during office hours.

Burke County Criminal Court Clerk

The Burke County Clerk of Superior Court is the main office for criminal court records. It is at 201 S. Green Street in Morganton. The clerk files new criminal cases, keeps all court documents, and provides copies to the public. You can visit in person or call (828) 438-5400 for help with Burke County criminal court records.

Burke County shares District 25 with Catawba County. Both counties follow the same local court rules and procedures. The clerk's office in Morganton handles all criminal cases for Burke County, from initial charges through final judgments. Civil and criminal calendars are posted online through the NC Courts website. Staff can search for records by name or case number and make copies while you wait.

Search Criminal Court Records in Burke

The NC eCourts Portal is the easiest way to search Burke County criminal court records from home. The portal is free. You can search by name, case number, or citation number. Results show charges, court dates, and case status. You do not need to create an account for basic searches.

At the courthouse in Morganton, self-service terminals are open to the public. These let you search criminal court records for free. You can look up cases by defendant name or case number. If you need copies, ask staff at the clerk's window. For a certified criminal record search, complete Form AOC-CR-314 and pay the $25 fee. The clerk will search Burke County records and give you a certified result.

You can also mail in your search request. Send the completed form with a check or money order for $25 to the Burke County Clerk of Superior Court at 201 S. Green Street, Morganton, NC 28655. Allow extra time for mail requests.

Note: Unreturned criminal warrants are not visible on the public eCourts portal for Burke County.

Burke County Criminal Case Records

Criminal court records in Burke County cover a range of documents. The main types include arrest warrants, criminal summons, indictments, and charging documents. As a case moves through the system, more records are added. These include bond orders, motions, plea agreements, trial transcripts, and sentencing orders.

Superior Court in Burke County hears felony cases. District Court handles misdemeanors and infractions. Under N.C.G.S. Chapter 132, criminal court records are public records in North Carolina. You can view most case files at the courthouse. Some records may be sealed by court order or restricted under state law. Juvenile cases and certain protective orders are not public in Burke County.

Criminal Court Records Resources for Burke

Several state tools help you search beyond Burke County court records. The NC Department of Adult Correction lets you search for state prison inmates, probationers, and parolees. This database goes back to 1972. It does not include Burke County jail records.

The NC State Bureau of Investigation is the central repository for criminal information in North Carolina. The SBI offers fingerprint-based background checks that are more accurate than name-based searches. For sex offender data, the NC Sex Offender Registry lets you search by name, address, or area. The Burke County Sheriff at (828) 438-5500 can also answer questions about local criminal records and arrests.

The obtaining court records page on the NC Courts site explains all the ways to get criminal court records in Burke County and across the state.

Note: Name-based record checks are not as accurate as fingerprint-based searches through the SBI.

Burke Criminal Court Records Fees

Getting criminal court records in Burke County costs different amounts based on the type of request. A certified criminal record search is $25 per name. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $15. Self-service terminal searches at the courthouse are free. The eCourts portal is also free.

Copy fees for documents in a case file depend on the number of pages. Ask the clerk for current rates. Certified copies cost more than plain ones. Fees are set by state law under G.S. 7A-308 and are the same across all North Carolina counties. You can pay at the clerk's window in Morganton with cash, check, or money order. The eCourts portal accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Discover for online payments on fines and fees tied to Burke County criminal cases.

Burke Criminal Court Records Online

The NC eCourts system gives round-the-clock access to criminal court records in Burke County. The portal replaced the old ACIS system. You can view case information, check court dates, and see documents from any device. Registration is free and optional. It helps if you want to save cases to a personal folder for later review.

The Remote Public Access Program offers licensed access to bulk criminal data. This program is designed for businesses and organizations that need large volumes of court data from Burke County and other counties. Fees apply for RPA licenses. The statutory authority for this program is G.S. 7A-109(d) and (e).

Note: Many private companies buy North Carolina court data and sell it online, but the most reliable source is the official eCourts portal for Burke County.

Older Criminal Records in Burke County

The clerk's office in Morganton has criminal court records going back many years. Very old records from the 1800s may be at the NC State Archives in Raleigh. The archives hold historical court documents on microfilm from counties across the state, including Burke County. Before 1868, county courts handled both civil and criminal cases. Many of those original records are now at the State Archives.

Digital records in the eCourts system cover recent decades. For older cases not yet in the digital system, visit the clerk's office in person. Staff can search older indexes and pull paper files from storage. This may take more time than a digital search for Burke County criminal court records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Burke County. Criminal cases are filed in the county where the offense took place. Check the location of the incident to make sure you search in the right county.