Davidson County Criminal Court Records

Davidson County criminal court records are stored at the courthouse in Lexington, North Carolina. The Clerk of Superior Court in Davidson County handles all criminal case records for Judicial District 22. You can search for criminal court records by defendant name or case number through the NC eCourts Portal or at the clerk's office. The courthouse in Lexington serves the entire county. Public access to criminal records is provided both in person and through free online tools. Certified criminal record searches cost $25 through the clerk's office.

Davidson County Criminal Court in Lexington

The Davidson County Courthouse is at 110 W. Center Street in Lexington. All criminal cases for the county are filed here. The Clerk of Superior Court manages every criminal case file and provides public access to records. Staff at the clerk's office can look up cases by name or number and make copies of documents.

Davidson County is in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Lexington, the county seat, is known as the barbecue capital of the state. The county has about 167,000 residents and includes the city of Thomasville. District 22 is shared with Davie County, so judges and court resources serve both locations. Criminal and civil calendars for Davidson County are available online through the Davidson County NC Courts page. This page also lists local rules, the contact directory, and payment options for court fees.

The NC Courts page for Davidson County provides court calendars, clerk contact information, and links for searching criminal court records.

How to Search Davidson County Criminal Court Records

The NC eCourts Portal is the fastest way to look up criminal court records in Davidson County online. The portal is free and covers all North Carolina counties. Search by party name, case number, citation number, or attorney name to find cases.

Results show charges, court dates, case status, and dispositions for Davidson County criminal cases. You can view and print case documents at no cost. No account is needed for basic searches. Creating a free account lets you save cases to review later. The portal accepts credit and debit cards for paying fines and fees on criminal cases.

For an in-person search, visit the clerk's office in Lexington. Public access terminals are available. For a certified criminal record search, complete Form AOC-CR-314 and pay the $25 fee. Submit the form at the clerk's office or by mail. Under G.S. 7A-109, the clerk is required to process these requests for the public.

Davidson County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office is at 110 W. Center Street in Lexington. The sheriff handles arrests, serves warrants, and runs the county detention center. Criminal cases in Davidson County often begin with the sheriff or local police before entering the court system.

The Davidson County Sheriff's Office website provides details on law enforcement services and detention center operations.

Call (336) 249-0131 for the sheriff's office. For emergencies, dial 911. Arrest records from the sheriff are different from the criminal court records held by the Clerk of Superior Court. If you need court documents from a Davidson County criminal case, contact the clerk rather than the sheriff.

Note: The Davidson County Sheriff's Office and the courthouse share the same street address in Lexington.

Criminal Court Records in Davidson County

Davidson County handles both felony and misdemeanor criminal cases at the Lexington courthouse.

Superior Court hears all felony cases in Davidson County. This includes drug trafficking, armed robbery, assault, burglary, and other serious charges. A 12-person jury decides the outcome when a defendant pleads not guilty. The clerk stores every document from these cases, from the initial warrant through sentencing. Misdemeanor cases go to District Court. These cover lesser charges like simple assault, disorderly conduct, shoplifting, and minor drug possession. A judge hears these without a jury. Appeals from District Court move to Superior Court in Davidson County for a new trial.

All criminal court records from both courts are maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court. Under the North Carolina Public Records Act and G.S. Chapter 132, most of these records are open to the public. Juvenile cases, sealed records, and certain protective orders are exceptions that require elevated access.

Davidson County has court records going back to 1834. The clerk's office in Lexington stores modern case files. Historical records from before 1868 are at the NC State Archives in Raleigh. Traffic-related criminal cases like DWI, driving while license revoked, and hit-and-run charges also produce court records in Davidson County. These are filed alongside other criminal matters at the Lexington courthouse. The criminal division of the clerk's office can be reached at (336) 249-0351 for questions about specific case files. Expunged records will not appear in any public search of Davidson County criminal court records.

Davidson County Criminal Court Records Resources

State agencies provide tools that supplement criminal record searches for Davidson County cases. The NC Department of Adult Correction runs an offender search with data back to 1972 for state prison inmates and people on supervised release. It does not include Davidson County jail inmates.

The NC Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders by name or location, including areas in Davidson County. Under G.S. 14-208.5, people convicted of qualifying sex offenses must register with law enforcement. The NC State Bureau of Investigation is the state's central criminal records repository and offers fingerprint-based background checks. The Remote Public Access Program provides licensed data access for organizations that need to run frequent criminal record searches. For most people looking up a single case in Davidson County, the eCourts Portal or a call to the clerk at (336) 249-0355 is the easiest method.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Davidson County. Criminal cases are filed in the county where the offense occurred. Search the right county to find the records you need.