Search Onslow County Criminal Court Records

Onslow County criminal court records are stored at the Clerk of Superior Court in Jacksonville. The county is home to Camp Lejeune and a large military community. Jacksonville is the county seat and the main city. The clerk handles a high volume of criminal case filings each year. You can search Onslow County records at the courthouse or online through the eCourts portal. Onslow County has eCourts kiosks at the courthouse for public use. Records are open to the public under North Carolina law.

Onslow County Criminal Court Records Clerk

The Clerk of Superior Court in Onslow County keeps all criminal court files. The office is at the courthouse in Jacksonville. Onslow County has two courthouse buildings. The District Courthouse is at 602 Anne Street. The Superior Courthouse is at 625 Court Street. Both are in Jacksonville.

The Onslow County NC Courts page lists the full contact directory, court calendars, and administrative schedules. The main clerk number is (910) 478-3600. The District Attorney is at (910) 478-3610. The magistrate office is at (910) 478-3619. Free parking is on the corner of Court Street and Tallman Street. More parking is on Old Bridge Street across from the Summersill Building.

The Onslow County courthouse has eCourts kiosks for public use. These kiosks include scanners, printers, and payment tools. You can search, view, and print criminal records right there.

Search Criminal Court Records in Onslow County

You can search Onslow County criminal records in several ways. Each fits a different need.

Online, the NC eCourts portal is free and covers all counties. Search by party name, case number, citation number, or attorney name. You get basic case data like charges, dates, and results for Onslow County. No account is needed. The portal is open 24 hours a day. For full documents, you still need the clerk office.

At the courthouse, use the eCourts kiosks or public terminals. You can search, print, and pay on the spot. The kiosk takes credit cards. Staff at the clerk office can also pull paper files for you. Copies cost $2 for the first page and $0.25 after that. Certified copies are $3 each.

For a certified criminal background check in Onslow County, use Form AOC-CR-314 from the NC Courts forms page. The fee is $25. You can submit it in person or by mail to the Onslow County clerk.

Note: Military cases on Camp Lejeune go through the federal military justice system, not the Onslow County courts.

Onslow County Criminal Court Records Access

The Onslow County Sheriff Office handles arrest records, detention data, and law enforcement reports. The sheriff keeps records that are separate from the court system. If you need an arrest report or jail information, contact the sheriff directly.

The sheriff also offers a mobile app for alerts, traffic updates, and public safety news. The app includes sex offender information for the Onslow County area. For court case files, warrants, and sentencing records, the Clerk of Superior Court is the right office to contact in Onslow County. The two offices work together but keep their own records.

Onslow County Criminal Court Records Fees

Fees apply when you request copies of criminal court records in Onslow County. The state sets the fee schedule for all clerk offices in North Carolina.

A certified criminal record search costs $25 per name in Onslow County. This uses Form AOC-CR-314. Uncertified copies of court documents are $2 for the first page and $0.25 for each page after. Certified copies of individual documents cost $3 each. The eCourts portal is free for basic case lookups. At the courthouse kiosks, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted. Mobile pay apps like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and Cash App are not accepted at the kiosks. Call (910) 478-3600 to ask about payment options at the Onslow County clerk office.

Note: The Remote Public Access Program offers licensed access to statewide data for organizations that need ongoing access to criminal records from Onslow County and other counties.

State Criminal Record Resources

State agencies hold criminal data that can add to what you find in Onslow County. The NC Department of Adult Correction runs an offender search tool with records from 1972 to present. It covers state prison inmates and people on probation or parole. County jail records from Onslow County are not in this system.

The NC SBI is the state repository for criminal history records. They offer fingerprint-based checks that are more thorough than name-based ones. The NC Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders by address or zip code near Onslow County.

Under G.S. 7A-109, the Onslow County clerk must maintain criminal court records and allow public inspection. Certified criminal record search fees are set by G.S. 7A-308(a)(17). The NC State Archives at 109 East Jones Street in Raleigh holds older court records from many counties. For historical criminal case files from Onslow County, contact the State Archives at (919) 814-6840.

Public Access to Onslow County Records

Criminal court records in Onslow County are public under the North Carolina Public Records Act, N.C.G.S. Chapter 132. Anyone can request to see them. You do not have to be part of the case. You do not need to give a reason.

Some records are restricted in Onslow County. Juvenile cases are confidential under state law. Sealed and expunged records are not open to the public. Unreturned warrants are restricted until served. Protective orders and involuntary commitment records need elevated court access. The NC Courts guide to records explains the full rules. The clerk at (910) 478-3600 can tell you about limits on a specific record in Onslow County.

Cities in Onslow County

Jacksonville is the largest city in Onslow County. All criminal cases from the county are filed at the clerk office in Jacksonville.

Other communities in Onslow County include Sneads Ferry, Richlands, Swansboro, Holly Ridge, and North Topsail Beach. All criminal matters from these areas go through the Onslow County courthouse in Jacksonville.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Onslow County. Check where the arrest took place to find the right county for your search.