North Carolina Free Public Records Directory

North Carolina is known as the Old North State, or more enthusiastically – the Tar Heel State. With a rising population of 10 million, the state is ranked 28th in area size compared to the other states. It has 100 counties spanning over coastal and mountainous regions, with Mount Mitchell as the highest point east of the Mississippi River. As a state with a humid subtropical climate, residents experience all four seasons throughout the year. ^[1] The average temperature differs depending on where you are in the state with the mountain region at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the Piedmont area at 59 degrees, and the coast at 64 degrees. North Carolina receives between 41 and 54 inches of rain and 2 to 16 inches of snow each year. Not only is the weather pleasant, the cost of living is below the national average based on the ACCRA Cost of Living Index and there are many nationally ranked medical facilities with affordable health care costs. ^[2]

The Tar Heel state borders four states: South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and, along with Durham, is home to the largest research park in the nation, Research Triangle Park. It is also home to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport and the NC State wolfpack. The three most well-known universities in the state are the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Duke University in Durham, and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Each school is highly ranked and maintains a healthy sport rivalry with each other, especially with women and men’s basketball. Despite the hype around the schools, Charlotte is the largest and most populous municipality with the third biggest banking center in the United States.

As one of the original thirteen colonies, North Carolina has a long and rich history. It became the twelfth state in 1789 and its motto is, “To be, rather than to seem.” ^[1] One of the state’s claims to fame is being the first in flight. The Wright Brothers made the first successful flight in 1903 on the shores of North Carolina. ^[3] With this much history, there are records dating back before the Revolutionary War. Are you looking for public record information? Check out our directory database below and find the documents you need, including vital records, criminal records and court records.

Abbreviation	NC, N.C.
Capital	Raleigh
Population	10,273,419 (2017 est.)
Area size	53,819 sq. mi
Demonym	North Carolinian (official), Tar Heel (colloquial)
Primary languages spoken	English, Spanish
Governor	Roy Cooper
Lieutenant Governor	Dan Forest
U.S. Senators	Richard Burr, Thorn Tillis
U.S. House Delegation	10 Republicans, 3 Democrats
Time Zone	Eastern: UTC -5/-4

*The map and data in the table are from Wikipedia.

Browse by Public Record Category

Public records are official records that document major life milestones in a person’s life or government records that are made public to any member of the community. The Freedom of Information Act is a national law that releases government agency public records and makes it possible to view most public records. There are two types of public records: personal public records and business or government public records. Personal records typically document major events in a person’s life, such as birth certificates, marriage records, divorce records, death certificates, etc. Business or government public records are generally internal information recorded in the business or agency, like revenue, business ownership, etc. ^[4] There are a multitude of records that are available, like court records and arrest records, but it can be difficult to know where to access them. We have provided helpful categories and links to popular public access documents to help you in your records search. These links will direct you to the best website or contact information for the record you are searching for in this state. In North Carolina, bids on construction contracts are public records but trade secrets and test data associated with the bid are confidential. This is different than in Oklahoma where bids and proposals could be withheld if the record would give an unfair advantage to competitors or other bidders. ^[5]