Criminal Record Checks

Criminal records are a matter of public record and may be checked by name upon payment of the $25 statutory fee. The fee may be paid by cash or money order made payable to the Edgecombe County Clerk of Superior Court. No personal checks or charge cards of any kind will be accepted. This service is requested primarily by employers or landlords but can be utilized by any fee-paying member of the public.

The criminal record check you obtain from the Clerk's Office only searches criminal charges filed in Edgecombe County, North Carolina; it will not pick up out-of-county, out-of-state, or federal charges. Various internet sites and other entities can provide this type of search for a fee if you require this kind of service.

Please be advised of the following: the criminal records system is designed and maintained by the Administrative Office of the Courts and is name-based only. The system is not based on any unique, identifiable characteristic such as fingerprints. This means no guarantee can be made as to actual identity.

For example, if the name to be searched is relatively common (i.e. "John Smith") every John Smith charged with a criminal offense in Edgecombe County will appear in the criminal record check. It is the responsibility of the checking party to distinguish between the various individuals by verifying dates of birth, addresses, or physical characteristics such as race and gender.

Obtaining a Criminal Record Check

There are two (2) ways to obtain a criminal record check:

  • In person. You may visit Suite 102 of the Clerk's Office, located on the 1st floor of the Edgecombe County Courthouse. You must be able to provide the name to be checked and pay the applicable fee. Please see Directions for our location.
  • The Criminal Record Check form is available online at the North Carolina court system homepage. Search form number AOC CR-314. It may be filled in, printed, and brought or mailed to the address below. This form is in Adobe PDF format.
  • By mail. You may also mail a written record check request by clearly stating you are requesting a criminal record check and providing the name to be checked, a certified check or money order for the applicable fee, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail your request to:
Clerk of Superior Court
ATTN: Criminal Division - Records
PO Drawer 9 Tarboro, NC 27886