Guilford County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Named after the 1st Earl of Guilford, Francis North, Guilford County is located in North Carolina, and has an approximate population of 539,500 residents. This makes it the third most populous county within the state of North Carolina. The county's seat is Greensboro which is its largest community, and its court system is structured to handle several judicial matters involving criminal and civil cases to maintain justice and order. The regulation of law and order is facilitated through some important courts including Superior Courts and District Courts, belonging to the 6th Congressional District. .

The Superior Courts have jurisdiction over major criminal and civil cases. Superior Courts handle criminal cases that are considered serious felonies, some misdemeanors and infractions, and lesser-included offenses. Superior Courts also handle proceedings in probate, the administration of estates for decedents, and guardianship cases, and civil claims for money damages of more than $25,000. District Courts handle most misdemeanors, most infractions, and municipal ordinance violations, and civil claims for less than $25,000. District Courts also handle appeals of county game commission decisions, domestic violence protection cases, divorce, annulment, child custody, child support, paternity, equitable distribution of property, alimony and cases related to separation or property settlement agreements between spouses, requests for civil no-contact orders, involuntary mental health commitments, and Juvenile matters including juvenile dependency, child neglect, child abuse, emancipation, termination of parental rights, foster care, judicial consent for abortion, juveniles alleged to be undisciplined, and juvenile delinquency.

Annually, courts in Guilford County handle between 7,000 and 10,000 cases. During the standard year, Guilford County's overall crime rate is 44.28 per 1000 residents. In Guilford County, many court officials' public records are stored by the Clerk of the county and accessible online to individuals through the court website. Some records are sealed and confidential due to the nature of the information within but the Clerk can assist with the procedure to access those files. Such records typically include those of juvenile matters, adoption and custody matters, as well as medical and mental health files. Generally they require an additional court order or special permission from authorized personnel.

In summary, the Guilford County court system is properly structured to ensure law and order. The online accessibility of court records to the public through the court website indicates openness in its judicial system. Guilford County presents itself as a worthy example of legal governance in North Carolina by carefully upholding its court system with transparency.