Brunswick County Public Records /Brunswick County Criminal Records

Brunswick County Criminal Records

What Is Brunswick County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Brunswick County, North Carolina, are official government documents that chronicle an individual's interactions with the criminal justice system, from initial law enforcement contact through final court disposition. These records are generated and maintained by multiple agencies across the county and state.

A fundamental distinction exists between arrest records and conviction records. An arrest record documents that law enforcement took an individual into custody based on probable cause; it does not indicate guilt. A conviction record, by contrast, reflects a formal finding of guilt entered by a court of law. Similarly, felony records document the most serious criminal offenses—those punishable by more than one year of imprisonment—while misdemeanor records cover lesser offenses carrying shorter sentences or fines.

Adult records are generally accessible to the public under North Carolina law, whereas juvenile records are confidential by statute and are routinely sealed to protect the privacy of minors. Active warrant records reflect outstanding orders for an individual's arrest that have not yet been executed, while historical records document past arrests, charges, and dispositions that have been resolved.

The principal agencies responsible for maintaining Brunswick County criminal records include:

Brunswick County Sheriff's Office — maintains arrest records, booking information, and jail records
Brunswick County Clerk of Superior Court — maintains court case files, pleas, verdicts, and sentencing records
North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) — maintains statewide criminal history repositories
Local municipal police departments — maintain incident and arrest reports within their respective jurisdictions

The full scope of a criminal record may encompass charges filed, arraignment proceedings, plea agreements, trial records, sentencing orders, and probation or parole conditions. Members of the public seeking court-related records may consult the Brunswick County | North Carolina Judicial Branch for courthouse contact information and office directories. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-1, public records are broadly defined to include all documents made or received by a government agency in the transaction of public business.

Brunswick County Sheriff's Office 30 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422 (910) 253-2777 Brunswick County Sheriff's Office

Brunswick County Clerk of Superior Court 310 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422 (910) 253-3600 Public Counter Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Brunswick County Clerk of Superior Court

Are Criminal Records Public In Brunswick County

Adult criminal records in Brunswick County are presumptively public under North Carolina's open records framework. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-6 mandates that every custodian of public records shall permit any person to inspect and examine the records at reasonable times and under reasonable supervision. This statute establishes the foundational right of public access to government-held information, including criminal justice records.

Records that are currently available to the public include:

Adult conviction records and court dispositions
Court proceedings, dockets, and case filings
Arrest logs and booking records maintained by the Sheriff's Office
Sex offender registration information
Sentencing orders and probation conditions

Certain categories of records are restricted from public disclosure under current law:

Juvenile records — sealed pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-3000, which limits access to juvenile court records to parties directly involved in the case
Ongoing criminal investigations — investigative records compiled for law enforcement purposes are exempt from disclosure while an investigation is active
Expunged records — records that have been expunged by court order are removed from public access and treated as though the underlying event did not occur
Sealed court records — records sealed by judicial order are not available for public inspection

Members of the public may inspect available adult criminal records without providing a reason or justification for the request, consistent with the open records mandate applicable to all North Carolina government agencies.

How To Look Up Criminal Records In Brunswick County in 2026

Members of the public may obtain Brunswick County criminal records through several official channels, depending on the type of record sought and the level of detail required.

Step 1 — Identify the Record Type Determine whether the record sought is a court case record, an arrest/booking record, a certified criminal background check, or a statewide criminal history report. Each record type is maintained by a different agency.

Step 2 — Court Case Records Visit the Brunswick County Clerk of Superior Court in person at 310 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422, during public counter hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.). Members of the public may use the self-service terminal located in the clerk's office to search case information at no charge. Certified copies of court documents are available for a statutory fee. Guidance on obtaining court records is published by the North Carolina Judicial Branch.

Step 3 — Certified Criminal Background Check A certified criminal background check for a single county may be requested directly from the Clerk of Superior Court. The North Carolina Judicial Branch provides detailed instructions for criminal background checks, including the applicable fee schedule and required identification.

Step 4 — Statewide Criminal History For a comprehensive statewide criminal history, members of the public may submit a request to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Employers and authorized agencies may access the SBI repository through fingerprint-based searches.

Step 5 — Arrest and Booking Records Arrest and booking records held by the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office may be requested in person or by written request submitted to the Sheriff's Office at 30 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422.

Step 6 — Submit a Formal Public Records Request For records held by state-level agencies, members of the public may submit a formal request through the Request a Public Record portal maintained by the North Carolina Judicial Branch, which outlines available submission methods including online, by mail, and in person.

How To Find Criminal Records in Brunswick County Online?

Several official online portals currently provide access to Brunswick County criminal records without requiring an in-person visit.

North Carolina eCourts / Odyssey Portal The North Carolina Judicial Branch operates an online case search system that allows members of the public to search for criminal case information by name, case number, or other identifiers. This portal contains case filings, hearing dates, charges, and dispositions for cases processed through the Brunswick County court system. No registration is required for basic public case searches.

Self-Service Terminals As noted by the North Carolina Judicial Branch, information about criminal cases in the court system can be accessed by visiting a public, self-service terminal located at the clerk of court's office. These terminals provide the same database access available through the online portal.

NC Department of Adult Correction — Offender Search The NC Department of Adult Correction offender search tool allows members of the public to search for individuals currently or previously under the supervision of the state's correctional system. This resource includes information on incarcerated individuals, those on probation or parole, and sex offender registration data.

NC Department of Public Safety — Public Records Requests State-level law enforcement records, including certain incident and patrol records, may be requested through the NC Department of Public Safety public records request portal. This resource is particularly relevant for records involving the State Highway Patrol.

NC Department of Adult Correction — Public Records Online The public records online portal maintained by the NC Department of Adult Correction provides guidance on requesting records related to criminal and civil cases, police reports, and traffic citations, and directs requestors to the appropriate judicial or law enforcement agency.

Records that are available exclusively in person include sealed case files, certain historical paper records predating electronic filing, and certified copies requiring an official court seal.

Can You Search Brunswick County Criminal Records for Free?

North Carolina law mandates that members of the public have the right to inspect public records at no charge. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-6, custodians of public records are required to permit inspection and examination of records without imposing a fee for the act of inspection itself. Fees may, however, be assessed for the reproduction or certification of copies.

Free inspection is currently available at the following locations:

Brunswick County Clerk of Superior Court, 310 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422 — public self-service terminals available Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, 30 Government Center Drive NE, Bolivia, NC 28422 — arrest logs and booking records available for inspection during business hours

Free online resources include:

The North Carolina Judicial Branch online case search portal — provides free access to case filings, charges, and dispositions for Brunswick County cases; detailed guidance is available through the court records help topic
The NC Department of Adult Correction offender search — free, no registration required
The Brunswick County Sheriff's Office jail roster — publicly accessible online at no charge

Fees are assessed for certified copies of court documents, fingerprint-based statewide background checks submitted to the SBI, and records requiring extensive staff research or reproduction. The fee schedule for certified court copies is established by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.

What's Included in a Brunswick County Criminal Record?

A Brunswick County criminal record is a composite document drawn from multiple agency sources. The specific data elements present in any given record depend on the nature and stage of the criminal proceeding.

Identifying Information

Full legal name and known aliases
Date of birth and physical description (height, weight, eye color, hair color)
Photograph (mugshot) taken at booking
Last known address
State Identification Number (SID) assigned by the SBI
FBI Number, where applicable

Arrest and Booking Information

Date, time, and location of arrest
Arresting agency (Sheriff's Office, municipal police, or state agency)
Booking number and jail facility
Charges filed at the time of arrest
Bail or bond amount set
Custody status

Court Case Information

Case number and court jurisdiction (District or Superior Court)
Filing date and assigned judge
Charges and applicable statutes, including felony class (A through I) or misdemeanor class (A1, 1, 2, or 3)
Plea entered (guilty, not guilty, no contest)
Attorney of record and prosecuting agency

Disposition and Sentencing

Verdict (guilty, not guilty, dismissed, nolle prosequi)
Conviction date
Sentence type (active, suspended, or community punishment), length, fines, restitution, and special conditions
Appeals filed and outcomes
Probation or parole supervision terms

Additional Record Elements

Outstanding warrants
Protective or restraining orders
Sex offender registration status
DUI/DWI adjudications
Traffic violations processed through the criminal court system
Pending charges not yet adjudicated

How Long Does Brunswick County Keep Criminal Records?

Criminal records in Brunswick County are subject to retention schedules established under North Carolina law and administered by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The retention periods vary by record type and maintaining agency.

Court Records — Clerk of Superior Court

Felony case files: retained permanently
Misdemeanor case files: retained for a minimum of 10 years following final disposition
Infractions: retained for a minimum of 3 years
Juvenile records: retained pursuant to the schedules established under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-3000, with access restrictions maintained throughout the retention period

Law Enforcement Records — Sheriff's Office and Local Police

Arrest and booking records: retained for a minimum of 3 years for misdemeanor arrests; felony arrest records are generally retained permanently or for extended periods consistent with state schedules
Incident reports: retained for a minimum of 3 years
Investigative files: retention periods vary based on the nature and outcome of the investigation

State-Level Records — SBI Criminal History Repository The SBI maintains criminal history records indefinitely unless a court order for expunction is received. Upon receipt of a valid expunction order, the SBI is required to purge the subject record from its repository.

North Carolina's records retention schedules for local government agencies are published and updated by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Government Records Section, and carry the force of law under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-3, which prohibits the destruction of public records except in accordance with an approved retention schedule.