Forsyth County
Created from Stokes County in 1849, Forsyth County is situated in the northwestern section of Piedmont in the outer Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. It is the state's fourth-most populous county with a population of 392,921 and has Winston-Salem as its county seat. It was named for Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, who died in the 1812 War.
Two trial courts - a superior court and a district court - serve Forsyth County and comprise its court system. The Forsyth County Superior Court, which is a general jurisdiction court, handles criminal cases such as felonies, certain misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and lesser crimes. Civil cases within its jurisdiction include claims above $25,000 in controversy and other zero-threshold lawsuits, including declaratory relief injunctions, eminent domain cases, administrative agency appeals, adoptions, and complicated business matters. The Superior Court also adjudicates probate cases, including wills, trusts, estates, and guardianships, and hears appeals from the District Court.
The District County Court exercises limited jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases, including preliminary hearings, misdemeanors, certain infractions, and municipal ordinance offenses. Some other District Court cases are civil claims up to $25,000, small claims for amounts up to $10,000, domestic violence protections, and mental commitments, among others. Domestic relations and juvenile cases also fall under the District Court's purview.
Forsyth County court records are all forms of legal documentation generated during the superior and district court case proceedings. These documents are organized, indexed, and sorted into separate case files containing docket sheets and other related case documents for various legal and public uses. Some typical examples of Forsyth County court records, which generally include notices, judgments, orders, minutes of proceedings, and case transcripts, are as follows:
- Criminal records
- Civil records
- Family law records
- Probate records
The Forsyth County Clerk of the Superior Court is the record keeper for both the superior and district courts. Per North Carolina Public Records Law, any interested person has the constitutional right to inspect or access non-exempt court records. A free case information lookup service is available via the public terminals at the County Courthouse. You can also visit the Office of the Superior Court Clerk to request copies of your desired court records in person for a fee at:
175 N. Chestnut Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 779-6300
