Guilford County
Organized in 1771 by the North Carolina colonial legislature, Guilford County has a land area of 645.92 square miles and 11.71 square miles of water. With over 541,000 residents, it is the third-most populous county in the state. Greensboro, the county seat, is a major center of education, industry, and healthcare.
Guilford County has courthouses in both Greensboro and High Point. The Greensboro courthouse has both district and superior courts, while the High Point courthouse only has a district court. The Guilford County Superior Court handles major criminal and civil cases. This court hears all felony cases, misdemeanors, and traffic infractions appealed from the district courts.
Furthermore, the superior court handles civil cases involving more than $25,000 in claims, business law disputes, family law matters, contract disputes, real estate issues, and estate litigation.
The district courts also handle criminal, civil, juvenile, and family cases but mete out lesser penalties compared to the superior court. Examples of civil cases heard by district courts include divorces, child support, claims for compensation for injuries, landlord-tenant disputes, and civil claims involving less than $25,000.
The records of all lawsuits, proceedings, and civil actions brought before a court in Guilford County are filed, indexed, and maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court. With the exception of juvenile, adoption, and other records sealed for confidential purposes, all court records in the safekeeping of the Superior Court Clerk are accessible to the public and can be provided within a reasonable amount of time. Interested parties can access and make copies of criminal, special proceedings, civil, and estate court records by visiting the public, self-service terminals in the clerk's office.
The eCourts Portal allows both registered and anonymous users to view case information and court records by providing an attorney bar number, case number, party name, case-cross reference number, or nickname. Through this portal, Guilford County residents can access these court records:
- Bond forfeiture
- Criminal and infraction
- Civil action
- Family
- Estate
- Special proceedings
- Wills deposited for safekeeping
