Sampson County
With a land area of about 946 square miles, Sampson County is the second largest county in North Carolina by land area. It was founded in 1784 and named after one of the first European settlers in the region, John Sampson. According to the 2020 US census, about 60,000 people live within the county boundaries. Its largest city and county seat is Clinton
The court system in Sampson County comprises Superior and District Courts. Cases outside the District Court's jurisdiction are handled by the Sampson County Superior Court. All felonies, civil matters involving claims exceeding $25,000, and some misdemeanors are heard by it. Additionally, it has original jurisdiction over probate matters such as guardianship appointments, estate management, and will admission.
The Sampson County District Court handles misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and municipal ordinance violations. It also handles preliminary felony hearings, child support, adoption, annulment, divorce, juvenile delinquency, termination of parental rights, and civil cases with claims under $25,000.
Public court records in Sampson County consist of orders, court filings, docket listings, writs, court transcripts, motions, depositions, warrants, sentences, and judgments from the county courts. These records are accessible to the public and may be in text, video, or audio forms. The Sampson County Clerk of Court maintains all records from both courts. The clerk's office presents, indexes, arranges, stores, and archives them in compliance with county and state laws.
Unless sealed by court orders, the following types of Sampson County public court records are available to anyone:
- Criminal records
- Traffic records
- Family Law records
- Probate records
- Civil records
Record seekers can use the North Carolina Judiciary's eCourts Portal to search for Sampson County's public court records online. They can also visit the Sampson County Clerk of Court at:
Sampson County Clerk of Court
101 East Main Street
Clinton, NC 28328
Phone: (910) 596-6600
They can use the self-service terminals in the clerk's office premises to search for cases or pay the required fees to request copies of public court records from the courts in the county.
