>Lenoir County Arrest Records Online

Lenoir County, North Carolina Arrest Records

Are Arrest Records Public in Lenoir County, North Carolina?

Arrest records are public in Lenoir County, North Carolina, pursuant to the North Carolina Public Records Law (N.C.G.S. § 132-1). This statute establishes that records created or received by public agencies in North Carolina, including law enforcement agencies, are considered public records and must be made available for inspection by any person. The law specifically includes records documenting interactions with law enforcement agencies, such as arrests, bookings, and charges.

The North Carolina Public Records Law operates under the presumption that government records should be accessible to citizens to ensure transparency and accountability in governmental operations. Under this framework, the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records as part of its official duties in law enforcement within the county's 480 square mile jurisdiction.

Members of the public seeking arrest records should be aware that while these records are generally accessible, certain information may be redacted to protect privacy interests as permitted by law, such as social security numbers, driver's license numbers, and certain medical information.

Can Arrest Records be Found Online in Lenoir County?

Arrest records can be found online in Lenoir County through various digital platforms maintained by governmental agencies. The North Carolina Judicial Branch provides electronic access to court records, including those related to arrests, through its eCourts initiative. This system allows for remote access to public records that were previously only available by visiting the courthouse in person.

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction offers criminal offender searches that include information about county jail inmates, state prisoners, probationers, parolees, and registered sex offenders. This service provides a centralized database for accessing information about individuals who have been arrested and are currently in the criminal justice system.

Additionally, the Lenoir County official website provides links to various county services, including those related to law enforcement and public records. Users may access arrest record information through these portals, subject to the specific access protocols established by the county.

It should be noted that while many records are available online, some may require in-person requests or formal written applications, particularly for older records or those containing sensitive information that requires redaction before release.

How to Look Up Lenoir County Arrest Records in 2025

To obtain Lenoir County arrest records in 2025, individuals may utilize several methods established by local and state authorities. The following options are available for accessing these public records:

Visit the Lenoir County Sheriff's Office in person to submit a formal request for arrest records. The office is located at:

Lenoir County Sheriff's Office
130 South Queen Street
Kinston, NC 28501
Phone: (252) 559-6100
Official Website

Access the North Carolina Judicial Branch's court records system online, which provides information on criminal cases including arrests. The system allows searches by name, case number, or other identifiers.
Request a criminal background check through the Clerk of Superior Court's office, which can provide certified criminal record searches by name. The office is located at:

Lenoir County Clerk of Superior Court
130 South Queen Street, Suite 204
Kinston, NC 28501
Phone: (252) 520-5200
Official Website

Utilize the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction's online portal for criminal offender searches, which includes information on individuals who have been arrested and are in the criminal justice system.
For comprehensive searches, individuals may need to check both local and state resources, as some records may be maintained at different levels of government. The North Carolina state government portal provides links to various criminal justice resources.

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 132-6.2, agencies may charge reasonable fees for providing copies of public records, including arrest records. These fees are limited to the actual cost of reproduction and do not include charges for staff time spent searching for records.

Contents of a Lenoir County Arrest Record

A Lenoir County arrest record typically contains comprehensive information about an individual's interaction with law enforcement during an arrest event. The standard components included in these records are as follows:

Full legal name of the arrested individual and any known aliases or alternative names
Demographic information including date of birth, gender, race, and physical descriptors
Date, time, and specific location of the arrest
Detailed description of the charges filed, including the North Carolina General Statute citations
Classification of offenses (misdemeanor or felony) and their severity levels
Identity of the arresting agency and the name or badge number of the arresting officer
Booking information, including mugshot photographs and fingerprint records
Custody status, including any bail or bond amounts set and conditions of release
Court case numbers and scheduled court appearance dates
Disposition information if the case has been resolved

These records are maintained in accordance with the North Carolina Records Retention and Disposition Schedule, which establishes guidelines for how long different types of records must be preserved by government agencies. For law enforcement records, including arrest documentation, the retention periods vary based on the nature and disposition of the case.

The Lenoir County Sheriff's Office is the primary custodian of arrest records generated by county law enforcement, while municipal police departments within the county maintain records for arrests made within their jurisdictions. The North Carolina Judicial Branch maintains court records related to these arrests as cases progress through the judicial system.

Expungement of Arrest Records in Lenoir County

In Lenoir County, individuals may petition for expungement of arrest records under specific circumstances as provided by North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 15A, Article 5. Expungement is the legal process by which arrest records are removed from public access and, in some cases, physically destroyed.

Eligibility criteria for expungement in Lenoir County include:

Cases resulting in dismissal or finding of not guilty
First-time nonviolent offenses after specified waiting periods
Charges that were dismissed or resulted in not guilty verdicts
Certain drug offenses committed before age 22
Juvenile records meeting statutory requirements
Identity theft victims who had charges brought against them due to the actions of another person

The expungement process requires filing a petition with the Lenoir County Clerk of Superior Court, located at:

Lenoir County Clerk of Superior Court
130 South Queen Street, Suite 204
Kinston, NC 28501
Phone: (252) 520-5200
Official Website

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 15A-145 through § 15A-152, the petition must include specific information about the case and the petitioner. A filing fee is typically required, though fee waivers may be available for indigent petitioners. The petition is reviewed by a judge after input from the district attorney's office, and if granted, orders are sent to all agencies holding records related to the arrest.

It should be noted that expungement does not automatically remove records from private databases that may have collected the information before expungement was granted. Additionally, certain expunged records remain available to law enforcement agencies and the court system for limited purposes, such as determining eligibility for future expungements or for sentencing in subsequent criminal cases.

The North Carolina Judicial Branch provides forms and information regarding the expungement process, though many petitioners seek legal assistance due to the complexity of the process and the importance of proper filing.