North Carolina Background Checks

Birth and death certificates in North Carolina can be accessed in person or through the mail from the Raleigh office of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Certificates dated before 1971 typically take about 12 weeks of processing time, while those from 1971 to the present usually require 3 weeks from the time the request is received.

In North Carolina, marriage and divorce records are considered public information. For requesting these documents for North Carolina background checks, you’ll need to have the subjects’ names and dates the events occurred in the state. Currently, birth, death, marriage and death certificate copies are $24, with additional copies of the same document priced at $15.

You should note though that the fee is for the search and is applicable even if no record is found. If the county in which the event took place is known, the County Recorder can tell you if the certificate you’re looking for exists.

Certificate requests from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services may be made through the mail or in person. Same day walk in service is usually available at the Raliegh office, but the $15 same day fee applies in addition to the $24 certificate search fee.

Mailing address:
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Vital Records – 1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1903

In person address:
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Vital Records – Cooper Memorial Health Building
225 N. McDowell St.
Raleigh, NC 27603-1382
Phone: (919) 733-3000

The North Carolina Court System, Administrative Office of the Courts, doesn’t offer advice on individual cases, but serves to locate criminal records. Searches for criminal records, such as for North Carolina background checks, may verify or confirm prior convictions as well as pending cases. Other information that may be found in a North Carolina criminal records search includes data about judgements, tax liens and infractions.

NC Background Check

If you need to to access your own records or get a criminal background check on yourself or another person, you should obtain the standard request form AOC-CR-314 from the North Carolina Department of Justice. For North Carolina background checks on yourself to review your criminal history, include a Right to Review form. The fee for each search is $25.

When doing a criminal background check on another person in North Carolina, information may be sought from the County Clerk’s office in the county where the subject lives or lived. Viewing records in the Clerk’s office is free of charge, except for a small printing fee. Keep in mind that these are not certified searches though.

For ongoing North Carolina background checks involving criminal history and records, you may be able to save on fees and have easier access to the information you require. Ongoing search requests can be discussed by contacting The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts’ Remote Public Access Line at (919) 890-2220.

North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts
PO Box 2448
Raleigh, NC 27602-2448

North Carolina Court Telephone Information Line: (919) 890-2200
North Carolina Department of Justice
114 W. Edenton St.
Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: (919) 716-6400