Who is in jail in North Carolina: county jail rosters and inmate search
12 counties of North Carolina have a jail roster page. Each names the jail, links the county's own roster where it publishes one, and searches that roster by name together with North Carolina state prisons and federal custody.
What a North Carolina jail roster background check costs
The count near any address is free. No card, and no one is told you looked.
Everyone near one address, or a Background Check on one person.
- Photos, offence and distance, with a PDF
- Pay once. Nothing renews
- $19.99 for 3, and checks never expire
Three addresses watched all year, with one check included every month.
- Email when someone registers, moves in or out
- Home, school and grandparents, unlocked while it runs
- Or $6.99 a month. Cancel in one click
Every record type for the state on one page: North Carolina criminal records.
North Carolina county jail rosters: who is in jail, by county. 12 pages, largest county first.
| County | Jail | Official roster | Who is in jail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake County · 1,190,275 | Wake County Detention Center | Published by the county | Who is in Wake County jail |
| Mecklenburg County · 1,163,701 | Mecklenburg County Detention Center | mecksheriffweb.mecklenburgcountync.gov | Who is in Mecklenburg County jail |
| Guilford County · 549,866 | Guilford County Detention Center | Published by the county | Who is in Guilford County jail |
| Forsyth County · 392,921 | Forsyth County Detention Center | Published by the county | Who is in Forsyth County jail |
| Durham County · 336,892 | Durham County Detention Facility | Published by the county | Who is in Durham County jail |
| Buncombe County · 275,901 | Buncombe County Detention Facility | Published by the county | Who is in Buncombe County jail |
| Union County · 256,452 | Union County Jail | Published by the county | Who is in Union County jail |
| Johnston County · 241,955 | Johnston County Detention Center | Published by the county | Who is in Johnston County jail |
| Cabarrus County · 240,016 | Cabarrus County Detention Center | onlineservices.cabarruscounty.us | Who is in Cabarrus County jail |
| New Hanover County · 238,852 | New Hanover County Detention Facility | p2c.nhcgov.com | Who is in New Hanover County jail |
| Gaston County · 237,242 | Gaston County Jail | Published by the county | Who is in Gaston County jail |
| Brunswick County · 159,964 | Brunswick County jail | Published by the county | Who is in Brunswick County jail |
Populations: US Census Bureau, 2023 estimates. A county gets a page only when its jail roster is live in the search and it has at least three facts of its own to state.
· shares below are over the North Carolina jail roster we index; approximate, not an official figure
Inside North Carolina jail rosters: charges, custody and how recent the records are. About 273,000 records across North Carolina, read as a whole; approximate, not an official figure.
Among the North Carolina jail roster we index that state a charge, the most common category of categorised charges is probation/parole violations and failure to appear (18%), followed by assault, battery and threats (18%) and public order, trespass and property damage (14%). A record can carry charges in several categories, so the shares of categorised charges can add to more than 100%. Across all North Carolina criminal records on our index, the most common category is theft, larceny and stolen property (13%).
How recent. About 25% of the records show activity in the last 12 months, among the 61% that carry a date.
Every figure is a share of the records we index for North Carolina, rounded; approximate, not an official figure. Cells with too few records behind them are left out rather than shown as zero. The county pages carry the same picture for each county where enough records exist; criminal charge types explains the categories.
North Carolina inmate search: county jail or state prison.
A county jail holds people who were just booked, are waiting for court or are serving a short sentence; the North Carolina Department of Corrections holds people serving a sentence after conviction, and both are in the search. Federal custody is a third system, also in the search. A result names the facility, so one name search says which of the three holds the person, or that none we can see does.
Searching beyond North Carolina? The inmate search covers state prisons and county jails, the jail roster search every answering county roster, and the federal inmate search federal custody.
Beyond North Carolina jail rosters: arrest records and court records by county. The same counties, the other two questions.
North Carolina background check: search jail roster by name.
- Type a first and last name, and add an age or date of birth so the right person rises to the top.
- The check searches every North Carolina record type in the search, with the sex offender registries, in one step.
- One paid check, with a personal account. Nothing renews, and the person is never told.
Not a consumer report. Hiring or renting? Use an FCRA-regulated check; see what an employer’s check shows.
North Carolina jail roster FAQ
How do I find out who is in jail in North Carolina?
Pick the county below and search the person's name with an age or date of birth; the county page reads that jail's roster together with North Carolina state prisons and federal custody. 12 counties have a page, starting with Wake County, Mecklenburg County and Guilford County.
Is a North Carolina county jail the same as a North Carolina state prison?
No. A county jail holds people just arrested, waiting for court or serving a short sentence; the North Carolina Department of Corrections holds people serving a sentence after conviction. Both are in the search.
Does a North Carolina jail roster show whether someone was convicted?
No. A roster entry is an arrest-stage record: a booking date and the charges written down at booking. The outcome is in the court file, kept by the Clerk of Superior Court; see the North Carolina court records hub.
Which North Carolina counties publish a jail roster online?
Every county on this page has a live roster; where the county publishes it on its own site, the county page links it. North Carolina contributes 20 county jail rosters to the search in all.
Can I use a North Carolina jail roster to screen a tenant or an employee?
No. A search here is not a consumer report. A hiring, tenant, credit or insurance decision needs an FCRA-regulated report, with the person's written consent.