Court case records include any document, information, exhibit any information in a case management system created or prepared by the court in relation to a judicial proceeding. Examples of court records are: pleadings, indices, calendars, dockets, orders, decrees, judgments, or minute entries in a courtroom proceeding.
District Court’s retention schedule is as follows:
- 3 years for closed criminal, civil and infraction cases,
- 10 years for domestic violence and driving while intoxicated-related cases,
- 10 years for open civil cases with judgments.
**Once the retention period has passed, the cases are destroyed**
Some categories of case records the public cannot access include: Police reports. mental illness commitment records, alcohol and drug treatment commitment records, court records sealed by judicial order.
Fees: The Court charges a fee for the time it takes to complete the necessary research, including copying, scanning and preparing the records. Fees for Court Records Requests: Research fee - $20.00 per hour. Certified copies - $5.00 for first page $1.00 for each additional. Copies of specific documents from a case file are charged at .50 per page for hardcopies and .25 per page for emailed copies. Copies of court recordings: $10.00 per CD/thumb drive, in addition to the search fee. For further clarification please see District Court Fee Schedule.
All fees may be paid in person or via NCOURT (This link will take you to a third-party website) @ 1-855-873-9709 (a fee will apply)