A North Carolina background check works differently from most states: there is no single public statewide criminal record search for employers, so checks are built from county court records held by the clerk of superior court, and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) runs fingerprint checks only for people reviewing their own record or for employers a law authorizes. Private employers almost always hire a background screening company to search the counties where you lived.
We do not work for the North Carolina courts or the SBI. The Judicial Branch explains the official options on its criminal background check page, and the SBI describes its own process on the personal review page.
Quick answers
Official source
North Carolina Judicial Branch (clerks of superior court) and the State Bureau of InvestigationCheck type
Both: name searches of court records, and SBI fingerprint checks for your own record or required jobsCertified search
One county at a time, requested from that county's clerk of superior courtStatewide look
Non certified self service search on public computers at any courthouseYour own record
SBI Right to Review, using a fingerprint card, answered by mailErrors
SBI written exception form, plus the court that handled the case
Why a North Carolina background check starts at the courthouse
Many states sell a name based search of their central repository to anyone. North Carolina does not offer that kind of public statewide search to employers. Instead, criminal cases live in the court system, and each county's clerk of superior court keeps those files. A background check for a typical private job is therefore a set of county court searches, often done by a screening company that sends a researcher or uses the court's systems.
So an NC background check is really a bundle of county searches, and that design has two effects for you. If you lived in several counties, each one may need to be searched, which can add days. And a case from a county the employer did not search can be missed by a narrow check but caught by a wider one. For the usual contents, read what these reports usually contain.
The court options, side by side
The Judicial Branch lists three ways to look up criminal records. They answer different needs.
| Option | Coverage | Certified? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk of superior court record search (form AOC-CR-314) | One county | Yes | Proof an employer or agency can rely on |
| Self service search on courthouse public computers | Any county or statewide | No | Checking yourself at no cost |
| eCourts portal online | Counties using eCourts, by name or case number | No | Looking up a known case |
The courts say people running background checks should use the clerk's office rather than the online portal. The portal is a case lookup tool, not a background check.
The SBI Right to Review
State and federal law give you the right to see your own criminal history and make sure it is complete and accurate. In North Carolina, the SBI handles this through a Right to Review request. It is fingerprint based: you fill in the form, get your prints on a card, and mail both with payment. The SBI answers by mail on its letterhead and attaches any record that matches your prints.
This review is for you. An employer cannot use it to screen you unless a law gives that employer access. If an employer asks you to bring a Right to Review letter, you may choose to share it, but read it first.
The SBI also runs fingerprint checks for agencies and employers that a statute allows, such as those hiring for child care, schools and some licensed jobs. Those results are sent to the agency, and you do not receive them.
Jobs that need fingerprints in North Carolina
Fingerprint checks are required by law for many roles that involve children, patients or public trust. Child care staff are screened through the Department of Health and Human Services child care criminal records check. Public school employees are checked under local school board policies. Nurses and other licensed health workers go through their licensing board. Some local governments require prints for jobs in their own offices.
The agency gives you instructions and a card or an appointment code. For general advice on prints, see fingerprint background checks, and for care jobs, healthcare and care checks.
What employers may do with the results
When a screening firm compiles the report, federal law applies in full. You receive a standalone notice and give written consent before the check, and if the report could cost you the job, the employer owes you a copy plus the federal rights notice first. The FTC lays out the order of these notices.
Our search did not turn up a North Carolina statute that stops private employers from asking about convictions on the first application, so expect the question on some forms. The EEOC still urges employers to match the offense against the role and consider how old it is.
Do answer: "One misdemeanor, Wake County, completed probation. Papers available on request."
Do not answer: "Nothing on file" because you think a county will not be searched.
Expunctions and correcting records
North Carolina courts can grant expunctions, which is the state's word for clearing qualifying records. An expunction order should remove the case from court files and from what screening companies report. Ask the clerk or a legal aid office whether your case qualifies; the rules depend on the type of offense and how long ago it was.
If an SBI response is wrong, the SBI asks you to send its written exception form once you have your results. If a court file is wrong, go back to the clerk in that county. For a screening company error, send a written dispute with copies, as shown in our dispute guide.
This page draws on official North Carolina court and SBI pages and does not replace legal advice. For your own situation, a legal aid program in North Carolina or a lawyer who practices employment law can help.
Questions people ask
Is an NC background check online available?
Not as one statewide public search. The eCourts portal lets you look up cases by name in participating counties, but the courts say background checks should go through the clerk's office.
How do I get a background check in NC?
For your own record, use a public computer at any courthouse for a non certified statewide court search, or ask the SBI for a fingerprint based Right to Review. Employers usually hire a screening company to search county court records.
Is any NC background check free?
The self service search on courthouse public computers costs nothing. Certified clerk searches and SBI reviews are paid.
How many years back can an NC background check reach?
Court records of convictions stay unless expunged. For reports from screening companies, federal law limits arrests without conviction to 7 years for most jobs, and convictions have no federal limit.
What is the typical wait for an NC background check?
Screening firms commonly return reports within a few business days, longer when several counties must be searched by hand. An SBI Right to Review is answered by mail, so allow extra time.
Does NC child care require a fingerprint background check?
Yes. Child care staff go through the state child care criminal records check, which uses fingerprints. The program will tell you how to start it.
Can my employer see my SBI Right to Review letter?
Only if you share it. The review is meant for you to check your own record.