Court filings are documents that are filed in court cases throughout the litigation process. Examples include motions, briefs, pleadings, etc. These documents are sometimes available for download from docket sheets made available on various databases.
In North Carolina, the below listed courts make their dockets and filings available online for free:
There is selected coverage of cases due to voluntary e-filing in North Carolina courts, so many cases will not have dockets available electronically even if they fall within the above date range. Check with the court house to see if they have additional documents.
For trial courts, not including the NC Business Court, dockets are not available online. To access these, contact the clerk of court for the specific county. There are computer terminals designated for finding civil and criminal court dockets. For additional information, see the NC Court's page for Obtaining Court Records.
Subscription databases have varied coverage of NC court dockets and court filings available. These databases have additional tools and information to assist users with their research.
Bloomberg Law Bloomberg Law has docket sheets, but not underlying court filings, for the NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals with select coverage prior to 2011.
Lexis+ In its NC Briefs, Pleadings, & Motions database, Lexis Advance has these documents from the NC Supreme Court, NC Court of Appeals, and NC Business Court for various years and cases.
Westlaw Edge has some NC Court dockets available electronically, as well as NC trial court documents available in its NC Civil Trial Court Documents and NC Criminal Trial Court Documents databases.
NC Appellate Courts Electronic Filing website Select records and briefs from the NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals are available from 2000 to present on the North Carolina Supreme Court ad Court of Appeals Electronic Filing Site and Document Library.
Lexis Advance Lexis Advance has a NC Briefs, Pleadings, and Motions database that includes select briefs filed with the NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals.
Westlaw Edge Westlaw Edge has a North Carolina Briefs database that contains select briefs and petitions filed with the NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals starting with coverage in 1998.
The UNC Law Library has a print collection of records and briefs from the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals. The earliest records available in the Law Library date from 1874. An index to the courts' records and briefs is available at the library reference desk. In addition, a partial index to the print volumes of the North Carolina Supreme Court is located on the first floor at the very end of the print volumes. For help using the collection, please ask at the Reference Desk.
