Frequently Asked Questions

Tim wrote:
Who pays for this web site? If it is tax dollars why should I have to pay?
We have a contract with the State to maintain a connection to their mainframe computer that houses all of the court records within North Carolina. The State charges us for connection, while we have also invested in equipment that allows us to bring the public access to this information in a more user-friendly web version. You pay for the convenience of using this site as opposed to traveling to the courthouse. Since we allow searches of all 100 courthouses at the same time, you are paying for the convenience of not traveling to all 100 courthouses. This site is privately owned and is not supported by tax dollars.

Jack wrote:
Will 123NC find something on a person's record in another state or is it just NC?
The web site is set up just for NC records.

Joe wrote:
How far back do these record checks go? I was told they go back only 7 years. Is that true?
We have a section on the site called "about us". There is a part of this section that explains the "scope" of records found on this system. Please take a look at that, which will hopefully answer all of your questions. You can view the "about us" section of our web site without entering the system and doing research.

Simon wrote:
If I were to use your web site to check into someone's background, would they find out that someone was doing this?
No. Checking into records on our system connects you directly to the state's court records. The research is public, as are the records. The person being researched is not contacted in any way. You are the only person who knows the names of the people that you research.

Jackie wrote:
Why does it cost more on this site than if you go to the local courthouse? The courthouse charges only $5 for the whole record.
We have to charge you for the work going on behind the scenes; the mainframe information must be put into a web format. However, our charges allow you to search from all 100 counties at once. If you went to the local courthouse, they would only search records from that county. For you to search records from each of NC's 100 counties using this method, you would have to drive to all 100 county courthouses. That would probably take more than a week. Gas alone might cost $100, not to mention your time.

Daniel wrote:
Can you also provide civil records? The AOC also maintains a civil court record of small claims judgments, civil actions, estates and special proceedings. Can you provide this information? Please send me any details about this or let me know if it is planned for the future.
We do have access to the civil system in addition to the criminal system, but have chosen not to make a civil search available on our web site for now. The civil system is an even more cumbersome system than the criminal system to transform into a web format. Likewise, the civil system provides little information and we have found that there is very little demand for the information.

Kristy wrote:
Are fees applied to all searches or only when you check the details of the case?
You are charged every time you hit the search key. This means that you are charged to bring up the initial index of name matches as well as when you get case details.

Sam wrote:
Do any other states offer an online criminal record research service? My primary residence is in NC; however, I own rental property in several other states and would love to be able to use a similar resource to check out perspective tenants.
The most efficient way to continually check your tenant would be through a firm that specializes in employment and tenant screening that can retrieve records from across the country. We recommend Castle Branch, Inc., a nation wide employment screening firm that can handle any of your background check needs.

Tracie wrote:
If a person is on parole or probation from another state, will I be able to find out their last known address?
The person's name will appear in our system only if he/she has been charged with an offense in NC and has come through our court system. He/she may have to register with the State's sexual offender index. The system is a name search only. Records that are found may belong to someone else with the same name. Look at the date of birth and address as identifiers.

Rachel wrote:
Is this system adequate for the criminal background checks required for applicants for employment?
123NC.com is designed for consumers and not designed for employment screening. For your employment screening needs, contact Castle Branch, Inc.. They are a full service employment screening firm and the only other company offering online access to NC criminal records. Castle Branch, Inc..com also provides criminal and civil records from every state in the US, driving records, credit reports, drug testing, employment verifications, and many other screening services. More importantly, because they only work with businesses and not individuals, they are a great deal cheaper than this service, thus making employment screening a more viable option.

Ben wrote:
If a person has a Federal record that was committed in NC, does that show up?
Federal records are not included in the instant access service. For information regarding how to obtain federal criminal records, contact Castle Branch, Inc. or email sales@castlebranch.com.

Jason wrote:
To quote from your disclaimer: "The user understands and agrees that this service is not intended, nor should be used, for employment screening purposes." Isn't that what your ad suggests as its use?
The ad talks about hiring people that would work for you personally, such as, someone to take care or your children or a house cleaner. 123NC.com is designed for occasional users and not designed for employment screening. For your employment screening needs, contact Castle Branch, Inc. by sending an email to sales@castlebranch.com. Castle Branch is a full service employment screening firm and the only other company offering instant online access to NC criminal records. Castle Branch, Inc. provides all aspects of employment screening including criminal and civil records from every state in the US, driving records, credit reports, drug testing, employment verifications, and many other screening services.

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