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  2. Guilford County Arrest Records

Guilford County, North Carolina Arrest Records

Guilford County, North Carolina, arrest records are documents that document the arrest and booking process and include biographical information, the arresting charges, fingerprints, a booking photo, and detention information. Under the North Carolina Public Records law (N.C.G.S. § 132-1 et seq.), arrest logs and booking information are government records and are accessible to the public. This encourages government accountability and keeps the community informed.

The release of criminal offender record information, which includes arrest records, charges, and dispositions, is governed by N.C.G.S. § 143B-905 et seq. (administered through the State Bureau of Investigation). This law attempts to balance public information and privacy by restricting mass access, but criminal justice, employment, and public safety information are exempted from this restriction. These laws guide Guilford County's arrest records in the public interest and in accordance with individuals' rights.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Guilford, North Carolina?

Under North Carolina General Statutes (NCGS) Section 132-1, arrest records are presumed to be public documents and may be released by authorized agencies. However, if one of the statutorily-defined exemptions applies, then the record is exempt from disclosure. The statute governing law enforcement disclosure is found at N.C.G.S. § 132-1.4; this statute creates a balance between transparency and the integrity of an ongoing investigation.

Some examples of commonly withheld information include:

  • Juvenile Records - N.C.G.S. § 7B-3000 protects juvenile arrest/conviction records until the juvenile turns 18 years old or reaches their 21st birthday if they were charged as a juvenile but tried as an adult.
  • Expunged Records - Court orders for sealing arrest/conviction records can only be done under N.C.G.S. § 15A-145;
  • Details about an ongoing investigation that would jeopardize a case or impede the criminal justice process;
  • Identifying information about victims, especially victims of sex crimes;
  • Information regarding Mental Health and/or Medical issues of individuals arrested.

In Guilford County, non-exempt arrest records can be accessed by contacting the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office or a Clerk of the Court.

Guilford County Arrest Search

The SBI maintains criminal history records that can be requested through background checks at the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), while the FBI National Crime Information Center (NCIC) provides federal records to permitted entities at the national level. Court records can be found on the North Carolina Judicial Branch website.

Locally, the following sources offer arrest records for Guilford County:

  • Guilford County Sheriff’s  Office – booking and detention records
  • Greensboro and High Point Police Departments – city arrest records
  • Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court – criminal records by case
  • Guilford County Detention Center – inmate search

Guilford County Inmate Locator

The Guilford County Detention Center has an online tool that allows people to see which inmates are in custody or have been booked recently. This tool helps families, attorneys, and others seeking information on incarceration.

To utilize this tool, users can go to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Search page. Users may search by entering the following:

  • First and last name 
  • Booking number 
  • Date of birth  

Information available includes the following:  

  • Booking photograph and legal name  
  • Bonds and charges  
  • Booking and release date
  • Housing Unit  
  • Court date  

To obtain past custody records, requesters may contact the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro. While online custody records are not complete, searchers can cross-check third-party aggregator search results with official sources to ensure results are current.

Active Warrant Search in Guilford County

Arrest warrants are legal authorizations issued by a judge in the district or superior court of Guilford County that allow police to arrest a specified individual. Each warrant is issued based on a finding of probable cause, supported by a sworn affidavit of the arresting officer. Each warrant contains the individual’s name, date of birth, physical description, the offense, the signature of the judge, and the conditions of the bond.

The Sheriff’s Office for Guilford County manages and implements all warrants that are active in the entire county. It also partners with the police departments of Greensboro and High Point. Warrant information is recorded and updated by the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC), which then shares that information with the law enforcement agencies in the state.

Guilford County does not provide warrant records online. However, there are some sites that provide a little bit of information, such as:

The public can request information about active warrants by:

  • Calling the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office
  • Going to the Clerk of the Superior Court

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Guilford County

Ways to Access Information at no cost include:

  • Criminal case records available at NCcourts.gov provide case searches and details on case charges and outcomes
  • Look up inmates and bookings for free at the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office website
  • View records at the Guilford County Clerk of Superior Court for free. However, there are small fees for copies and requests for previews.
  • The North Carolina SBI Public Search provides basic components of a criminal history at no cost, although many consider typical criminal histories a cost.

The use of older arrest records is not accessible digitally and may require a physical request to the record archives. Free portals lack many supporting documents (such as affidavits, reports, and photos), records that are expunged or sealed (meaning they are unavailable), and identity verification may be required (especially for free requests at courthouse terminals).

The time frame to complete a record request may be several days. Free records requests and research tools provide little to complete an arrest history.

Guilford County Arrest Report

Arrest records are created automatically during booking. They contain the arrestee's name, charges, booking date, bail information, and case number. It is also public information according to N.C.G.S. § 132-1.

In comparison, arrest reports are written by the arresting officer and contain details of the arrest. This includes the officer’s observations, statements from witnesses, the officer’s justification of probable cause for the arrest, and all the evidence related to the case. This document is more sensitive and contains more information related to the case investigation.

In North Carolina, arrest reports are not public information, while arrest records are. Under N.C.G.S. § 132-1.4, arrest reports can be partially or completely withheld from the public if releasing the reports would compromise the investigation, if the report contains information about a confidential informant, or if the report might endanger someone.

If someone wants to obtain an arrest record or report, they must submit a written request to the appropriate law enforcement agency in Guilford County and specify whether they are requesting the arrest record, the arrest report, or both.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Guilford County

Expungement is a process used by the court system to seal and, in some cases, destroy certain arrests and criminal records. In North Carolina, an expungement is governed by N.C.G.S. § 15A-145 et seq.  

Eligibility Categories for expungement in Guilford County include:

  1. Dismissals and Not Guilty Verdicts: Dismissed cases or not guilty verdicts have no waiting period to file an expungement under N.C.G.S. § 15A-146. That makes this option the easiest.
  2. Nonviolent Misdemeanors: If the misdemeanor conviction is a first offense and nonviolent, petitioners may apply after a five-year waiting period from the end of the sentence, and it is governed by N.C.G.S. § 15A-145.
  3. Nonviolent Felony Charges: Petitioners may qualify for expungement for nonviolent felony charges after a 10-year waiting period under N.C.G.S. § 15A-145.5. 
  4. Juvenile Records: Juvenile records have unique provisions for expungement under N.C.G.S. § 7B-3200.

To start a petition process in Guilford County, you have to submit the proper AOC expungement form to the Guilford County Superior Court, which is located in Greensboro. Other documents may be a completed petition, character reference affidavits, a background check, etc. If applicable, there is also a filing fee, which can be waived. After Your Petition is filed, it is reviewed by the District Attorney’s Office before it goes to a judge.

How Do You Remove Guilford County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Step 1: Get an Expungement Order:

The first step in removal from the internet is obtaining an expungement order under N.C.G.S § 15A-145 et seq. A court-ordered expungement requires government entities to remove the record; however, this does not mean that they will remove records from private sites.

Step 2: Reach Out to Individual Sites:

Most sites that aggregate mugshots and public records have opt-out/removal request policies. Filing removal requests with your expungement order is a good step.

Step 3: Get Google to De-index the Sites:

Use the Remove Outdated Content tool to submit a de-indexing request to Google for expunged arrest records, which will remove search engine visibility even if the source pages remain.

Step 4: Use a Reputation Management Company:

For lasting listings, the services of a reputation management company may be useful, as they can systematically remove the listings from the site.

There is no legal avenue to certainty that a case will be removed from the internet. A court order for expungement will be useful, but it will only serve as a useful tool.

What Do Public Guilford County Arrest Records Contain?

Guilford County arrest records contain the following per N.C.G.S. § 132-1 and § 132-1.4:

Personal Identifying Information:

  • Full Name and any known aliases
  • Date of birth and how old you were at the time of the arrest
  • Physical Description — height, weight, hair, and eye color
  • Booking photo (mugshot)

Arrest & Charge Information:

  • Arresting agency and officer title
  • Date, time, and location of the arrest
  • Certain criminal charges and related statutes
  • Classification of the charge, felony or misdemeanor

Custodial Information:

  • Booking number and place of incarceration
  • Type and amount of bond
  • Court date

Completed Case Processing Information:

  • Case Number assigned by the Guilford County courts
  • Disposition Status: if the case has been settled

Excluded Fields:

These include: Social Security Information, juvenile records, information that is sealed or expunged, information relating to an ongoing investigation, and information that could identify a victim are all public and remain absent from arrest records.

Guilford County Arrest Records Search | Guilford County Court