How to Search Gaston County Court Records
The main tool is the North Carolina eCourts Portal, reached from the Gaston County Judicial Branch page. It gives online case information and lets you pay on payable cases. North Carolina completed its eCourts move in all 100 counties on October 13, 2025, and every county now runs on Enterprise Justice, also called Odyssey. The Judicial Branch guide on obtaining court records explains how to reach criminal, civil, estate, divorce, and other files.
Before you search, gather the case number or a full party name. Decide whether you need criminal, civil, or estate information, because each path differs. For a formal background check, the Judicial Branch tells users to use the clerk's office, not the Portal alone.
- Open the eCourts Portal from the official Gaston County page.
- Enter a defendant or party name, case number, or citation number.
- Select Gaston County and narrow by court division and date.
- Open the case summary to read parties, events, and docket entries.
- Ask the Clerk of Superior Court for a certified copy when you need an official record.
The official help topic below walks through which office holds each kind of record.
It confirms that online information points you to the file, while the clerk supplies official paper copies.
Gaston County Court Records Search Fields
The Portal and the linked court-date search accept a few core fields. Because the Tyler Portal blocked automated inspection, exact live labels should be confirmed in a browser, but official guidance supports the fields below. Use the most precise identifier you have to avoid long result lists.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | No | Defendant or party name; allowed for criminal case search. |
| Case Number | Text | No | Best single identifier for a known case. |
| Citation Number | Text | No | Used by the court-date search for traffic and criminal cases. |
| County | Dropdown | No | Select Gaston County for local matters. |
| Victim or Witness Name | Text | No | Allowed on public criminal terminal searches. |
The official court-date search service uses these same identifiers, shown below.
Its copy lets you search by name, citation number, county, and more, which mirrors the Portal's basic fields.
Types of Gaston County Court Records
Court records fall into a few broad groups. Criminal and traffic files come from Superior and District Court. Civil and small claims cover money disputes, foreclosures, and landlord-tenant matters. Family records include divorce and custody. Estate records run through the clerk. Some record types, like juvenile and adoption, are closed to the public.
The trial courts create most of these files, while the clerk holds and copies them. The list below shows the main categories.
- Criminal records, including charges, pleas, judgments, and sentences.
- Civil and small claims records, including complaints, motions, and judgments.
- Family and domestic records, including divorce judgments and support orders.
- Estate and special proceeding records held by the clerk.
Online case information is convenient, but it is not the only path. The Judicial Branch reminds users that criminal, civil, special proceeding, and estate information can also be reached at public self-service terminals in any clerk's office. Those terminals remain the official fallback for older, complex, or sensitive cases that may not show fully online. The paper file is still viewed in the county where the case is located.
Traffic cases get their own walkthrough on the Gaston County traffic court records page, and arrests are covered under arrest records.
What Gaston County Court Records Show
A court record is built from standard fields. The online summary gives you the case overview and docket. The full file, with pleadings and orders, is viewed at the clerk's office or copied for a fee. Some data is always masked, such as Social Security numbers and juvenile identifiers.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Primary identifier for clerk copies and court dates. |
| Filing Date | Date the case was filed, or the offense date. |
| Parties | Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, or respondent. |
| Disposition | Outcome such as pending, dismissed, or judgment entered. |
| Events / Docket | Hearings, motions, orders, continuances, and judgments. |
| Financials | Fines, fees, costs, and payment status on payable cases. |
Note: Not all hearings are recorded, and criminal District Court proceedings are generally not transcribed unless ordered or for certain felony pleas.
Public Access Framework for Gaston County Court Records
North Carolina's public records law is mainly Chapter 132. It defines public records broadly and requires custodians to allow inspection during reasonable hours. Court records add judicial-branch statutes and court rules on top of that. G.S. 7A-109 sets court recordkeeping procedures, and G.S. 132-6 supports inspection of public records.
Anyone can view most adult court records. You do not need to give a reason. Copy and certification fees apply, and the clerk is the custodian for official court copies. For Judicial Branch administrative records, the state runs a separate request process, shown below.
Note: Use the clerk's office for case files and certified copies; the Judicial Branch request page is for existing administrative public records.
Records That Are Sealed or Confidential in Gaston County
Some files are closed by statute. Juvenile records are confidential under G.S. 7B-3000. Adoption files are protected under G.S. 48-9-102. Mental health and commitment records are restricted under G.S. 122C-54. Expunged records are sealed under G.S. 15A-151 once a judge signs the order. Public portal and terminal searches may leave these out.
To clear an old record, a person files an expunction petition with the clerk in the county of charge or conviction. The general filing fee is $175, with no fee for some dismissed or not-guilty cases. The expunction help topic explains eligibility and forms.
After an order is granted the clerk provides a copy at that time, but later copies are usually unavailable because the records are sealed or destroyed.
Background Checks and Licensed Data Access
The Portal is convenient, but it is not the right tool for a formal background check. The Judicial Branch directs people running checks to the clerk's office. The state also runs a Remote Public Access Program for licensed bulk access to criminal and civil court data, with authority under G.S. 7A-109 and G.S. 7A-343.2.
That licensed product is meant for businesses and agencies, not casual searchers. The background-check help topic explains the difference.
For licensed data extracts rather than a single case, the Remote Public Access page lays out the access rules.
Most users never need RPA; the Portal plus a clerk visit covers ordinary searches.
Reading a Gaston County Court Record
Court files use terms that confuse first-time searchers. A charge is what the state alleged, not proof of guilt. A disposition is the outcome. A judgment is the final, enforceable decision. Knowing a handful of words makes the docket far easier to read, so the glossary below covers the ones that come up most.
- Plaintiff
- The person or entity bringing a civil lawsuit.
- Defendant
- The person sued in a civil case or charged in a criminal case.
- Disposition
- The outcome of a case or charge, such as dismissed or disposed.
- Continuance
- A postponement of a scheduled court date.
- Expunction
- The statutory process that seals or destroys certain criminal records.
- Trial de novo
- A new trial on appeal from certain lower-court decisions.
A sample Gaston County case record typically lists the case number, county and division, case type, party names and roles, filing or offense date, status, docket events, and any financial entries. Documents themselves may require a clerk request or in-person review.
Fees for Gaston County Court Copies
Court copy fees are set by statute and the Judicial Branch, so the clerk charges those rates rather than the Register of Deeds schedule. Plain copies and certified copies cost different amounts, and a certified copy carries the clerk's seal for use in court or other formal settings. An uncertified copy printed at a public terminal is fine for personal review but is not accepted as an official document.
Civil filing and copy costs tie to G.S. 7A-308, while estate and special proceeding costs follow G.S. 7A-307. Because fee amounts change, confirm the current charge with the clerk before you pay. The Clerk of Superior Court page covers request methods and certified-copy steps in more detail.
In-Person Court Record Requests
For paper files, transcripts, or certified copies, visit the Clerk of Superior Court at the Gaston County Courthouse. Public self-service terminals let you search criminal, civil, special proceeding, and estate case information on site. Bring a case number if you have one, and be ready to pay copy and certification fees.
Transcripts and audio are handled separately. Not every hearing is recorded, and clerk staff can explain which form to file. Nonconfidential audio recordings are requested on Form AOC-G-114, while confidential case recordings need court permission on AOC-G-115. Clerk staff can point you to the right form, but they cannot give legal advice or tell you how a case should turn out.
Clerk of Superior Court
325 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Suite 1004
Gastonia, NC 28052
(704) 852-3100
Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-5:00 PM