CLERK OF SUPERIOR COURT

The Clerk of the Superior Court is an elected official that serves a four-year term. The Clerk is responsible for all administrative, clerical, and record-keeping functions of the District and Superior Courts.

The Clerk of the Superior Court holds one of the most important offices in North Carolina's local government and is vital to the local administration of justice.

Unlike Clerks of Court in other states, the Clerks of Superior Court in North Carolina are judges. The clerical tasks of filing, processing, indexing, and preserving court documents are only a part of the Clerk's job. As the Judge of Probate, the Clerk has exclusive original jurisdiction over matters regarding the probate of wills and administration of estates in his county. The Clerk also presides over many other legal matters such as adoptions, incompetency, and guardianship proceedings, partitions of real property, name changes, real estate foreclosures, and petitions for surplus funds.

Mission

It is the mission of the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court to provide ethical and efficient administrative and case management support to the Courts and to serve the public through professionally-trained, diverse, and customer-focused staff. We are dedicated to facilitating the impartial administration of justice and equal access to the Courts' resources. We strive to ensure that everyone within our organization and those who we serve are treated with integrity, fairness, and respect.

Guide & File

Guide & File is a free online service to help users prepare court documents for certain case types. Electronic filing is not currently available in Durham County, but users may use this feature to fill in and print these documents for filing.

Guide & File is a free online service to help users prepare court documents for certain case types.

• The types of filings that are available on Guide & File include:
• Absolute Divorce
• Adult Guardianship
• Adult Name Change
• Appeal To District Court from Small Claims Court Judgment In Summary Ejectment
• Application for Certificate of Verification of Prior Expunction
• Complaint In Summary Ejectment (Now! eFiling Option in Some Counties)
• Domestic Violence Protective Order (Now! eFiling Option in Some Counties)
• Motion to Claim Exempt Property (Now! eFiling Option in Some Counties)
• Online Request For Dismissal Or Speeding Reduction Of A Traffic Citation (Now! eFiling Option In Some Counties)
• Petition To Proceed As An Indigent (Now! eFiling Option in Some Counties)
• Probate
• Year's Allowance
• Handling a Small Estate
• Petition for Summary Administration with or without a will
• Request for Relief from Fines, Fees, and Other Monetary Obligations
• Small Claims (Now! eFiling Option in Some Counties)
• Money Owed
• Repossession of Personal Property
• Summary Ejectment (Now! eFiling Option in Some Counties)
• Complaint in Summary Ejectment
• Tenant's Answer and Counterclaims
• Appeal to District Court

Court Date Reminders

To avoid an order for your arrest, you must show up to court.

You can sign up for text or email notifications of changes to court dates on criminal and infraction cases.

Failing to appear in court can result in an order for arrest and a financial penalty. Here are some things to remember as your court date approaches:

• Arrive at the Durham County Justice Center at 510 S. Dillard St., 30 minutes before your scheduled court session.
• Paid parking is available at the Durham County Justice Center Parking Deck at 502 S. Dillard St.
• A security checkpoint is located at the courthouse entrance. All persons must have their bags scanned and pass through a metal detector.
• Make the necessary arrangements ahead of time so you can be present for court.
• You are responsible for appearing at all court dates. Be sure to know all of your court dates for any pending charges you have. 

If you miss your court date, contact your lawyer immediately.
Office of the Public Defender: (919)808-3023

If no lawyer, contact the
District Attorney's Office: (919) 808-3010
Clerk of Superior Court: (919) 808-3000

File & Serve

Register for an individual or law firm account and start filing your court documents here.

Portal

• View court dates and hearings
• View case info, records, judgments, and documents
• Pay fines and fees for criminal cases & infractions

Directory

Mailing and Physical Address: 
510 S. Dillard St. Durham, NC  27701

RESPONSIBILITIES

JUDGE:

As the Probate Judge, the Clerk determines what documents meet the legal requirements for a Last Will and Testament to be admitted to probate.

Additionally, the Clerk oversees the administration of family estates, including appointing personal representatives, auditing their accountings, and removing them from office if necessary.

The Clerk also presides over many other legal matters, including incompetency and guardianship proceedings, foreclosures, partitions, legitimations, name changes, adoptions, and many civil hearings.

RECORD KEEPER:

As Record Keeper, the Clerk is responsible for filing, processing, indexing, and maintaining every piece of paper filed each year. The Clerk also provides public access to court records.

ADMINISTRATOR:

As Administrator, the Clerk in Durham County manages 67 employees; 14 Assistant Clerks and 53 Deputy Clerks. Those Clerks are divided into 9 divisions and are spread across three floors of the Durham County Courthouse. They are responsible for assisting the public in filing and accessing court documents, staffing the courtrooms, and performing the many complex duties required to ensure that court records are accurate.

COMPTROLLER:

As Comptroller, the Clerk is responsible for receiving, investing, and disbursing millions of dollars for the state each year from court fees, traffic citations, fines, etc.

Court Filing Fees

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