New Hanover County Superior Court
New Hanover County is in Prosecutorial District 6, Superior Court District 6, and District Court District 6. The state hierarchy runs from the Supreme Court of North Carolina and the North Carolina Court of Appeals to the trial divisions, Superior Court and District Court. Superior Court is the primary trial court named in the structure map for this project. It handles felony criminal cases, civil cases over the District Court threshold, misdemeanor and infraction appeals from District Court, and selected special proceedings or estate disputes when a judge is assigned.
District Court remains important in New Hanover County because it handles misdemeanors, infractions, divorce, custody, child support, juvenile matters, domestic violence protective orders, lower civil claims, landlord-tenant matters, and small claims appeals. Magistrates operate within District Court and handle small claims, evictions, criminal process, warrants, initial appearances, bonds, and certain minor waivers or pleas. No county court at law, justice of the peace court, municipal court, or separate local probate court exists in New Hanover County.
The Register of Deeds page helps show a key boundary: marriage and recorded instruments are outside Superior Court, while divorce case files and estate matters are court records.
That boundary is useful when a search involves marriage, divorce, estates, or recorded agreements tied to family matters.
New Hanover County Court Offices
New Hanover County does not have numbered Superior Court departments in the way some states list individual district courts. Local court offices and divisions are housed through the unified state system. The courthouse is at 316 Princess Street in Wilmington, with the main courthouse phone listed as 910-772-6600 and public hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
| Court or office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover County Superior Court | Felony, higher civil, appeals from District Court | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910-772-6616 |
| New Hanover County District Court | Misdemeanor, infraction, family, juvenile, lower civil | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910-772-6612 |
| Clerk of Superior Court | Records, filings, estates, special proceedings | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910-772-6600 |
| Magistrates, Criminal | Criminal process, initial appearances, bonds | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910-772-6619 |
| Magistrates, Civil/Small Claims | Small claims and civil magistrate matters | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910-772-6600 |
| District Attorney, District 6 | State criminal prosecutions | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 | 910-772-6610 |
Superior Court vs District Court
The local comparison is not Superior Court versus county court or justice court, because North Carolina does not use those county court labels for New Hanover County. The practical split is Superior Court, District Court, and magistrates within District Court. A case search should start by identifying the case type, then using the Portal or clerk contact that matches the division.
| Topic | Superior Court | District Court | Magistrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil cases | Generally over $25,000 and selected special proceedings. | Civil cases within District Court jurisdiction, including lower civil matters. | Small claims and summary ejectment matters. |
| Criminal cases | Felonies and appeals from District Court misdemeanors or infractions. | Misdemeanors, infractions, traffic, and first-level criminal settings. | Criminal process, initial appearances, warrants, and conditions of release. |
| Family or juvenile | Limited or assigned matters when transferred or appealed. | Divorce, custody, support, juvenile, and domestic violence protective orders. | Not the primary family court forum. |
| Records custodian | Clerk of Superior Court. | Clerk of Superior Court. | Clerk and court process records, depending on filing. |
Register of Deeds records search is separate from court searches and does not replace Superior Court or District Court case lookup.
Recorded instruments may support a legal dispute, but the case record itself is still held by the court clerk.
New Hanover Court Case Flow
Case movement depends on whether the matter is criminal, civil, family, traffic, estate, or small claims. Felony cases typically move toward Superior Court, while many misdemeanors and infractions begin in District Court. Civil disputes over the District Court threshold are Superior Court matters, while smaller claims may start in District Court or before a magistrate. Appeals from District Court misdemeanors and infractions can move to Superior Court for trial de novo.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › Magistrate or initial appearance › District Court setting or probable cause stage › indictment or transfer where applicable › Superior Court arraignment › pretrial motions › plea or trial › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition filed › service › answer or response › motions › mediation or arbitration when required › trial or hearing › judgment or order › appeal.
The Register of Deeds name search can help find recorded agreements or liens, but it is not the docket for a Superior Court case.
For case events, hearing dates, and orders, use the eCourts Portal or the Clerk of Superior Court.
New Hanover Court Divisions
Civil, family, criminal, juvenile, traffic, estates, and special proceedings use different calendars and contacts. The official New Hanover court page links to court dates, civil calendars, criminal calendars, local administrative schedules, local rules and forms, jury service, payment information, and Guardian ad Litem resources. Search Hearings in the Portal includes location and hearing type controls, plus case number, party, business, attorney, judicial officer, and courtroom search options.
Local courtroom labels visible in the research include New Hanover County Courthouse courtrooms 100, 200, 300, 301, 302, 317, 400, 401, 402, 403, 422, and 514, along with OJJ Courthouse Courtrooms A and B, Custody Mediation Virtual Meeting, and Clerk of Court Courtroom 219. Those labels help distinguish a hearing location from the court division.
The Register of Deeds fee schedule is not a court-cost schedule, but it is often confused with court copy fees because both offices serve public records.
Court costs and certified court copy questions should go to the clerk or the NC Judicial Branch Current Court Costs page.
New Hanover Judicial District 6
New Hanover County sits in District 6 with Pender County for prosecutorial and defender context. The District Attorney for Prosecutorial District 6 is Jason Smith, and the office prosecutes state criminal cases in New Hanover and Pender. The NC IDS materials place New Hanover in Defender District 6, with the public defender office at 320 Chestnut Street, Suite 201 in Wilmington. These offices do not hold the court file, but they are part of the local criminal case ecosystem.
The courthouse address also has a local geography issue: the current state courthouse at 316 Princess Street is not the Historic Courthouse at 24 North Third Street. The federal courthouse and bankruptcy location near the Cape Fear River are also separate from New Hanover County Superior Court and District Court records. Federal cases use PACER, not the state Portal.
New Hanover Magistrate Courts
Magistrates in New Hanover County are judicial officials within District Court. They issue criminal process, conduct initial appearances, set conditions of release, hear small claims and summary ejectment cases, and accept certain waivers or pleas. Criminal magistrates can be reached through the courthouse contact number listed as 910-772-6619, while civil and small claims magistrate matters use the clerk's main number.
Marriage ceremonies may be performed by a magistrate, ordained minister or church-authorized minister, or a federally or state-recognized Indian Nation or tribe. That ceremony authority is different from the Register of Deeds licensing process and different from court case filing.
The county marriage application page explains license and officiant rules, which are adjacent to magistrate services but not a Superior Court case record.
The same courthouse system may be involved in a ceremony, but the marriage license record stays with the Register of Deeds.
New Hanover Court Copy Requests
For certified copies of court documents, start with the Clerk of Superior Court. For certified birth, death, or marriage copies, use the Register of Deeds. The distinction keeps a court case search from being delayed by the wrong office. The clerk can help with court judgments, criminal dispositions, divorce judgments, and estate letters, while the Register of Deeds handles recorded marriage certificates and vital records.
In-person file review may be needed when a Portal search does not display the document image or when the record predates full eCourts availability. Public terminals and paper files are located in the county where the case is filed. For New Hanover County, that means the courthouse on Princess Street. A requester should bring the case number, party names, approximate filing date, and the type of copy needed. Certified copies are different from plain copies because they carry official certification from the clerk.
The Register of Deeds certified copy page is the correct channel for certified marriage copies, not for Superior Court case records.
For a court-certified divorce judgment or criminal disposition, contact the Clerk of Superior Court instead.
New Hanover Specialty Courts
New Hanover County's court system also connects with local treatment and diversion programs. Adult Enhancement Services serves adults involved in the criminal justice system before and after adjudication through the courts, sheriff, child support services, and community programs. Community Empowerment Court is the local mental health court for justice-involved residents whose diagnosed or identified mental illness contributes to court contact. Community Recovery Court addresses substance and alcohol dependency tied to criminal behavior.
Veterans Treatment Court works with eligible veterans charged with nonviolent felony or misdemeanor offenses who are identified with substance dependency or serious mental-health needs. The Misdemeanor Diversion Program serves eligible first-time, nonviolent misdemeanor offenders ages 15 through 21 through a short program begun by law-enforcement referral. These programs can affect compliance reviews, hearings, and final outcomes, so a case may show specialized settings or review dates in New Hanover County court records.