Craven County DUI Records

Craven County DUI records are maintained by the Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse in New Bern. Craven County is part of Prosecutorial District 3 and Court District 4 in North Carolina. The Honorable Terri W. Sharp serves as the Clerk of Superior Court. You can search for DUI and DWI case records online or at the courthouse. The clerk office handles all criminal records including impaired driving charges filed in Craven County. Staff can help you look up DUI cases and get copies of court documents. New Bern is the county seat, and all DWI cases for the county are processed here.

Craven County Courthouse DUI Records

The Craven County Courthouse at 302 Broad Street in New Bern is where all DUI and DWI records are stored. The clerk office is on site and open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. You can call (252) 639-3000 to ask about a DUI record. The fax number is (252) 639-3030. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1187, New Bern, NC 28560.

The Craven County Clerk of Superior Court page on the county website has links to court services and quick access tools. The clerk serves as the custodian of all court records in Craven County. This includes DUI case files, DWI arrest records, and related traffic violations. The office handles criminal and civil case filings, probate matters, and special proceedings.

Public access terminals are available at the courthouse for searching DUI records. Security screening is required for all visitors.

Searching Craven County DWI Cases

You can search for DUI records in Craven County online or in person at the courthouse. The NC Court Records Portal provides free access to basic case information for DUI and DWI charges across all North Carolina counties. Search by party name or case number to find records from Craven County.

For in-person searches at the Craven County courthouse, bring a valid ID and as much detail as you can about the case. The clerk can look up DUI records by name, case number, or date. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies of DUI records cost $5 for the first page and $2 for each page after that. You can pay with cash, credit card, certified check, or money order in person. Mail requests accept money orders and checks.

Craven County is moving to the eCourts system. As of February 2025, eCourts services went live in Craven County. Attorneys must now use eFiling for cases in Craven County courts. This change makes it easier to search DUI records online as more case data moves to the digital portal.

Note: The criminal record search form AOC-CR-314 can be used to request a certified DUI record search in Craven County for $25.

DUI Background Checks in Craven County

A DUI conviction in Craven County shows up on criminal background checks. You can run a local check through the clerk for $25 or a statewide check through the NC State Bureau of Investigation for $14. The SBI check uses fingerprints and covers DUI records from all 100 North Carolina counties.

The NC Courts background check page explains how to check for DUI and DWI records in Craven County and across the state. The Craven County Sheriff's Office Warrants Division at (252) 636-6620 can also help with warrant searches. The detention center is at 1100 Clarks Road, New Bern, NC 28562.

Free online tools include the NC Court Calendar, Criminal Court Inquiry, and the NC Offender Information Search. These let you look up DUI cases and check court dates in Craven County without paying a fee.

DWI Laws in Craven County

All DUI cases in Craven County are governed by North Carolina state law. G.S. 20-138.1 makes it a crime to drive while impaired. The blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent. Commercial drivers face a lower limit of 0.04 percent.

G.S. 20-179 sets the sentencing structure for DWI convictions in Craven County. Judges weigh factors like prior DUI convictions, the blood alcohol level at arrest, and whether the driver caused an accident. There are six punishment levels. A driver with three or more prior DWI convictions in ten years can face habitual DWI charges under G.S. 20-138.5, which is a Class F felony.

Refusing a breath test during a DUI stop in Craven County triggers a license revocation under G.S. 20-16.2. The pretrial civil revocation under G.S. 20-16.5 can take your license before the case even goes to trial. After a conviction, the DMV handles further license actions under G.S. 20-19.

How Long Craven County Keeps DUI Records

Craven County follows North Carolina records retention rules. Felony DUI cases are kept for 20 years or permanently. Misdemeanor DWI records are retained for 5 to 10 years. Traffic records are kept for about 3 years. These timelines apply to the court file held by the clerk.

If you are looking for an older DUI record from Craven County, contact the clerk office first. Some older files may be archived or stored on microfilm. The Craven County court records guide has more details on record types and access rules. DUI records that have been expunged are no longer available to the public. The NC Courts expunction page explains the process for sealing DUI records in North Carolina.

Note: Juvenile DUI records in Craven County are protected under N.C.G.S. 7B-3000 and are not open to the public.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Craven County. DUI cases are filed in the county where the arrest happened. Make sure you search the right county for the DUI record you need.