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Divorce decree in North Carolina

Step-by-step guide to ordering a certified divorce decree for an event that occurred in North Carolina.

Who issues divorce decrees in North Carolina

Divorce decrees in North Carolina are court documents issued by the trial court that finalized the divorce — typically the superior court, district court, or circuit court of the county where the case was filed. The North Carolina Vital Records may keep a divorce index but will refer requesters back to the court clerk for certified copies. To order, you must know the county and approximate year of the divorce.

Use the county directory at the bottom of this page to jump to a county-specific guide. If you don't know the county, the state office can sometimes confirm one occurred and identify the filing jurisdiction in response to a written request.

State officeNorth Carolina Vital Records
Address225 N. McDowell St, Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone(919) 733-3000
Websitehttps://vitalrecords.nc.gov/
Typical turnaround5-15 business days by mail
Records since1913

Current fees

  • Birth records: $24
  • Death records: $24
  • Marriage records: $24
  • Divorce records: $24

Fees change. Always confirm the current amount on the official agency page before mailing payment. Most state offices accept money orders and cashier's checks; many accept credit cards for online and in-person orders.

Eligibility — who can order

Divorce decrees are court records. Eligibility to obtain a certified copy is usually limited to either party to the divorce, their attorneys of record, and parties named in the order (for example, a guardian or alleged parent). Older divorces may become part of the publicly searchable court file once the case is closed and any sealed portions expire; ask the court clerk what is available.

For a deeper comparison of acceptable photo-ID alternatives — particularly useful when an ID has expired or you have only secondary documents — see this independent ID-substitution checklist .

How to order

By mail

Download the office's application form from https://vitalrecords.nc.gov/, complete it in full, attach a clear photocopy of an acceptable photo ID, and mail it with a money order or cashier's check for the fee to:

North Carolina Vital Records
225 N. McDowell St, Raleigh, NC 27603

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope only if the office's instructions request one; many offices use their own outbound mailing system at no extra cost.

In person

Most state vital records offices offer walk-in service during business hours at the address above. In-person service is the fastest mail-route alternative — often same-day. Bring an acceptable photo ID, the completed application, and the fee in cash or card (some offices do not accept personal checks at the counter).

Online

North Carolina partners with VitalChek as its approved online vendor for expedited orders. Online ordering adds a service fee on top of the state fee and a shipping charge for overnight delivery, but it can shave weeks off the wait when you need a record in a hurry. Always start at the official agency page (https://vitalrecords.nc.gov/) and follow its link out to VitalChek; do not respond to unsolicited search ads from look-alike sites.

If you are gathering this divorce decree as part of a larger genealogy project, this US family-history research walkthrough covers complementary record sets (census, military, immigration) that pair well with vital records.

Processing time

The published turnaround for standard mail orders to the North Carolina Vital Records is 5-15 business days by mail. Add 5-10 business days for delivery in each direction. In-person and approved online orders are almost always faster. If your need is urgent — a passport appointment, a closing date, an immigration filing — order in person if you can travel to the office, or use the approved online vendor with overnight delivery.

North Carolina counties — pick the right courthouse

Because divorce decrees in North Carolina are typically held at the county level, the right place to order is usually the county clerk or court that handled the original filing. Browse the largest counties below.

Don't pay twice. If a non-government search site asks for a fee just to "look up" a North Carolina divorce decree, walk away. The fee schedule above is the only fee the issuing office charges, and it includes the search.