• Case Numbers: In Odyssey there are four parts: year (2 digits), case type (letters), case sequence number (6 digits), and county identifier (3 digits). Example: 21CR000003-910
  
• "Sounds Like": Use for a Soundex search if unsure of spelling.
• Partial Name or Number Search: To perform a wildcard search using a case number, enter at least four characters, followed by an asterisk (*); for a business name or nickname, use a minimum of four characters followed by an asterisk and to perform a name search using the wildcard, type a minimum of three characters followed by an asterisk for the last name, and a minimum of one character followed by an asterisk for the first name. View the Name Indexing Standards.
• Portal Options (learn more in the FAQs and Training Materials section)
  • Smart Search: Provides users with a detailed and near to “real-time” Case Summary (also known as the Register of Actions). You can find a detailed listing of a court file’s timeline that would include the Case Summary, Case Information, Assignment Information, Party Information, Causes of Action (Civil, Family, Probate, and Mental Health cases), Case Events, Dispositions, Hearings, and Financial Information (when applicable). SMART SEARCH has Advanced Filtering Options (Civil Actions, Special Proceedings (nonconfidential), Estates, and Criminal Actions), in accordance with NCGS 7A-109(b)(1-4). SMART SEARCH houses crucial information and should be used in conjunction with NC JUDGMENT SEARCH to provide the most detailed listing of information. Select Advanced Filtering Options for options to filter your search by location (General Options), party name, DOB, etc. (Party Search Criteria), and/or case type, case status, case filing date range (Case Search Criteria).
  • Search Hearings: You can search current court calendars for hearing locations and times. SEARCH HEARINGS allows users to search by case number, party name, business name, attorney name, attorney bar number, judicial officer, or courtroom.
  • Make Payments: Criminal court fees and fines can be paid online without visiting the courthouse. The following payment types are accepted online: Cost and Fees, Restitution, Criminal Attorney Fees, Probation and Parole Fees.
  • NC Judgment Search: Allows the public to search by a party’s name or case number for N.C. Judgment Indexes entered in the N.C. Judicial System’s database in accordance with NCGS 7A-109(b)(6). Results include judgments related to Civil, Family, Small Claims, Special Proceedings, Criminal, and Miscellaneous court items. The NC JUDGMENT SEARCH can be filtered to help users’ narrow results based on the case type, status, location, and date of the judgment. Results provided will feature case number, disposition status, index date and time, parties to the action, and judgment comments that are relevant to the disposition. However, to view the complete case summary, a searcher must navigate to the SMART SEARCH portlet.

• Attorneys must not add themselves as parties to the case, but rather as "on behalf of" the party.
• Filers in cases with multiple parties must list each party separately. For example, Tom Smith and Jill Smith must be entered as two separate parties, not a single party of "Tom and Jill Smith."
• Filers may "recall" a submission up until the time the clerk begins review of that submission. Once a clerk begins reviewing a submission, the filer must request, in writing, that the clerk reject the writing to prevent filing.
• Filers should not include documents from different cases in a single envelope.
• Filers may include multiple documents from a single case within a single envelope.
• When multiple documents are included in a single envelope, each document must be a separate file. For example, a Motion, Brief in Support of a Motion, and a Proposed Order may all be included in a single envelope but must be uploaded to the envelope as separate documents.
• When a pleading includes exhibits as attachments to the pleading (such as an affidavit), filers should include the pleading and exhibits in a single PDF document.
• Filers must submit consent motions and proposed orders as separate documents within a single envelope.
• Trial exhibits should not be eFiled. Exhibits offered or admitted into evidence at trial or hearing are maintained separately from the case file. For 'exhibits' incorporated in specific filings with the court, filers should include the pleading and exhibits in a single PDF document.
• Summonses - G.S. 1A-1, Rule 3(a) states that “[a] civil action is commenced by filing a complaint with the court.” G.S. 1A-1, Rule 4(a) provides that “[u]pon the filing of the complaint, summons shall be issued forthwith, and in any event within five days.” After the complaint is filed and a summons with filled in case information is provided to the clerk, the clerk will issue the summons by signing and dating it; the clerk will then provide the issued summons to the filer. In accordance with Rule 4(a), the clerk may issue the summons up to five days after the complaint is filed. It is recommended that a summons and complaint are eFiled separately.

Support

• Attorneys who are experiencing issues or need technical support with eFiling may contact Tyler Technologies through chat, email, or by phone. Information is provided at this link: Submit a request – eFile (zendesk.com)
• Attorneys who are experiencing issues with Portal or their elevated access may contact NCAOC via email at [email protected].
• For questions relating to case information or documents in court files, please contact the clerk of superior court in the county where the case is located.
• When reporting an issue with File & Serve, please include the Envelope Number and any screenshots (if possible) to help us better troubleshoot the issue.

• NCAOC and Tyler are aware of issues concerning payment mechanisms resulting in double charges and understand those issues to have been resolved. NCAOC systems reflect no "double payments" in any of the pilot counties on Monday, February 20, 2023. Nevertheless, filers should be advised that clicking the "submit" button again while a payment is processing may result in a double payment.
• File & Serve does not charge filing fees to the designated form of payment until the filing is accepted by the clerk. If a filing is rejected by the clerk, the filer will not be charged twice.
• Attorneys filing subsequent filings in a case must pay through "Additional Services" in order to ensure that fees are properly assessed.
• Filers must select payment method when filing a document for which there is no charge, such as a proposed order. File & Serve will not charge that credit card, but the system requires this selection in order to accept the filing.

Support

• Attorneys who are experiencing issues or need technical support with eFiling may contact Tyler Technologies through chat, email, or by phone. Information is provided at this link: Submit a request – eFile (zendesk.com)
• Attorneys who are experiencing issues with Portal or their elevated access may contact NCAOC via email at [email protected].
• For questions relating to case information or documents in court files, please contact the clerk of superior court in the county where the case is located.
• When reporting an issue with File & Serve, please include the Envelope Number and any screenshots (if possible) to help us better troubleshoot the issue.

• Filers can only file into an existing criminal case because only law enforcement and judicial officials can initiate a criminal case. Filers with the case number should experience no problems filing subsequent documents in an existing criminal case.
• Attorneys should not designate themselves as the “payor” for criminal filings. Attorneys must designate the party, or the defendant, as the payor. Attorneys should be designated for acceptance.
• Individuals filing petitions for expunctions (not expunction verifications) should be filed as a criminal filing as a subsequent filings in an existing criminal case.
• Trial exhibits should not be eFiled. Exhibits offered or admitted into evidence at trial or hearing are maintained separately from the case file. For 'exhibits' incorporated in specific filings with the court, filers should include the pleading and exhibits in a single PDF document.

Support

• Attorneys who are experiencing issues or need technical support with eFiling may contact Tyler Technologies through chat, email, or by phone. Information is provided at this link: Submit a request – eFile (zendesk.com)
• Attorneys who are experiencing issues with Portal or their elevated access may contact NCAOC via email at [email protected].
• For questions relating to case information or documents in court files, please contact the clerk of superior court in the county where the case is located.
• When reporting an issue with File & Serve, please include the Envelope Number and any screenshots (if possible) to help us better troubleshoot the issue.

• Name Indexing Standards. Attorneys can reference the Name Indexing Standards, published by NCAOC in February 2023 and made publicly available. However, individuals must be aware that these standards are only applicable from February 2023 forward and that, even then, the courts cannot guarantee compliance with these standards. Therefore, attorneys, title searchers, and others should not overly rely on the Name Indexing Standards as a definitive or exhaustive guide to forming search parameters.
• System Speed. NCAOC and Tyler are aware of slowness (latency) issues and have been addressing these issues as a top priority. Attorneys and courthouse staff should be experiencing significantly improved response times from File & Serve, Odyssey, and Portal.
• Court Calendars. Concerns about the formatting of calendars have been resolved for future calendars; calendars already posted to nccourts.org will remain as initially formatted.
• Historical ACIS Inquiry. ACIS is inquiry only for the pilot counties to view case information for non-Odyssey counties. Historical information for Odyssey counties is available in Portal.
• Notification of Service for Fee Applications. Attorneys should not serve the judge on fee applications, but rather simply file the document. Once filed, the Clerk of Court will forward the fee application for processing and signature from the appropriate individual.
• Background Checks. ACIS remains available as the criminal index for counties in which Odyssey has not yet been implemented. For implemented counties, historical ACIS data has been migrated to Odyssey, so searches for those counties can be performed in Portal. For users who wish to search records statewide, the search will have to be performed in two steps to cover both applications: ACIS for un-implemented counties, and Portal for implemented counties. This will remain the case for the duration of the rollout, until all counties are implemented and all records are in Odyssey / Portal.

  When performing searches in Portal, users of the “Smart Search” function can use the “Advanced Filtering Options” dropdown to filter results by additional data elements like date of birth. Note that the functionality of some search filters in Portal operates differently from search fields in ACIS. For example, where ACIS had only a single field for age / date of birth on its statewide search screen and returned results with values within 5 years of the age / date entered, Portal uses a two-field combination for a range of birth dates and will return only search results for which the date of birth falls within that exact range.

  Note that official criminal record checks provided by the clerk pursuant to G.S. 7A-308(a)(17), requested on form AOC-CR-314, still will be limited to returning records only from the providing clerk’s county.

Support

• Attorneys who are experiencing issues or need technical support with eFiling may contact Tyler Technologies through chat, email, or by phone. Information is provided at this link: Submit a request – eFile (zendesk.com)
• Attorneys who are experiencing issues with Portal or their elevated access may contact NCAOC via email at [email protected].
• For questions relating to case information or documents in court files, please contact the clerk of superior court in the county where the case is located.
• When reporting an issue with File & Serve, please include the Envelope Number and any screenshots (if possible) to help us better troubleshoot the issue.