Court of Appeals
About
The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court. Currently 15 judges hear cases in panels of three. The Court of Appeals reviews the proceedings that occurred in the trial courts for errors of law or legal procedure; it decides only questions of law – not questions of fact. The role of the Court of Appeals is to decide if the trial court correctly applied the law, or if there was prejudicial error in the conduct of the trial.
The majority of cases appealed from the Superior and District courts in civil and criminal cases are heard by the Court of Appeals. One major exception is capital murder appeals in which the death penalty was imposed; these appeals go directly to the Supreme Court of North Carolina. In addition, direct appeals from certain of the state’s administrative agencies are heard by the Court of Appeals.
If a member of the three-judge panel dissents from the decision of the majority, there is a right of appeal from the Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of North Carolina; otherwise, further review of a decision of the Court of Appeals is limited to those cases that the Supreme Court accepts in its discretion. Judges of the Court of Appeals are elected and serve eight-year terms. A Chief Judge for the North Carolina Court of Appeals is designated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Cases are heard by a panel of three judges with the Chief Judge being responsible for assigning members of the court to the five panels.
More Information
Biographies of the Judges
North Carolina Court of Appeals Judges Biographies.
Slip Opinions
Slip opinions issued by the Court of Appeals.
Calendar of Oral Arguments
View current and past calendars of Oral Arguments.
Dockets
Search Court of Appeals Dockets by case title, name, number, or party.
Orders
Search Court of Appeals Orders by docket number or case title.
eFiling and Document Library
Electronically file a case and search and view case information in the Document Library.
Self-Representation Guide
Information and forms for parties representing themselves at the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Advance Sheets
Preliminary publication of the North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports including opinions with headnotes.
North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports
Final publication of the North Carolina Court of Appeals Reports including opinions with headnotes.
Search Case Summaries / Headnotes
Search headnotes of legal topics in opinions of the Supreme Court (since December 2014) and the Court of Appeals (since April 2016).
Legal Standards Database
Provides illustrations of the wide variety of standards of review, legal tests, and general statements of law.
Court of Appeals Mediation
Allows parties to participate in mediation of cases pending before the Court of Appeals.
Court Rules
Rules of practice, procedure, and conduct adopted by the Supreme Court of North Carolina.
Appellate Reporter
Publishes the opinions of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
History of the Court of Appeals Building
Learn about the building's history since opened in 1913.
Contact
Court of Appeals Clerk's OfficeTelephone(919) 831-3600
Hours of operation: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (except holidays)
Physical addressNorth Carolina Court of Appeals
Clerk's Office
1 West Morgan Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Mailing addressPO Box 2779
Raleigh, NC 27602
Latest News
All Things Judicial Focuses on North Carolina's Judicial System Reforms in the 1960s
MEDIA ADVISORY: North Carolina Court of Appeals to Hold Session at Nash County Courthouse
