Perquimans County Trial Courts
Perquimans County is part of the North Carolina General Court of Justice. The state trial courts are the Superior Court Division and the District Court Division. The Judicial Branch lists Perquimans County in Prosecutorial District 1, Superior Court District 1, and District Court District 1. Both trial divisions sit through the state court system, and local filings and records are handled through the Clerk of Superior Court in Hertford.
The North Carolina court structure overview identifies the Appellate, Superior Court, and District Court divisions.
That structure is why a Perquimans County case may be a District Court matter at one stage and a Superior Court matter at another.
Perquimans County Court Table
North Carolina does not use numbered county trial courts in Perquimans County the way some states use numbered district courts or county courts. The practical table is a division and office table: Superior Court, District Court, the Clerk of Superior Court, magistrates, prosecution, and public defense. Each entry serves a different role in a case record or court date.
| Court or office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Court District 1 | Felonies, higher civil cases, District Court appeals | 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944 | (252) 331-4501 |
| District Court District 1 | Misdemeanors, infractions, domestic, juvenile, lower civil matters | 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944 | (252) 331-4500 |
| Clerk of Superior Court | Records, filings, collections, probate judge | 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944 | (252) 404-5000 |
| Magistrates | Initial appearances, magistrate process, small claims functions | Perquimans County Courthouse, Hertford | (252) 404-5019 |
| Prosecutorial District 1 | State criminal prosecution | 200 E. Colonial Ave, Elizabeth City, NC 27909 | (252) 331-4530 |
| Defender District 1 | Public defense for qualifying defendants | 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944 | (252) 331-4650 |
Perquimans Superior Court Records
Superior Court is North Carolina's higher trial court division. The Judicial Branch Superior Court page describes a statewide court that hears civil and criminal cases, with judges rotating among districts within their divisions. For Perquimans County, Superior Court is the division for felony criminal cases, civil cases above the District Court amount threshold, misdemeanor and infraction appeals from District Court, jury trials, and other higher trial matters.
Superior Court records may include indictments, felony case events, motions, orders, trial entries, judgments, sentences, civil complaints, civil judgments, and appeals from lower trial proceedings. A District Court misdemeanor or infraction appeal goes to Superior Court for a new trial. A Superior Court judgment can later route to the North Carolina Court of Appeals depending on the case and issue.
The official Superior Court page provides the statewide jurisdiction framework for Perquimans felony and higher civil records.
This source supports treating Perquimans Superior Court as a division of the state court system rather than a separate county-created court.
Perquimans District Court Records
District Court is the other trial division serving Perquimans County. The Judicial Branch District Court page describes a court that hears civil, criminal, juvenile, and magistrate matters and sits in each county seat. In Perquimans County, District Court is important for misdemeanors, infractions, many traffic citations, domestic cases, juvenile matters, small claims-related matters, and the first layer of many criminal proceedings before a felony reaches Superior Court.
District Court records may show citations, misdemeanor charges, hearing dates, continuances, dispositions, domestic filings, small claims appeals, juvenile-related docket limits, and magistrate-linked proceedings. Some District Court records are public, but juvenile, sealed, expunged, mental health, and protected personal information may be withheld or redacted. The online case entry is not always the full file; the paper case file is inspected through the clerk in the county where the case is located.
The official District Court page is the statewide source for the lower trial division used in Perquimans County.
That page explains why Perquimans misdemeanors, infractions, domestic matters, juvenile matters, and lower civil cases often begin in District Court.
Perquimans Court Comparison
The North Carolina structure is not a county court versus justice court model. Perquimans County users should compare Superior Court, District Court, and magistrates instead. The clerk is included because the clerk is the record custodian for both trial divisions and also serves as judge of probate for estates.
| Function | Superior Court | District Court | Magistrates / Clerk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main civil role | Higher-value civil cases and matters assigned by law | Lower civil matters, domestic matters, and small claims appeals | Magistrates handle small claims functions; clerk keeps filings and records |
| Criminal role | Felonies and appeals from District Court misdemeanors or infractions | Misdemeanors, infractions, traffic, and early criminal stages | Magistrates may handle initial appearances and criminal process functions |
| Family or juvenile role | Limited unless assigned by law or appealed | Domestic and juvenile matters are generally District Court functions | Clerk keeps accessible records subject to confidentiality rules |
| Probate role | Will caveats can go before a Superior Court judge | Not the probate judge division | Clerk acts as probate judge for estates |
| Record access point | Clerk of Superior Court and eCourts Portal | Clerk of Superior Court and eCourts Portal | Clerk office, public terminals, and office phone lines |
Perquimans Case Flow
A Perquimans County case can move across offices and divisions as the case develops. For criminal matters, law enforcement or a magistrate may start the process, the District Attorney prosecutes state charges, District Court handles many early or lower-level matters, and Superior Court handles felonies and certain appeals. For civil matters, the amount and case type help determine whether the case belongs in District Court or Superior Court. For estates, the clerk acts as probate judge unless a caveat or related issue moves to a judge.
Criminal flow: Charge or arrest › magistrate or first appearance › District Court setting › indictment or transfer if felony › Superior Court arraignment › plea, trial, disposition, or sentencing › appeal if allowed.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition filed › answer or response › motions and hearings › mediation or trial if required › judgment › post-judgment enforcement or appeal.
Estate flow: Death and will review › filing with clerk › appointment or letters › notice, inventory, claims, accounting, and distribution › clerk order or Superior Court caveat if the will is contested.
Note: The court division in the case caption is the best clue for where the record sits in the Perquimans system.
Search Perquimans Trial Court Records
Perquimans County case lookup now starts with the North Carolina eCourts Portal for many online searches. The public services include Smart Search, Search Hearings, Make Payments, and NC Judgment Search. Smart Search can help locate case information by name, attorney, citation, and case details. Search Hearings is better for court date questions. Make Payments applies only to eligible cases, and the payment choice can have legal effects in traffic matters.
For complete case files, certified copies, or records that do not show online, the local access point is the Clerk of Superior Court. Public self-service terminals at clerk offices can search criminal cases by defendant, case number, victim, or witness and can also provide civil, special proceeding, and estate case information. The file itself is viewed at the clerk's office in the county where the case is located. In Perquimans, that office is at the courthouse in Hertford.
Perquimans County transitioned to eCourts in Track 3, and the Judicial Branch connected that rollout to online access, electronic filing, fee calculation, file-stamped copies, and email status updates. Clerk Todd W. Tilley was also selected for the eCourts Advisory Committee in 2019, which gives the local clerk page a direct connection to statewide court modernization.
Perquimans Federal Court Distinction
Federal records are not filed in Perquimans County Superior Court or District Court. Perquimans County is in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The district's county list places Perquimans in the Northern Division with nearby northeastern counties, and the federal court holds proceedings in several cities, including Elizabeth City. Federal criminal, civil rights, federal civil litigation, and bankruptcy-related matters route through federal systems such as CM/ECF and PACER.
The EDNC county list places Perquimans County in the federal Northern Division.
That federal division listing is separate from Perquimans County Superior Court District 1 and District Court District 1.
The EDNC CM/ECF information page describes electronic filing access for federal cases.
Use CM/ECF and federal clerk resources for federal pleadings, not the Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court.
The PACER lookup for North Carolina Eastern District Court identifies the federal court record system for EDNC.
PACER access should be used only for federal court records, while state trial court files remain with eCourts and the Perquimans clerk.