Crime numbers
The North Carolina Bureau of Investigation publishes an annual report of crime rates on a county basis. In 2017, Caldwell County recorded 2567 crimes. Violent crimes consisted of 16 rapes, 30 robberies, and 101 aggravated assaults. There were no recorded murders in 2017. Property cases were split into 621 burglaries, 1600 larcenies, and 199 motor vehicle thefts, totaling 2024 cases. Comparing these figures with a five-year previous report, Caldwell County had a general reduction in crime rates by 6%. A total of 2748 crimes were reported in 2013, showing fewer violent crimes (127) and higher rates of property crime (2621). Violent crime figures were divided into 7 murders (-700%), 3 rapes (433%), 34 robberies (-11%), 83 aggravated assaults (21%). On the other hand, 714 burglaries (-13%), 1779 larcenies (-10%), and 128 auto vehicle thefts (55%) make up the property crimes that occurred in 2013. There were no arson cases reported in both years.
Criminal Records
Criminal records are the official documentation of an individual’s criminal activities. These records are archived with the courthouse and the law enforcement agency. In Caldwell County, there is a self-service terminal at every courthouse that allows interested persons to obtain reports on criminal records, either for themselves or for a third party. This service is free to use, but it is uncertified.
The Superior Court county clerk is the personnel that issues certified copies at the county clerk’s office. This service comes at a fee of $25 along with an AOC-CR-314 form that must be completed by the requester. This fee is payable by cash, checks, money order, or credit card.
Interested persons may also conduct an uncertified check within the clerk’s office using the public access computers. This service is free, but if the requester wishes to print a hard copy of the report, there may be charges for the printing service. Please note that criminal history checks at the county level are name-based, therefore it may not be 100% reliable. Fingerprint checks are much more reliable, but they are not conducted within the county. The Sheriff’s department of Caldwell County offers fingerprinting services to persons who wish to do a fingerprint check at the state level. This service is by appointment. Call (828)754-1518 during regular business hours to book an appointment. Fingerprint services for use within the county cost $7, while out-of-county requests cost $15.
The finger service criminal check provided by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is non-certified but has a statewide coverage of information about criminal activities. Each request is processed at $14. The other requirements are a fingerprint card, a completed AOC-CR-314 form. The state service also offers a liaison between individuals seeking certified fingerprint criminal checks and the FBI criminal history information services. Visit the SBI for more information.
Persons with a previous incarceration history and or currently serving a jail term in the state are listed in the Public offender registry. Anyone can use this service, provided the following information is available to the user: full names of the involved party, sex, ethnicity, race, and the date of birth.
Reports of arrests and auto crashes within the county are filed with the Sheriff’s Office in Caldwell County. A copy of an arrest report or a crash report each costs $4. Both involved and non-involved persons can access this information by calling the Sheriff directly on (828) 754-1518, or the office on (828) 758-2324. Alternatively, visit the Sheriff’s Office between the hours of 8: 00 a.m. and 5: 00 p.m. at:
2351 SW
Morganton Blvd.
Lenoir, NC 28645
Residents of the county can also locate sex offenders within the neighborhood by looking up the North Carolina Sex Offenders Registry for the names of sex offenders in the county and their addresses. The Caldwell County Jail is manned by the Detention Division of the Sheriff’s Office. Persons charged for criminal offenses and convicted parties are kept in this facility. Members of the public get information about inmates by using the Inmates list. An inmate’s account is funded electronically. Follow the instructions of the application. The Caldwell Detention Center is located at 2351 Morganton Blvd. S.W. Lenoir, North Carolina 28645.
Court Records
There are two trial courts in Caldwell County. The Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Appeal cases from the county District Court are also heard at the Superior Court. The District Court handles divorce cases and other civil matters of domestic orientation. They are both located at the same address:
Caldwell County Courthouse
216 Main Street NW
P. O. Box 1376
Lenoir, NC 28645
Phone: (828) 759-3503 (Main)
Phone: (828) 759-3500 (Superior Court)
Phone: (828) 759-3515 (Family Court)
Fax: (828) 759-3513 (Family Court)
Office hours are from 8: 00 a.m. and 5: 00 a.m., from Monday till Friday.
Vital Records
The Caldwell Register of Deeds is responsible for recording and issuing certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and real estate in the county. Divorce records are not included among the records at the Registry, but they are available at the office of the county clerk of the District Court. The Register of Deeds office is situated at:
905 West Avenue NW
Lenoir, NC 28645
(828) 757-1310
These records can be viewed for free at the office during business hours on weekdays. Records under 50 years are available for public viewing. Also, an online index of vital records maintained by the Office registry is accessible to members of the public, for free. Certified copies of vital records in North Carolina are generally restricted to persons named in the records and their immediate family members of legal age. Persons outside this category must be authorized either by the bearer of the record or by court order. A certified copy of a vital record is processed at $10 per copy. Persons wishing to request copies can do so online using these links:
Certified Copy of Vital Records
Requests for certified copies can be submitted in person or mailed to the address above.
Members of the Caldwell community can also obtain vital records from the North Carolina Department of Public Health. Registered births since 1913, deaths from 1930, marriages since 1962, and divorces are available at the state vital records office. Request forms for death, birth, marriage, and divorce are available both in English and Spanish. Submitted requests should include a completed form, a fee payment of $39, a state-approved form of I.D., and proof of relationship with the bearer of the record or court order sent to:
North Carolina Vital Records (Cooper Memorial Health Building)
225 N. McDowell St
Raleigh, NC 27603-1382
Mailed requests should be sent to:
North Carolina Vital Records
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1900
Allow for 8 weeks of processing time. Call (919) 733-3000 for more information.
