Crime Numbers
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation compiles offense and arrest data for all the counties in the state and publishes annual reports of crime statistics. Its latest reports show that there were 18,725 total crimes reported in Forsyth County in 2017. This figure represents a 0.6% increase in crime rate compared to the previous year and a 4.3% rise in crime rate compared to the offense data for 2013.
A closer look at the county’s 2017 crime data reveals that there were 26 murders, 134 rapes, 604 robberies, and 1,829 aggravated assaults. Recorded incidents of property crimes include 3,529 burglaries, 11,378 larcenies, and 1,225 motor vehicle theft. Compared to crime figures for 2013, Forsyth County recorded higher numbers for all of these crimes in 2017 except burglary. Murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates grew by 44.4%, 36.7%, 20.1%, and 57.9% respectively. While burglary rate went down by 25.2%, the five-year crime trend for the county indicates that larceny rate rose by 6.4% and motor vehicle rate climbed by 60.8%.
Forsyth County Criminal Records
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) provides criminal history records for the state. It offers fingerprint-based background checks for individuals requesting their own criminal histories. North Carolina is a closed state. Therefore, the NCSBI does not provide the public with criminal record information for other people. Employers and other qualifying agencies may request background checks for their employees if they have an Access Agreement with the NCSBI.
To request a North Carolina fingerprint-based background check on yourself, submit your request using the form attached to the Right to Review document. Send the completed application by mail to:
NC State Bureau of Investigation
Criminal Information and Identification Section
Applicant Unit - Right to Review
Post Office Box 29500
Raleigh, NC 27626-0500
Include a certified check or money order for $14 (the fee for each copy of criminal history record). Make this payable to NC State Bureau of Investigation. Also include a set of your fingerprints rolled on a FD-258 Applicant Fingerprint Card. You can obtain this from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office offers fingerprinting service on Wednesdays between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at its location at:
Administration Building
301 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 917-7001
Call ahead to make an appointment and bring a valid government-issued photo ID as well as the fingerprinting fee. The Sheriff’s Office charges $10 for the first two cards and $5 for each card thereafter. Cash and credit/debit card payments are accepted.
Forsyth County Police Reports
The Sheriff’s Office also provides incident reports on request. To obtain a police report, visit the Records Division of the Sheriff’s Office. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Administration Building at the address listed above. This office is open to the public from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Note that other law enforcement agencies in Forsyth County also produce their own reports for incidents that occurred within their jurisdictions. These reports are not available from the Sheriff’s Office. You need to contact the police department or State Highway Patrol that initiated such reports in order to obtain them.
Forsyth County Sex Offender Information
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is the central repository of all sex offender information in the state. It makes the North Carolina Sex Offender Registry searchable online. You can search for offenders by name, age, and sex registration number. To find registered sex offenders living in Forsyth County, select Forsyth from the county drop-down list on the search page.
Forsyth County Inmate Records
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office operates the only jail in the county. The Law Enforcement Detention Center is located at:
201 North Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 917-7600
Use Inmate Inquiry resources published on the Sheriff’s website to find individuals incarcerated in this facility. A Forsyth County Inmate Search typically requires the detainees full name, birth date and DOC number (if applicable). Friends and family can deposit funds in inmates’ commissary accounts at the kiosk located at the back of the detention center’s lobby. This location accepts cash and credit/debit card deposits and is available 24 hours a day.
It is also possible to send money to an inmate by calling the toll-free number, (866) 345-1884, or by visiting www.inmatedeposits.com. Only credit and debit cards are accepted for depositing funds with these two options.
Forsyth County Court Records
Forsyth County has a Superior Court and a District Court. Both are located in the same courthouse and Forsyth County Court Records are generated and maintained by the office of the court clerk. Below are the addresses and contact information of these courts:
Forsyth County Superior Court
200 North Main Street
P.O. Box 20099
Winston Salem, NC 27120
Phone: (336) 779-6300
Fax: (336) 779-6301
Forsyth County District Court
200 North Main Street
P.O. Box 20099
Winston Salem, NC 27120
Phone: (336) 779-6318
Fax: (336) 779-6336
To view the records of these courts, use the public self-service computer terminals at Clerk of Court’s Office located in the courthouse. The Clerk’s staff can provide copies of court records for a fee.
The Register of Deeds maintains deeds and other real estate records for Forsyth County. To view and/or obtain copies of these records, visit or contact the Register of Deeds at:
Forsyth County Government Center
201 N Chestnut Street
Winston Salem, NC 27101-4120
Phone: (336) 703-2700
Fax: (336) 748-3158
Email: johnsolg@forsyth.cc
Vital Records
The Forsyth County Clerk of Court is the official responsible for maintaining and providing copies of divorce judgements and other court documents. You can obtain a copy of your divorce judgement by contacting the Clerk at the Forsyth County Courthouse address listed above.
The Register of Deeds provides copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates in Forsyth County. Visit, call, fax, or email the Register’s office at the address and using the contact details provided above. The Register charges $10 for each certified copy of marriage license, birth certificate, or death certificate. Birth certificate fee is waived for individuals over 62 years old.
The Vital Records of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services can also provide birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates. Its records include birth certificates from 1913, death certificates from 1930, fetal death reports from 2001, marriage certificates from 1963, and divorce records from 1958 to the present. While some of these records are also available at county level, only the State Vital Records is the only agency that issues birth certificates for adopted children.
Visit this office to make a walk-in request for any of these vital records. Bring along a valid I.D. to:
North Carolina Vital Records (Cooper Memorial Health Building)
225 N. McDowell Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-1382
The office is open to the public from Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Mail requests are also accepted for these vital records. Start by downloading and completing the appropriate application form. These are Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce Certificate Application Form as well as Report of Fetal Death and Certificate of Birth Resulting in Stillbirth Application Form. Mail or drop off the application form, required documents, and fee to:
North Carolina Vital Records
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1900
The Vital Records charges $24 for the first copy of a birth, death, fetal death, marriage, or divorce certificate. Each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time costs $15. You may request for expedited processing when submitting a walk-in, drop-off, or mail request. Expedited processing costs an additional $15. Expedited processing and shipping costs $35. Make sure to write “Expedite” on the front of the envelope when requesting this service by mail. When sending an expedited mail request by UPS or FedEx, use the following mailing address:
NC Vital Records
225 North McDowell Street
Raleigh, NC 27603-1382
Are Property Records Open to the Public in Forsyth County?
The North Carolina Public Records Law makes all property records in Forsyth County available to the public for inspection. People interested in inspecting or obtaining Forsyth County property records can contact the Forsyth County Register of Deeds.
Where and How to Find Property Records in Forsyth County
The Forsyth County Register of Deeds is the custodian of property records in the county. The Register records and maintains real estate transactions and issues these Forsyth County property records, some of which date as far back as 1849, to requesters. The real estate documents maintained and issued by the Register of Deeds' office include Deeds, Assignments, Deeds of Trust, Leases, Business Names, and Powers of Attorney. Applicants can access copies of Forsyth County property records by sending an email or contacting the office of the Register of Deeds in person at:
North Chestnut Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 703-2700
Fax: (336) 748-3158
The Register of Deeds' office is open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. every weekday.
How to Look Up Forsyth County Property Records
The Forsyth County Register of Deeds' office provides a free online lookup tool for locating copies of property records. It replaces the pay-to-search platform which a third-party firm provided. The database is also comprehensive, allowing requesters to search over two million records on the portal, dating back to 1973 for images and 1849 for Deeds and Indexes. Users can find the following types of documents online:
- Deeds
- Affidavits
- Easements
- Bankruptcy Notices
- Lease Agreements
- Restrictive Covenants
- Certificate of Partnership / Business Under Assumed Names
- Living Wills
- Condominium Maps
- Deeds of Trust / Mortgages
- Pre-Nuptial Agreements
- Health Care Power of Attorneys
- Notices of Foreclosures
- Highway Plans
- Separation Agreements
- Plat Maps
- Power of Attorneys
To begin a search on the portal, people may have to accept the disclaimer on the portal. Accepting the disclaimer redirects an applicant to a search page where requesters can either conduct a name, book page, or file search. People can contact the office of the Register of Deeds at:
North Chestnut Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 703-2700
Fax: (336) 748-3158
For record search issues, complaints should be directed to the BIS support line (866) 604-3680.
Location of Forsyth County Township Property Assessors
North Chestnut Street
P.O. Box 757
Winston-Salem, NC 27102
Phone: (336) 703-2300
Fax: (336) 727-2369 (Assessor)
Fax: (336) 748- 3000 (collector)
