Raleigh Arrest and Booking Records
Raleigh 24 hour booking records are held at the Wake County Detention Center. The Raleigh Police Department handles law enforcement for the city, and people arrested here go to the county detention facility at 330 S Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. The Wake County Sheriff's Office runs this facility and maintains online tools for searching current inmates. Booking records are public under North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 132, with limited exceptions for active investigations.
Raleigh 24 Hour Booking Process
When Raleigh Police make an arrest, the person is transported to the Wake County Detention Center. The facility processes about 25,000 bookings each year. It can house more than 1,000 inmates at a time. During booking, staff collect fingerprints, a photograph, and personal details. Charges are entered into the system along with bond amounts and court dates.
Raleigh Police Department headquarters is at 6716 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, NC 27615. The non-emergency number is (919) 996-3335. The Records Division can be reached at (919) 996-3381. Arrest records and criminal history checks are not provided by the police department itself. For those, contact the Wake County Clerk of Court or the NC State Bureau of Investigation.
North Carolina law under §15A-502 requires officers to document each arrest with specific details. The booking record must include the charges, the arresting agency, and identifying information. These records enter public access once the booking is complete, subject to exemptions in §132-1.4 for active investigations.
Note: The Raleigh Police Department does not provide comprehensive criminal history checks directly.
Searching Raleigh 24 Hour Booking Records Online
The Wake County Sheriff's Office provides an online inmate search. Users can look up current inmates by name. Results show booking information, charges, bond amounts, and court dates. The system also displays inmates released within the past 24 hours. For older records, you may need to file a formal public records request.
The Raleigh Police Department publishes daily incident data through the city's Open Data Portal. This dataset uses the National Incident Based Reporting System and updates each day. It includes incident type, date, time, location, and disposition. Victim names and addresses are not included. Data can be downloaded in CSV, KML, and Shapefile formats.
The Raleigh Police Department provides information about its operations through raleighnc.gov/police, the department's official page.
This page links to records requests, crime data, and contact details for each division.
Raleigh Public Records and Arrest Data
Wake County arrest records are maintained by both the Raleigh Police Department and the Wake County Sheriff's Office. Arrest records typically include the person's name, date of birth, photograph, charges, arrest date, bond amount, and arresting agency. These records are public under North Carolina law unless sealed by a court.
The Records Division at Raleigh Police provides copies of incident and accident reports. Fees follow city ordinance and state law. You can pay by cash, check, or money order. Accident reports take three to five business days to become available. For certified copies of arrest records or criminal history, go to the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court at the Wake County Justice Center, 300 S Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.
Wake County uses the NextRequest system for public records requests. You can submit and track requests online at any time. The county responds in line with N.C.G.S. §132-6, which requires agencies to act as promptly as possible. Response times depend on the size and complexity of the request.
Raleigh is the state capital and the largest city in Wake County. The Wake County Detention Center at 330 S Salisbury Street processes about 25,000 bookings per year from Raleigh and other towns in the county. Each record stays on file per the state retention schedule. Past bookings can be retrieved through a formal request even after the person has left custody. The Wake County Sheriff's Office phone is (919) 856-6900. For those who need alerts on a specific person, the VINE system sends free updates by phone, text, or email when an inmate's status changes. This covers both the county jail and state prisons across North Carolina.
Wake County Detention Center for Raleigh
The Wake County Detention Center serves Raleigh, Cary, and all other municipalities in Wake County. The facility meets standards set by the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. It provides medical care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, and educational programs.
Visitation is by video only. Family and friends must register online and schedule visits ahead of time. Money can go into inmate accounts through lobby kiosks, online, or by phone. Commissary is available each week. For questions about an inmate, call the Wake County Sheriff's Office at (919) 856-6900.
Note: The detention center houses inmates from multiple agencies across Wake County, not just Raleigh Police arrests.
Raleigh 24 hour booking records form a permanent part of the Wake County Detention Center's files. Every record contains the person's name, mugshot, charges, bond amount, and court date. The data is entered at the time of booking and stored electronically. Booking records from years past can still be obtained through a formal written request to the Wake County Sheriff's Office.
North Carolina 24 Hour Booking Lookup Tools
For searches that go beyond Raleigh, several state resources are available. The NC Department of Adult Correction runs an Offender Public Information Search that covers state prison inmates, probationers, and parolees with data back to 1972. The NC.gov Offender Search portal offers a similar tool through the state's main website.
The NC SAVAN program gives free, confidential alerts about changes in an offender's custody status. Notifications come by phone, email, text, or TTY. The NC Judicial Branch offers court records access, background check guidance, and information about expunctions. The eCourts portal covers cases filed after October 2023.
Wake County Booking Records
Raleigh is the county seat of Wake County. All arrest processing and detention goes through the Wake County system. For the full county page with additional resources and related links, visit the Wake County booking records page.