View Free Mecklenburg County Divorce Records & Certificates

Find free Mecklenburg County divorce records without stress or hassle.

County and state government agencies maintain divorce records, and some allow members of the public to purchase, inspect, or copy their divorce documents at no cost. It is also common for custodians of divorce records to post information about a dissolution in an online database that can be searched conveniently.

Access divorce records in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, following the guidance and links below.

How To Access Mecklenburg County Divorce Records for Free

Anyone can access and search for free divorce records in Mecklenburg County. Public divorce records information is available when you know which custodian to check.

An ‘absolute divorce’ in North Carolina does not become effective until a plaintiff spouse files paperwork against a defendant spouse in a county family district court and the matter is settled before a judge.¹ The Mecklenburg County Family District Court is where divorce proceedings are filed and settled in the area.

Divorce cases are maintained by the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court Office. The office maintains all cases filed in the superior and district courts. The clerk’s office allows members of the public to look up and order divorce case records in the eCourts Portal.²

The portal also includes case records from Harnett, Johnson, Lee, and Wake counties. When using the platform, search exclusively Mecklenburg County records by checking their name under the ‘General Options’ ‘Filter by Location’ section. You can further narrow the search to family court case records by navigating to ‘Case Search Criteria’ and selecting ‘Family’ in the ‘Filter by Case Type’ section.

The portal is a comprehensive platform that encompasses nearly every case in five different counties. If you want to ensure that your search is efficient, use the additional filtering options to narrow your search. You must, at a minimum, include the name of one of the parties to the divorce.

Enter the last name followed by a comma, then a space, then the first name.

After results are generated, you should look to the ‘Style / Defendant’ column to locate the parties to the specific divorce that you are searching for. When you locate the appropriate case, select the case number to view additional information about the divorce proceeding.

The case information will show you the names of both parties, the filing date, whether child support was included, and if there was a final judgment with or without a trial. You will also be able to view the case events that describe each filing and hearing associated with the divorce. Finally, you can view the disposition.

The Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court Office also allows members of the public to access public records in person at the courthouse. Copies of records cost $2 for the first page and $0.25 for each subsequent page. Certified copies cost an additional $3 The office is open between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to the general public.

Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court
832 E. 4th Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Phone: 704.686.0400 

How To Look Up Divorce Records for the Entire State of North Carolina via the Division of Public Health Office of Vital Records

The North Carolina Division of Public Health Office of Vital Records allows interested persons to order a dissolution certificate. The NC Office of Vital Records maintains divorce records from 1958 to the present, and requests can be made in person, by mail, or online through a third-party platform.

In order to gain access to a dissolution certificate, you must have a particular relationship with one of the parties to the divorce. You must be a parent, spouse, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, legal guardian or representative, or power of attorney.

Placing an order in person allows for the only same-day expedited method. An interested party must schedule an appointment online or call 984.236.7268. Appointments last for approximately 30 minutes and are available to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The fees are $39 for expedited processing and one record.

The address is located at:

Cooper Memorial Health Building
225 North McDowell Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27603

If you wish to place an order by mail, you must complete an Application for a copy of a North Carolina Divorce Certificate. You must include the names of both parties to the spouse, the date of the divorce, and the county where the decree was issued.

Additionally, you must provide your name and contact information and specify your particular relationship with one of the parties to the divorce.

Applicants must also provide a photocopy of one primary ID or two secondary IDs. The first page of the application lists what forms of identification are sufficient for each type.

The first certified and uncertified copy is $24, while each additional copy is $15. There are also several delivery methods available, such as UPS Next Day Air for $20 or U.S.

Postal Service regular mail for free. There is an additional processing and handling fee of $6. Payment may be made by credit card, personal check, or money order made payable to ‘VitalChek’.

Completed applications, with payment and proper ID, should be mailed to the Vital Records Office.

North Carolina Vital Records
Attn: VC Certificate Orders
1903 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, North Carolina 27699

Phone: 913.733.3000

Additionally, if you have questions about the ordering process, you may use the North Carolina Office of Vital Records Inquiry Form to submit concerns.³

Lastly, interested persons may order a record online through VitalChek, a third-party provider endorsed by the NC Vital Records Office. You may also call 1.800.669.8310 to place an order over the phone. The fee for regular shipping and one copy of a certificate is $37.95, while overnight shipping is $20.

There are no statewide divorce archives. However, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library post an online divorce index that displays a list of names of persons involved in a dissolution between 1846 and 1969.⁴ The list is in alphabetical order, and there is a search bar that allows you to look for specific names.

The index is maintained in the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, which is not currently available for in-person visits. You may contact the office for more information.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library
Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room

Phone: 704.416.0150
Email: [email protected]

Does Mecklenburg County Provide Divorces & Dissolutions of Marriage Information to the Public?

It is important to know the laws surrounding divorces and dissolutions of marriage and whether or not state statutes allow for public disclosure. Like every state, vital records in North Carolina include divorce records per NC G.S.130A-2.⁵

North Carolina only allows limited access to vital records. Although anyone can look up divorce case information, only eligible individuals may obtain a certificate or decree.

NC G.S. 130A-93 authorizes state and county offices to issue divorce records to a person named on the record, a spouse, sibling, direct ancestor, stepparent or stepchild, an individual seeking information for a legal determination of property, an authorized agent, attorney, or legal guardian or representative.⁶

There is no common law divorce in North Carolina. A person may begin a proceeding by filing divorce papers, this verify the marriage was terminated and are often public record. A divorce decree is issued at the end of the proceeding and effectively dissolves the marriage.

If you discover that Mecklenburg County or North Carolina government agencies cannot provide the information you seek, a third-party provider may be able to assist. This may prove particularly helpful when conducting genealogy research and looking for archived divorce records.

Any records you obtain from a third-party provider that are not endorsed by a state or county agency cannot be used for any official purpose.

Mecklenburg County divorce records may only be obtained by relatives or people with a legal interest in the record; however, anyone can view divorce information by following the instructions provided by this article.