Find Wake County White Pages
Wake County white pages give you a way to look up people and search public records in the most populated county in North Carolina. The county seat is Raleigh, and more than one million people live here. You can search Wake County records through several free online tools run by county offices. These include land records, tax records, court records, and other public documents. The white pages for Wake County pull from many of these same record sources. Most searches are free and can be done from home at any time of day.
Wake County Quick Facts
Wake County White Pages Deed Records
The Wake County Register of Deeds is the main office for land records in this part of North Carolina. This office stores deeds, deeds of trust, plats, and many other real estate documents. Under NCGS § 132-1, these are public records that anyone can view. The office sits at the Wake County Justice Center at 300 S. Salisbury Street in Raleigh. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You can call them at 919-856-5460 with questions about any Wake County record.
Wake County launched new land records software in April 2025. All recorded documents are now in the new system. Records go all the way back to July 1785. That is more than two hundred years of Wake County public records in one place. You can search by name, date range, or book and page number. The search system covers deeds, mortgages, easements, plats, judgments, powers of attorney, quit claim deeds, and more. Wake County white pages users often start here when they need to look up a person's property history.
The Wake County Register of Deeds website has tools to search these records from your home computer or phone.
When you search Wake County records, enter names as last name first. Use at least three characters. Try different spelling variations to make sure you find all results in Wake County. The white pages and land record search tools work best when you keep your lookup broad at first.
White Pages Property Search in Wake County
Property records are one of the most used parts of the Wake County white pages. The county tax office manages these records. Wake County does not require annual listing for real estate. A tax lien attaches to each piece of property on January 1 each year. Bills go out in July and cover the period from July 1 through June 30. If you do not pay by January 5, the county adds a 2% fee for that month. After that, interest grows at three quarters of one percent each month.
The Wake County online records search lets you look up recorded documents by grantor, grantee, date, or book and page number. This is a free tool. It is one of the best ways to use Wake County white pages data for property research.
The median home value in Wake County is $385,700. The average property tax rate is 0.75%. These numbers help show why so many people search Wake County property records each day. Property owners must report new buildings or additions if no building permit was issued. Basic upkeep like painting or landscaping does not count as an improvement. A white pages search for a Wake County address often starts with these property records.
Note: Property tax records in Wake County are public under NCGS § 132-6, and anyone may search or request to view them during normal office hours.
Wake County Court Records Search
The Clerk of Superior Court keeps all court files in Wake County. Under NCGS § 7A-109, the clerk is the official keeper of both superior and district court records. Wake County falls in District 10 of the North Carolina court system. The Honorable Blair Williams serves as Clerk of Superior Court. The office is at 300 S. Salisbury Street, second floor, in Raleigh. Court records are a key part of the Wake County white pages.
You can search for court cases through the Wake County courts page on the North Carolina Judicial Branch site. The system allows searches by case number, party name, or hearing date. It covers civil, criminal, and traffic cases. Public computer terminals at the Wake County courthouse give access to the ACIS system, which holds criminal and infraction data. Most criminal case records in Wake County are public. The one main exception is arrest warrants that have been issued but not yet served.
Wake County also has a SelfServe Center for people who do not have a lawyer. Staff there can help you find forms and understand the filing process. Many white pages searches lead people to court records as a next step in their Wake County lookup.
Wake County White Pages for Arrest Data
The Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services handles arrest records. This office was created in 1937 by the North Carolina General Assembly. It was renamed in December 2024. The bureau has records of all arrests in Wake County going back to April 27, 2007. Their arrest records portal is free to use online. It gives the same data as a certified record check.
If you need a certified copy of an arrest record from Wake County, the fee is $15 per name. Send your request by mail to the Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services at 3301 Hammond Road, Raleigh, NC 27603. Results come back in one to two business days. Call 919-856-6300 if you have questions about your records search. Per NCGS § 132-1.4, some criminal investigation records may not be available to the public. The bureau does not get notices about records that have been expunged under state law. Arrest data is a common lookup in the Wake County white pages.
How to Request Wake County Records
The Wake County Communications Office takes public records requests through its website. This is a good option when you cannot find what you need through the white pages or other online search tools. Under NCGS § 132-6.2, Wake County must respond as soon as it can, though there is no set deadline in the law. A formal records request can turn up documents that a basic white pages search might miss.
Here is where to direct your search based on the type of record you need in Wake County:
- Marriage, birth, and death records: contact the Register of Deeds at 919-856-5460
- Property and tax records: use the Wake County Tax Administration site
- Divorce, traffic, criminal, or civil records: call the Clerk of Court at 919-792-4005
- Code enforcement cases: view the county code case report for cases opened in the last 90 days
- Public safety incidents: search the Police-2-Citizen Portal
The Wake County public records request page walks you through the process step by step. You can submit your request online at any time.
Note: Wake County white pages searches work best when you already know the person's name or the type of record you need before you start.
Wake County White Pages Local Records
Wake County has many towns and cities with their own police departments. Each one keeps its own set of public records. The Wake County white pages can help you find contact details for these offices. For example, the Town of Wake Forest runs its own police department separate from the Wake County Sheriff.
The Wake Forest Police Department handles law enforcement for that part of Wake County. Other towns like Cary, Apex, and Garner have their own forces as well. Each town's records can be found through the Wake County white pages.
When you search the Wake County white pages for a person, keep in mind that records may sit with different offices depending on the city. A case in Raleigh goes through the Raleigh Police Department. A case in Cary goes through Cary police. But all court records end up at the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court in Raleigh. Knowing this saves time in your Wake County records search. The white pages bring these sources together in one lookup.
State Records for Wake County Searches
Several state offices hold records that relate to Wake County residents. The North Carolina State Archives has historical Wake County records going back to colonial times. These include old deeds, wills, estate papers, and marriage bonds. The State Archives is a good resource for anyone doing a deep search of Wake County white pages history. These public records add depth to any Wake County lookup.
The North Carolina eCourts portal also covers Wake County. You can search civil, criminal, and traffic case records from any county in the state. The Secretary of State office keeps business name filings and UCC records. If you are looking up a person through the white pages and they own a business in Wake County, these state records can add useful details to your search. The Wake County white pages pull from both local and state databases to give you a full picture.
Note: State-level public records follow the same access rules under NCGS § 132-1 as county records in Wake County.
Cities in Wake County
Wake County includes many cities and towns. All of their public records flow through the county offices in Raleigh. The white pages for each city draw from Wake County databases as well as local sources.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Wake County in North Carolina. If you are not sure where a record is held, check which county the address falls in. Records are kept by the county where the property sits or the event took place.