The Carteret County jail roster is a public resource that allows residents of North Carolina to look up individuals currently held at the county detention facility. CarteretCourt.us can help you find publicly available information about current and recent inmates. You can also access jail roster information through the Carteret County Sheriff's Office inmate search page, by visiting the detention center in person, or by calling the Sheriff's Office at (252) 728-8400. The roster is maintained by the Carteret County Sheriff's Office and is updated as inmates are booked into or released from the Carteret County Detention Center in Beaufort, North Carolina.
Search Current Inmates in Carteret Jail
There are several ways to search for someone currently held at the Carteret County Detention Center.
Online Search
- Visit CarteretCourt.us to search publicly available court and inmate record information.
- Go to the official Carteret County Inmate Search page hosted by the Sheriff's Office. The tool provides an Inmate Inquiry application where you can look up current detainees.
- Enter the inmate's full legal name or booking number if you have it. Use the search fields provided or your browser's find function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) if the roster displays as a browsable list.
- Review the results for matching records. Each listing typically shows the inmate's name, booking date, charges, and custody status.
To begin a search, you will generally need:
- The inmate's full legal name (first and last name at minimum)
- A booking number, if known
Juvenile offenders are not included on the public roster.
By Phone
Call the Carteret County Sheriff's Office directly to ask whether a specific individual is currently in custody. Staff can confirm basic booking information over the phone.
In Person
You can visit the Carteret County Detention Center during regular business hours to inquire about an inmate.
For incident reports, arrest reports, jail bookings, or other inmate information, the Carteret County Public Records Request page notes that you can visit the Sheriff's Office or call (252) 728-8400.
Find Carteret Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created each time an individual is processed into the Carteret County Detention Center. This happens after an arrest or when a person is received on a court order or other lawful authority. The Detention Center confirms that no inmate is held except by court order or other lawful authority.
Information generated at booking typically includes:
- Booking number
- Date and time of booking
- Charges filed against the individual
- Arresting agency
- Personal identifying information (name, date of birth, physical descriptors)
To access booking records online, start with the Inmate Search tool on the county website. This tool shows current inmates and their booking details. If you need records that are no longer displayed on the active roster — such as information about someone who has been released — you can submit a formal request through the public records request form or contact the Sheriff's Office Records Division directly. Copies of crime reports and arrest records can generally be obtained from that division as well, according to the county's FAQ page.
For individuals who have been transferred to the North Carolina state prison system, the NC Department of Adult Correction Offender Search provides up-to-date information on state prisoners, probationers, and parolees.
Search the Carteret Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The Carteret County inmate roster supports two primary search approaches:
Search by Last Name
- Enter the inmate's last name in the search field. You can add a first name to narrow results.
- Use correct spelling. Common name variations (e.g., "Jon" vs. "John") can cause a search to miss a match.
- If the system supports partial name searches, entering the first few letters of a last name may return a broader list you can scan manually.
Search by Booking Number
- If you have a booking number from a prior inquiry, arrest report, or court document, enter it directly. This is the fastest way to locate a specific record.
If Your Search Returns No Results
A blank result does not necessarily mean the person was never booked. Consider these possibilities:
- The individual may have already been released. The roster generally reflects only those currently in custody.
- The name may be spelled differently in official records. Try alternate spellings or initials.
- There may be a delay between the time of booking and when the record appears online.
- The person may have been booked under a legal name that differs from the name you know.
If you still cannot locate someone, call the Detention Center at (252) 728-8400 and ask staff to check directly.
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Carteret
The Carteret County Sheriff's Office works to keep the Inmate Inquiry application accurate and up to date, and asks the public to report any discrepancies. However, there are practical limitations to be aware of:
- Update frequency: The roster is updated regularly, but there can be a gap between when someone is physically booked into the facility and when their record appears online. Processing, data entry, and system synchronization all take time.
- Release delays: Similarly, an inmate who has been released may still appear on the roster briefly until the system is updated.
- Current custody only: The online roster is not a historical archive. Once an individual is released, their record is typically removed. It does not serve as a permanent database of all past bookings.
- Restricted records: Certain information — such as juvenile records, sealed cases, or records involving ongoing investigations — will not appear on the public roster. Confidential identifying information such as Social Security numbers is also excluded from public view.
For older booking records, arrest reports, or information about individuals no longer in custody, submit a public records request to the county. For court-related records, court dates, and case information, contact the Carteret County Clerk of Court at (252) 504-4400 or search through the North Carolina Judicial Branch court date search portal.