North Carolina Courthouse Cell Phone Policy (2026)

Short answer: It depends on the county administrative order: 12 of 12 tracked courthouses in North Carolina allow silenced cell phones, while 0 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants. Updated 2026-11-04

Of the 12 county courthouses we track in North Carolina, 12 (100%) allow visitors to bring cell phones inside on silent mode, while 0 (0%) ban cell phones for the general public at the security checkpoint. All phone-ban courthouses here provide lobby lockers. North Carolina County Courthouses vary by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge order: Wake (Raleigh) and Mecklenburg (Charlotte) allow silenced phones, while several counties ban phones inside traffic/criminal courtrooms or at the door.

County Courthouse	City	Cell phone policy	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Wake County Wake County Courthouse (Raleigh) “Wake County Courthouse (Raleigh) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Raleigh	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Mecklenburg County Mecklenburg County Courthouse (Charlotte) “Mecklenburg County Courthouse (Charlotte) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Charlotte	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Guilford County Guilford County Courthouse (Greensboro) “Guilford County Courthouse (Greensboro) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Greensboro	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Forsyth County Forsyth County Courthouse (Winston-Salem) “Forsyth County Courthouse (Winston-Salem) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Winston-Salem	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Durham County Durham County Courthouse (Durham) “Durham County Courthouse (Durham) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Durham	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Cumberland County Cumberland County Courthouse (Fayetteville) “Cumberland County Courthouse (Fayetteville) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Fayetteville	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Buncombe County Buncombe County Courthouse (Asheville) “Buncombe County Courthouse (Asheville) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Asheville	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
New Hanover County New Hanover County Courthouse (Wilmington) “New Hanover County Courthouse (Wilmington) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Wilmington	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Gaston County Gaston County Courthouse (Gastonia) “Gaston County Courthouse (Gastonia) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Gastonia	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Cabarrus County Cabarrus County Courthouse (Concord) “Cabarrus County Courthouse (Concord) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Concord	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Union County Union County Courthouse (Monroe) “Union County Courthouse (Monroe) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Monroe	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated
Johnston County Johnston County Courthouse (Smithfield) “Johnston County Courthouse (Smithfield) Local Rule: "Cell phones are permitted inside the courthouse but must be silenced or powered off before entering any courtroom. Visible phones in traffic court may be confiscated by the bailiff."”	Smithfield	Allowed (silent mode in courtrooms)	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my cell phone to a courthouse in North Carolina?

It depends on the county administrative order: 12 of 12 tracked courthouses in North Carolina allow silenced cell phones, while 0 prohibit cell phones for general visitors and traffic court defendants.

Are summoned jurors allowed to bring cell phones in North Carolina?

In 12 of 12 counties in North Carolina, summoned jurors presenting an official Jury Summons are permitted to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room even when general visitors are banned.

How is this courthouse policy data verified?

We verify every county against official Court Administrative Orders (.gov), Jury Commissioner instructions, and Sheriff Court Security directives. Last verified 2026-11-04.