North Carolina Courthouse Dress Code & Attire Rules (2026)

Short answer: Clean, non-ripped dark jeans are generally accepted for jurors and traffic court visitors, but shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and slides are prohibited across nearly all 12 courthouses in North Carolina. Updated 2026-11-04

All 12 county courthouses in North Carolina enforce judicial decorum dress codes: shorts, flip-flops, tank tops, halter tops, pajamas, and hats are prohibited in courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may refuse entry or reset your hearing if you are improperly dressed. 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	Courtroom dress code	Phone Lockers	Juror Parking
Wake County Wake County Courthouse (Raleigh) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Wake County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Raleigh	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Mecklenburg County Mecklenburg County Courthouse (Charlotte) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Mecklenburg County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Charlotte	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Guilford County Guilford County Courthouse (Greensboro) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Guilford County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Greensboro	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Forsyth County Forsyth County Courthouse (Winston-Salem) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Forsyth County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Winston-Salem	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Cumberland County Cumberland County Courthouse (Fayetteville) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Cumberland County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Fayetteville	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Durham County Durham County Courthouse (Durham) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Durham County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Durham	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Buncombe County Buncombe County Courthouse (Asheville) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Buncombe County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Asheville	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Union County Union County Courthouse (Monroe) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Union County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Monroe	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Johnston County Johnston County Courthouse (Smithfield) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Johnston County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Smithfield	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Cabarrus County Cabarrus County Courthouse (Concord) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Cabarrus County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Concord	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
New Hanover County New Hanover County Courthouse (Wilmington) “Courtroom Decorum Order (New Hanover County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Wilmington	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated
Gaston County Gaston County Courthouse (Gastonia) “Courtroom Decorum Order (Gaston County): "Business casual required. No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, pajamas, or clothing with offensive graphics. Hats must be removed upon entering courtrooms. Judges and bailiffs may deny entry or reschedule appearances for inappropriate attire."”	Gastonia	Strict decorum: No shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, or hats	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you wear jeans or shorts to court in North Carolina?

Clean, non-ripped dark jeans are generally accepted for jurors and traffic court visitors, but shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, and slides are prohibited across nearly all 12 courthouses in North Carolina.

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.