North Carolina Jury Duty Cell Phone & Laptop Rules (2026)

Short answer: Yes in 12 of 12 counties in North Carolina. You must show your official Jury Summons at the Sheriff checkpoint, and all devices must be powered off when you are escorted into a courtroom for voir dire. Updated 2026-11-04

12 of 12 courthouses in North Carolina allow summoned jurors to bring cell phones into the Jury Assembly Room while waiting to be called, and 12 permit laptops or tablets with public Wi-Fi in the juror lounge. 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	Juror phone & laptop rules	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	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	Jurors allowed phones & laptops in Jury Lounge	No lockers	Free Validated

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my laptop and phone to jury duty in North Carolina?

Yes in 12 of 12 counties in North Carolina. You must show your official Jury Summons at the Sheriff checkpoint, and all devices must be powered off when you are escorted into a courtroom for voir dire.

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.