eCourts system will expand to all 100 North Carolina counties next year

NORTH CAROLINA — North Carolina’s online court system is expanding to all 100 counties next year.

The eCourts system, which rolled out in Mecklenburg County last fall, moved the court system from paper case files to an online program. Leaders said the move was the biggest change in the system in 60 years.

With the new system, the public and attorneys can file and access court documents without having to make trips to the courthouse.

Currently, eCourts serves 38 counties (half of the state’s population), including its three largest cities. On Monday, the court system sent a news release saying eCourts will expand across all 100 counties in 2025.

Cabarrus, Stanly, Union, Anson, and Richmond counties will be the first recipients, with plans made for an Oct. 14 launch.

The North Carolina Business Court will be included in the rollout, which will create a unified system for civil cases across the state.

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• Mecklenburg County rolls out new online court system
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• Mecklenburg County delays software update for courts because of technical issues
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The launch of the new system hasn’t come without problems. A lawsuit was filed in 2023 claiming the system has several defects that have led to wrongful arrests and violations of constitutional rights. In May, the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts and its director, Ryan Boyce, were dismissed as defendants.

When Mecklenburg County was moved online in October 2023, a number of setbacks came with the new system. Those included delays in hearings, delays in inmate transfers to the courthouse, and error messages that had court officials scratching their heads. Our partners at the Charlotte Observer reported that lawsuit claims still remain against Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden and Tyler Technologies, the developer of the filing system.

Officials estimate 5 million pieces of paper have been saved with 1.3 million electric filings since February 2023. Currently, the eCourts portal averages more than 1.5 million online searches per month.

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