Morrisville, Wake County

If you live in Morrisville, North Carolina, and are stopped for a traffic or driving offense, such as a DUI/DWI. Or you’ve been accused of a misdemeanor or serious felony, you will probably need to appear at some point at the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh.

Hours:

Courthouse offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 5:00 (except court holidays)

Morning court session usually begins at 9:00 am and ends at 1:00 pm. Afternoon session usually begins at 2:30 pm and ends at 5:00 pm. If your court appointment is for the AM, you should arrive in the courtroom no later than 9:00 am because the bailiff or the assistant district attorney will call out names and mark you absent if you don’t answer. The same goes for the afternoon session: if your court appointment is for the PM, you should arrive no later than 2:30 pm because either the bailiff or assistant district attorney will call out names and market you absent if you don’t answer.

If you get to the courtroom late, simply approach a bailiff who does not look busy, and let him know that you have arrived in the courtroom.

Finding Your Courtroom:

Traffic offense? Most traffic offenses are handled in the Disposition Courtroom in 1A on the first floor of the Wake County Courthouse. Courtroom 1A is to the left of the metal detectors after you enter the lobby.

Misdemeanor case? Most misdemeanor cases are handled on the second floor of the courthouse. You can take one of the four elevators up one floor to the second floor. Or you can use the stairs which are to the right of the elevators in the lobby. The courthouse clerk posts an alphabetical list of all defendants whose misdemeanor cases will be heard that morning or afternoon in the hallway outside of the courtrooms on the second floor.

Felony case? Most felony cases are handled on the third floor of the courthouse. You can take one of the four elevators up one floor to the third floor. Or you can use the stairs which are to the right of the elevators in the lobby. The courthouse clerk posts an alphabetical list of all defendants whose felony cases will be heard that morning or afternoon in the hallway outside of the courtrooms on the third floor. Note: if the defendant has not yet been indicted by a grand jury, the felony case is not yet in Superior Court and is probably being handled in Courtroom 4D, a district court.

Address:

North Carolina’s unified court system is county-based, with each county having its own courthouse. Wake County’s courthouse is located at:

Wake County Courthouse
316 Fayetteville St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Phone: (919) 792-4000


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Where to Park:

You can enter the Wake County Courthouse either on the Fayetteville Street side, or on the Salisbury Street side. There is limited street parking around the courthouse, usually for not longer than two hours. There are a number of parking garages that take credit cards or cash.

One is located behind the courthouse on Salisbury Street next to the Public Safety Center. The other is located on the corner of Wilmington and Martin Streets about a block and a half from the courthouse.

For more information on the Wake County Courthouse, visit NCCourts.org or Wake County’s government page.