Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies its own results. Durham County Criminal History does not keep or record those search terms on its systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email sent to us may be retained so a reply can be prepared. The message remains within the organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the site's systems may automatically receive basic technical and usage details:
- Page-view times and the pages opened
- The device's assigned IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device class and operating system
- Time spent on visited pages
- A referring website, when one is supplied
Cookies and Analytics
Small files known as cookies help show how visitors move through the site, including popular pages and common exit points. Analytics providers combine that traffic information for review. A browser can be set to reject cookies, although blocking them may change how parts of the website function.
What We Do With This Data
- Sending a query to the partner selected by the search tool
- Maintaining reliable and prompt page delivery
- Finding and repairing technical problems
- Learning which resources visitors use most
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Durham County Criminal History does not own, assemble, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It identifies official custodians such as the Durham County Sheriff, the Clerk of Superior Court, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry. Government access is governed in part by the North Carolina Public Records Law. Criminal-investigation records have the limits set by G.S. 132-1.4, while specified arrest and incident facts remain public. This private site is not a consumer reporting agency, and visitor data is not turned into a consumer report or a record about another person.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Information entered there falls under the selected partner's privacy policy, retention practices, and sharing terms rather than this policy. We cannot control those practices. Visitors should read the provider's policy before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Durham County Sheriff, North Carolina courts, state agencies, legal-aid resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor leaves this website, the destination's privacy terms control. Review them before providing personal details.
Some advertising providers may track activity across multiple websites for targeted advertising. That processing occurs on the provider's systems.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be available to:
- Analytics providers that measure use and performance
- Search partners processing a visitor's query
- Advertising networks serving ads on the pages
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard safeguards are used for collected data. No internet-connected service can guarantee perfect security, so the possibility of unauthorized access cannot be eliminated.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If such information is identified, a request may be made for its deletion.
Your Data Rights
Rights may differ with the law that applies to the visitor. North Carolina's public-record rules govern government custodians, not this privately operated site, and protected criminal-history information remains subject to restrictions such as G.S. 132-1.4 and the confidential expunction access rules in G.S. 15A-151. For information held by this site, a visitor may:
- Request deletion of applicable personal data
- Ask what personal information is held
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Opt out of processing where the governing law provides that choice
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised. Any new version will appear here with an updated effective date, so visitors should return to this page to review later changes.
Effective date: August 1, 2026