{"id":5352,"date":"2026-07-24T22:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T22:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=5352"},"modified":"2026-07-24T22:06:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T22:06:20","slug":"wake-county-is-removing-its-online-portal-for-seeing-arrest-records-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=5352","title":{"rendered":"Wake County is removing its online portal for seeing arrest records. Here\u2019s why."},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

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A North Carolina law designed to make it easier for people to clear their criminal records has created an issue at the local law enforcement level.<\/p>\n

Read more 0726-Photos of the week<\/a><\/p>\n

For a few more weeks, people can still look at arrest records in Wake County through an online portal<\/u><\/a>, but there\u2019s no immediate way of telling if those records have been cleared or not.<\/p>\n

And on August 17, the portal will be deactivated.<\/p>\n

The Second Chance Act, a state law passed in 2020, expanded the eligibility for \u201cexpunging\u201d or clearing criminal records for certain misdemeanor convictions. It also automated the expungement of some dismissed charges.<\/p>\n

The problem, said Sam Pennica, the director of the Wake County Bureau of Forensic Services, is that local agencies like his aren\u2019t notified when these automatic expungements occur.<\/p>\n

His agency deals with arrest records in Wake County in part because it also handles things like fingerprinting, DNA tests and mugshots.<\/p>\n

The portal run by the bureau contains arrest logs dating back to its creation in 2007 and can show records that have technically been cleared.<\/p>\n

Pennica said there have been 1.8 million automatic expungements statewide since the law took effect, but the state has not been able to tell him how many of those are in Wake County.<\/p>\n

The North Carolina Judicial Branch did not immediately respond to The N&O\u2019s questions about why local law enforcement isn\u2019t notified about automatic expungements.<\/p>\n

The older route for expungements lies through the court system, and the Bureau processes about 5,000 court-ordered expungements a year. Those records are removed from the portal and public access.<\/p>\n

Getting a court to order an expungement often took a lawyer, and someone\u2019s time and money, Pennica pointed out. Having a criminal record, even if someone was never found guilty, is not ideal, he said.<\/p>\n

Read more Quarterbacks, transfers and tampering: NC college football coaches weigh in<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s one reason the law was passed.<\/p>\n

But the automatic expungements will still show up in the bureau\u2019s portal. Pennica said.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the bureau can remove them when people point out that expunged records are still there, but that doesn\u2019t solve the issue, he said.<\/p>\n

Currently, people post arrest records, including mugshots and other information, on social media.<\/p>\n

At that point, it\u2019s essentially out there forever, Pennica said. His agency has no control over that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt as though it would be in the best interest, particularly in the interest of the person whose records were expunged, to limit the exposure of these records,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is, not putting it out on the internet where anyone in the world can see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the portal is being taken down.<\/p>\n

People can still go to the Wake County Justice Center to view arrest records at a kiosk or through the clerk, though.<\/p>\n

And the Wake County Sheriff\u2019s Office still maintains its jail intake records<\/u><\/a>. Those records never show photos, and they don\u2019t always show arrest or a person\u2019s address like arrest records typically do.<\/p>\n

The Sheriff\u2019s Office has no plans to take down its intake records site, spokesperson Rosalia Fodera told The News & Observer.<\/p>\n

Read more NC\u2019s new laws target vape shops and youth access. Why some say it\u2019s not enough.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wake County will deactivate its online arrest-records portal amid concerns automatic expungements still appear and can be shared widely online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nWake County is removing its online portal for seeing arrest records. 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