The Clerk of Superior Court is an elected judicial official.
The Clerk of Superior Court holds one of the most important offices in North Carolina local government and is vital to the local administration of justice.
Unlike Clerks of Court in other states, the Clerks of Superior Court in North Carolina are judges. The clerical tasks of filing, processing, indexing, and preserving court documents are only a part of the Clerk's job.
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Guide & File
Guide & File is a free online service to help users prepare court documents to file for certain case types.
- You can,
- Answer online questions to prepare the case filing.
- Automatically create legal documents for free.
- Print documents to file with the clerk of court.
- The types of filings that are available on Guide & File include:
- Absolute Divorce
- Adult Guardianship
- Adult Name Change
- Application for Certificate of Verification of Prior Expunction
- Domestic Violence Protective Order
- Motion to Claim Exempt Property
- Petition to Proceed as an Indigent
- Probate
- Year’s Allowance
- Summary Administration
- Small Estate Administration
- Request for Relief from Fines, Fees, and Other Monetary Obligations
- Small Claims
- Money Owed
- Repossession of Personal Property
- Summary Ejectment
- Complaint in Summary Ejectment
- Tenant’s Answer and Counterclaims
- Appeal to District Court
Court Date Reminders
To avoid an order for your arrest, you must show up to court.
Failing to appear in court can result in an order for arrest and financial penalty. Here are some things to remember as your court date approaches:
- Arrive at the Buncombe County Courthouse, 60 Court Plaza in Asheville, 30 minutes before your scheduled court session.
- Paid parking is available at Buncombe County parking deck across the street from the courthouse, at 164 College Street.
- A security checkpoint is located at the courthouse entrance. All persons must have their bags scanned and pass through a metal detector.
- Make the necessary arrangements ahead of time so you can be present for court.
- You are responsible for appearing to all court dates. Be sure to know all of your court dates for any pending charges you have.
If you miss your court date, contact your lawyer immediately.
Office of the Public Defender: (828) 259-3423
If no lawyer, contact the
District Attorney’s Office: (828) 259-3410
Clerk of Superior Court: (828) 259-3400
Responsibilities
Judge
As the Probate Judge, the Clerk determines what documents meet the legal requirements for a Last Will and Testament in order to be admitted to probate.
Additionally, the Clerk oversees the administration of family estates, including appointing personal representatives, auditing their accountings, and removing them from office if necessary.
The Clerk also presides over many other legal matters, including incompetency and guardianship proceedings, foreclosures, partitions of property, legitimations, name changes, adoptions, and many civil hearings.
Record Keeper
As Record Keeper, the Clerk in Buncombe County, North Carolina is responsible for filing, processing, indexing, and maintaining every piece of paper filed each year. The Clerk also provides public access to court records.
Administrator
As Administrator, the Clerk in Buncombe County manages 63 employees; 10 Assistant Clerks and 53 Deputy Clerks. Those Clerks are divided into 12 divisions and are spread across nine floors of the Buncombe County Courthouse. They are responsible for assisting the public in filing and accessing court documents, staffing the courtrooms, and performing the many complex duties required in order to ensure that court records are accurate.
Controller
As Controller, the Clerk is responsible for receiving, investing, and disbursing millions of dollars for the state each year which come from court fees, traffic citations, and fines, etc.
Court Filing Fees
Statutory Copy Fees
- Regular Copies
$2 for first page, $0.25 for each additional page - Certified Copies
$3 - Exemplified Copies
$10
Limited Driving Privileges
- $100
Seat Belt and Motorcycle/ Moped Helmet Violations
- District Court
$161 - Superior Court
$186
Civil Cases
- Small Claims
$96 - Civil District Court
$150 - Divorces
$225 - Civil Superior Court
$200 - Transcript of Judgment
$10 - Writs of Execution, including Evictions
$25
Sheriff Services
- $30 - made payable to Buncombe County Sheriff's Office
Criminal Cases
- Criminal District & Traffic Court
Infraction Offenses - $188
All other Criminal Offenses - $190 - Criminal Superior Court
$205 - Failure to Appear Fee
$200 - Failure to Comply Fee
$50 - Civil Revocation Fee
$100
Summons
- Alias & Pluries Summons
$15 - Endorsem*nts
$15
Special Proceedings
- Foreclosures
$300 + % of final sales price - Name Changes
$120 + $3 copy charge - Resumption of Former Name
$10 - Filing for Guardianship
$120
Motions Fee
- $20 + cover sheet
- For more information and a list of actions that are exempted from this fee please consult the NC Administrative Office of the Courts - Current Court Costs.
Locate & Contact
Clerk of Superior Court
Contact
Jean Marie Christy
Clerk of Superior Court
P. (828) 259-3400
Mailing Address
Buncombe County Courthouse
60 Court Plaza
Asheville, NC 28801-3519
Courier Box Number: 12-79-02
Additional Fax Numbers
- Criminal Division
828-259-3402 - Civil Division
828-259-3400 - Small Claims
828-259-3407 - Estates
828-259-3404 - Jury
828-259-6407 - Information Window
828-259-3400
