Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or case number entered in a site search box is sent to the third-party provider operating that tool. The provider processes the query and returns its result. Columbus County Court Docket does not keep a separate log or database of the search terms entered through those tools.
Messages and Contact Submissions
Messages sent by email may be retained so they can be answered or administered. They are kept within the site operation and are not disclosed outside it unless a legal obligation requires disclosure.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the site and its service providers may receive routine technical information about the visit, including:
- The IP address assigned to your device
- Which browser you are using and its version
- Your device type and operating system
- The pages you visited and how long you stayed on each
- The site that sent you here, if any
- Timestamps for each page view
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They and aggregate analytics can help measure traffic, page use, and technical performance. Browser settings may block cookies, although parts of the site may then function differently.
What We Do With This Data
The site uses the information described above to operate, improve, and protect the service. Specific uses can include:
- Operating pages and improving load performance
- Routing a submitted search to the appropriate provider
- Understanding aggregate use of site content
- Diagnosing errors and security problems
- Displaying advertising that may be interest-based
No Court-Record Data on File
This site does not host, maintain, compile, or sell a database of court dockets or personal case records. It provides general information about the Columbus County Clerk of Superior Court, the trial courts, and the North Carolina eCourts Portal. Under G.S. 7A-109, the clerk maintains court records, files, dockets, and indexes, subject to access limits. The broader North Carolina public-records law, G.S. 132-1, does not turn this private site into a court-record custodian. The site is not a consumer reporting agency, and visitor data is not assembled into consumer reports about other people.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside providers power the search boxes on some pages. Information submitted to one of those tools is governed by that provider's privacy policy and operational terms, not this policy. Providers control their own retention and sharing practices. Review their terms before submitting a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to clerk, court, Portal, legal-aid, or third-party search resources. Once a visitor leaves this site, the destination's own privacy policy governs. Review that policy before providing personal information.
Some advertising providers may track activity across sites to serve interest-based advertising. That activity occurs in their systems rather than in the Columbus County Court Docket record system.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be available to the following categories of recipients:
- Search providers processing a submitted query
- Analytics services measuring traffic and performance
- Advertising networks displaying advertisements
- Government or law-enforcement entities when required by a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable administrative and technical practices are used to protect information received by the site. No internet-connected system can promise complete security, so protection against every breach or interruption cannot be guaranteed.
Users Under 18
This site is intended for adults. It does not knowingly collect personal information from a person under 18. If information from a minor is believed to have been submitted, contact the site operator so the matter can be reviewed and the information removed where appropriate.
Your Data Rights
North Carolina's G.S. 132-1 addresses access to public records, while G.S. 7A-109 identifies the clerk's court-record duties. Neither statute makes this private reference site the custodian of Columbus County court files. Subject to applicable law, visitors may:
- Ask what personal information the site has retained about them
- Request correction of information that is inaccurate
- Ask for deletion of retained information where appropriate
- Use available browser or provider controls for certain processing choices
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as site practices change. A revised version will appear on this page with an updated effective date.
Effective date: August 31, 2026