Independent public-record guide: USA-Arrests.org is not the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center, Winston-Salem Police Department, North Carolina Judicial Branch, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction, NC SAVAN, or any court or government agency.
An arrest, inmate listing, booking entry, mugshot, charge or bond notation is not a conviction. Jail information can change after release, transfer, bond review or court action. Use court records when the legal outcome matters.
Forsyth County, North Carolina • arrest & inmate record navigation
Recent Arrests in Forsyth County NC: Start With the Official Sheriff Inmate Search
If you are checking whether someone was recently booked in Winston-Salem or elsewhere in Forsyth County, start with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office inmate inquiry. From there, use the detention center, NC eCourts, Winston-Salem Police records, NC Department of Adult Correction or NC SAVAN only when the question actually belongs in that system.
Quick answer
Which Forsyth County Arrest Source Should You Use?
Most people searching for recent arrests in Forsyth County are trying to answer one of five different questions. Do not use the same website for all five.
Forsyth Sheriff Inmate Inquiry
Start here for current detention and booking-related information through the Sheriff’s Police-to-Citizen system.
Search inmatesLaw Enforcement Detention Center
Use the detention-center pages once you know the person is being held at the county facility.
Open LEDCNC eCourts
Use the North Carolina court system for hearings, case events, charge disposition and other court information.
Open eCourts PortalWinston-Salem Police Records
Use city Police Records if the record was generated by Winston-Salem Police rather than assuming every arrest record comes from the jail.
Request police recordNC Department of Adult Correction
Use NC DAC after county-jail custody is no longer the right system. DAC specifically does not maintain county jail records.
Search NC offendersNC SAVAN
Use the state’s free victim-notification service for supported jail and correctional custody notifications.
Open NC SAVANA jail row or booking image can tell you that a person entered a detention process. It cannot reliably tell you whether the charge was later dismissed, amended, reduced, resolved by plea or resulted in conviction. Check the court case before drawing conclusions.
Official inmate workflow
How To Search Recent Arrests in Forsyth County NC
The Sheriff’s Police-to-Citizen system is the practical first stop for current inmate and booking information. It is linked directly by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office detention-center page.
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1
Open the Sheriff’s official Inmate Inquiry
Start with Forsyth County Sheriff Inmate Inquiry. If the direct catalog page does not load, open the official detention-center page and select Inmate Inquiry from there.
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2
Use the person’s legal name
Search the legal first and last name rather than a nickname. For a difficult match, try a middle initial, hyphenated surname, maiden name or a known alternative spelling.
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3
Compare identifying details before assuming a match
People can share the same or similar names. Check any available age, booking date, inmate identifier, charge information or other displayed details before treating the result as the person you intended to find.
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Separate the booking information from the court case
Write down useful identifiers from the inmate result, then use NC eCourts Portal if you need the court date, filed case, hearing or legal disposition.
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If the person is currently held, switch to detention services
For visitation, calls, commissary deposits or inmate mail, stop searching arrest pages and use the specific Forsyth County detention service instead.
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For an urgent custody question, call the detention center
The Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center is at 201 North Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. The listed detention-center number is 336-917-7600.
Do not substitute a random mugshot website. Open the Sheriff’s official LEDC page, use its Inmate Inquiry link, or call the detention center when current custody matters.
Do not confuse the record types
What a Forsyth County Booking or Mugshot Can—and Cannot—Tell You
A booking record may help show
- That a person entered detention.
- Booking or custody information available in the Sheriff’s system.
- Charge descriptions recorded at that stage.
- Information useful for locating the person in jail.
A booking record does not establish
- That the person committed the alleged offense.
- That the original charge remained unchanged.
- That the prosecutor continued every charge.
- That the case resulted in a conviction.
If your goal is employment screening, tenant screening, licensing, insurance, credit or another regulated decision, do not rely on this article, an inmate page or a mugshot. Use legally appropriate screening procedures and disposition records.
Local detention information
Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office describes its downtown Winston-Salem Law Enforcement Detention Center as an adult maximum-security facility that houses male and female pretrial inmates and sentenced misdemeanants. The facility has a listed bed capacity of 1,016.
Check the inmate’s housing-unit schedule first
The county posts public visitation periods of 9:00–11:30 a.m., 1:00–3:00 p.m. and 5:30–7:30 p.m., but the housing-unit chart determines which days apply.
Visitors must be registered at least 30 minutes before the visitation period ends.
Check visitation scheduleSeparate schedule from ordinary public visits
The Sheriff’s current visitation page lists attorney visiting access seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m..
Public visitors should not assume those attorney hours apply to them.
Open visitation policyForsyth County lists Pay Tel
Family and friends may need a Pay Tel prepaid or direct-bill account to receive calls, depending on the available account type.
Do not send money to a phone service found through an advertisement; start from the Sheriff’s telephone-service page.
Inmate phone informationBond and release concerns use a different route
The Sheriff’s Victim Services page explains that after an arrest a defendant is brought before a magistrate or judge, where bond and a court date may be set.
Victims may communicate with judicial officials about bond and release conditions.
Open Victim ServicesCommissary and inmate deposits
How To Send Money to a Forsyth County Detention Center Inmate
Forsyth County identifies McDaniel Supply Company as the detention center’s commissary provider. The county lists both a lobby kiosk and an online option for deposits or inmate packages.
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Confirm the person is actually housed at Forsyth County LEDC
Check the official inmate inquiry before sending funds. A transfer or release can change what account or provider is appropriate.
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2
Open the Sheriff’s commissary page first
Use Forsyth County Inmate Commissary. From that page, follow the approved McDaniel Supply/Jail Pack Store link rather than searching for a payment provider independently.
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Watch the booking-time restriction
If the inmate was booked Friday after 3:30 p.m., over the weekend, or Monday before 10:30 a.m., the county says deposits may not become available until after 11:00 a.m. Monday.
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Verify public lobby access before driving
The commissary page describes kiosk deposit capability and separately lists public lobby hours of 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., Monday through Sunday. Because those descriptions can be read differently, call the detention center first if you plan to make a late-night kiosk trip.
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Keep the transaction confirmation
Retain the inmate name/ID, amount, date and payment receipt until the deposit appears correctly.
The Sheriff’s current page lists 912-427-9022 for additional McDaniel Supply assistance.
Mail rules changed in 2024
Forsyth County Inmate Mail: Facility ID 5067, Legal Mail and Scanned Mail
Forsyth County changed its non-legal inmate-mail procedure effective July 15, 2024. Ordinary personal mail is now sent to a processing center and scanned for electronic delivery. Legal mail follows a different route.
Send to the scanning center
Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center NCInmate Name, Inmate ID Number
Facility ID Number: 5067
PO Box 18247
Greensboro, NC 27419
The sender’s complete first and last name and return address must be legible.
Send directly to the detention center
Inmate’s Full NameForsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center
201 Church Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Mark legal correspondence as “Legal Mail.” The Sheriff’s policy says legal mail is opened in the inmate’s presence.
| Rule | Current County Guidance |
|---|---|
| Facility ID | 5067 |
| Maximum pages | 10 pages per envelope |
| Maximum page size | 8.5 × 11 inches |
| Cash / checks / money orders | Do not send them to the mail-processing center. |
| Books / magazines / packages | Do not send publications to the scanning center. Publications must follow the county’s separate publisher/distributor rule. |
| Original documents | Do not send irreplaceable originals; the physical scanned mail is destroyed. |
The county’s policy says physical mail processed through the scanning service is destroyed after scanning.
The Sheriff’s mail policy says a released inmate can request digital copies of scanned mail by emailing inmatemail@fcso.us and providing the facility name, inmate name, inmate ID number and recipient email address.
What happened after the arrest?
How To Check a Forsyth County Criminal Court Case
North Carolina now uses the eCourts electronic case system statewide. For Forsyth County, use court records when you need a hearing date, case activity, filed charge, payment information or disposition rather than current jail custody.
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1
Open the official North Carolina eCourts Portal
Go to NC eCourts Portal. The Judicial Branch describes Portal as the system for searching court records, finding hearing dates and making supported court payments.
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Use Smart Search for the case
Search with the person’s legal name or a known case number. Narrow the search to Forsyth County when the interface provides that option.
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Use Search Hearings when the question is the court date
Do not assume a booking date tells you when court will occur. Search the hearing information separately and confirm the courthouse location.
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Compare the court case to the booking carefully
Charge wording can change between arrest and prosecution. Match names, dates and case identifiers rather than assuming similar wording is enough.
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Contact the Clerk when the online case does not answer the question
The Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court main number is listed as 336-779-6300.
Forsyth County Courthouse
- Address
- 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- Opened
- October 23, 2023
- Clerk phone
- 336-779-6300
- District
- Judicial District 31
Some older agency pages still mention 200 N. Main Street
The Winston-Salem Police FAQ still references the former Hall of Justice address when describing certified arrest-record copies. The new Forsyth County Courthouse opened at 175 N. Chestnut Street in 2023.
Call the Clerk at 336-779-6300 before making a trip if an older agency page gives you the former North Main Street location.
Agency-specific records
Sheriff Reports vs. Winston-Salem Police Arrest Records
The agency that created the record generally determines where you should ask for it. A detention search, Sheriff’s incident report, Winston-Salem police arrest report and certified court record are not interchangeable.
Incident reports
The Sheriff’s Records Division is at 301 North Church Street. The public may request the front page of an incident report in person.
- Monday–Friday, excluding holidays.
- Listed hours: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- A current valid ID is required.
- Bring the report number.
- Requests after 4:00 p.m. are processed the next business day.
A full incident report is not automatically public
The Sheriff’s Office says the general public may request the front page of an incident report. A full report requires authorization through a court order signed by a judge.
The Records Division also says it does not provide general criminal-history background checks.
Arrest and incident reports
The Winston-Salem Police Records Division maintains city police incident, arrest and warrant information.
Records Division: 336-773-7922. The city lists weekday public report hours of 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m..
WSPD Records DivisionUse the Clerk of Court
Winston-Salem Police explains that its arrest records are not certified and do not contain court dispositions. For a certified record that includes disposition, contact the Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court.
Clerk: 336-779-6300.
Full legal name, approximate date, location, arrest date, incident/report number, case number if known, and the exact record you need. This avoids being sent between the Sheriff’s Office, city police, detention center and courthouse.
Winston-Salem vs. county custody
Why the Arresting Agency and Jail Can Be Different
Winston-Salem Police Department
A Winston-Salem officer may investigate the incident and create the arrest/incident record.
Best for: city-police arrest reports, incident reports and WSPD P2C information.
Winston-Salem P2CForsyth County Sheriff’s Office
The Sheriff’s Office operates the county detention center and its inmate inquiry, even when another law-enforcement agency made the arrest.
Best for: jail custody, visitation, mail, inmate telephone and commissary questions.
Forsyth County SheriffThe Sheriff’s Records Division specifically tells the public to obtain a report from the originating agency. A city incident may belong to Winston-Salem Police, while an incident on another jurisdiction’s road or property may belong to a different agency.
State custody and notifications
When To Use NC DAC or NC SAVAN
| System | Best Used For | Do Not Use It For |
|---|---|---|
| FCSO Inmate Inquiry | Forsyth County current inmate and local detention information. | Final court disposition or statewide prison history. |
| NC eCourts | Court cases, hearing dates, filings and disposition information. | Real-time jail visitation or commissary information. |
| NC DAC | State prisoners, probationers and parolees, including historical DAC information back to 1972. | Forsyth County jail inmates. DAC explicitly states its offender database does not include county jail information. |
| NC SAVAN | Free custody-status information and supported notifications for county jail and state correctional custody. | Determining whether someone is guilty or viewing a full court disposition. |
Offender Search
Search by name or offender ID for North Carolina state prisoners, probationers and parolees.
The database includes current and historical information dating back to 1972 but does not include county jail information.
Open NC DAC offender searchCustody notification
NC SAVAN operates 24 hours a day and can provide supported custody-status notifications by phone and electronic methods.
NC SAVAN: 1-877-627-2826.
Open NC SAVANTroubleshooting
Why Someone May Not Appear in the Forsyth County Inmate Search
| Possible Reason | What To Do Next |
|---|---|
| Name entered differently | Retry the legal surname, middle initial, hyphenated name, maiden name or known alternate spelling. |
| Very recent arrest | Allow processing time and call the detention center if immediate custody confirmation is necessary. |
| Already released | Search NC eCourts because the criminal case may remain active after the person leaves jail. |
| Another county or agency | Confirm where the arrest happened and which jail accepted the person. |
| Transferred to state custody | Use NC DAC if the person is now in state prison, probation or parole status. |
| Record restricted or changed | Some records may be sealed, expunged, corrected, juvenile, confidential or otherwise unavailable publicly. |
- Retry the legal name. A nickname can miss the record entirely.
- Open Inmate Inquiry from the Sheriff’s website. This avoids stale bookmarks or unofficial copies.
- Search the court system next. A court case may still exist when the person is no longer in jail.
- Check the arresting jurisdiction. Forsyth County is not the correct jail for every arrest involving a Winston-Salem-area resident.
- Use NC DAC only when state custody makes sense. Its database specifically excludes county jail records.
- Call 336-917-7600 when the custody question is time-sensitive. Do not make travel, pickup or family-safety decisions from an old screenshot.
Local contact desk
Forsyth County Jail, Sheriff, Court and Police Contacts
336-917-7600
201 North Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Call Detention Center336-917-7001
301 North Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Call Sheriff’s Office336-727-2112
The Sheriff directs victims and people reporting non-emergency crime information through its Communications Section. Call 911 for an emergency.
Call Communications336-779-6300
Current courthouse: 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
Call Clerk of Court336-773-7922
Use for Winston-Salem Police arrest and incident record questions.
Call WSPD Records1-877-627-2826
Free automated custody information and victim-notification service.
Call NC SAVANForsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center
201 North Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
The jail and the current courthouse are both in downtown Winston-Salem, but they are separate facilities. Do not go to the jail for court-record copies or assume the courthouse handles visitation.
Local mistakes worth avoiding
Common Forsyth County Arrest Search Mistakes
- Using the NC DAC offender search for a new Forsyth County jail booking. DAC says its offender database does not include county jail information.
- Using a mugshot as evidence of conviction. Check the NC eCourts case and disposition instead.
- Going to the old Forsyth County court location without checking. The new courthouse opened at 175 N. Chestnut Street in 2023. Call the Clerk if another official page still shows 200 N. Main Street.
- Showing up for visitation without checking the housing-unit schedule. The detention center uses different visitation days by inmate housing assignment.
- Arriving near the end of a visitation window. Visitors must be registered 30 minutes before the visit period ends.
- Mailing personal correspondence directly to the jail. Ordinary non-legal mail uses the Greensboro scanning center and Facility ID 5067.
- Sending legal mail to the scanning center. Legal mail must be sent directly to the detention facility and marked “Legal Mail.”
- Sending irreplaceable original documents in inmate mail. The county says physical non-legal mail is destroyed after scanning.
- Assuming every Winston-Salem arrest report belongs to the Sheriff. Winston-Salem Police maintains its own arrest and incident records.
- Using a jail roster for employment, housing or another regulated decision. Use legally compliant background-check procedures and verified court disposition information instead.
Forsyth County questions
Recent Arrests in Forsyth County NC FAQs
Where can I check recent arrests in Forsyth County NC?
Start with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Police-to-Citizen Inmate Inquiry. It is the county’s official route for current inmate and detention-related booking information. If the direct search does not load, open the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Detention Center page and select Inmate Inquiry.
What is the phone number for the Forsyth County jail in Winston-Salem?
The Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center lists 336-917-7600. The facility is at 201 North Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
Do Forsyth County mugshots prove someone was convicted?
No. A mugshot or inmate entry relates to a booking or custody event and does not establish guilt or final case disposition. Search NC eCourts or contact the Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court for court-case information.
How do I find a Forsyth County court date after an arrest?
Use the North Carolina eCourts Portal and search the person’s legal name or case number. Forsyth County is Judicial District 31. The Clerk of Superior Court main number is 336-779-6300.
Where is the current Forsyth County Courthouse?
The current courthouse is at 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. It opened in October 2023. Some older agency webpages still reference the former Hall of Justice on North Main Street, so call the Clerk at 336-779-6300 if you are unsure where to go.
What are the public visitation hours at Forsyth County Detention Center?
The county currently lists public visitation periods of 9:00–11:30 a.m., 1:00–3:00 p.m. and 5:30–7:30 p.m. The applicable days depend on the inmate’s housing unit, and visitors must register at least 30 minutes before the visitation period ends.
How do I send money to an inmate at Forsyth County Detention Center?
Start with the Sheriff’s official Inmate Commissary page. Forsyth County lists McDaniel Supply Company as its commissary provider and provides a lobby kiosk and online route. Booking timing can delay deposit availability for people booked late Friday, during the weekend or early Monday.
What is Facility ID 5067 for Forsyth County inmate mail?
5067 is the facility ID required by the county’s non-legal inmate mail scanning system. Regular personal mail goes to the processing address in Greensboro with the inmate name, inmate ID and Facility ID 5067. Legal mail must be sent directly to the detention center instead.
Why can’t I find someone in the Forsyth County inmate search?
The name may be entered differently, the arrest may be very recent, the person may already have been released or transferred, another jail may hold the person, or the record may be restricted. Check NC eCourts and call the detention center at 336-917-7600 when current custody is important.
Should I use NC DAC or NC SAVAN for a Forsyth County inmate?
Use NC DAC when the person is in North Carolina state prison or under state probation or parole; DAC does not include county jail information. NC SAVAN can provide supported custody-status information and notifications for county jail and state correctional custody.
Official verification
Forsyth County and North Carolina Official Sources
Current custody comes from the Sheriff. Jail rules come from the detention center. Winston-Salem police records come from the city Police Records Division. Court outcomes come from the North Carolina Judicial Branch. State prison and supervision data come from NC DAC. Custody notifications use NC SAVAN. Keeping those systems separate reduces wrong-person matches and outdated conclusions.