Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
Independent records-search resource. This website is not a government agency, police department, sheriff's office, jail, prison or courthouse. Search coverage varies by source and jurisdiction. Some links may lead to third-party services, and compensation may be received when a partner service is used.
Find Johnston County Mugshots, Recent Arrests and Booking Records
For Johnston County mugshots and recent arrest information, start with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office. Its official arrest search covers the most recent 15 calendar days, while the separate inmate inquiry shows people currently housed in the Johnston County Jail.
A booking entry may show a name, arrest date, primary charge and, on individual inmate pages, a booking photo when one is available. Use the North Carolina Judicial Branch for court dates, case information and later case outcomes instead of treating a jail record as the final result of a criminal case.
Start with the official Johnston County search
If you need a recent booking, use the Sheriff’s Office arrest search. If you need to know whether someone is in jail now, use the live inmate inquiry instead.
These links lead to government sources. CountyJailMugshots.org is an independent information guide and is not the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Johnston County Jail or North Carolina Judicial Branch.
How to Search Recent Johnston County Arrests
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office provides a dedicated recent-arrest search. You can search by a person’s name or select a date range, but the public search is limited to arrests within the last 15 calendar days.
Current Johnston County Jail Inmate Search
The Sheriff’s Office inmate inquiry is the better route when the question is “Is this person in the Johnston County Jail right now?” The county describes it as a live account of current inmates.
What the roster can show
- Inmate name
- Primary charge
- Arrest date
- Individual inmate detail page
- Booking image when displayed by the system
What the roster does not prove
- That every listed charge is still pending
- That a person was convicted
- The final disposition of a court case
- That an older arrest still represents current custody
If the name disappears from the current inmate inquiry, that may indicate release, transfer or another custody change. For confirmation, call the Johnston County Jail general information line at 919-989-5040.
Where Johnston County Booking Photos Appear
Individual records in the county inmate system can include an inmate photo. Availability can vary by record, and the recent-arrest search and current-inmate inquiry serve different purposes, so do not assume every arrest will produce a publicly displayed image in every search route.
If a third-party mugshot page conflicts with the Sheriff’s Office or court record, rely on the responsible government source for current custody and case status. Third-party pages can remain online after a release, dismissal or other change.
What Johnston County Arrest and Booking Records Mean
| Task | Best source | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Find a very recent arrest | Johnston County Sheriff’s Office arrest search | Recent arrest records within the available 15-day window |
| See who is in jail now | Johnston County inmate inquiry | Current jail population, primary charge and arrest date |
| Confirm charge or bond | Jail or Clerk of Superior Court | Current charge and bond information |
| Find a court date or case | North Carolina Judicial Branch | Court dates, case information and court records |
| Obtain a certified county criminal record search | Clerk of Superior Court | Certified single-county record search subject to the court’s current process and fee |
Charges, Bond, Court Dates and Case Records
The jail roster is not the final source for what happened in court. For charge and bond information, the Sheriff’s Office directs callers to the jail at 919-989-5040 or the Clerk’s Office at 919-209-5400. Be ready to provide the inmate’s full name.
Call the jail at 919-989-5040 or Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court at 919-209-5400.
The Sheriff’s Office directs people to the Magistrate’s Office at 919-209-5463 to determine release requirements.
Use the North Carolina Judicial Branch court services to search court dates and case information.
North Carolina explains that criminal case records can be reviewed using public access terminals at clerk offices; paper files are available through the clerk in the county where the case is located.
Johnston County Courthouse
Address: 207 E Johnston St, Smithfield, NC 27577
Main phone: 919-209-5400
Regular listed hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
For a certified criminal record search limited to one North Carolina county, the Judicial Branch currently lists a $25 clerk-office process using Form AOC-CR-314. A free non-certified search can also be performed using public-access computers at a courthouse; verify the current procedure before making a special trip.
Johnston County Jail Address and Phone Numbers
Jail location
Johnston County Jail
127 S. Second Street
Smithfield, NC 27577
General information: 919-989-5040
Useful jail contacts
Mail: 919-989-5099
Visitation: 919-989-5045
Medical: 919-989-5035
Administration: 919-989-5034
Johnston County Jail Visitation
The Sheriff’s Office says visitation is held on weekends by appointment. Appointments are scheduled by calling 919-989-5045 on Tuesday or Wednesday between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and appointment availability is first come, first served.
- Be prepared to provide the names of everyone who will visit.
- The county says no more than four people may visit an inmate during an appointment.
- Each inmate is allowed one 15-minute appointment per week under the posted rules.
- Visitors age 16 or older must have valid identification or a driver’s license issued by a DMV.
- A visitor under 18 must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older.
- The posted visitation location is 127 S. Second Street in the Magistrate’s lobby.
Inmate Money, Commissary and Mail
Deposit kiosk
The jail FAQ says a deposit kiosk is located in the criminal magistrate lobby outside the jail and is available 24 hours a day for inmate trust-account deposits.
Money by mail
Money orders or certified checks may be mailed and should be made payable to the inmate’s full name. Do not send ordinary cash in inmate mail.
Online deposits
The county currently directs online deposits to JailATM and notes that service fees apply. Review the provider’s displayed fee before completing a transaction.
Mailing address
Address inmate mail as:
Inmate’s Full Name
P.O. Box 1496
Smithfield, NC 27577
The Sheriff’s Office asks senders to include a return address. Its posted rules also restrict what inmates may receive, so check the current jail FAQ before mailing books, photographs or other items.
Photos and publications
The jail currently states that an inmate may receive up to five photographs no larger than 5 × 7 inches, subject to content restrictions. Books must be softcover and sent directly from a publisher or bookstore; newspapers and magazines must come from the publisher.
Inmate Phone Calls and Prescription Medication
The county says Securus provides inmate telephone service. Inmates may place collect calls or use phone cards available through the jail. Friends or relatives who cannot accept collect calls can contact Securus about prepaid service and current call pricing.
Jail staff do not relay routine personal messages to inmates. For prescription medication, contact the medical line at 919-989-5035 before bringing anything to the jail. The posted policy says accepted prescription medication must remain in the pharmacy-issued container and that the jail does not accept narcotic medications.
How to Find Older Johnston County Arrest or Court Records
The recent-arrest tool is intentionally short-term, so an older arrest may not appear there. That does not mean no record exists.
Begin with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office general arrest and jail resources or contact the office for the appropriate record route.
Use North Carolina Judicial Branch Portal services or visit the Clerk of Superior Court for case information and court documents.
Request a certified single-county criminal record search through the Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court using the Judicial Branch’s current procedure.
If a person moved from county jail into the North Carolina prison system, use the state offender-search route rather than expecting the county jail roster to retain the person.
Custody Notifications for Crime Victims
North Carolina SAVAN, also known through VINE/VINELink, provides a free and anonymous way to obtain custody-status information and register for notifications about custody changes. North Carolina lists the service phone number as 1-877-627-2826.
Johnston County Mugshot Search Troubleshooting
The booking may be outside the 15-day search window, the name may be entered differently, or the person may not have been booked by the agency covered by that search. Try the current inmate inquiry and court routes.
A current-inmate list changes as people are released or transferred. If timing matters, call the jail at 919-989-5040.
Do not identify someone from a name alone. Compare arrest date, age or other available identifiers, booking information and court records.
A public record can exist without a publicly displayed photo in the particular search result. Do not assume the lack of an image means the arrest record is invalid.
Check the court case. A booking charge reflects information at a particular stage and may not reflect dismissal, amendment, plea, trial result or later disposition.
Use the Johnston County Clerk of Superior Court or the appropriate records custodian rather than a third-party booking website.
Official Johnston County Record Routes
Open recent arrest search
Open inmate inquiry
Open Sheriff’s Office
Open Johnston County Courthouse
Open court-record guidance