The Forsyth County jail roster is a public resource that lists individuals currently held at the Forsyth County detention facility in North Carolina. ForsythCourt.us can help you find publicly available information about current and recent inmates. You can also access jail roster information through the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office website, by calling the detention center directly, or by visiting in person. A jail roster search lets the public confirm whether someone is in custody, view the charges against them, and find basic booking details. The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office maintains the roster, which is updated regularly and hosted on the sheriff's office online platform.
Search Current Inmates in Forsyth Jail
There are several ways to look up someone currently held in the Forsyth County jail. Here is how each method works:
Online Search
- Visit ForsythCourt.us to search publicly available court and inmate record information for Forsyth County.
- You can also go to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office website, which provides access to arrest records, wanted persons, and inmate information. The roster typically displays a browsable list of current inmates. If the page does not include a dedicated search field, use your browser's find function (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to locate a name quickly.
- For statewide searches — including county jail inmates, state prisoners, probationers, and parolees — use the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction Offender Search.
What You Need to Search
- The individual's full legal name (first and last)
- Booking number, if known
- Date of birth can help narrow results when common names appear
Juvenile offenders are not included on the public jail roster.
By Phone
Call the Forsyth County Detention Center directly. Staff can confirm whether an individual is currently in custody and provide basic booking information over the phone.
In Person
Visit the detention center lobby during regular business hours. The public information window can assist with inmate lookup requests. Bring the full legal name of the person you are looking for.
Find Forsyth Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created every time an individual is processed into the Forsyth County jail. This happens after an arrest, when jail staff document the intake and enter the person's information into the facility's records system.
Each booking record typically includes:
- Booking number (a unique identifier assigned at intake)
- Date and time of booking
- Charges at the time of arrest
- Arresting agency (e.g., Winston-Salem Police, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, or another law enforcement agency)
- Bond amount, if set
- Mugshot, in many cases
To access booking records online, start with the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office inmate roster. The roster displays current inmates along with their booking details. For related court case records, you can search through the North Carolina Judicial Branch, which allows public access to case files by visiting the Forsyth County Clerk of Court's office or searching online.
If you need a formal copy of a booking record or an incident report, you may need to submit a public records request. North Carolina's public records law generally allows access to arrest and booking information. Contact the sheriff's office directly or submit a request through the NC Department of Adult Correction public records portal for state-level records.
Search the Forsyth Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The Forsyth County jail roster supports two primary search approaches:
Search by Last Name
- Enter the individual's last name into the roster search field, or use your browser's find function on the roster page.
- If the last name is common, add the first name to narrow results.
- Use correct spelling. If you are unsure of the exact spelling, try variations — for example, "Thomson" vs. "Thompson."
Search by Booking Number
If you already have a booking number (from a bail bondsman, attorney, or prior search), enter it directly. This is the fastest way to pull up a specific record without sorting through multiple results.
Tips When a Search Returns No Results
- Double-check the spelling of the name.
- Try searching by last name only, without a first name.
- The person may have been released, transferred, or not yet fully processed into the system.
- If the individual was arrested by a municipal police department, they may be held at a city facility before being transferred to the county jail.
- Call the detention center at (336) 727-2112 to verify custody status if the online roster does not show results.
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Forsyth
The Forsyth County jail roster is updated on a regular basis, but it is not instantaneous. There can be a delay between the time someone is physically booked into the facility and when their record appears on the public roster. This processing lag can range from a few hours to longer, depending on intake volume and staffing.
Key Limitations to Keep in Mind
| Limitation | What It Means for Your Search |
|---|---|
| Processing delay | A recently arrested person may not appear on the roster for several hours after booking. |
| Post-release removal | Once an inmate is released, bonded out, or transferred, their record is typically removed from the active roster. |
| Current custody only | The roster reflects who is in the jail right now. It is not a searchable archive of all past bookings. |
| Data entry variations | Names may appear differently than expected due to aliases, legal name changes, or data entry differences. |
| Juvenile exclusions | Minors are never listed on the public roster. |
For historical booking records or criminal background information beyond what the current roster shows, you can request records through the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, which serves as the state's central repository for criminal history data. Court records tied to specific cases can also be accessed through the North Carolina Judicial Branch portal.