eCourts
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What Do I Need to Do to Prepare for eCourts?
Counties Live with Odyssey
There are currently no counties live with Odyssey. eCourts Pilot Counties (Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake) to Go-Live February 13, 2023. These Online Services will be unavailable for eCourts counties ONLY starting February 2 (at 5 p.m.) until February 13:
- Citation Services - payments, requesting reduction, compliance or dismissal
- Court Date Notifications
- Court Collections and Payments
- Civil eFiling (February 8-13) - civil superior, foreclosure, or domestic violence cases
All other counties are not impacted during the transition.
- FAQs for Attorneys - eFiling, Portal, Condemnation, Court Procedures, eDiscovery, and Reports and Information Sharing.
- eFiling Training Materials
What is eCourts?
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eCourts is a package of new software applications and technology infrastructure improvements that will transition our court system from paper to digital. The major components include the following:
Although many of these components have already been successfully implemented statewide, most users will primarily engage with eFiling, Portal, and Odyssey, which will be phased in over a two-year period after go-live which is set for first quarter 2023. |
Benefits
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eFiling
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eFiling, also known as File & Serve, enables you to file documents electronically through a single, secure, centralized online location. It also allows you to:
Who will be required to use eFiling / File & Serve? Attorneys and individuals in the four pilot counties (Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake) as well as those in other counties wishing to file cases in the four pilot counties will be required to do so via File & Serve. As additional counties launch Odyssey ICMS, attorneys and individuals wishing to file cases in those counties will be required to do so via File & Serve as well. View the Odyssey ICMS rollout schedule. How do I register for eFiling / File & Serve? Attorneys and individuals must register for an account to access File & Serve.
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 eFiling Training Materials and Reference Guides
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Portal
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Portal allows the general public and registered users to access court information including:
When will Portal become available for use? Portal access will mirror Odyssey ICMS go-live dates. Find more information regarding the Odyssey ICMS statewide rollout schedule. Who can use Portal? Anyone wishing to access court information online can use Portal, including the public. How do I register for Portal? Please see more information about Portal and how to register once it’s available. Registration for Portal is not required for anonymous users to search and view publicly available court information. The public may register if they plan to visit often and would like the ability to save cases to the ‘My Cases’ tab. Registration is required for Elevated Access. Only those users who have a verified business need and authority granted by statute will be approved for elevated access to access restricted case types or non-public information. |
 Portal Training Materials and Reference Guides
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Odyssey
Upgrading from 40+ Applications to an Integrated Case Management System
FROM in-house, NCAOC-built, multiple case management / index systems housed on mainframes TO vendor-provided and hosted integrated case management system hosted in the cloud with eFiling for all case types.
24/7 Electronic Access Benefits All North Carolinians
- Provides 24/7 statewide service to judges, magistrates, district attorneys, clerks, law enforcement, attorneys, and the public — across rural and urban areas
- Small business owners (after-hours access)
- Law enforcement officers (remote appearances)
- Rural North Carolinians (reduced travel to courthouses)
- Victims of domestic violence (reduces the emotional trauma of in-person appearance)
- Sheriffs and corrections officers (inmates appearing virtually reduces security risks and transportation costs)
- Families (remote appearances for children and guardians ad litem in custody disputes)
- Doctors and expert witnesses (remote appearances means less time waiting in court and cost reduction)
- Attorneys (increased availability of records and ease of case management)
- Judicial officials (swifter administration of justice)
| Tyler Technologies’ Odyssey suite will replace older legacy systems and integrate all of these products into one total case management solution including eFiling, financial management, and document management for all case types. This new system will bring higher efficiencies to the justice system, electronic access to information, reduce manual processes and reliance on paper, and increase collaboration among court officials, lawyers, and law enforcement officers. Odyssey’s specific products include the following: |  |
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Odyssey Navigator Odyssey Case Manager™
Odyssey Attorney Manager™
Odyssey Financial Manager
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Odyssey eSolutions Odyssey File & Serve™ (eFiling)
Odyssey In-Courtroom Processing Odyssey Judge Edition and Odyssey Clerk Edition
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Older Computer Applications Will Not Be Updated
The new case management system will replace older systems such as ACIS, VCAP, CCIS-CC, CCIS-DA, and CCIS-PD. To support this new work, NCAOC is realigning its resources so that older systems can be maintained until they are retired, the infrastructure can be redesigned and updated to support the new technology, and the new system can be configured and launched statewide. Because older legacy systems are being replaced, NCAOC has suspended all enhancements to these old systems.
Note: It is important to be aware that users will no longer be able to use legacy systems (for example, ACIS, VCAP, CCIS-CC, CCIS-DA, CCIS-PD, JWISE, CASEWISE) for inquiry into the pilot counties (Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake) once they go live on Odyssey. You will instead use Odyssey for inquiry (i.e., lookup) of cases in counties who have switched to Odyssey.
Odyssey Counties
There are currently no counties live with Odyssey.
| Track | Counties | Target Go-Live Date |
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| Track 1 - Pilot | Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake | February 13, 2023 |
| Track 2 | Mecklenburg | 60-90 days after Track 1 |
- N.C. Courts County Codes - Find county codes / numbers for court applications and Odyssey.
- Supreme Court Adopts Electronic-Filing Rules for the Implementation of eCourts
- General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts
Pilot Counties -- Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake
Find recent eCourts materials for pilot counties:
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GO-LIVE TIMELINE
Starting February 2 (at 5 p.m.) until February 13, these Online Services will be unavailable for pilot counties ONLY:
You may pay your ticket or money owed on criminal cases or file cases at the clerk's office of the respective county during this time. For requesting reduction or compliance dismissals, you must appear in court on the court date indicated on your citation unless instructed otherwise. We apologize for the inconvenience. All other counties are not impacted during the transition. |
Timeline
Odyssey is scheduled to roll out in tracks over a two to three year period. Track 1 consists of the pilot counties: Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake. Pilot go-live is expected in first quarter 2023. Track 2, Mecklenburg, is expected to go live 60-90 days after Track 1. Additional tracks are expected to come online every 60-90 days thereafter until all 100 counties are live.
Projected Rollout Schedule
| Product | Rollout Location | Projected Go-Live Date |
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Odyssey Integrated Case (In each track, all components |
Track 1 - Pilot Counties Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake |
February 13, 2023 |
| Track 2 Mecklenburg County |
60-90 days after Track 1 | |
| Subsequent Tracks Additional tracks are expected to come online every 60-90 days thereafter until all 100 counties are live. |
2023 - 2024 |
There are several features of the rollout plan:
- Counties will have appropriate technology equipment installed before their go-live date
- All counties in a district rollout at the same time
- Avoiding coastal areas during peak hurricane season
- Avoiding mountains during winter
- Providing ranges for go-live dates while retaining some scheduling flexibility
- Counties will receive their target go-live date and will begin preparations before their track rollout
It is important to be aware that user will no longer be able to use legacy systems (for example, ACIS, VCAP, CCIS-CC, CCIS-DA, CCIS-PD, JWISE, CASEWISE) for inquiry into the pilot counties (Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Wake) once they go live on Odyssey. You will instead use Odyssey for inquiry (i.e., lookup) of cases in counties who have switched to Odyssey. Note that the plan for Odyssey does not change the ongoing rollout activities for Brazos (eCitation replacement) or eWarrants (NCAWARE replacement).
| eCourts Initiative | Primary Audience | Target Go-Live Date |
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| Guide & File | Self-represented litigants, public, and attorneys | Launched August 31, 2020 |
| Brazos (Tyler eCitation Solution) | Pilot Law Enforcement Agencies (5) | Launched December 7 – 9, 2020 |
| Statewide – remaining eCitation law enforcement agencies | Launched January 18 – April 30, 2021 (Agencies were sequenced and scheduled for rollout) |
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| NCAWARE Replacement (Tyler eWarrants / Odyssey for Magistrates) |
Statewide (Magistrates, Clerks, Law Enforcement) | Launched July 17, 2022 - conversion started July 22, 2022 - went live |
| Odyssey (ICMS) Pilot | Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake Counties | February 13, 2023 |
Training Materials
eFiling |
Portal |
Brazos (eCitation Replacement)
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CRAVE (Courtroom Audio Visual Experience) Project
The Judicial Branch has launched the CRAVE (Courtroom Audio Visual Experience) Project to further enhance the capability to safely and securely hold remote court proceedings. The immersive courtroom audio video infrastructure inside the courtroom includes numerous cameras, microphones, and monitors.
eCourtNet - Infrastructure Improvement Project
eCourtNet, the infrastructure improvement project piloted in counties during fourth quarter of 2020, will continue throughout the state in 2021. These upgrades serve as the foundation for the new Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) implementation and support other applications and tools that will be offered to all Judicial Branch staff.
Embracing the eCourts vision to expand access to justice, additional technology initiatives underway within the Judicial Branch are providing the building blocks for future technologies necessary to modernize the courts. This includes:
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eWarrants & Odyssey for Magistrates (NCAWARE Replacement)
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Guide & File
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 Guide & File Reference Guides |