How to check a lawyer's license in North Carolina
How to search the North Carolina State Bar directory, the statuses it uses, and where the record shows disciplinary actions. Based on the North Carolina State Bar membership directory as it appeared on 14 September 2026. This is a guide to reading an official record, not legal advice.
Updated October 3, 2026 · No named lawyer review is recorded · AI-assisted content, not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Key points
- Use the North Carolina State Bar directory, the regulator's own record.
- A search needs a State Bar ID or at least the first two letters of the last name.
- The profile explains the current status in words and lists disciplinary actions.
Who regulates lawyers in North Carolina
The North Carolina State Bar is the agency that licenses and disciplines lawyers in the state. Its membership directory is the official record.
How to search
The directory will not run an empty search. It asks for one of these: a State Bar ID; at least the first two characters of a last name; a board-certified specialty; or a status or judicial district together with the first three characters of a city.
What the results show
Results list the Bar ID, name, type, status, location and judicial district. Select the name to open the full record.
What the record shows
The record gives the bar number, name, address, city, state and ZIP code, a work phone and email where published, the Status with a sentence explaining it, the Date Admitted, the Status Date, and the judicial district. If the lawyer is a board-certified specialist the specialty is named. A table lists disciplinary actions by case number when there are any.
How to read the status
The directory uses these statuses: Active, Inactive, Suspended, Disbarred, Revoked, Hold, Lapsed, Withdrawn, Deceased, and Results Sealed. Only Active means the person may practice. The explanatory sentence under the status is worth reading: for an inactive member, for example, it says the lawyer asked for that status and is not currently eligible to practice law in North Carolina.
How TheLawyerWorld uses this record
When a lawyer claims a North Carolina profile here, we look up the bar number they give us in this same directory and compare the name before a profile is marked verified. A listing on this site is not a license check. An "Unclaimed profile" label means the details came from older public listings and nobody has confirmed them.
Before you rely on it
Official directories change their layout and wording. This guide describes the North Carolina State Bar membership directory as it appeared on 14 September 2026. If what you see differs, trust the official site. For anything the record does not answer, such as whether a lawyer may act in your type of matter, ask the regulator or the lawyer directly. Source: North Carolina State Bar membership directory.
What do I need to search the North Carolina State Bar directory?
A State Bar ID, or at least the first two characters of the lawyer's last name. The directory also accepts a board-certified specialty, or a status or judicial district combined with the first three characters of a city.
What does "Inactive" mean for a North Carolina lawyer?
The North Carolina State Bar's record explains that an inactive lawyer has voluntarily asked for that status and is not currently eligible to practice law in North Carolina.