Deeply rooted in history and precedent, the law has long looked to the past for guidance. However, even in this history-bound institution, North Carolina has undertaken a comprehensive effort to improve its judiciary through the statewide implementation of eCourts.[1] eCourts is a modernization initiative that has brought a suite of updated software and technological infrastructure to the North Carolina court system, moving the entire court record system to the cloud.[2]This past month, the initiative reached a major milestone in its statewide rollout.[3]
On October 13th, the eCourts system was fully integrated in all 100 North Carolina counties, making it the first state in the country to fully migrate statewide court operations for all case types to a cloud-based platform.[4] The eCourts rollout is nearly complete, with only the North Carolina Business Court left to transition to the platform in February 2026.[5] The initiative not only goes beyond being a high-tech upgrade, but also provides concrete benefits to the citizens of North Carolina.[6] Those benefits include 24/7 digital access to filings and court records, standardized statewide processes, and fewer in-person court visits, all of which streamline access to justice.[7] Additionally, the platform allows citizens “the ability to search police affidavits, lawsuits, arrest warrants, and court dates—all without stepping foot in a courthouse.”[8] The initiative also benefits legal professionals by enabling remote testimony, digitizing millions of documents, and expanding digital storage capacity.[9]
The full implementation of eCourts has been a long time coming for the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice (NCCALJ) was created in 2015 with the goal to “comprehensively evaluate the judicial system, review the old system, and recommend improvements.”[10] The NCCALJ concluded that an update was needed to provide the state judiciary with an integrated case management system.[11] In 2018, the National Center for State Courts, along with the North Carolina State Court System, started the bidding process with vendors, which ultimately led to seven companies competing for the State’s business.[12] Ultimately, Tyler Technologies won the bidding war and was awarded a $100 million, 10-year contract with the state.[13]
Although the eCourts initiative has been touted with recent praise, the rollout has been far from smooth sailing. The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts launched the eCourts initiative in February 2023, with Wake, Harnett, Johnston, and Lee counties serving as the pilot locations.[14] However, almost immediately, citizens, attorneys, and court officials found trouble using the system.[15] eCourts was described as a “nightmare,” where glitches and errors caused delays and freezes, denying users access to crucial documents and information.[16] Even worse, a federal lawsuit was filed in May 2023, alleging that glitches in the system have “caused people to be arrested multiple times on the same warrant and have delayed the release of others from custody.”[17] The lawsuit is still pending.[18] Unfortunately, Tyler Technologies has been involved in similar litigation in the past.[19] The vendor selection committee, the group tasked with vetting bidding companies, advised the State Court System before the parties entered into an agreement about similar federal lawsuits against Tyler Technologies.[20] These cases involve communication failures between the criminal court and the Merced County Jail in California (2011), difficulties tracking inmates in Cameron County, Texas (2014), and wrongful arrests in Alameda County, California (2016).[21] However, despite the warning signs presented by the vendor selection committee, the State of North Carolina moved forward with Tyler Technologies.[22]
Over the past ten years, the State’s attempt to modernize the judiciary has, to put it modestly, been a rocky road. Despite its struggles, the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians support the modernization of their court system.[23] A 2024 poll, conducted by the North Carolina Chamber, indicated over two-thirds of voters favored the eCourts transition, which is reflective of a larger voter appetite to see substantive criminal justice reform in the State.[24] “More than three-quarters of voters embrace at least one reason why North Carolina should enact criminal justice reforms like expunging records or ending drivers’ license suspension for failure to pay fines or minor violations.”[25] Additionally, despite the partisan political climate, support for criminal justice reform comes from North Carolinians on both sides of the aisle.[26]
As with any innovative technology, the eCourts system presents issues that must be addressed. While the system is not perfect, each improvement brings North Carolinians closer to better access to justice. As the first state in the country to fully migrate all statewide court operations to the cloud, North Carolina is setting national precedent and leading the way in judicial innovation. This modernization will lead the judiciary to become more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the North Carolinians it serves.
[1] eCourts, NC Off. Indigent Def. Servs., https://www.ncids.org/ecourts/ (last visited Oct. 25, 2025).
[2] Id.
[3] Andrew Heath, Today, NC Became the First eCourts State, Carolina J. (Oct. 13, 2025),https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/today-nc-became-the-first-ecourts-state/.
[4] Id.
[5] Press Release, North Carolina Judicial Branch, Dates Announced for 27 Counties and N.C. Business Court to Expand Access to Justice (Feb. 20, 2025).
[6] Heath, supra note 3.
[7] Press Release, North Carolina Judicial Branch, North Carolina Implements eCourts Conversion in All 100 Counties (Oct. 9, 2025).
[8] Tarrah Callahan, eCourts: A Modern Tool Strengthening Public Safety and Access to Justice in North Carolina, Conservatives for Crim. Just. Reform (Sep. 3, 2025), https://www.ccjrnc.org/ecourts-a-modern-tool-strengthening-public-safety-and-access-to-justice-in-north-carolina/.
[9] See Press Release, North Carolina Judicial Branch, supra note 7.
[10] Michael Hewlett, eCourts’ Continuing Legal Mess, Assembly (Apr. 4, 2025), https://www.theassemblync.com/politics/courts/ecourts-north-carolina-lawsuit/
[11] Id.
[12] Id.
[13] Id.
[14] Id.
[15] Rusty Jacobs, Rollout of New Court Case Management System Continues Despite Concerns, Blue Ridge Pub. Radio (Apr 29, 2024), https://www.bpr.org/2024-04-29/ecourts-complaints-lawsuit
[16] Michael Hewlett, supra note 10
[17] Hannah Schoenbaum, Lawsuit Alleges Glitches in North Carolina Court Filing System Caused Wrongful Detainments, Associated Press (May 23, 2023), https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-court-lawsuit-tyler-technologies-e8c0463f131268c8859f63513e2577e4
[18] North Carolina Electronic Courts Management Lawsuit Can Continue Against Developer, Sheriff, Associated Press (Apr 4, 2025), https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2025-04-04/north-carolina-electronic-courts-management-lawsuit-can-continue-against-developer-sheriff
[19] Michael Hewlett, supra note 10
[20] Id.
[21] Id.
[22] Id.
[23] Tarrah Callahan, supra note 8.
[24] New Poll Shows North Carolina Voters In Agreement on Criminal Justice Reform, N.C. Chamber (June 19, 2024), https://ncchamber.com/2024/06/19/new-poll-shows-north-carolina-voters-in-agreement-on-criminal-justice-reform/
[25] Id.
[26] Id.
