Where to file bankruptcy in North Carolina

Where to file in North Carolina, what it costs and what comes next.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. North Carolina has three districts: Eastern, Middle and Western.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 3
Courts: Eastern District, Middle District and Western District

The bankruptcy courts in North Carolina

You file in the district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. North Carolina has three districts: Eastern, Middle and Western. The Middle District court lists which counties belong to each district: https://www.ncmb.uscourts.gov/north-carolina-counties. Division maps: https://www.nceb.uscourts.gov/divisional-maps (Eastern) and https://www.ncwb.uscourts.gov/western-district-north-carolina-divisional-map (Western).

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

Divisions: Raleigh (clerk's office), with hearings in Fayetteville, Greenville, New Bern and Wilmington

Clerk's phone: 919-856-4752

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

Divisions: Greensboro, Winston-Salem

Clerk's phone: 336-358-4000

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina

Divisions: Charlotte, Asheville, Shelby, Statesville

Clerk's phone: (704) 350-7500

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

Virginia: Eastern District and Western District
South Carolina: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina
West Virginia: Southern District and Northern District

What to do now in North Carolina

Pick the right court
The court is set by where you lived for most of the past 180 days.
Check local rules
Local forms and rules are on Eastern District, Middle District and Western District.
Get your counseling certificate
You need the certificate when you file. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Fill in the forms
Get the official bankruptcy forms.
Talk to legal aid
Free help: Legal Aid of North Carolina (statewide free civil legal aid) and North Carolina Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (listed by the Eastern District court).

Where to get free help in North Carolina

Questions about filing in North Carolina

How do I find my bankruptcy court in North Carolina?

What is the median income for the means test in North Carolina?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $67,117; 2 people: $84,384; 3 people: $101,535; 4 people: $116,737; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Where can I get free help with bankruptcy in North Carolina?

Legal Aid of North Carolina (statewide free civil legal aid), North Carolina Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (listed by the Eastern District court) and Middle District bankruptcy court — Pro Bono and Mentoring Programs.

Related North Carolina pages

What it costs to file

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

The meeting of creditors

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Credit counseling and debtor education

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in North Carolina

Short answer

The bankruptcy courts in North Carolina

In nearby states

What to do now in North Carolina

Pick the right court

Check local rules

Get your counseling certificate

Fill in the forms

Talk to legal aid

Where to get free help in North Carolina

Questions about filing in North Carolina

Related North Carolina pages