CIVIL DIVISION

     The Civil Division consists of One Lieutenant, Two Sergeants, and Five Deputies. The primary duty of these officers is to serve legal processes issued by the courts or other duly appointed government agencies. The Surry County Sheriff’s Office serves between 20,000 and 25,000 of these processes each year. These processes may range from subpoenas directing witnesses to appear and testify in a criminal court case, to summonses and notices in lawsuits, divorce and child custody matters.

     The Civil Division also serves all Writs of Possession of Real and Personal Property, all Executions of Money Judgments, Attachments, Garnishments and Tax Warrants. These types of processes are Court Orders that often direct the Sheriff to evict a defendant, or to seize a defendant’s property. It may also direct the Sheriff to conduct a sale of a defendant’s property to satisfy a judgment.

       In addition to these duties, deputies in the Civil Division are also fully functioning units. Each is trained and equipped and capable of responding to any emergency call that may arise. They also often are called upon to respond to routine calls and conduct initial investigations.

Additional Duties and Assignments.

             Each time the North Carolina General Assembly meets, old laws are revised and new laws are enacted. In recent years, the enforcement or administration of these laws, have been delegated to the Sheriff. Below are several of these responsibilities that have been assigned to the Civil Division or to specially trained deputies within the Division. There are additional expanded pages dedicated to many of these duties, elsewhere in this website. 

CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS   

PISTOL PURCHASE PERMITS BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS 

VIDEO POKER MACHINE REGISTRATION AND ON SITE INSPECTIONS

LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES SURPLUS MILITARY PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS             

                                                Civil Process

 The service of Civil Process is a Statutory Duty of all Sheriff’s in North Carolina. It was so important to our founding fathers that they wrote it into our laws in Chapter 1 of the North Carolina Generals Statutes in the very beginning of our state’s history. Without the service by the Sheriff, no court action could begin.