Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search tool is sent directly to the outside company operating that feature. The provider processes the query and supplies its results. Madison County Criminal History does not keep its own log or copy of those search terms.
Messages and Contact Submissions
An email may be retained long enough to answer and maintain the related correspondence. It is kept within the operating team unless disclosure is required by law.
Data We Gather Automatically
When a page loads, the server may automatically receive routine technical information about the visit:
- The IP address assigned to your device
- Which browser you are using and its version
- Your device type and operating system
- The pages you visited and how long you stayed on each
- The site that sent you here, if any
- Timestamps for each page view
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files saved by a browser. They help reveal broad use patterns, such as heavily visited pages and common exit points. Analytics providers may combine that traffic into reports. A browser can reject cookies, although some functions may then work differently.
What We Do With This Data
- Diagnosing faults and maintaining reliable page delivery
- Routing a search query to the provider selected by the search tool
- Measuring which reference pages are useful or need improvement
- Supporting site security and performance
- Presenting advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Madison County Criminal History does not build, keep, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes reference information about records held by the Madison County Sheriff, District 35 courts, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry. Visitor information is not assembled into reports about other people. The site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies supply the search boxes. Their privacy terms, retention periods, and disclosure practices govern information entered there. Those choices are outside our control, so review the provider's policy before submitting a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Madison County offices, North Carolina courts and agencies, or outside service providers. Once a reader leaves this site, the destination's own privacy policy applies. Review it before giving that service personal information.
Advertising providers may use their systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. Their collection occurs under their own terms.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may be available to:
- Analytics providers that measure traffic and performance
- Search providers processing a query submitted to their tool
- Advertising networks serving content on a page
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under a valid legal demand
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable security practices are used for information under our control. No internet system is completely secure, however, and a breach-free service cannot be guaranteed.
Users Under 18
The site is intended for adults and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If such information is identified, deletion may be requested.
Your Data Rights
Rights can vary by residence and the law that applies. North Carolina's Public Records Law, Chapter 132, governs records held by public agencies, not data held by this private site. North Carolina also controls public criminal-history dissemination through provisions such as Article 27A. For information held directly by us, a user may:
- Request access to personal data kept about that user
- Ask that inaccurate personal information be corrected
- Seek deletion where applicable
- Object to certain processing where the law provides that choice
Updates to This Policy
This policy may change as site practices or legal requirements change. A revised version will appear here with its new effective date.
Effective date: August 2, 2026