Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or location entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the request and supplies its response. We do not keep a separate log or stored copy of those search terms.
Messages and Contact Submissions
Messages sent by email may be retained long enough to review and answer them. They remain within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our systems receive basic technical information when a page loads. That information can include:
- Page-view times and visit duration
- Browser name and version
- Device type and operating system
- The pages viewed during the visit
- A referring website, when one is supplied
- The device’s assigned IP address
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small device files that help measure how visitors move through the website, including popular pages and common exit points. Analytics providers may combine that activity into traffic reports. A browser can block or remove cookies, although doing so may change how certain website functions behave.
What We Do With This Data
- Routing a requested search to the selected partner
- Maintaining website availability and performance
- Diagnosing errors and other technical problems
- Measuring which information visitors use
- Displaying advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
We do not own, compile, keep, or sell a database of personal criminal records. Watauga County guidance identifies official custodians such as the Sheriff’s Office, the Clerk of Superior Court, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry. The SBI’s state criminal-information function is established by G.S. 143B-906. Nothing collected about website visitors is turned into a report about another person. This site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies provide the search tools displayed on some pages. Their privacy terms govern information entered into their products. Each provider controls its own retention, use, and disclosure practices, so review the applicable partner policy before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to Watauga County offices, North Carolina courts, state agencies, legal resources, or outside search services. Once a visitor leaves this website, the destination’s privacy policy applies. Review it before providing personal information.
Advertising providers may use their own systems to measure activity across websites and select ads. We do not operate that tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
Personal data is not sold. Limited information may be available to:
- Analytics providers that measure traffic and performance
- Search partners selected to process a query
- Advertising networks serving material on the website
- Government or law-enforcement bodies acting under valid legal process
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, commonly used safeguards protect the information we handle. No internet-connected system can guarantee complete security, so we cannot promise that unauthorized access or another breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor supplied such data, we will delete it.
Your Data Rights
Rights may vary by residence and applicable law. In North Carolina, relevant provisions include the Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, G.S. 75-1.1, and the North Carolina Public Records Law, Chapter 132, for records held by public agencies. Where applicable, a visitor may:
- Request access to personal data we hold
- Ask that inaccurate information be corrected
- Seek deletion where the law provides that right
- Object to certain processing where a legal right applies
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised as practices or legal requirements change. A revised version will appear here with its new effective date.
Effective date: August 2, 2026