Buncombe County, North Carolina public records

In Buncombe County, deeds are recorded by the Buncombe County Register of Deeds; property values come from the Buncombe County Tax Department, Tax Assessment; court files are kept by the Buncombe County Clerk of Superior Court.

Last checked against official sources on November 4, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Historical records
12. Good to know about Buncombe County records
13. Office addresses, phones and hours
14. Records that are not online: public records requests
15. Questions people ask
16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
17. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Buncombe County are recorded by the Buncombe County Register of Deeds.⁴

Online search

registerofdeeds.buncombecounty.org/…²

About this search

Online Records Search²

Copy fee

Uncertified copies $0.25 per page³

Certified copy fee

$5 for the 1st page + $2 per additional page³

Recording fee

Deeds and other instruments: $26 for 1 to 15 pages, $4 each additional page; deeds of trust: $64 for 1 to 35 pages, $4 each additional; satisfactions free²

How to order

By mail with payment and the Real Estate Record Request Form, by e-mail, or in person¹⁵

Excise

Excise tax $1 per $500 ($2 per $1000) of consideration, paid at recording²

How deeds work in North Carolina

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Buncombe County Tax Department, Tax Assessment (Real Estate Assessment, Land Records) sets property values⁴; the Buncombe County Tax Department, Tax Collections bills and collects the tax⁵.

Property search

tax.buncombenc.gov (search by name or address)⁵

Tax bill search

tax.buncombenc.gov (tax bills posted online); pay online at my.buncombecounty.org (PayIt)⁶

Parcel map (GIS)

gis.buncombecounty.org/buncomap (Full GIS Access); Discover Buncombe discover.buncombecounty.org¹⁶

Appealing a value

Informal appeal to the Tax Department (online at taxappeal.buncombecounty.org or by form), then formal appeal and the Board of Equalization and Review, then the NC Property Tax Commission¹⁷

Appeal window

Informal appeals January 1 to the end of April (until the Board of Equalization and Review adjourns); 30 days after a later change-of-value notice¹⁷

Land records fees

Aerial maps $10; non-aerial maps $5; reports $1 per report up to 10 pages; first property record card free, $1 each additional¹⁸

Tax due

Bills mailed early August, due September 1; interest after January 5⁶

How property tax works in North Carolina

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees: copies

Regular copies $2 first page, $0.25 each additional; certified $3; exemplified $10⁹

Fees: civil

Small claims $96; civil district $150; divorce $225; civil superior $200⁹

Fees: criminal

Criminal superior court $205⁹

Criminal records and background checks

Who holds it

Clerk of Superior Court keeps criminal case files; NC background checks are done through the clerk, not the Portal (state record)⁹

How North Carolina courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Buncombe County Register of Deeds, Vital Records.¹¹

Marriage license fee

$60 marriage license application³

Certified copy fee

$10 certified; $0.25 non-certified¹⁰

Order

In person with photo ID, by mail, or online (Personal Records Purchase)¹⁰

North Carolina marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Clerk of Superior Court (divorce filing fee $225)⁹

North Carolina divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Buncombe County Register of Deeds, Vital Records.¹¹

Fee

$10 certified; $0.25 non-certified; one free certified copy for people 62 or older¹²

Who may order

Certified copies only to immediate family or an authorized agent¹⁹

Order

In person, by mail with photo ID copy and request form, or online¹²

Adoptees

From 2026, people born in Buncombe and adopted can order their birth certificate here; originals with biological parents stay sealed¹²

Ordering a North Carolina birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Buncombe County Register of Deeds, Vital Records.¹¹

Fee

$10 certified; $0.25 non-certified¹³

Who may order

Certified copies only to immediate family or an authorized agent¹³

Ordering a North Carolina death certificate

Probate records and wills

Clerk of Superior Court acts as Probate Judge and oversees estates⁹

Guide and file

Free Guide & File service for small estate, summary administration and year's allowance filings⁹

Finding a will or probate case in North Carolina

Business names (DBA)

Register of Deeds records assumed names (DBA); $26 per document¹⁴

Historical records

Genealogy

Register of Deeds Public Records Search Room (3rd floor) holds all digital records; online index of births, deaths and marriages (images not online)²⁰

Slave deeds

Online list of slave deeds recorded 1776 to 1865¹⁵

Cohabitation

1866 cohabitation records (marriages of formerly enslaved people) online²⁰

Assessor books

Record Archive of assessor books and tax scrolls: recordarchive.buncombecounty.org¹⁸

Library

North Carolina Collection, Pack Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville²⁰

Good to know about Buncombe County records

• The Register of Deeds keeps real estate records dating back as early as the 1700s.²
• The Register of Deeds publishes a list of slave deeds recorded from 1776 to 1865.¹⁵
• 1866 cohabitation records of formerly enslaved couples are online.²⁰
• People 62 or older can get one free certified copy of their Buncombe birth certificate.¹²
• Assessor books and tax scrolls are online in the county Record Archive.¹⁸
• All properties got a new assessed value effective January 1, 2026 (reappraisal).⁶

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

buncombenc.gov/records⁴

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in North Carolina with a full guide: Alamance County, Brunswick County, Cabarrus County, Catawba County, Cleveland County, Craven County, Cumberland County, Davidson County, Durham County, Forsyth County, Gaston County, Guilford County, Harnett County, Henderson County, Iredell County, Johnston County, Mecklenburg County, Moore County, New Hanover County, Orange County, Pitt County, Randolph County, Robeson County, Rowan County, Wake County, Wayne County. Every county in the state: North Carolina county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 21 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
2. RecordingBuncombe County, North Carolina
3. Register of Deeds General FeesBuncombe County, North Carolina
4. Buncombe County home pageBuncombe County, North Carolina
5. Tax DepartmentBuncombe County, North Carolina
6. Tax CollectionsBuncombe County, North Carolina
7. Courts & Legal SystemBuncombe County, North Carolina
8. Criminal Background Check | North Carolina Judicial BranchNorth Carolina Judicial Branch
9. Clerk of Superior CourtBuncombe County, North Carolina
10. Marriage CertificatesBuncombe County, North Carolina
11. Register of DeedsBuncombe County, North Carolina
12. Birth CertificatesBuncombe County, North Carolina
13. Death CertificatesBuncombe County, North Carolina
14. Assumed Names (DBA)Buncombe County, North Carolina
15. Slave DeedsBuncombe County, North Carolina
16. Geographical Information Systems (GIS)Buncombe County, North Carolina
17. Property Value AppealsBuncombe County, North Carolina
18. Land RecordsBuncombe County, North Carolina
19. Vital RecordsBuncombe County, North Carolina
20. GenealogyBuncombe County, North Carolina
21. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau