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How to get a copy of a deed in North Carolina

Who holds it: Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located; the Clerk of Superior Court holds court proceedings affecting real estate1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Fees
  2. More details
  3. Related records in North Carolina
  4. How North Carolina handles it
  5. Deeds in North Carolina counties with a full guide
  6. Official warnings
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Sources

Certified copy fee

$5.00 first page + $2.00 each additional page or fraction (instruments with no other fee provision)2

How to search

County by county: use the county Register of Deeds website or contact the office1

Fees

Copy fee
Uncertified copies: not a fixed state amount. Each Register of Deeds sets a fee, must keep it uniform and prominently posted2
Certified plat fee
$5.00 per certified plat copy2
Recording fee
$26.00 first 15 pages + $4.00 each additional page (instruments in general)2
Recording fee deed of trust
$64.00 first 35 pages + $4.00 each additional page2

More details

Court records affecting land
Clerk of court: foreclosures, evictions, partitions, condemnations, estates, divorces, judgments, liens on real property1
Liens: federal tax liens
Secretary of State records federal tax liens on corporations and partnerships; $5 written search3
Liens: judgment liens
Clerk of court: judgments, liens and lis pendens are indexed against party names4
Maps: state GIS portal
nconemap.gov NC OneMap5
Maps: parcel data
Statewide Parcel Information viewer5

How North Carolina handles it

  • Vital records price gap. County Register of Deeds certified copies of birth, death and marriage cost $10.00 by statute versus $24 at NC Vital Records2
  • Statewide birth certificates at county offices. Some Registers of Deeds issue birth certificates for births elsewhere in NC; Pender County states this for 1971 to present6
  • Free certificates. Free certified birth certificate or marriage license for registered voters needing it for voter photo ID2

Deeds in North Carolina counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Alamance CountyAlamance County Register of Deeds7Search7Uncertified copies $.25 per page8
Brunswick CountyBrunswick County Register of Deeds9Search9Uncertified: 25¢ per page in person; by mail 25¢ per page plus $1.00 mailing fee or SASE; map $2.00 each page10
Buncombe CountyBuncombe County Register of Deeds12Search11Uncertified copies $0.25 per page13
Cabarrus CountyRegister of Deeds15Search14Uncertified copies: reasonable amount, $0.25 per page16
Catawba CountyCatawba County Register of Deeds18Search17—
Cleveland CountyCleveland County Register of Deeds20Search19$.25 per page in person21
Craven CountyRegister of Deeds23Search22$0.25 (uncertified copies; the table does not state a unit)24
Cumberland CountyCumberland County Register of Deeds25Search25$.25 per page (uncertified)26
Davidson CountyDavidson County Register of Deeds28Search27Free searchCertified copy fee: $5 for the first page and $2 for each additional page29
Durham CountyDurham County Register of Deeds31Search30Certified copy fee: $5.00 first page, $2 each additional page (certified copies unless statute otherwise provides)32
Forsyth CountyForsyth County Register of Deeds34Search33Uncertified copy $.25 per page35
Gaston CountyGaston County Register of Deeds37Search36$0.25 per page general printing (legal and letter); $2.00 per image large format (plats and maps); $3.00 per mailing38
Guilford CountyGuilford County Register of Deeds39Search39Uncertified copies $0.05 per page in person, $1 per page by mail; map copy $0.50 (18x24)40
Harnett CountyHarnett County Register of Deeds41Search41Certified copy fee: $5.00 first page + $2.00 each additional page or fraction (instruments with no other fee provision)42
Henderson CountyHenderson County Register of Deeds44Search43Photocopies $.25 (per the Register of Deeds page)43
Iredell CountyIredell County Register of Deeds47Search4546Uncertified copies $0.2548
Johnston CountyJohnston County Register of Deeds50Search49$0.10 per page; $1.00 minimum processing fee by mail; plats $1.00 per page51
Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County Register of Deeds53Search52Non-certified in person 25 cents per page; by mail $1 per page54
Moore CountyMoore County Register of Deeds56Search55Certified copy fee: $5.00 first page plus $2.00 each additional page (statutory, G.S. 161-10)57
New Hanover CountyNew Hanover County Register of Deeds59Search58Free search$0.25 per page; maps uncertified $0.25 (8.5x11), $1.00 (11x17), $3.00 (18x24), $5.00 (24x36) per page60
Orange CountyOrange County Register of Deeds62Search61Uncertified copy work $0.50 per copy; uncertified plat copies $3 per page63
Pitt CountyPitt County Register of Deeds65Search64Uncertified public copies typically $0.25 per page (posted rates apply); map copies $1-$2 per page65
Randolph CountyRandolph County Register of Deeds67Search66$.25 per page (uncertified); plat copies $2 (18x24) or $3 (24x36) per page68
Robeson CountyRobeson County Register of Deeds70Search69Certified copy fee: $5.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page71
Rowan CountyRowan County Register of Deeds73Search72$0.50 per page (non-certified); map copies $2.00 per page72
Wake CountyWake County Register of Deeds75Search74Certified copy fee: $5 for the first page, $2 each additional page; certified map copy $576
Wayne CountyWayne County Register of Deeds78Search77Free search, fee for copies$0.25 (uncertified copies in general)79

For any other county, see the county list on the North Carolina guide.

Official warnings

  • Do not buy deed copies from unsolicited mailers; report to the Attorney General80
  • 'Deed Processing Notice' from 'Local Records Office' offered a deed copy for $8381
  • Copies usually free online or a few dollars from the Register81

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any North Carolina office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: deeds and land records in every state. Everything else in North Carolina: North Carolina public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Obtaining Court Records | North Carolina Judicial BranchNorth Carolina Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  2. G.S. 161-10NC General Assemblychecked November 4, 2026
  3. Federal Tax LiensNC Secretary of Statechecked November 4, 2026
  4. G.S. 7A-109NC General Assemblychecked November 4, 2026
  5. NC OneMap home pageNC OneMapchecked November 4, 2026
  6. Register of Deeds | Pender County, NCPender Countychecked November 4, 2026
  7. Register of DeedsAlamance County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  8. Fee ScheduleAlamance County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  9. Register of DeedsBrunswick Countychecked November 4, 2026
  10. Register of Deeds FeesBrunswick Countychecked November 4, 2026
  11. RecordingBuncombe County, North Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  12. Buncombe County home pageBuncombe County, North Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  13. Register of Deeds General FeesBuncombe County, North Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  14. IndexesCabarrus Countychecked November 4, 2026
  15. Register of DeedsCabarrus Countychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Register of Deeds Fees (fees.pdf)Cabarrus County Register of Deedsarchived copychecked November 7, 2026
  17. TaxCatawba County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Catawba County home pageCatawba County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  19. Online Public RecordsCleveland County, NCchecked November 8, 2026
  20. Register of DeedsCleveland County, NCchecked November 8, 2026
  21. Register of Deeds FAQCleveland County, NCchecked November 8, 2026
  22. Register of Deeds: Real EstateCraven Countychecked November 8, 2026
  23. Craven County | Official WebsiteCraven Countychecked November 8, 2026
  24. Register of Deeds Fee ScheduleCraven Countychecked November 8, 2026
  25. Register of Deeds (county link, redirects to ccrod.org home)Cumberland County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  26. Fee Schedule (Uniform Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2016)Cumberland County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  27. Online Services (Register of Deeds)Davidson County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  28. Site MapDavidson Countychecked November 4, 2026
  29. Recording Fee ScheduleDavidson County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  30. Online Public Records SearchDurham County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  31. Register of DeedsDurham Countychecked November 4, 2026
  32. Fee ScheduleDurham County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  33. Search a Record OnlineForsyth County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  34. Register of DeedsForsyth Countychecked November 4, 2026
  35. Register of Deeds FeesForsyth Countychecked November 4, 2026
  36. Register of Deeds: Property Records SearchGaston Countychecked November 5, 2026
  37. Register of Deeds: About the OfficeGaston Countychecked November 5, 2026
  38. Register of Deeds Uniform Fee Schedule (PDF)Gaston Countychecked November 5, 2026
  39. Register of DeedsGuilford Countychecked November 4, 2026
  40. Register of Deeds FeesGuilford County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  41. Harnett County, NC home pageHarnett Countychecked November 7, 2026
  42. G.S. 161-10NC General Assemblychecked November 7, 2026
  43. Register of DeedsHenderson County, NCchecked November 4, 2026
  44. Henderson County North Carolina (home)Henderson County, NCchecked November 4, 2026
  45. Iredell County Register of Deeds – Online Services DisclaimerIredell County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  46. Register of Deeds | Iredell County, NCIredell County, NCchecked November 8, 2026
  47. Register of Deeds | Iredell County, NCIredell County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  48. Recording Fees & Requirements | Iredell County, NCIredell County Register of Deedschecked November 4, 2026
  49. Register of Deeds OfficeJohnston County, NCchecked November 7, 2026
  50. Johnston County Government home pageJohnston County, NCchecked November 7, 2026
  51. Fee Schedule (Register of Deeds)Johnston County, NCchecked November 7, 2026
  52. Search Real Estate RecordsMecklenburg County, North Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  53. Mecklenburg County Register of DeedsMecklenburg County, North Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  54. Uniform Fee ScheduleMecklenburg County, North Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  55. Office of the Register of DeedsMoore Countychecked November 7, 2026
  56. Site MapMoore Countychecked November 7, 2026
  57. G.S. 161-10NC General Assemblychecked November 7, 2026
  58. Register of Deeds: Records SearchNew Hanover Countychecked November 5, 2026
  59. Register of DeedsNew Hanover Countychecked November 5, 2026
  60. Register of Deeds: FeesNew Hanover Countychecked November 5, 2026
  61. Recording & Real EstateOrange County, NCchecked November 4, 2026
  62. Register of DeedsOrange County, NCchecked November 4, 2026
  63. Register of Deeds FeesOrange County, NCchecked November 4, 2026
  64. Real Estate RecordsPitt County Register of Deedschecked November 5, 2026
  65. Register of DeedsPitt County Register of Deedschecked November 5, 2026
  66. Real Estate RecordsRandolph Countychecked November 4, 2026
  67. Site MapRandolph Countychecked November 4, 2026
  68. Register of Deeds FeesRandolph Countychecked November 4, 2026
  69. Robeson County Online ServicesRobeson County, North Carolinachecked November 7, 2026
  70. Robeson County Administration home pageRobeson County, North Carolinachecked November 7, 2026
  71. Fee ScheduleRobeson County Register of Deedschecked November 7, 2026
  72. Land RecordsRowan County Register of Deedschecked November 7, 2026
  73. Register Of DeedsRowan County Register of Deedschecked November 7, 2026
  74. Search Real Estate RecordsWake County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  75. Office Hours and Location (Register of Deeds)Wake County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  76. Real Estate Document RequestWake County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  77. Register of Deeds Online Search (disclaimer)Wayne County, NCchecked November 7, 2026
  78. Public RecordsWayne County, NCchecked November 7, 2026
  79. Register of Deeds Fee ScheduleWayne County, NCchecked November 7, 2026
  80. Other Information | Brunswick County, NCBrunswick Countychecked November 4, 2026
  81. Press ReleaseLincoln Countychecked November 4, 2026