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Durham County, North Carolina public records

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

Last checked against official sources on .

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. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Good to know about Durham County records
  14. Office addresses, phones and hours
  15. Records that are not online: public records requests
  16. Questions people ask
  17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  18. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsDurham County Register of Deeds4Search deeds2Certified copy fee: $5.00 first page, $2 each additional page (certified copies unless statute otherwise provides)3
Property values and ownersDurham County Tax Administration5Property search5—
Property tax billsDurham County Tax Administration5Tax bill search5—
Court casesDurham County Clerk of Superior Court6North Carolina Superior and District Court, Durham County6Copies $2.00 first page of each document, $0.25 each additional page (statewide statute)7
Marriage recordsDurham County Register of Deeds4—$10 certified; $1.00 uncertified by mail; $.25 uncertified in person8
Divorce recordsDurham County Clerk of Superior Court6——
Birth certificatesDurham County Register of Deeds, Vital Records Department10—$10 certified; $1.00 uncertified by mail; $.25 uncertified in person; NCDAVE statewide copy $24 cash only9
Death certificatesDurham County Register of Deeds, Vital Records Department10—$10 per certified copy; NCDAVE statewide copy $24 cash only10
Probate and willsDurham County Clerk of Superior Court6——
Business names (DBA)Assumed Business Name Certificates recorded at the Register of Deeds: $26 per certificate11——

Deeds and land records

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

Copy fee
Uncertified copies: "Cost as posted" (amount not published on the fee schedule)3
Certified copy fee
$5.00 first page, $2 each additional page (certified copies unless statute otherwise provides)3
Recording fees
Instruments except deeds of trust/mortgages $26.00 first 15 pages + $4 each additional page; deeds of trust and mortgages $64.00 first 35 pages + $4 each additional; plats $21.00 each sheet; satisfactions no fee3
UCC fees
$38.00 one or two pages; $45.00 up to 10 pages, $2 each page over 103
Fraud alerts
Recording Notification Service: email notices when documents are recorded in your name12
Military discharge
Recording military discharge (DD214) and certified copies as authorized: no fee3

How deeds work in North Carolina

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Durham County Tax Administration (County Assessor) sets property values5; the Durham County Tax Administration (collection of current and delinquent taxes) bills and collects the tax5.

Tax bill search
property.spatialest.com/nc/durham-tax (Tax Bill Search, linked by the county)5
Parcel map (GIS)
durhamnc.gov/1455/Interactive-Maps (GoMaps, City of Durham host, linked by the county)13
Appealing a value
Real property appeals (online via Tax Help or paper form) must be filed before the Board of Equalization and Review adjourns; for 2026 that was 5:00 p.m. June 17, 2026. Personal property/motor vehicle appeals within 30 days of the bill14
Revaluation
Most recent reappraisal effective January 1, 202514

How property tax works in North Carolina

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
North Carolina Superior and District Court, Durham County (Clerk of Superior Court)All administrative, clerical and record-keeping functions of the District and Superior Courts; as Judge of Probate: wills, estates, adoptions, incompetency and guardianship, partitions, name changes, foreclosures, surplus funds6Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Civil)portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal Statewide eCourts Portal, linked by the county Clerk page6
Fees
Copies $2.00 first page of each document, $0.25 each additional page (statewide statute)7
Real estate cases
Clerk keeps foreclosures, evictions, partitions, estates, divorces, judgments and liens15

Criminal records and background checks

How North Carolina courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Durham County Register of Deeds.4

Marriage license fee
$60, cash only8
Apply
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 4:00pm by appointment; complete the online application first; both applicants should be present8
Validity
Must marry in North Carolina within 60 days of issuance8
Copy fee
$10 certified; $1.00 uncertified by mail; $.25 uncertified in person8
Online
durhamrod.permitium.com/rod (Permitium, linked by the county; extra convenience fees)8
Civil ceremony
Civil magistrates perform marriage ceremonies (Courthouse 3rd Floor; night & weekend by criminal magistrates)6

North Carolina marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Family Court).6

Decree copy
Divorce decrees less than 10 years old: Civil, 1st Floor Rm #1500 (919) 808-3003; more than 10 years old: Judgments, 1st Floor Rm #1400 (919) 808-30086
State
NC Vital Records holds divorce certificates 1958-present17

North Carolina divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Durham County Register of Deeds, Vital Records Department.10

Fee
$10 certified; $1.00 uncertified by mail; $.25 uncertified in person; NCDAVE statewide copy $24 cash only9
Coverage
Births in Durham County; through NCDAVE, any NC birth 1971 – present9
Who may order
Self, parent, sibling, spouse, children, grandparents, legal representative, case manager, legal guardian; proof of relationship may be required9
How to order
In person, mail form, letter of request, or online via Permitium (10-14 days)9
Adoption
Adoption records are kept and issued by NC Vital Records in Raleigh9

Ordering a North Carolina birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Durham County Register of Deeds, Vital Records Department.10

Fee
$10 per certified copy; NCDAVE statewide copy $24 cash only10
Coverage
Deaths in Durham County; through NCDAVE, NC deaths August 2020 – present18

Ordering a North Carolina death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Estates; Clerk is Judge of Probate).6

Which court
Clerk of Superior Court, Estates, 2nd Floor Rm #2300: guardianships, transfer of title at death, year's allowance, wills/probate, inventories6
Public wills
Wills filed after death are public; copies for a fee19

Finding a will or probate case in North Carolina

Business names (DBA)

Assumed Business Name Certificates recorded at the Register of Deeds: $26 per certificate; up to five names per certificate; certificates filed after December 1, 2017 do not expire11

Voter records

Durham County Board of Elections, dcovotes.dconc.gov20

Historical records

On-site genealogy research computers at the Register of Deeds, Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:45 pm (account required); photocopies $.10 per page21

Good to know about Durham County records

  • Durham County was formed on April 17, 1881 from parts of Wake and Orange counties; more land was transferred from Wake County in 191122
  • Older divorce decrees (more than 10 years) are held by the Judgments section, not Civil6
  • Marriage licenses require an appointment and are cash only ($60)8
  • The Register of Deeds does not notarize documents for the public10
  • Assumed business names filed before December 1, 2017 expired on December 1, 202211

Office addresses, phones and hours

Durham County Register of Deeds

Address
Durham County Administration Building II, 201 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Durham, NC 277014
Mail
Durham County Register of Deeds, Post Office Box 1107, Durham, NC 2770211
Hours
Recording Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:45pm, except holidays (vital record issuance 8:30am - 4:00pm; marriage licenses 9:00am - 4:00pm by appointment)12

Durham County Tax Administration (County Assessor)

Address
Administration Bldg. II, 201 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 2770113
Mail
P.O. Box 3397, Durham, NC 27702 (NCDOR assessor list)23
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM5

Durham County Tax Administration (collection of current and delinquent taxes)

Address
Administration Bldg. II, 201 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 2770113
Mail
P.O. Box 3397, Durham, NC 27702 (NCDOR assessor list)23
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM5

Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Superior Criminal; District Criminal/Traffic Records)

Address
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (Durham County Courthouse)6
Mail
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (mailing and physical address)6
Phone
Superior Criminal (919) 808-3007; District Criminal/Traffic Records (919) 808-3002; main 919-808-30006

Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Civil)

Address
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (Durham County Courthouse)6
Mail
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (mailing and physical address)6
Phone
Civil (919) 808-3003; Judgments (919) 808-3008; main 919-808-30006

Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Estates; Clerk is Judge of Probate)

Address
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (Durham County Courthouse)6
Mail
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (mailing and physical address)6
Phone
Estates (919) 808-3004, 2nd Floor Rm #23006

Durham County Clerk of Superior Court (Family Court)

Address
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (Durham County Courthouse)6
Mail
510 S. Dillard St., Durham, NC 27701 (mailing and physical address)6
Phone
Family Court (919) 808-3075, 6th Floor Rm #65006

Durham County Register of Deeds, Vital Records Department

Address
Durham County Administration Building II, 201 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Durham, NC 277014
Mail
Durham County Register of Deeds, Attention: Vital Records Department, Post Office Box 1107, Durham, NC 277029
Phone
919-560-0493 (amendments, delayed records); 919-560-0495 (fee schedule contact)9
Hours
NCDAVE issuance Monday – Friday 8:30am – 4:00pm, except holidays9

Durham County Board of Elections

Durham County Tax Administration, Land Records/GIS Division

Address
201 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 2770113

Durham County Sheriff's Office

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
Public Information Office (919) 560-0008, [email protected]; Sheriff records requested directly from the Sheriff20

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Durham County?

The Durham County Register of Deeds keeps deed records. Plain copies: Uncertified copies: "Cost as posted" (amount not published on the fee schedule). Certified copies: $5.00 first page, $2 each additional page (certified copies unless statute otherwise provides).43

How much is a birth certificate in Durham County?

$10 certified; $1.00 uncertified by mail; $.25 uncertified in person; NCDAVE statewide copy $24 cash only.9

How much does a marriage license cost in Durham County?

$60, cash only.8

How do I look up who owns a property in Durham County?

Use the property search of the Durham County Tax Administration (County Assessor): taxcama.dconc.gov/camapwa5

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 Durham County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in North Carolina with a full guide: Alamance County, Brunswick County, Buncombe County, Cabarrus County, Catawba County, Cleveland County, Craven County, Cumberland County, Davidson 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 24 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. Online Public Records SearchDurham County Register of Deeds
  3. Fee ScheduleDurham County Register of Deeds
  4. Register of DeedsDurham County
  5. Tax AdministrationDurham County
  6. Clerk of Superior CourtDurham County (county-hosted page for the NC Judicial Branch clerk)
  7. G.S. 7A-308 Miscellaneous feesNorth Carolina General Assembly
  8. MarriageDurham County Register of Deeds
  9. BirthDurham County Register of Deeds
  10. Vital RecordsDurham County Register of Deeds
  11. Assumed Business NameDurham County Register of Deeds
  12. Real Estate RecordsDurham County Register of Deeds
  13. Land Record/GISDurham County Tax Administration
  14. Appealing Your Property ValueDurham County Tax Administration
  15. Obtaining court recordsNorth Carolina Judicial Branch
  16. Durham County home pageDurham County
  17. Divorce certificatesNC Vital Records
  18. DeathDurham County Register of Deeds
  19. EstatesNorth Carolina Judicial Branch
  20. Online Public Records RequestDurham County
  21. Genealogy SearchDurham County Register of Deeds
  22. Durham County HistoryDurham County
  23. Assessor's List (9-23-26)North Carolina Department of Revenue
  24. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau