How to Search North Carolina Recorded Documents (Start Here)

Recorded documents in North Carolina — deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and other land records — are filed with the Register of Deeds in each county.

What this page covers: North Carolina recorded document searches — deeds, mortgages, assignments, liens, plats, and other instruments filed in the public land records. What it does not cover: Property valuations or tax data (those are on the Property Records page).

Where to start: Go to the Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located. Many county register of deeds offer online document search by grantor/grantee name, book/page, or instrument number.

Common mistake: Recorded documents show what was filed — they do not confirm current ownership or lien status without a full title search. A deed in the index does not mean it is the most recent transfer.

Recorder of deeds
Register of Deeds is an elected position
UCC-1 filings
UCC records can be researched for free from this site
Statewide deed index?
Register of Deeds Office - Mecklenburg County Government
Recording statute
Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act
Legal system
North Carolina General Assembly (NCLeg.gov, official statutes)
Number of counties
100 counties
Population
11,046,024
Households
4,364,200
Median Income
$70,804
Median Home Value
$263,400
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: North Carolina recorded documents URL verified against the official state publisher at www.sosnc.gov on the review date. 6 primary .gov sources cited below.

North Carolina Recorded Documents — Key Facts (2026)

Deeds, mortgages, UCC filings, liens, military discharges in North Carolina — what gets recorded and where in 2026.
County
Where deeds live
Permanent record
SoS
Where UCC live
Secretary of State
Article 9
UCC governs
Secured transactions
Public
Most recorded docs
With redaction
Federal
DD-214 / IRS liens
National-level
Common recorded document types — typical volume
Deeds
100
Mortgages
95
Liens (property)
70
UCC (business)
55
Powers of attorney
25
Military DD-214
10
Unit: relative volume (deeds=100).

What Changed in 2026 — North Carolina Recorded Documents

2026
North Carolina recorded documents portal active
The official North Carolina portal at www.sosnc.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for recorded documents in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for recorded documents
The NASS UCC Filings overview at www.nass.org provides federal-level context that complements North Carolina state records.
2026
North Carolina access in 2026
For 2026, North Carolina continues to publish recorded documents information through state-authorized portals; check www.sosnc.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE North Carolina's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for additional official portals.

The 5-Type North Carolina Recorded Documents Map

1
Type 1 — Real property (Deeds, Mortgages)
North Carolina County Recorder / Register of Deeds. Permanent record.
2
Type 2 — UCC (business collateral)
Most filed with North Carolina Secretary of State. Some real-estate UCCs are county.
3
Type 3 — Liens (tax, mechanic's, judgment)
Property liens at the county. IRS federal tax liens may file at county OR state.
4
Type 4 — Personal documents (POA, military DD-214)
Often optional county recording in North Carolina for safekeeping. Originals at federal NPRC.
5
Type 5 — Maps & subdivisions
North Carolina county recorder; some at state mapping office.

Five Things People Get Wrong About North Carolina Recorded Documents

❌ Myth: "All UCC filings are at the North Carolina county."
✓ Truth: False. Most UCC filings (Article 9) are at the North Carolina Secretary of State, not county.
❌ Myth: "All liens show up in a deed search."
✓ Truth: False. Federal tax liens may file at county OR state. Judgment liens vary. Always cross-check.
❌ Myth: "Recording a deed transfers title."
✓ Truth: False. The deed transfers title when delivered. Recording gives public notice — important but different.
❌ Myth: "DD-214 is only federal."
✓ Truth: Partially false. The original is federal (NPRC), but many veterans record a copy at their North Carolina county for easy access.
❌ Myth: "Old North Carolina recorded docs are fully digitized."
✓ Truth: False. Most North Carolina counties only digitized records back to ~1990-2000. Older docs are paper at the courthouse.

Primary Sources and Official Record Portals

Related Recorded Documents Resources

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Recorded docs
Sample North Carolina counties: Alamance · Alexander · Alleghany · Anson · Ashe

Recorded Documents Databases

88 official North Carolina recorded documents sources.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Property Records

Recorded Documents

Alamance County Register of Deeds
Official Free
About Alamance County Government · County Commissioners · County Manager · Departments · Alamance County Departments · About Us · About Alamance County · e-Services · Online Services · Connect · Connect with Alamance County Government · Register of Deeds Home ·
🌐 rod.alamancecountync.gov
Register of Deeds – Alleghany County, North Carolina
Official Free
Welcome to the Alleghany County Register of Deeds web site. The office provides services to the professional community, as well as the general public. Some of these services include recording real property documents and plats, maintenance of vital records, including birth, death, and marriage.
🌐 alleghanycounty-nc.gov
Anson County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
Welcome to the new and improved Anson County Register Of Deeds remote access site. The site used to restrict access to deeds and other documents that transferred ownership in real property. The intent was to prevent access to deeds of trust and other documents that contained social security numbers.
🌐 ansonncrod.org
Ashe County Document View Page
Official Free
Welcome to the new and improved Ashe County Register Of Deeds remote access site. The full system portion of the site has been modified with additional features to reflect new indexing standards in North Carolina. Please click here for detailed instructions on how to use this portion of the site.
🌐 ashencrod.org
Vital Records - Bertie County, NC
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Disclaimer | Site Map | Contact Us · Online Services · Pay Water Bill · Pay Tax Bill · Real Property Search · Birth/Marriage/Death Certificate Requests · Search, Apply or Pay for Permits · Commissioners · Profiles · Meetings
🌐 co.bertie.nc.us
Bladen County Register of Deeds
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Bladen County Register of Deeds Office 106 East Broad Street P.O. Box 247 Elizabethtown, NC 28337 (910) 862-6710 Wendy A. Martin, Register of Deeds Hours of Operation: 8:30 5:00 Monday Friday · Welcome to the Bladen County Register of Deeds web site. As custodians and managers of large numbers.
🌐 bladenncrod.org
eSearch | Quick Name Search
Official Free
To navigate between search applications, select from the list below · Last / Firm Name Begins With Contains Exactly Sounds Like First Name Begins With Contains Exactly Sounds Like Side Both Sides Grantor Grantee
🌐 registerofdeeds.buncombecounty.org
Register of Deeds Cabarrus County
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Copies of Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates The Register of Deeds office can issue a copy of your certificate Marriage License Services Learn how to apply for a marriage license Online Records Search Search our online property data records.
🌐 cabarruscounty.us
Carteret County
Official Free
Disclaimer There are always records being processed that are not yet available on this system or the in house system or in the permanent index. The accuracy of a searchers result is dependent on the method of search used by the searcher. This is also true of searching a printed index in the.
🌐 deeds.carteretcountync.gov
Catawba County, North Carolina
Official Free
In observance of Memorial Day some County offices and facilities will be closed on Monday, May 25th. Get the details HERE. | Proposed School Merger Plan information can be found HERE. Get an overview of what was discussed and decisions made at the May 18, 2026, Board of Commissioners meeting.View full story. Catawba County Manager Mary Furtado recommended a Fiscal Year 2026/27 budget of $369,702,666, reflecting a proposed property tax rate of 42.35 cents per $100 valuation and.View full story
🌐 catawbacountync.gov
Chatham County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
This site uses PDF format images and requires Adobe Acrobat or some other PDF viewer. If needed, a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded here: The records on this site are unofficial records made available for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no person or entity, including the Chatham County.
🌐 chathamncrod.org
Cherokee County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
Welcome to the Cherokee County Register Of Deeds remote access site. In the interests of better serving the citizens of Cherokee County and the other users of our office, we have enhanced the website by changing the comtrols and components on the site · Important Note Regarding the NC Property.
🌐 cherokeencrod.org
Cumberland County Register of Deeds
Official Free
Our Land Records date back to 1754, which was the official beginning of Cumberland County. We also house many other public records, such as notary oaths, births, deaths and marriage licenses. We are pleased to record military discharges (DD214’s) free of charge to our retired military. Effective August 1, 2020 limited search of only the vitals index will be available for births, deaths and marriages. The General Statutes of North Carolina govern the Register of Deeds.
🌐 ccrod.org
Davie County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
Use of this site is an acknowledgement of the disclaimer and a waiver of any claims. The official records of the Davie County Register Of Deeds are located at the Davie County Register Of Deeds office.
🌐 daviencrod.org
Durham County | Records Access
Official Free
The file for a court case can be viewed by visiting the clerk of court’s office in the county where the case is located. Staff can provide copies of documents in court files for a fee. An official transcript is a typed version of the word-for-word recording of a court proceeding prepared by an official court reporter or transcriptionist on this list.
🌐 dconc.gov
Granville County Miscellaneous Records | NC Archives
Official Free
Miscellaneous Records contains a variety of records including those that do not fall easily into the main record categories as well as those that were in too small of a quantity to be catalogued separately. Examples are records of slaves and free persons of color; bills of sale; promissory notes; canal and drainage records; shipping and fishing records; mill records; mining records; timber records; powers of attorney; grand jury records; and witness tickets.
🌐 archives.ncdcr.gov
Guilford County Slavery Deeds
Official Free
Records of Slavery Deeds from 1774 to 1826
🌐 rdlxweb.guilfordcountync.gov
Harnett County Online Record Search
Official Free
Use our online website to view/print documents that are filed in our office. All documents recorded in our office are available on our website. Our current real estate index goes back to 1973; anything prior to 1973, search the old index books.
🌐 harnett.org
HOKE COUNTY
Official Free
The State Archives of North Carolina collects, preserves, and provides access to historically significant archival materials, including public records. It also provides guidance concerning preservation and management of government records to state, county, city, and state university officials.
🌐 archives.ncdcr.gov
eSearch | Quick Name Search
Official Free
By using this service, in any form, the user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Jackson County Register of Deeds and anyone involved in storing, retrieving, or displaying this information for any damage of any type that may be caused by retrieving this information over the Internet. Records available in this search consist of released records.
🌐 deeds.jacksonnc.org
Lee County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
Welcome to the Lee County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site · EARLY CUTOFF FOR RECORDING Effective January 1st, 2017 the Lee County Register of Deeds office will designate an early cutoff recording time of 4:30 pm daily for all documents
🌐 leencrod.org
Martin County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
Welcome to the new Martin County Register Of Deeds remote access site. The full system portion of the site has been modified with additional features to reflect new indexing standards in North Carolina. Please click here for detailed instructions on how to use this portion of the site.
🌐 martinrod.org
Moore County Government
Official Free
Our office is in the process of back-filing records 1/1/1888-6/30/1988. As we are adding additional parties, all entries may not be present. Continue to search our index books in office to ensure all parties are found · The Register of Deeds Office, Moore County, North Carolina provides this.
🌐 rod.moorecountync.gov
eSearch | Quick Name Search
Official Free
To navigate between search applications, select from the list below · Last / Firm Name Begins With Contains Exactly Sounds Like First Name Begins With Contains Exactly Sounds Like Side Both Sides Grantor Grantee
🌐 deeds.onslowcountync.gov
Pamlico County, NC
Official Free
Pamlico County Recreation · Pamlico County Parks · Personnel Office · Current Openings · Planning & Economic Development · Economic Development · Planning Board · Planning Board · Public Buildings · Recycling & Solid Waste · Solid Waste · Recycling · Recycling Convenience Centers ·
🌐 pamlicocounty.org
Land Records / Mapping | Pender County, NC
Official Free
The Land Records and Mapping Divisions. Pender County. The ownership files include the owner's name(s), the situs (physical) address, mailing address, brief legal description, Parcel Identification Number (PIN), and acreage/lot size.
🌐 pendercountync.gov
Perquimans County, NC Register Of Deeds
Official Free
This website requires a frames-enabled browser
🌐 perquimansrod.us
Pitt County, North Carolina Register of Deeds
Official Free
Protect yourself from fraudulent filings made on your behalf with PropertyCheck™ · Pitt County, North Carolina Lisa P. Nichols, Register of Deeds Welcome to Pitt County's new search site
🌐 regdeeds.pittcountync.gov
eSearch | Terms of Service / User Agreement
Official Free
We are pleased to offer online access to our Indexing System. Our users should be aware of several items · 1. While we have attempted to preserve the accuracy of this online version, these records are not official and the ‘County’ will not be responsible for any inaccuracies that may be.
🌐 rod.rowancountync.gov
Locality Public Records search provided by Logan Systems Inc.
Official Free
Logan Systems Public Records
🌐 sampsonrod.org
Cities & Towns | Scotland County, NC
Official Free
Scotland County is located in Southeastern North Carolina adjacent to the South Carolina line. With a little over 318 square miles of land, you will find industry, agriculture and history. Our population is more than 35,000.
🌐 scotlandcounty.org
Stokes County Miscellaneous Records | NC Archives
Official Free
Miscellaneous Records contains a variety of records including those that do not fall easily into the main record categories as well as those that were in too small of a quantity to be catalogued separately. Examples are records of slaves and free persons of color; bills of sale; promissory notes; canal and drainage records; shipping and fishing records; mill records; mining records; timber records; powers of attorney; grand jury records; and witness tickets.
🌐 archives.ncdcr.gov
Swain County Register Of Deed's Remote Access Site
Official Free
Diana Williamson Kirkland Register Of Deed · Swain County Register Of Deed Address: P.O. Box 1183 101 Mitchell Street Bryson City, NC 28713 Phone Number : (828)488-9273 Ext 2205 Recording Hours : 8:30am - 5:00pm Mon - Fri Marriage License issued between 8:30am - 4:30pm
🌐 swaincorod.org
Register of Deeds | Union County, NC
Official Free
The Register of Deeds office provides a standardized, permanent record of real estate ownership and transfers in Union County. Our office records deeds, deeds of trust, cancellations, plats, assumed names, powers of attorney and other miscellaneous documents related to real estate.
🌐 unioncountync.gov
CRPI Help > About the CRPI
Official Free
Wake County legal documents recorded since 1785 and historical maps dating to 1885 can be retrieved online from the Register of Deeds Consolidated Real Property Index. Wake County became the first North Carolina registry to offer online access to legal documents.
🌐 rodcrpi.wake.gov
Yadkin County Register Of Deeds Remote Access Site
Official Free
Welcome to the new and improved Yadkin County Register Of Deeds remote access site. In the interests of better serving the citizens of Yadkin County and the other users of our office, we have enhanced the website to create a more efficient site that can be used by more of our users, including.
🌐 yadkincorod.org
Visitors | Randolph County, NC
Official Free
It is the 11th largest county in North Carolina and has the 19th highest population in the state. The towns of Archdale, Asheboro, Franklinville, Liberty, Ramseur, Randleman, Seagrove, Staley and Trinity are located within Randolph County with Asheboro being the county seat.
🌐 randrod.com
eSearch | PropertyCheck
Official Free
To navigate between search applications, select from the list below · Last / Firm Name Begins With Contains Exactly Sounds Like First Name Begins With Contains Exactly Sounds Like Side Both Sides Grantor Grantee
🌐 cotthosting.com
Obtaining Court Records | North Carolina Judicial Branch
Official Free
Information about civil, special proceeding, or estates cases in the North Carolina court system can be accessed on the public, self-service terminals in the clerk of court’s office in any county. View a user’s manual for the system in which the information is stored. The file for a court case can be viewed by visiting the clerk of court’s office in the county where the case is located. Staff can provide copies of documents in court files for a fee.
🌐 nccourts.gov
Forsyth County, North Carolina Public Records Lookup | ForsythRecords.us
Official Free
Public records in Forsyth County are defined under North Carolina General Statutes § 132-1 as all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, photographs, films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data-processing records, artifacts, or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions. Forsyth County, as a political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, is subject to this definition…
🌐 forsythrecords.us
Vital Records – Columbus County
Official Free
Columbus County Register of Deeds P.O. Box 1086 Whiteville, NC 28472 · A certified copy is $10.00 and a copy for genealogy purposes is $.25. Please send money order and self addressed stamped envelope. Please call the Register of Deeds office with any further questions. Our office hours are 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. Our number is 910-640-6625. NC Vital Records.
🌐 columbusdeeds.com
About Halifax County | Halifax County, NC
Official Free
Located in the Roanoke River and Tar-Pamlico River basins, it is one of the largest geographical counties in North Carolina , encompassing an area of approximately 722 square miles with a population of about 55,000 residents. During its more than 240 years of existence, Halifax County has become.
🌐 halifaxnc.com
Register of Deeds - Franklin County, NC
Official Free
The Franklin County Register of Deeds office makes no guarantees regarding the collection, accuracy, authenticity, or use of these records. The web site is for informational use and convenience only. The Register of Deeds and Courthouse Computer Systems shall in no way be held responsible for.
🌐 us4.courthousecomputersystems.com
Duplin County, NC Register Of Deeds
Official Free
This website requires a frames-enabled browser
🌐 duplinrod.net
Request a Public Record | North Carolina Judicial Branch
Official Free
County or City DocumentsPlease contact the county or city office from which you are seeking information. Powers of AttorneyPower of attorney records are kept by the Register of Deeds. You can find contact information for your Register of Deeds office. Prisoner RecordsInformation on persons who have been or currently are incarcerated in the N.C.
🌐 nccourts.gov
Madison County Miscellaneous Records | NC Archives
Official Free
Miscellaneous Records contains a variety of records including those that do not fall easily into the main record categories as well as those that were in too small of a quantity to be catalogued separately. Examples are records of slaves and free persons of color; bills of sale; promissory notes; canal and drainage records; shipping and fishing records; mill records; mining records; timber records; powers of attorney; grand jury records; and witness tickets.
🌐 archives.ncdcr.gov
Averydeeds
Official Free
Averydeeds — search.averydeeds.com.
🌐 search.averydeeds.com
Search Deeds - Macon County Deeds
Official Free
Search Deeds - Macon County Deeds — search.macondeeds.com.
🌐 search.macondeeds.com
Register of Deeds | Craven County, NC
Official Free
The Craven County Register of Deeds office makes no guarantees regarding the collection, accuracy, authenticity, or use of these records. The web site is for informational use and convenience only. The Register of Deeds and Courthouse Computer Systems shall in no way be held responsible for.
🌐 us5.courthousecomputersystems.com
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Official Free
The State Archives of North Carolina collects, preserves, and provides access to historically significant archival materials, including public records. It also provides guidance concerning preservation and management of government records to state, county, city, and state university officials.
🌐 archives.ncdcr.gov
Iredell County, North Carolina Register of Deeds
Official Free
Protect yourself from fraudulent filings made on your behalf with PropertyCheck at the following link: · https://recordhub.cottsystems.com/IredellNC/Portal/Account/Login?returnUrl=/IredellNC/Portal/PropertyCheckNotification/Create/
🌐 cotthosting.com
McDowell Co Deeds Search
Official Free
McDowell Co Deeds Search — search.mcdowelldeeds.com.
🌐 search.mcdowelldeeds.com
Gates County, NC Register Of Deeds
Official Free
This website requires a frames-enabled browser
🌐 gatesrod.net
Tyrrell County, NC Register Of Deeds
Official Free
This website requires a frames-enabled browser
🌐 tyrrellrod.net
Titlesearcher.com - About Us
Official Free
In the case of multiple counties the first county uses the Primary cost and each additional county applies the Additional cost. Pay As You Go Services You can start a pay as you go account with an initial deposit of $5.00 by using a credit card. Document images that are retrieved will be $2.00 each.
🌐 titlesearcher.com
Davidson County Search Deeds - Disclaimer
Official Free
ONLINE SEARCH NOTICE · Davidson County Register of Deeds continues to conduct internal quality assurance and testing. We encourage online searchers to contact us with any questions or concerns that may arise with the online search function. As always, the Davidson County Register of Deeds.
🌐 davidsondeeds.com
Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds - Aumentum ...
Official Free
The Register of Deeds Office, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina provides this web site as a public service. Information available on this web site is collected, maintained, and provided solely for the convenience of the public users. While every effort is made to assure that this information.
🌐 meckrod.manatron.com
Wilson County | Home
Official Free
Wilson County Government Offices Closed 5/25 in Observance of Memorial Day · Wilson County Government Earns Gallagher’s High Performing Employer Award · Wilson County 911 Director Receives Director of the Year Award · Wilson County Water Services Implementing Voluntary Water Reductions ·
🌐 wilsoncountync.gov