Register of Deeds Standards

Deed Documents / Deed History / General Information
Assumed Name (DBA) / Fees / Marriages / Notary Public / Plats and Maps / Public Notices / Recording Standards / Satisfactions / UCC'S (Uniform commercial Codes) / Vital Records

PLEASE NOTE, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2002
NORTH CAROLINA DOCUMENT RECORDING STANDARDS

All documents executed and recorded on or after July 1, 2002, must meet G.S. 161-14(b) as follows:

Use 8 ½ x 11 or 8 ½ x 14 paper.
Have a 3 inch blank margin at top of first page and ½ inch blank
margin on remaining sides of first page and all subsequent pages.
Should be typed or printed in black on white paper.
Font size no smaller than 10 points. (This is 10 point font.) Blanks in an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an Instrument may be made in pen.
Only one sided typed or printed text.
The type of instrument needs to be at top of first page below blank margin.

If an instrument does not meet the requirements outlined above, the Register of Deeds shall register the instrument after collecting a $25.00 fee for non-standard documents as required by GS 161-10(a) (19). If an instrument fails to meet the requirements of font size, (less than 10 points), but is determined by the Registrar that the instrument is legible, the Register of Deeds may record without collecting the non-standard fee charge.

Formatting Standard applies to all documents for which a fee is collected in G.S. 161-10(a):

Instruments in General
Deeds of Trust and Mortgages
(There is no fee for cancellation of Deeds of Trust and Mortgages in NC)
Uniform Commercial Code filings
(National Standards forms are exempt from the document formatting standards)
Torrens Registration
Master Forms