Documents must have the name, phone number, and address of the person the original document will be returned to.
All deeds and deeds of trust must have the name of the person or law firm who drafted the document on the front page of the document. All conveyances of land must have the tax ID number and grantee address on the front page. The tax ID number can be obtained from the Land Records section of the New Hanover County Tax Department. Please call the Tax Department at 910-798-7300 for tax ID numbers. Check the fee schedule page for recording fees and excise tax information.
All instruments presented for registration on paper must meet all of the following requirements:
If an instrument does not meet these requirements, the Register of Deeds will register the instrument after collecting a fee of $25.00 for nonstandard documents as required by GS 161-10(a)(19), in addition to all other applicable recording fees.
The following are exempt from the above requirements:
Cancellation of deeds of trust or mortgages (all forms), and UCC filings.
Effective October 1, 2019
The minimum side margins on instruments is back to one-half inch (increased from one-quarter inch) pursuant to Session Law 2019-117 (Senate Bill 594)
Notice: Credit and debit cards are accepted in all Register of Deeds departments.
To request copies or documents to be returned by mail you must send the Register of Deeds a pre-addressed stamped envelope. Please note that the Register of Deeds office does not issue refunds.
Fee Change Effective October 1, 2011
Effective October 1, 2015
For an instrument that contains excessive recording data, the fee will be an additional two dollars ($2.00) for each party listed in the instrument in excess of 20. An instrument is considered to contain excessive recording data when there are more than 20 distinct parties listed in the instrument, including any attachments and exhibits, that require indexing pursuant to G.S. 147-54.3 or this chapter.
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), N.C. General Statute, Chapter 25, is a collection of laws establishing procedures by which claims may be secured against collateral used for a loan. The fees for filing these financing statements can be found below.
Effective July 15, 2003, only Financing Statements filed as a Fixture Filing will be recorded in the Register of Deeds office.
All other Financing Statements must be filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State. You can search UCCs and corporation records on file with the NC Secretary of State on the department’s web site.