General Information

A standard document meets the following criteria. If a document fails to meet any one of these criteria, the non-standard document fee will be added.

• Paper size is 8.5″ x 11″ or 8.5″ x 14″
• Blank margin of 3″ at top of first page.
• Blank margin of at least 1/4″ on remaining sides of first page and on all sides of subsequent pages.
• Typed or printed in black on white paper in a legible font.
• A font size no smaller than 9 point shall be considered legible.
• Blanks in an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an instrument may be made in pen.
• One-sided only.
• Instrument type is stated at top of first page.

• Documents presented in-person or by mail, must contain the name and address of the person to whom the instrument is to be returned to. (N.C.G.S. § 161-30)

Real Estate Online Records Search

• Access Online Search

UCC (Uniform Commercial Code)

Effective July 1, 2001, only UCC’s with fixture will be filed in the local Register of Deeds Office. All other filings are filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office. For further information, you may reach this office at their website, www.sosnc.gov, or via telephone at (919) 807-2111. A UCC non-fixture is a security agreement on personal property that is recorded to protect the lender’s, or secured party’s, investment. In a security agreement, a loan of money is secured by personal property as collateral, thereby giving the lender rights in the property. All non-fixtures will be filed at the Secretary of State’s Office only. The local Register of Deeds Office will only file fixture (real estate related) filing UCC’s. Effective July 1, 2001, all original UCC’s and amended UCC’s to be filed in North Carolina will be filed at the Secretary of State’s Office in Raleigh, unless the UCC or amendment form indicates that the document is to be filed in the real estate records of the local filing office and meets all requirements of Revised Article 9. Only financing statements or amendments whose collateral includes fixtures, timber to be cut, or as-extracted collateral should be filed in the local filing office. Local filing offices will no longer perform searches on UCC’s filed after June 30, 2001. Local filings may be mailed to: Register of Deeds, P. O. Box 3427, Greensboro, N.C. 27402. All other N.C. filings: N.C. Secretary of State, UCC Division, P.O. Box 29626, Raleigh, N.C. 27626-0626.

Satisfactions

No longer can accept presentation of original deed of trust and note to satisfy or discharge a record. A Satisfaction of Security Instrument is a document that shows an individual has paid a deed of trust or a mortgage in full. A Security Instrument is a document that creates an interest in real property. Security Instruments include deeds of trust, mortgages and other grants of security interest such as assignments of leases and rents. A recorded satisfaction releases the Security Instrument from the land records in the county where the property is located. Please check with your own attorney or mortgage company for further assistance. Three ways to record a Satisfaction of Security Instrument:

1. Satisfaction of Security Instrument: This document shows that a loan has been satisfied and the Security Instrument is terminated. It must be signed by the secured creditor (except a trustee), acknowledged by a Notary Public and contain the required1information from the original Security Instrument. N.C.G.S. § 45-36.10(a).
2. Trustee’s Satisfaction of Security Instrument: The Trustee or Substitute Trustee may submit a “Trustee’s Satisfaction of Deed of Trust.” It must be signed by the Trustee or Substitute Trustee, acknowledged by a notary public and contain the required1information from the original Security Instrument. N.C.G.S. § 45-36.20.
3. Affidavit of Satisfaction: A borrower’s attorney may prepare and record an Affidavit of Satisfaction to reflect a lender’s unjustified failure to provide a record of Satisfaction. The affidavit must be signed by an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina and acting as a “Satisfaction Agent.” This affidavit must also be acknowledged by a notary public and contain all the information required1from the original Security Instrument. N.C.G.S. § 45-36.16.

Recording Fees

Effective 10/01/11: The uniform fees set forth below are complete and exclusive and no other fees shall be charged by the Register of Deeds. These fees shall be collected in every case prior to filing, registration, certification, or other service rendered by the Register of Deeds unless by law it is provided that the service shall be rendered without charge. G.S. 161-10 as amended.

Effective 10/01/15: For an instrument that contains excessive recording data, the fee shall be an additional two dollars ($2.00) for each party listed in the instrument in excess of 20. An instrument contains 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 G.S. 161-10(a).

Indexing Corrections Request

The Indexing Correction Request form may be used to correct information that was not indexed correctly. The Register of Deeds has no authority to correct an error appearing in the original instrument, such as a misspelled name, a defective property description or an incorrect loan amount pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 132-1.10. The register records the instrument as it is, and under no circumstances alters the text of a recorded instrument. If you have questions, please send email to GuilfordDeeds@guilfordcountync.gov or call 336-641-7556.

Personal Information Redaction

• Tips on Protecting Yourself
• Identity Theft Contacts
• Request for Redaction of Personal Information Form

Real Estate Document Request

A certified copy of a real estate document is $5 for the first page and $2 each additional page. A regular photocopy of a real estate document is 5¢ per page in-house or $1 by mail. A regular photocopy of a map is 50¢ per copy. All certified plats cost $5 per copy.

• Real Estate Document Request Form

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