Register of Deeds

To maintain and preserve current and historic records entrusted to our office in the manner prescribed by the North Carolina Statutes. To make our records available to the public accurately and expeditiously in multiple and convenient formats. To provide polite, knowledgeable and timely service to those who use our office.

The Register of Deeds Office is a patron responsive recording agency that provides numerous services to the general public, legal and business community. The office is fee supported and historically has annually generated revenue for the county. The Register is the legal custodian of and is responsible for accurately recording, indexing, storing and preserving records of Cabarrus County births, deaths, marriages, veteran discharges, notary publics, condominium plans, subdivision maps and all other land related documents. Land record documents include deeds, deeds of trust, contracts, etc. This office also prepares paperwork for amendments of birth and death certificates. The Register of Deeds is an elected official serving a term of four years. The Register is legally responsible for maintaining the integrity, completeness, accuracy and safekeeping of Cabarrus County’s public records.

By statutory requirement the documents recorded in land records must be made available via a temporary index within 24 hours of recordation and must be permanently indexed within 30 days of the initial recordation. This office uploads to our records and website an initial index and virtual image within 10 minutes of recording. Thereafter, this office verifies the recorded documents and permanently indexes them within one to two business days.

After being closed to the public due to COVID-19 from March 19, 2020 until October 19, 2020, the office reopened to walk in patrons and continued to provide all services mandated by statute. These included recordation of land records and vital records, as well as issuance of marriage licenses and providing certified copies of vital records pursuant to online and mail requests.

Also:

• Land record recordings increased 35% in FY 2021 to 55,362 documents from 41,085 in FY 2020.
• Increased utilization of E-recording by patrons to 82% of all land records recorded in the 2021 calendar year. E-recording is the process of accepting presentation of land records for recordation online as well as receiving all recording fees and excise taxes associated therewith electronically.
• One employee successfully completed the Register of Deeds course conducted by the University Of North Carolina School Of Government in Chapel Hill.
• The Register maintained his certification status. Currently certified staff maintained certification by the North Carolina Association of Register of Deeds by attending state sponsored workshops and schools. Currently, 4 office members are certified by the NC Association of Registers of Deeds.
• Land records presented for recordation are simultaneously scanned and returned to the presenter. Formerly these documents were retained for scanning at a later time and returned or mailed days later. In 2021 this function was performed error free. If an error were to occur, it could be corrected within hours of discovery by maintenance of document presenter contact information. Accuracy was greater than 99.9%.
• Increased utilization of “get certificate now”, which allows patrons to order vital records online.
• Maintained fraud protection notice system, which provides notification to registrants whenever a land record transaction occurs in that person’s name.

Our biggest challenge is to efficiently and accurately process the increase in volume of work generated by the economic growth of the County.

The office staff is currently entering data to expand our user friendly index search by name to include years prior to 1983, with the ultimate goal of including all years dating back to 1792 (Currently, to search documents recorded prior to 1983, the system user must view scanned images of old index books).

• This department’s budget has increased due to salary and benefit adjustments as well as inflationary adjustments.

FY 2023 numbers are projections