How Do I...

These documents deal primarily with land in Catawba County. These documents include:

• Deeds
• Deeds of Trust (Mortgages)
• Foreclosures
• Restrictions
• Right of Ways
• Easements
• Plats (Subdivision Surveys)
• Leases
• Contracts
• Agreements
• Fixture Filings, etc.

Other doucments recorded are:

• Assumed Names
• Affidavits
• Birth Certificates
• Marriage Certificates
• Death Certificates
• Powers of Attorney
• Separation Agreements, etc.

or divorces and Wills, please contact Catawba County Clerk of Superior Court's Office (828) 695-6100 for additional information.

A deed is a written instrument, which when executed and delivered, conveys title to or an interest in real estate. There may be a required cover sheet so please check with us if unsure.

It should be recorded as soon as possible. In order to transfer or mortgage a property, it is imperative to have a deed recorded. Otherwise, numerous legal difficulties may be created.

It depends on what kind of document you have to record. There is a fee to record real estate documents, plats, Highway Maps, and UCCs regardless if Notarized or not. Since some of these have a flat fee and others is based upon how many pages go along with such document, please click herefor a more detailed fee schedule.

The statutes provide that the following instruments must be acknowledged or proved, and they must therefore meet verification requirements to be registered:

This is a tax of $1.00 per $500.00 (more easily calculated as $2.00 per $1,000.00) of the purchase price is mandated by NC state law to be paid by the grantor or seller. If no consideration has been exchanged, then an excise stamp will not apply.

The Register of Deeds’ Office will provide a copy of your deed at $.25 per page. If you do not know the book and page number, we can assist you in our office or online. If you know your book and page number and do not have online access you may request a copy by mail for a fee. Please call if further assistance is needed.

Since a deed is a legal document only you or an attorney are allowed to do such. Our office would be practicing law according to the North Carolina laws which is prohibited if we assisted you in any way.

You would need to do this according to the NC laws; therefore, it is highly recommended that you retain the services of an attorney.

The primary evidence of ownership of land is not so much the deed itself as the recording of the deed. If your deed is misplaced or lost, a copy may be obtained from the Register of Deeds’ Office, certified with our seal which is just as valid as your original.

Again since this is a legal type of a proceeding only you or an attorney are allowed to do such. Our office would be practicing law according to the North Carolina laws which is prohibited if we assisted you in any way. We will however, be glad to show you how to use and where the books and computers are located within the office

In the Register of Deeds office records only refer to land using a legal description including boundary, lot, block and acreage information. To search an address you will need to contact the Tax Mapping Department at (828) 465-8420 or go online and view real estate maps.

Our office can provide a copy of any recorded plat for $2.00. You may also contact the Mapping Department at (828)465-8420 or go online for a GIS map which is not a legal nor binding map.

All of the records maintained by the Register of Deeds are public records except Military Discharges. You may go online and search the real estate index and images. The website will indicate what years are covered at that time. We are in the process of converting our microfilmed images to digital images and hope with each year to take this process, along with indexing, further back. Land records in the office go back to the formation of the county, 1842. Prior to 1842, you would need to go to Lincoln County.

Abbreviations are commonly found in all Real Estate Documents. The North Carolina Association of Register of Deeds publishes a list of approved abbreviation codes for role/status designations, instrument types, and property descriptions. A listing of theses codes can be found by clicking here.

Some information may be obtained by calling our office at (828)465-1573; other information can be obtained by visiting us during business hours.

Click here to see the varies filing fees which reflect from Article 9 of NCGS §25.

Please complete this form and if possible attach a copy of recorded document.

According to NCGS §132-3 the Register of Deeds office has no authority to correct any missing information, error, or misspelling appearing on any original recorded document.

North Carolina law prohibits public inspection of any adoption records, including original birth records; therefore, they have been removed from the Register of Deeds office. You will now need to contact the NC Vital Records at (919) 733-3526 or come by our office for a form you can mail in.

All Birth Certificates are registered in the County and State in which the birth took place and they always remain there regardless of where you live today.

Visit the Register of Deeds office in order to acquire the necessary information needed to complete a Delayed Birth Certificate form or to make a correction on an existing birth certificate. You must provide proof of the birth. The most acceptable proof would be a copy of your elementary school records. A call to our office will help you in gathering all required information needed. The fee is $20.00 for a Delayed Birth Certificate and $35.00 for an Amendment Form. It will take 8-12 weeks to process the request at the State Office in Raleigh. However, you may pay an additional charge of $15.00 to the Office of Vital Records to have this process expedited in a three-week time period.
Note: Only the individual in question can apply for a Delayed Birth Certificate.

There are many different ways to correct this problem. Visit or call our office and explain why or how this happened. We might be able to help, but if not, we will inform you to contact an attorney for further assistance.
Note: Only the individual in question that is 18 years and older, or the parent/guardian of the applicant can amend a birth record.

All deaths are registered in the County and State in which the deceased died.

In North Carolina you can apply for your license in any NC county and ceremony can be performed in another NC county; however, the license will be returned back to where they were issued and always remain on record in said county.

This type of physical examination is no longer required.

Applicants who are not eligible for a Social Security # can obtain a marriage license by signing an Affidavit that is required to be notarized. Notarized documents require you to have a valid state or federal photo ID.
Buttons: English | Spanish

A marriage application is valid as soon as it is issued and remains valid for sixty (60) days from date of issue.

A valid marriage license CANNOT be issued once you have been pronounced by someone authorized by law to do so during your ceremony.

Affadavit (PDF): English | Spanish

The Register of Deeds is pleased to have the ability for citizens to complete their Application For a Marriage License online. The Work Sheet is Adobe Acrobat and will require you to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software version 7.0 or greater installed on your computer in order to fill it out.

Just click here to begin this process. After reading the instructions click on the “Proceed to the application” button at the bottom of the page. Once completed submit the form using the “Click Here to E-Mail This Form to the Register of Deeds’ Office” button at the bottom of the form. If information is received, you will get a notification by email. When both Bride and Groom come in to finalize their license, they will need to bring with them the required documentation and the printed version of the application that was submitted online. There is also a printable version of the Work Sheet for Preparation of Marriage License Form which you can print out and fill in by hand, and then bring to the Register of Deeds Office for processing.

The Justice of the Peace is the Magistrate in North Carolina. You may want to verify fee and schedule an appointment with either office, Newton (828)695-6119 or Hickory (828)327-9093.

It is advisable to see an attorney to initiate the process. Both parties are required to sign and the document must be properly notarized.