North Carolina Document Recording Standards

(Effective October 1, 2002)
Documents recorded on or after July 1, 2002, must meet GS 161-14(b) as follows:

1. Be 8 1/2 X 11 or 8 1/2 X 14
2. Have a 3 inch blank margin at top of first page and 1/2 inch blank margin on remaining sides of first page and on all sides of subsequent pages.
3. Black type on white paper.
4. Font size no smaller than 9 points (Blanks in an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an instrument may be made in pen)
5. Only one-sided typed or printed text.
6. Type of instrument at top of first page below blank margin.

If instrument does not meet requirement outlined above, 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 requirement of font size (less than 9 points), but is determined by the Register than the instrument is legible, the Register of Deeds may record without collecting the non-standard fee charge.