Register of Deeds

Welcome to Beaufort County Register of Deeds 

Our Mission...   

To accurately record documents that maintain the integrity of the records of Beaufort County, securely collect the proper fees, and provide an effective means for the public to access those records.

The North Carolina General Statutes mandate the way in which we receive, record and index documents for our county. It is a pleasure to maintain, safeguard, and issue some of the most valuable records a citizen will ever need. Please note that we are a recording office and not legal authorities; therefore, we cannot advise in any legal capacity.

Some common documents recorded by this office are deeds, mortgages/deeds of trusts, powers of attorney, plats, assumed names, and vital records such as births, deaths, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements on personal property, marriages, and military discharges. We also administer notary oaths and maintain a record of all notaries commissioned in Beaufort County.

Online index searches are now available and can be found at http://www.beaufortcountyrod.com/. To access deed records from 1968 to 1994, please click "Historical Real Estate Data 1968-1994". To access map images from 1779 to present, please click http://beaufortconc.mapco.us/. 

We are here to serve you Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We have a recording cut off time of 4:45 p.m. Please feel free to stop by to learn more about your family history and the history of Beaufort County.

It is an honor to serve as your Register of Deeds. If I may be of assistance to you, please contact me at 252-946-2323 or via email at carolyn.garris@beaufortcountync.gov

Best regards,

Carolyn L. Garris, Register of Deeds

Staff Members

Patricia Columbus, Assistant Register

Lisa Mizelle, Deputy Register

Stephanie Oglesby, Deputy Register

Jennifer Taylor, Deputy Register

Records Available 

We also record the following land documents:

• Agreements
• Assignments
• Corporate Documents
• Deeds of Trust
• Easements
• Leases
• Satisfactions
• Subdivision Maps
• And more...

Documents Not Accepted Electronically

The following documents are not being accepted electronically at this time:

• Survey Maps/Plats
• Torrens

Notice Per General Statute 132-1.10(g)

A register of deeds or clerk of court shall immediately and conspicuously post signs throughout his or her offices for public viewing and shall immediately and conspicuously post a notice on any Internet Web site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or clerk of court a notice stating, in substantially similar form, the following: 

(1) Any person preparing or filing a document for recordation or filing in the official records may not include a social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification G.S. 132-1.10 Page 4 (PIN) code or passwords in the document, unless expressly required by law or court order, adopted by the State Registrar on records of vital events, or redacted so that no more than the last four digits of the identification number is included. 

(2) Any person has a right to request a register of deeds or clerk of court to remove, from an image or copy of an official record placed on a register of deeds' or clerk of court's Internet Web site available to the general public or on an Internet Web site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or clerk of court to display public records, any social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords contained in an official record. The request must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission, or delivered in person, to the register of deeds or clerk of court. The request must specify the personal information to be redacted, information that identifies the document that contains the personal information and unique information that identifies the location within the document that contains the social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords to be redacted. No fee will be charged for the redaction pursuant to such a request. Any person who requests a redaction without proper authority to do so shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation. 

DISCLAIMER: By North Carolina law, this office cannot prepare or assist with the preparation of legal documents.(§84-4 and §84-5). We are dedicated to the safekeeping and maintenance of your public records and uphold the General Statutes of North Carolina by which this office is governed by.