Burlington Deed Records Guide
Burlington deed records are filed and stored at the Alamance County Register of Deeds. Burlington is one of the main cities in Alamance County, which formed from Orange County in 1849. The county office at 118 West Harden Street in Graham holds land records going back to 1793. All Burlington property sales, transfers, and liens are recorded through this office. Whether you need a copy of a deed or want to search the land index, the Alamance County Register of Deeds is your source. The city of Burlington does not maintain its own deed records.
Burlington Deed Records Quick Facts
Burlington Deed Records Overview
Every deed for property in Burlington must be recorded with the Alamance County Register of Deeds. The county is the only entity in North Carolina with the legal power to record land documents. State law gives each county register of deeds full authority over deeds, deeds of trust, plats, and other real estate instruments. The city of Burlington plays no role in this process.
North Carolina follows a "race to record" rule. Under G.S. 47-18, known as the Conner Act, no conveyance of land is valid against a buyer for value until it is registered in the county where the land lies. For Burlington, that means Alamance County. The first party to record a deed at the Alamance County office holds priority over all others.
Burlington deed records include all types of real estate filings. These cover warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgage documents, subdivision plats, and restrictive covenants. The office maintains deed books and plat books that contain the full history of land ownership in the Burlington area.
Searching Burlington Property Records
The Alamance County Register of Deeds offers online land indexes and records for searching Burlington deed records. You can look up deeds by the names of the parties or by book and page number. The office maintains full alphabetical indexes of all registered instruments as required by G.S. 161-22. These indexes list the names of all grantors, grantees, and other parties to each recorded document.
The image below shows the official City of Burlington website, which provides links to county property resources.
The city website at burlingtonnc.gov can help with city services but not deed records.
For deeper research, FamilySearch provides genealogy resources tied to Alamance County. Their full-text search covers historical land records from the Deep Creek, Stony Creek, and Boyds Creek areas. North Carolina Land Grants are also available through the NC Historical Records Online collection.
Burlington Deed Filing Fees
Recording fees for Burlington deed records follow the statewide schedule. The NCARD fee page has the full list. Here are the key costs:
- Standard deed: $26 for the first 15 pages, $4 per added page
- Deed of trust or mortgage: $64 for the first 35 pages, $4 per added page
- Plat: $21 per sheet
- Nonstandard document surcharge: $25
- Satisfaction instruments: no fee
These fees are set by G.S. 161-10 and apply to every county in the state. The Alamance County office collects these fees at the time of recording. Payment is required before the register of deeds will accept and file your Burlington deed.
Burlington Deed Format Rules
All Burlington deed records must meet specific format standards before the county will accept them. Under G.S. 161-14, every document must be on paper that is 8.5 by 11 inches or 8.5 by 14 inches. The top of the first page needs a three-inch blank margin. Other margins must be at least half an inch. Text must use black ink on white paper with a minimum font size of 9 points.
Only one side of each page can have text. The type of document must be stated at the top of the first page. Deeds drafted after January 1, 1980, must show the name of the person who prepared the document. If a deed fails to meet these rules, the office will add a $25 nonstandard document fee on top of the base recording cost.
Burlington Lake Property Deeds
Burlington has a unique connection to deed records through its lake properties. The city maintains fee simple deed coverage for properties at Lake Cammack and Stoney Creek Lake. Lake Cammack properties are legally described in the Alamance County Register of Deeds Plat Book 11, Pages 8 through 15. Stoney Creek Lake properties appear in Plat Book 2, Pages 69 through 72.
These plat book references are essential for anyone buying or selling lake property in the Burlington area. Title searches for these parcels will trace back to these specific plat records. The city engineer, W. Todd Lambert, PE, oversees the city's infrastructure that connects to these properties.
Transfer Tax on Burlington Deeds
An excise tax applies to every Burlington deed that involves a sale. Under G.S. 105-228.30, the rate is $1 for each $500 of the purchase price. The seller pays this tax to the Alamance County Register of Deeds before the deed is recorded. On a $250,000 Burlington home, the excise tax comes to $500.
This image shows the NCARD recording fees schedule that applies to all Burlington deed recordings.
The excise tax also applies to timber deeds and contracts for standing timber. It covers any instrument that conveys an interest in real property within Burlington or anywhere in North Carolina.
Burlington Deed Records History
Alamance County has maintained land records since 1793. The county formed from Orange County in 1849, but older records from the parent county are still accessible. Historical deed records cover the full range of Burlington's growth from a small railroad town to the city it is today. These records show early land grants, farm transfers, and the gradual development of residential and commercial parcels.
The NCARD directory provides contact details for all 100 county Registers of Deeds, including the Alamance County office that handles Burlington deed records. Each listing shows whether the county supports eRecording and property fraud alerts.
Alamance County Deed Records
All Burlington deed records are kept by the Alamance County Register of Deeds at 118 West Harden Street in Graham. The county office is the only place to record, search, or obtain copies of Burlington property documents. Visit the county page for full details on office hours, online search tools, and recording procedures.