Cleveland County Land Deed Records

Cleveland County deed records are stored at the Register of Deeds office in Shelby. The office at 312 E. Marion Street maintains property indexes from 1960 to the present, with verified indexes starting in January 1995. Online tools give you free access to search these records by name, year, book and page, or document type. Cleveland County includes two cities and thirteen towns, and the deed records cover all of them. You can call the office at 704-484-4834 or email betsy.harnage@clevelandcountync.gov for help.

Cleveland County Register of Deeds

The Cleveland County Register of Deeds is at 312 E. Marion Street in Shelby. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The phone number is 704-484-4834, and the fax is 704-484-4909. You can also reach staff at rod.info@clevelandcounty.com.

The office handles recordings for deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, plats, liens, and other land instruments. It also maintains vital records and assumed business name filings. Every document recorded in Cleveland County becomes part of the public record. Uncertified copies cost $0.25 each. Certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $2 per page after that. Uncertified plat copies are $3.50, and certified plats cost $5 each.

The Cleveland County Register of Deeds property records page is shown below.

This page links to the online search system and provides office hours and contact details.

Searching Cleveland County Deed Records

Cleveland County runs a free Land Records Search system through Courthouse Computer Systems. Property indexes run from January 3, 1995 to the present. Plat indexes start from May 16, 1995. Unverified indexes cover January 1, 1960 through December 31, 1994.

The system lets you search by name, year, book and page, or document type. The View Images tab shows deed book pages. For records from 1979 to 1985, you can search by name and year. Older records before 1960 need book and page details. Free public access is available to all users at no charge.

Online results show unofficial copies. For legal or title work, get a certified copy from the Register of Deeds office in Shelby.

Cleveland County Deed Filing Rules

To file a deed in Cleveland County, your document must follow North Carolina format rules. Under G.S. 161-14, the paper must be 8.5 by 11 or 8.5 by 14 inches. A three-inch margin is needed at the top of page one. Other margins need at least half an inch. Text must be black ink on white paper. Font size cannot be smaller than 9 points. All pages must be single-sided.

Fees follow the schedule in G.S. Chapter 161. Standard deeds cost $26 for the first 15 pages. Deeds of trust cost $64 for the first 35 pages. Each extra page adds $4. Nonstandard documents add $25. Satisfaction instruments file for free.

G.S. 47-17.1 also requires every deed to show the drafter's name on the first page. This rule has been in effect since January 1, 1980. The NCARD recording standards page lists all document and indexing rules.

Race to Record in Cleveland County

The Conner Act, G.S. 47-18, makes North Carolina a race to record state. A deed is not valid against later purchasers until it is recorded. In Cleveland County, the first person to file a deed at the Register of Deeds takes priority over later claims to the same land.

The Conner Act and the race to record principle are shown in the image below.

This statute controls priority for all deed recordings in Cleveland County and across the state.

Cleveland County Property Transfer Tax

An excise tax applies to every deed that transfers real property in Cleveland County. Under G.S. 105-228.30, the rate is $1 per $500 of the sale price. The seller pays this tax before the deed is recorded. Timber deeds face the same rate.

Cleveland County has a median home value of $130,700. The property tax rate is 0.7%. Median rent is $798.50. The median household income is $51,549. The Planning Department at 980-484-4975 handles zoning questions.

Cleveland County Deed Record Copies

Getting copies of Cleveland County deed records is simple. Here are the current copy fees:

• Uncertified copies cost $0.25 per page
• Certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $2 for each extra page
• Uncertified plats cost $3.50 each
• Certified plats cost $5 each

The online search system lets you view and print document images for free. These prints are not certified. For title work or court filings, you need a certified copy stamped by the Cleveland County Register of Deeds. The NCARD recording fees page has the full statewide fee schedule.

Cleveland County Electronic Recording

Many North Carolina counties now support electronic recording, or eRecording. This lets attorneys and title companies submit documents to the Register of Deeds office without a trip to the courthouse. The NCARD website lists which counties accept electronic filings. The Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, found in G.S. 47-16.1 through 47-16.7, allows electronic documents and electronic signatures for recording purposes.

Electronic documents must meet the same format and content rules as paper filings. The NC Secretary of State oversees the Electronic Recording Council. This council sets the standards that govern digital submissions across the state. The NCARD directory can tell you whether Cleveland County currently accepts eRecording.

Whether you file on paper or online, the same state recording fees apply. The register stamps each instrument with the day and hour it was received, no matter the method of filing.

Cleveland County Tax Certification

Under G.S. 161-31, counties in North Carolina may require tax certification before recording a deed. If Cleveland County has adopted this rule, the county tax collector must certify that no delinquent property taxes are a lien on the land described in the deed. A closing attorney can bypass this by including a statement on the deed that delinquent taxes will be paid from closing proceeds.

This rule helps make sure that overdue taxes are paid when property changes hands. It protects both the county and the new owner.

Nearby Counties

Deed records for properties near the Cleveland County line may also be filed in these counties.