Wilkes County Deed Records Access

Wilkes County deed records are the official record of real estate ownership in this foothills county of North Carolina. The Register of Deeds office in Wilkesboro manages these documents and keeps them open to public view. Title researchers, homebuyers, and attorneys depend on Wilkes County deed records to confirm who owns a property before any transfer takes place. The office records deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, plats, and UCC filings. Historical records date back to 1778. Online search covers 1990 to the present. This guide shows how to access Wilkes County deed records.

Wilkes County Register of Deeds

Michael W. Johnson serves as the Wilkes County Register of Deeds. The office is at 500 Courthouse Dr, Wilkesboro, NC 28697. Call 336-651-7351 for help. You can email mjohnson@wilkescounty.net with questions about Wilkes County deed records or other services.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The office closes on state holidays. Staff assist with record searches, copy requests, and new filings. The Wilkes County Register of Deeds website has current contact details and links to resources.

The office records deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, plats, and UCC filings. Vital records from 1913 and marriage records from 1778 are also maintained. Wilkes County supports eRecording for online document submission.

Search Wilkes County Deed Records

Wilkes County provides online access to deed records from 1990 to the present. The Wilkes County online records portal lets you search by name, date, book and page, or document type. The search is free and open to the public. Document images are available for most filings.

The image below shows the Wilkes County property records search system.

Online results are for reference only. Certified copies come from the office in Wilkesboro. For records before 1990, visit in person or call ahead. Staff can search the older index books that go back to 1778.

Types of Wilkes County Records

The Wilkes County Register of Deeds handles many kinds of instruments. Warranty deeds transfer full ownership with a guarantee of clear title. Quitclaim deeds pass whatever interest the grantor has. Deeds of trust tie a loan to a piece of real property as security.

Plats show the layout and boundaries of subdivided land. Powers of attorney, cancellations, and assumed name certificates are also on file. UCC financing statements related to real property go through this office. Each filing gets indexed by the names of all parties. You can search by grantor, grantee, or both.

Under G.S. 161-22, the register must keep full alphabetical indexes. These indexes cover all liens, grants, deeds, mortgages, bonds, and other recorded instruments.

Wilkes County Recording Fees

Wilkes County follows the state fee schedule set by G.S. 161-10. Most instruments cost $26 for the first 15 pages and $4 per page after that. Deeds of trust and mortgages are $64 for the first 35 pages, then $4 per additional page. Plats cost $21 per sheet.

Nonstandard documents carry a $25 surcharge. A document is nonstandard if it fails to meet the rules in G.S. 161-14. Satisfaction instruments have no fee. Multiple instruments filed as one cost $10 each. See the NCARD fee schedule for a complete list.

The excise tax on property conveyances is $1 per $500 of the sale price under G.S. 105-228.30. The seller must pay this to the Register of Deeds before the deed is recorded.

Filing Deeds in Wilkes County

To record a deed, the grantor must sign it. A notary public must acknowledge the signature under G.S. 47-14. The document needs to meet formatting standards in G.S. 161-14. Use 8.5 by 11 or 8.5 by 14 inch paper. Leave a 3-inch blank margin at the top of the first page. All other margins need half an inch or more.

Use black ink on white paper. Font size must be at least 9 points. Print on one side of each page. Name the instrument type at the top. Deeds made after January 1, 1980, must show the drafter's name on the first page per G.S. 47-17.1.

Bring the deed to 500 Courthouse Dr in Wilkesboro. Pay the recording fee and excise tax. The register stamps the document with the date and time of filing. Under G.S. 47-18, the first to record gains priority. File as soon as the sale closes to protect your claim.

Wilkes County eRecording

Wilkes County supports electronic recording. This allows attorneys and title firms to file documents without visiting the office in person. The Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act in G.S. 47-16.1 through 47-16.7 governs the process statewide.

Electronic signatures are legally equal to handwritten ones. All electronic documents must meet the same format standards as paper filings. The Secretary of State sets rules for eRecording across North Carolina. The NCARD directory tracks which counties accept electronic filings.

Wilkes County Historical Deed Records

Wilkes County holds land records from 1778. Marriage records begin the same year. Vital records start in 1913. These older documents serve genealogy researchers, title examiners, and historians.

The image below shows the Conner Act statute that governs deed priority across North Carolina.

The Conner Act ensures that the first person to record a deed holds priority over later filers. This rule has been central to North Carolina real estate law for over a century. The NCARD website offers more details on how all 100 county offices handle recordings.

Under G.S. 147-54.3, the Secretary of State runs a land records management program. This program helps local offices maintain sound practices. It sets minimum standards for uniform indexing and recording. Wilkes County benefits from this support, which keeps its records consistent with the other 99 counties in the state. If your title search crosses county lines, these uniform practices make the process much easier.

Nearby Counties

Land near the Wilkes County line may also be recorded in one of these neighboring counties.