Document Standards

Documents, also known as "instruments," recorded on or after July 1, 2002, must meet GS 161-14 (b) as follows:

• Be 8½ x 11 or 8½ x 14.
• Have at least a 3 inch blank margin at top of first page
• Have at least a 1/4 inch blank margin on sides and bottom of first page
• Have at least a 1/4 inch blank margin on all sides of subsequent pages.
• Black type on white paper.
• 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.)
• Only one-sided typed or printed text.
• Type of instrument at top of first page below blank margin.

Here is a template that ensures compliance to the above standards.

If instrument does not meet requirement outlined above, Registrar 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 Registrar to be legible, the Registrar of Deeds may record without collecting the non-standard fee charge.