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.