(a) After the register of deeds has determined that allstatutory and locally adopted prerequisites for recording have been met, theregister of deeds shall immediately register all written instruments presentedto him for registration. When an instrument is presented for registration, theregister of deeds shall endorse upon it the day and hour on which it waspresented. This endorsement forms a part of the registration of the instrument.All instruments shall be registered in the precise order in which they werepresented for registration. Immediately after endorsing the day and hour ofpresentation upon an instrument, the register of deeds shall index and cross‑indexit in its proper sequence. The register of deeds shall then proceed to registerit on the day that it is presented unless a temporary index has beenestablished.
The register of deeds may establish a temporary index in which allinstruments presented for registration shall be indexed until they are registeredand entered in the permanent indexes. A temporary index shall operate in allrespects as the permanent index. All instruments presented for registrationshall be registered and indexed and cross‑indexed on the permanentindexes not later than 30 days after the date of presentation.
(b) All instruments, except instruments conforming to theprovisions of G.S. 25‑9‑521, presented for registration on papershall meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Be eight and one‑half inches by eleven inches or eightand one‑half inches by fourteen inches.
(2) Have a blank margin of three inches at the top of the firstpage and blank margins of one‑half inches on the remaining sides of thefirst page and on all sides of subsequent pages.
(3) Be typed or printed in black on white paper in a legiblefont. A font size no smaller than 10 points shall be considered legible. Blanksin an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an instrument maybe made in pen.
(4) Have text typed or printed on one side of a page only.
(5) State the type of instrument at the top of the first page.
If an instrument does not meet these requirements, the register ofdeeds shall register the instrument after collecting the fee for nonstandarddocuments as required by G.S. 161‑10(a)(19) in addition to all otherapplicable recording fees. However, if an instrument fails to meet therequirements because it contains print in a font size smaller than 10 points,the register of deeds may register the instrument without collecting the feefor nonstandard documents if, in the discretion of the register of deeds, theinstrument is legible.
(c) Transportation corridor official maps authorized underArticle 2E of Chapter 136 shall be registered and indexed by the end of thethird business day after the business day the map is presented to the registerof deeds.
(d) For the purposes of this section, the term"instrument" means all of the following for which a fee is collectedunder G.S. 161‑10(a):
(1) Instruments in General.
(2) Deeds of Trust, Mortgages, and Cancellation of Deeds ofTrust and Mortgages.
(3) Uniform Commercial Code filings.
(4) Torrens Registrations.
(5) Master Forms. (R.C., c. 37, s.23; 1868, c. 35, s. 9; Code, s. 3654; Rev., s. 2658; C.S., s. 3553; 1921, c.114; 1971, c. 657; 1998‑184, s. 5; 2001‑390, s. 5; 2001‑464,ss. 2, 3; 2002‑159, s. 53.)
(a) After the register of deeds has determined that allstatutory and locally adopted prerequisites for recording have been met, theregister of deeds shall immediately register all written instruments presentedto him for registration. When an instrument is presented for registration, theregister of deeds shall endorse upon it the day and hour on which it waspresented. This endorsement forms a part of the registration of the instrument.All instruments shall be registered in the precise order in which they werepresented for registration. Immediately after endorsing the day and hour ofpresentation upon an instrument, the register of deeds shall index and cross‑indexit in its proper sequence. The register of deeds shall then proceed to registerit on the day that it is presented unless a temporary index has beenestablished.
The register of deeds may establish a temporary index in which allinstruments presented for registration shall be indexed until they are registeredand entered in the permanent indexes. A temporary index shall operate in allrespects as the permanent index. All instruments presented for registrationshall be registered and indexed and cross‑indexed on the permanentindexes not later than 30 days after the date of presentation.
(b) All instruments, except instruments conforming to theprovisions of G.S. 25‑9‑521, presented for registration on papershall meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Be eight and one‑half inches by eleven inches or eightand one‑half inches by fourteen inches.
(2) Have a blank margin of three inches at the top of the firstpage and blank margins of one‑half inches on the remaining sides of thefirst page and on all sides of subsequent pages.
(3) Be typed or printed in black on white paper in a legiblefont. A font size no smaller than 10 points shall be considered legible. Blanksin an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an instrument maybe made in pen.
(4) Have text typed or printed on one side of a page only.
(5) State the type of instrument at the top of the first page.
If an instrument does not meet these requirements, the register ofdeeds shall register the instrument after collecting the fee for nonstandarddocuments as required by G.S. 161‑10(a)(19) in addition to all otherapplicable recording fees. However, if an instrument fails to meet therequirements because it contains print in a font size smaller than 10 points,the register of deeds may register the instrument without collecting the feefor nonstandard documents if, in the discretion of the register of deeds, theinstrument is legible.
(c) Transportation corridor official maps authorized underArticle 2E of Chapter 136 shall be registered and indexed by the end of thethird business day after the business day the map is presented to the registerof deeds.
(d) For the purposes of this section, the term"instrument" means all of the following for which a fee is collectedunder G.S. 161‑10(a):
(1) Instruments in General.
(2) Deeds of Trust, Mortgages, and Cancellation of Deeds ofTrust and Mortgages.
(3) Uniform Commercial Code filings.
(4) Torrens Registrations.
(5) Master Forms. (R.C., c. 37, s.23; 1868, c. 35, s. 9; Code, s. 3654; Rev., s. 2658; C.S., s. 3553; 1921, c.114; 1971, c. 657; 1998‑184, s. 5; 2001‑390, s. 5; 2001‑464,ss. 2, 3; 2002‑159, s. 53.)
(a) After the register of deeds has determined that allstatutory and locally adopted prerequisites for recording have been met, theregister of deeds shall immediately register all written instruments presentedto him for registration. When an instrument is presented for registration, theregister of deeds shall endorse upon it the day and hour on which it waspresented. This endorsement forms a part of the registration of the instrument.All instruments shall be registered in the precise order in which they werepresented for registration. Immediately after endorsing the day and hour ofpresentation upon an instrument, the register of deeds shall index and cross‑indexit in its proper sequence. The register of deeds shall then proceed to registerit on the day that it is presented unless a temporary index has beenestablished.
The register of deeds may establish a temporary index in which allinstruments presented for registration shall be indexed until they are registeredand entered in the permanent indexes. A temporary index shall operate in allrespects as the permanent index. All instruments presented for registrationshall be registered and indexed and cross‑indexed on the permanentindexes not later than 30 days after the date of presentation.
(b) All instruments, except instruments conforming to theprovisions of G.S. 25‑9‑521, presented for registration on papershall meet all of the following requirements:
(1) Be eight and one‑half inches by eleven inches or eightand one‑half inches by fourteen inches.
(2) Have a blank margin of three inches at the top of the firstpage and blank margins of one‑half inches on the remaining sides of thefirst page and on all sides of subsequent pages.
(3) Be typed or printed in black on white paper in a legiblefont. A font size no smaller than 10 points shall be considered legible. Blanksin an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an instrument maybe made in pen.
(4) Have text typed or printed on one side of a page only.
(5) State the type of instrument at the top of the first page.
If an instrument does not meet these requirements, the register ofdeeds shall register the instrument after collecting the fee for nonstandarddocuments as required by G.S. 161‑10(a)(19) in addition to all otherapplicable recording fees. However, if an instrument fails to meet therequirements because it contains print in a font size smaller than 10 points,the register of deeds may register the instrument without collecting the feefor nonstandard documents if, in the discretion of the register of deeds, theinstrument is legible.
(c) Transportation corridor official maps authorized underArticle 2E of Chapter 136 shall be registered and indexed by the end of thethird business day after the business day the map is presented to the registerof deeds.
(d) For the purposes of this section, the term"instrument" means all of the following for which a fee is collectedunder G.S. 161‑10(a):
(1) Instruments in General.
(2) Deeds of Trust, Mortgages, and Cancellation of Deeds ofTrust and Mortgages.
(3) Uniform Commercial Code filings.
(4) Torrens Registrations.
(5) Master Forms. (R.C., c. 37, s.23; 1868, c. 35, s. 9; Code, s. 3654; Rev., s. 2658; C.S., s. 3553; 1921, c.114; 1971, c. 657; 1998‑184, s. 5; 2001‑390, s. 5; 2001‑464,ss. 2, 3; 2002‑159, s. 53.)
