In 2007, Guilford County's Register of Deeds called a new Greensboro resident. Why had he paid a company $59.50 for his deed? The courthouse sold it for about $7 to $9, the Greensboro News & Record reported1.
County prices are still low. Here is how to get your deed for little or nothing, and how to spot an overpriced offer.
How do you get a copy from the Guilford County Register of Deeds?
You have three ways: the free online search, a visit to the Greensboro or High Point office, or a request by mail. Prices run from free to a few dollars2.
A deed is the signed paper that moves a home's title, or legal ownership, from one owner to the next. The Register of Deeds is the county office that records deeds and keeps them for the public.
In North Carolina, the recorder of deeds is called the Register of Deeds. Guilford's office handles about 110,000 land record documents a year3.
| Way | Cost for 3 pages | When you get it | Certified? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online search | Free to view, save and print | Right away | No |
| Greensboro or High Point counter | 15 cents plain, $9 certified | In person, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Your choice |
| Request form by mail | $3 plain, $9 certified | After your form and check arrive. No turnaround time is posted | Your choice |
A certified copy is stamped with the Register's seal4. It is the county's word that the copy matches its record.
A plain copy is fine for your own files. If a court or agency wants one, ask which kind.
North Carolina law sets the certified price for every county: $5 for the first page and $2 for each extra page. The same law lets each register set its own price for plain copies5.
How do you do a Guilford County deed search online for free?
Use the Register's Real Estate Look Up page. Search your name, then open the deed as a PDF. The search reaches back to the county's first land record, filed in 17713.
On the deed list, the grantor is the person who gives the property. The grantee is the person who receives it.
- Open the Register of Deeds online search and accept the disclaimer.
- Type your last name and first name. Pick "Grantee" to find the deed that gave you the home.
- Tick your name on the list, then click Display Detail Listing.
- Click "PDF" next to your deed. Save it or print it.
On October 25, 2026, the PDF opened for us with no login or fee6.
Only know the address? Look up your home in the Tax Department's Property Search. Under "Transfer Information," your home's page lists the deed book and page, the numbers that show where the deed is filed7.
Enter them in the Book-Page search, with the book type set to Real Estate. It also finds deeds older than Book 3192, which the name search skips. Those open in a pop-up window6.
How do you get a deed copy at the Greensboro or High Point office?
Visit either office on a weekday and ask for a plain or certified copy. Plain copies cost 5 cents a page at the counter2.
- Pick an office. In Greensboro, real estate records are on the second floor of 201 West Market Street. In High Point, go to 325 East Russell Avenue, Room 1558.
- Go Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except county holidays. Both offices share one phone number, 336-641-7556, and one email, guilforddeeds@guilfordcountync.gov3,8.
- Bring the book and page from the online search, or the owner's name and the address.
- Pay with cash, check, money order or card. Cards carry a convenience fee3.
How do you order a Guilford County deed copy by mail?
Send the county's one-page request form with a check or money order. By mail, plain copies cost $1 a page. Certified copies cost the same as at the counter4.
- Count the pages in the online search first, so you pay the right amount.
- Print the Real Estate Document Request Form.
- Fill in the address, town, owners, deed date, book and page if known, your phone and your mailing address.
- Write how many certified copies or photocopies you want.
- Mail it with a check or money order made out to Guilford County Register of Deeds, PO Box 3427, Greensboro, NC 274024.
Should you pay a company that offers to get your deed for you?
You don't need to. The Register of Deeds sells the same record for a few dollars, and you can view it free online.
Companies asked $59.50 and $83 for a deed. Guilford charges $9 for a 3-page certified copy
What a 3-page deed costs from the Guilford County Register of Deeds today, and what two companies charged North Carolina owners
Show the numbers
| From the Register of Deeds, 2026, Online search | Free |
|---|---|
| From the Register of Deeds, 2026, Plain copy at the counter | 15 cents |
| From the Register of Deeds, 2026, Plain copy by mail | $3 |
| From the Register of Deeds, 2026, Certified copy | $9 |
| From companies, Paid by a Greensboro resident, 2007 | $59.50 |
| From companies, Letter Lincoln County warned about | $83 |
Sources: Guilford County Register of Deeds fees2 and request form4, checked October 25, 2026; Greensboro News & Record1; Lincoln County Register of Deeds9.
What if your Guilford County record shows something you didn't sign?
Report it to the Guilford County Sheriff's Office or your city police, and to the district attorney. Then talk to a real estate lawyer.10
Register Jeff Thigpen has said his office "cannot fix fraudulent deeds and cannot take them off the public record"17. The office also doesn't check whether a recorded document is genuine10. Forging a deed is a Class H felony in North Carolina11.
The county has seen reports of forged and false deeds, but we found no count on its site10. Nationwide, the FBI logged at least 12,368 victims of real estate fraud of every kind in 202512.
In August 2023, a state court granted North Carolina a preliminary injunction (a temporary court order) against MV Realty. The state also passed a law against unfair real estate service agreements13.
Found a Guilford deed you never signed? Our fraudulent deed guide covers next steps, such as a quiet title action, a court case to clear your title. Our deed theft guide explains how these schemes happen.
Can the Register of Deeds warn you about new filings for free?
Yes. Guilford's free Property Fraud Alert emails you when a document is recorded under a name you list. Add a phone number and it can text you too14,15,17.
To sign up:
- Open the Register's Property Fraud Alert page and click the sign-up link.
- Accept the disclaimer and choose Personal or Business.
- Enter the name and one email address, then click Submit Name.
- Repeat for each version of your name, such as "John Q" or "Williams Jr"15.
What the alert does
- Watches every name you enter, for free
- Covers "Any/All recording changes," says its FAQ
What it can't do
- Warn you before a document is recorded
- Catch a spelling you didn't enter
- Remove a fake document from the record
The county puts it plainly: the alert "does not prevent a document from being recorded"14.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a copy of my property deed in NC?
Ask the register of deeds in the county where the property is. Certified copies cost $5 for the first page and $2 for each extra page in every North Carolina county. Each county sets its own price for plain copies.
Can you look up house deeds in NC?
Yes. In Guilford County, search by owner name or by book and page, then open the deed as a PDF for free. A North Carolina register notes you "can usually locate your deed online and print it for free."
Is recorded deed notice legit?
These letters offer to sell you a copy of your deed. One North Carolina register called such a letter a scam. Your Register of Deeds sells the same record for a few dollars.
Where is the register of deeds in Greensboro, NC?
It's at 201 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27401, with real estate records on the second floor. It's open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the phone number is 336-641-7556.
How can I find property records in Greensboro, NC?
Greensboro is in Guilford County, where the Tax Department does the assessor's job of valuing homes. Its Property Search shows the owner, the appraised value and the deed book and page. The Register of Deeds search shows the deed itself.
Open your deed on the county's free search
Check your name on your latest deed, then turn on the free alert.
Search Guilford County deedsSee how Still My Home worksOwn property outside Guilford too? Check our state-by-state map of free county fraud alerts or our step-by-step guide to finding a deed.
Fees, addresses, hours, phone numbers and links were checked on October 25, 2026.
Sources
- State may probe high-priced deeds, Amy Dominello and Jonathan D. Jones, Greensboro News & Record, reposted by Chris Fitzsimon, NC Newsline (NC Policy Watch), June 8, 2007
- Fees, Guilford County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- About Us, Guilford County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Real Estate Document Request Form (PDF), Guilford County Register of Deeds, file dated August 9, 2026, checked October 25, 2026
- G.S. 161-10, Uniform fees of registers of deeds, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- Real Estate Look Up (online records search), Guilford County Register of Deeds, used October 25, 2026
- Property Search, Guilford County Tax Department, used October 25, 2026
- Register of Deeds (contact information), Guilford County, checked October 25, 2026
- Press release on "Deed Processing Notice" letters (PDF), Danny R. Hester, Lincoln County Register of Deeds, file dated July 10, 2014
- Deed Fraud Information and Resources, Guilford County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- G.S. 14-122, Forgery of deeds, wills and certain other instruments, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- Online real estate fraud climbed to $275M in 2025, FBI says, National Association of Realtors, April 13, 2026
- Updates on MV Realty in North Carolina (PDF), Guilford County Register of Deeds, September 5, 2023
- Property Fraud Alert, Guilford County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Fraud Alert System sign-up and FAQ, run for the Register of Deeds by i3 Verticals, checked October 25, 2026
- Guilford County official warns homeowners of possible real estate scam, Grace Holland, WFMY News 2, December 28, 2022
- Protect your property: How to sign up for a free Property Fraud Alert, WFMY News 2, March 8, 2024
