In September 2026, the Wake County Register of Deeds recorded 5,969 property sales and 2,910 deeds of trust, the papers that tie a home to its loan. The median sale price that month was $450,0001.
All of that paper goes through one office in downtown Raleigh. Many people search for it as the Wake County recorder of deeds, but in North Carolina the office is called the Register of Deeds.
Here are the questions owners often ask that office, answered from the Register's own pages, state law and local news.
Where is the Wake County Register of Deeds office?
The office is on the first floor of the Wake County Justice Center, 300 South Salisbury Street, Suite 1700, in downtown Raleigh. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 919-856-5460 or email rodinfo@wake.gov5,6.
Park in the county deck at 216 West Cabarrus Street. It serves the Justice Center and the courthouse. Cars enter on Cabarrus or Davie Street, and accessible spaces are on levels P1 to P47.
You may not need the trip. Deeds are free to view online, and lawyers, banks and title companies can record electronically. New notaries can take their oath downtown or at four regional centers: Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Zebulon and Departure Drive in Raleigh4,8,9.
The same office keeps some family records. It issues marriage licenses and copies of birth and death certificates5.
Tax questions go to a different office. Property values and tax bills, the jobs many people expect from an assessor, belong to Wake County Tax Administration at 919-856-540010.
How can I search for deeds in Wake County?
Use the Register's free records site, rodrecords.wake.gov. Tick "I'm not a robot," click "I Accept," and search the Consolidated Real Property Index, the county's index of recorded land papers11,5.
Search by name, and try every spelling. The site warns that its index "is similar to a library card catalogue." It points you to documents, so open the deed itself before you rely on what the list shows11.
Skip the old search address. Google still lists the Register's former site, rodcrpi.wakegov.com. When we tried it on October 25, 2026, it showed only a "Service Unavailable" message.
Can I search Wake County property records by address?
Yes, on the county's tax site. The Register's own FAQ sends address questions to Wake's Real Estate Search, which finds a property by owner, street address or parcel number12,10.
Open the property's account page and look for "Book & Page" under Transfer Information. That pair of numbers shows where the latest deed sits in the Register's books, which helps you spot the right document.
How do I get a copy of my property deed in NC?
Ask the Register of Deeds in the county where the property sits, since deeds are recorded there13. In Wake County, every deed from 1785 to today is free to view online4.
Order a certified copy only if someone asks for an official one. It costs $5 for the first page and $2 for each added page. The Register's online request form handles both certified and plain copies4.
Don't pay a company for your deed records. North Carolina's Department of Justice warns about official-looking "Recorded Deed Notice" mailings that offer a property profile for $86. In its words, "You do not need to pay a separate company to get these official documents"14.
How much does it cost to record a deed in NC?
Recording a deed costs $26 for the first 15 pages and $4 for each page after that, in every North Carolina county. State law sets one fee list for every Register of Deeds and allows no other fees15.
The seller also pays excise tax: $1 for every $500 of the price. On a home that sells for Wake's September median of $450,000, that comes to $90016,1.
Here are Wake's fees for common filings and copies17.
| Filing or copy | Wake County fee | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Deed, power of attorney or other paper | $26 for up to 15 pages, then $4 a page | Same fee in every North Carolina county |
| Deed of trust (home loan) | $64 for up to 35 pages, then $4 a page | Mortgages use the same fee |
| Satisfaction of a deed of trust | Free | Shows a home loan was paid off |
| Certified copy of a deed | $5 for the first page, then $2 a page | Viewing deeds online is free |
| Paper that misses the page rules | $25 on top of the normal fee | For example, the wrong paper size or no 3-inch blank top margin |
| Notary oath | $10 | Paid when a new notary is sworn in |
Source: Wake County Register of Deeds, Recording and Document Fees, checked October 25, 2026.
How long does it take for the deed to be recorded?
Once a deed meets the recording rules, the Register must record it right away, normally the same day it arrives. State law has the Register stamp each paper with the day and hour it came in and record papers in that exact order18.
Lawyers, banks and title companies can record electronically. Wake takes every document type through four approved e-recording companies: Simplifile, CSC, ePN and Indecomm8.
Fast recording has a downside. The Register checks that a paper meets the recording rules, not that the signature is real. State law says it need not check "the legal sufficiency of any document presented for registration"19.
Who can notarize a document in North Carolina?
A notary public can, and so can North Carolina's judges, magistrates and court clerks20. They take the acknowledgment on a deed: the signer's formal statement that the signature is theirs. State law requires this step, or a witness's sworn proof, before a deed is recorded21.
Wake's notaries are sworn in by the Register. A new notary must take the oath within 45 days of being commissioned and pay $10. The name on the notary's photo ID must match the commission22,17,9.
The Register can't vouch for the notary on your deed. In 2024 it said it has no "database of commissioned North Carolina notaries to check against" when papers come in3.
Does NC allow remote online notarization?
Not the full kind yet. North Carolina passed a remote electronic notarization law in 2022. The Secretary of State's page still listed its approved technology providers as "Coming Soon" when we checked on October 25, 202623.
A temporary video option runs until July 1, 2027. With "emergency video notarization," a notary in North Carolina watches you sign over live video. You must be in North Carolina, name your county and, unless the notary knows you, show a current government photo ID24.
The option ends sooner if the state issues its first remote notarization license. It also doesn't change the Register's rules on original paper documents, so call the Register before you send in a deed signed this way24.
How do I get notified about house stealing in Wake County?
Sign up for the Register's free Fraud Alert. It emails you when a document is recorded under a name you watch5. The Register's how-to guide calls sign-up "a 2-step process": make an account, then add names25.
- Open rodrecords.wake.gov, click the "Fraud Notify" box, then click Continue.
- Create an account. Pick a user ID that is not an email address, such as JohnDoe123.
- Confirm your email with the link from RODinfo@wake.gov. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive.
- Go back to the Fraud Alert page. Tick "I'm not a robot," click "I Accept," then click Fraud Alert, log in and click Continue.
- Add each name under Add Recording Notifications, last name first with no commas, such as "DOE JOHN." Click Add Alert after each one.
- Click Save. The guide says you must click Save "to begin receiving fraud alerts."
Alerts come by email at the end of each business day after a matching document is recorded25. An alert only tells you to look. Open the document and check whether it is about your home.
"It's an alert. It's not a stopgap."
An alert only works if your name is on the paper. In 2024, the Register said its alert never fired in the Adams case below. His name was not on the fake deed as the drafter, the grantor (the one giving the property) or the grantee (the one receiving it)3.
What should I do if I suspect deed fraud in Wake County?
Call the Register, then the police, then a lawyer. The Register can't undo a recording on its own. In 2024 it said it has no power to remove a document "without a court order"3.
- Find the document on the Register's records site and write down its book and page.
- Call the Register at 919-856-5460. Brunner's advice after an alert is to call "the next day"27.
- Report it to your town's police or the Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-690030.
- See a real estate lawyer about a quiet title action, the lawsuit that asks a judge to settle who owns the land31. If your income is low, Legal Aid of North Carolina gives free help in civil cases. Apply on its website, or by phone from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays32.
- File reports with the state's consumer line, 1-877-5-NO-SCAM, and with the FBI at ic3.gov14,33.
Some scams never reach the Register. In December 2024, impostors put 20 acres of family land on Olive Chapel Road in Apex up for sale. The listing drew five offers in 24 hours, and a neighbor's call tipped off the owner, Bob Kelly34.
A listing is not a recorded document, so a name alert would not have caught it. Kelly now checks county tax records at least once a month. Read more about seller impersonation fraud.
Frequently asked questions
Is property fraud alert real?
Yes. Wake County's Fraud Alert is a real, free service of the Register of Deeds, and the FBI tells owners to look for county alerts like it5,33.
Sign up only on the Register's own records site, and never pay anyone to enroll you. Many other counties run free alerts too, listed on our county alert map.
Can you look up house deeds in NC?
What does a property deed look like in North Carolina?
A standard Wake deed's first page has a 3-inch blank margin at the top and states the type of document, such as a warranty deed, in the center17. It names the grantor and the grantee, plus the new owner's mailing address, which Wake requires35. It ends with the signature and an acknowledgment signed by a notary or other official21.
How common is deed fraud?
It is rare for any one home, but it does happen. The FBI counted at least 12,368 victims of real estate fraud in 2025, who lost more than $275 million, though that count covers far more than fake deeds36.
Raleigh TV stations reported at least four Wake cases from 2022 to 2024: one forged deed and three pieces of land put up for sale by impostors3,37,38,34. Our deed theft guide explains how these schemes work.
Set up your Wake Fraud Alert first
It's free and run by the Register. Add every owner and any trust, then click Save. After that, decide whether a notice on your title is worth it to you as well.
Open the Register's records siteSee how Still My Home worksFees, links, phone numbers and office hours on this page were checked on October 25, 2026.
Sources
- Wake County's median real estate price increased by $10,000 in September 2026, ending the month at $450,000, Wake County Register of Deeds news release, October 6, 2026
- Register of Deeds History, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Complete stranger obtains deed to $4M Raleigh home without homeowner's knowledge, ABC11 Troubleshooter, September 11, 2024 (includes the Register's written statement)
- Real Estate Document Request, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Register of Deeds (home page, Fraud Alert tile and office contact), Wake County, checked October 25, 2026
- Office Hours and Location, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Wake County Parking Deck, Wake County General Services Administration, checked October 25, 2026
- Electronic Recording Requirements, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Notary Public Oaths, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Wake County Real Estate Search and its property account pages, Wake County Department of Tax Administration, checked October 25, 2026
- Records search disclaimer page, Wake County Register of Deeds records site, checked October 25, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-18, conveyances of land, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- Consumer Alert: Avoid paying unnecessary fees for official property documents, North Carolina Department of Justice (page undated), checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 161-10, uniform fees of registers of deeds, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-228.30, excise tax on conveyances, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- Recording and Document Fees, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 161-14, registration of instruments, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-14, what the register of deeds need not verify, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-1, officials who may take acknowledgments, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-17, deeds acknowledged before registration, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 10B-10, notary commission and oath, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- Remote Electronic Notarization and the Notary division page, North Carolina Secretary of State, checked October 25, 2026 (site alert on House Bill 517, signed July 7, 2026)
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 10B-25, emergency video notarization, as extended by Session Law 2026-52 (House Bill 517), North Carolina General Assembly, signed July 7, 2026
- How To Sign Up for Recording Notification Alerts (Fraud Alert How-To, PDF), Wake County Register of Deeds, April 2025
- New land recording and fraud alert systems launch at Wake County Register of Deeds, Mary Smith, CBS17 (WNCN), April 21, 2025
- Fraud alert system to launch in Wake County, here's how to sign up: 'It's not a stopgap', ABC11, April 17, 2025
- Judge rules deed filed by stranger on $4M Raleigh home as fraud, ABC11 Troubleshooter, January 9, 2025
- NC woman accused of deed forgery on man's $4M home jailed after no show in court, ABC11, May 26, 2026
- Sheriff's Office, Wake County, checked October 25, 2026
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 41-10, actions to quiet title, North Carolina General Assembly, checked October 25, 2026
- Get Help, Legal Aid of North Carolina, checked October 25, 2026
- Protect Your Property from Illegal Sales Through Parcel Owner Impersonation, FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, Alert I-061626-PSA, June 16, 2026
- Vacant land scam: Couple's property in Apex listed for sale despite them not wanting to sell it, ABC11 Troubleshooter, December 5, 2024
- Why Data is Available Online, Wake County Register of Deeds, checked October 25, 2026
- Online real estate fraud climbed to $275M in 2025, FBI says, National Association of Realtors, April 13, 2026
- Six-figure scam attempt: Raleigh man's land nearly sold online by impersonator, WRAL, December 28, 2022
- Wake County homeowner's property sold and then listed for sale without her approval, ABC11 Troubleshooter, April 14, 2023
