Harnett County Recorder Information

Land records in Harnett County are recorded by the Register of Deeds. The office is held by Matthew S. Willis.

Records date back to the county's formation in 1855; fires in 1892 and 1894 destroyed many early records. Records are indexed by name and cannot be searched by address. Staff do not perform title searches. Military discharges are not open to the public.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: G.S. 161-10 Uniform fees of registers of deeds · Register of Deeds · Register of Deeds Real Estate

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

Other charges

Fee schedule effective July 1, 2026.

StatewideFees are uniform throughout the State and are complete and exclusive. A document consisting of multiple instruments is charged an additional $10.00 for each additional instrument; a deed of trust or mortgage containing additional instruments is charged $10.00 for each additional instrument. Certified copies are $5.00 for the first page plus $2.00 for each additional page. Plats are $21.00 per sheet or page. Uncertified copy fees are set by each register of deeds and must be uniform and prominently posted. Fees are collected prior to filing or registration.

Uncertified plat copies from aperture card are $1.00 per page. Highway maps are $21.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page.

Paying the office

Vital record transactions may be paid by cash or card (Visa and Mastercard); real estate transactions by cash or check.

Transfer tax

Excise tax on instruments conveying real property. One dollar ($1.00) on each five hundred dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof of the consideration or value of the interest conveyed. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 105-228.30(a))

StatewideThe excise tax is paid to the register of deeds of the county in which the real estate is located before recording the instrument of conveyance; for a parcel lying in two or more counties, it is paid in the county in which the greater part of the real estate with respect to value lies. The tax applies to timber deeds and contracts for the sale of standing timber. Some counties levy their own land transfer tax under local acts; those are stated on the local office's page.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: G.S. 161-10 Uniform fees of registers of deeds · G.S. 105-228.30 Imposition of excise tax · Register of Deeds · Uniform Fee Schedule, Register of Deeds - Harnett County, NC

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

StatewideThe type of instrument must be stated at the top of the first page. Instruments presented on paper that do not meet the standards are registered after collection of the nonstandard document fee; a register of deeds may waive that fee for print smaller than 9 points if the instrument is legible. The standards do not apply to instruments conforming to G.S. 25-9-521 or certified copies of court-filed documents.

Maps/plats are accepted for recording only in two sizes: 24x36 and 18x24.

Submitting documents

There is no recording cutoff time for walk-in customers, but documents that cannot be keyed in before 5:00 p.m. are recorded the next business day. The e-recording cutoff time is 4:45 p.m. All document types, including maps/plats, are accepted through electronic recording.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: G.S. 161-14 Registration of instruments · Register of Deeds Real Estate · Register of Deeds File My Business Name