Martin County NC Property Records

Martin County property records are managed by the Register of Deeds office in Williamston, North Carolina. The county was formed in 1774 and sits in the eastern Coastal Plain along the Roanoke River. Property records include deeds, deeds of trust, plat maps, liens, and other instruments. The Register of Deeds records and indexes these documents for public access. Whether you need a recent deed or want to trace land ownership back through the centuries, Martin County's records hold the information you are looking for.

Martin County Register of Deeds

The Martin County Register of Deeds office is the official keeper of all recorded land documents in the county. Located at the courthouse in Williamston, this office records deeds, deeds of trust, plat maps, liens, and other instruments. The staff index each document so it can be found by name, book and page, or instrument number.

Martin County was formed in 1774 from Halifax and Tyrrell Counties. The county holds property records from that period forward. Early documents include land grants from the state of North Carolina and colonial-era deeds. Many of these older records have been preserved through the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. The county's agricultural roots mean that many parcels are large tracts of farmland that have been in families for generations. These long ownership chains are documented in the county records.

The NC Association of Register of Deeds lists the Martin County office along with every other county in the state.

Searching Martin County Property Records

Finding property records in Martin County starts with the grantor and grantee indexes. The grantor index lists sellers. The grantee index lists buyers. Both are maintained at the Register of Deeds office in Williamston.

You can search by owner name, recording date, or document type. For older records that may not be digitized, visit the office in person. Staff can pull physical record books and help you locate specific instruments. Certified copies are available for a fee set by N.C.G.S. Chapter 161. The first page costs five dollars, and each additional page is two dollars.

The NC Secretary of State website shown below may be useful when researching property held by business entities in Martin County.

The North Carolina Secretary of State maintains business filings and UCC records that can appear in property title searches.

Martin County Tax Property Records

The Martin County Tax Office handles property assessments and tax collection for all real property in the county. Tax records show the assessed value, tax rate, and payment status for each parcel. You can search by owner name, address, or parcel ID number.

Under N.C.G.S. Chapter 105, North Carolina counties must revalue all real property at least once every eight years. Martin County follows this cycle. Farmland in the county may qualify for present-use value taxation, which assesses the land based on its agricultural use rather than its market value. This program reduces the tax burden on working farms and keeps agricultural land in production. Owners must apply through the tax office to receive this benefit.

Unpaid property taxes become liens on the land. These liens are public record.

Types of Deeds in Martin County

Martin County property records contain several deed types. Each serves a different purpose in transferring real property.

Warranty deeds provide full title protection. The seller guarantees clear ownership through the entire chain. Special warranty deeds cover only the seller's period of ownership. Quitclaim deeds pass along whatever interest the grantor holds with no promises at all. These are common in family matters and estate settlements. Deeds of trust are recorded when a borrower takes out a loan secured by real property. North Carolina uses deeds of trust instead of traditional mortgages.

• General warranty deeds for full title guarantee
• Special warranty deeds for limited coverage
• Quitclaim deeds for no-warranty transfers
• Deeds of trust securing loans against property

All documents must meet the recording standards of N.C.G.S. Chapter 47. Proper notarization, signatures, and formatting are required. The excise tax is one dollar per five hundred dollars of the sale price, paid at the time of recording.

Martin County Title Research

Title research in Martin County traces ownership from the current deed back through the chain of prior transfers. A searcher uses the county indexes to build this chain and checks for liens, easements, and other encumbrances along the way.

The Marketable Title Act simplifies these searches. Under this law, a chain going back 30 years is usually enough to establish clear title. Older claims that were not re-recorded may be extinguished. This protects buyers and lenders in Martin County. For parcels with very long histories, researchers may also check the State Archives for early grants and court records from Halifax and Tyrrell Counties, which were Martin County's parent counties.

A clean chain of title is needed before any sale can close. Title insurance covers the buyer and lender against defects that may not appear in the record. Most closings in Martin County require both a title search and a title insurance policy.

Recording in Martin County

To record a document in Martin County, bring the original signed and notarized instrument to the Register of Deeds office in Williamston. The grantor's name must match the name on the prior deed. A return address must appear on the first page.

Recording fees and the excise tax are due at the time of filing. The Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act allows for electronic submissions in some cases. Check with the Martin County office to see which document types can be filed electronically. Staff can answer questions about formatting and fees before you submit.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Martin County. Verify the property address before searching to make sure you are looking in the right county.