North Carolina birth, death, marriage and divorce records: where to look
North Carolina holds birth records from 1913, deaths from 1930, marriages from 1962 and divorces from 1958. For genealogy the state says to start at the county Register of Deeds or the State Archives, because its search fee is $24 for each three-year period searched.
At a glance
| Record | Years at the state | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1913 to the present. Before 1913: the county Register of Deeds only. [2] | $24 standard search fee per three-year period (includes one copy); additional copies $15 each; VitalChek adds $13.95. [3] |
| Death | 1930 to the present. For deaths before 1930: the North Carolina State Archives (a few delayed records go back to 1909). [2] | Same $24 search and $15 additional copy. [3] |
| Marriage | 1962 to the present. Earlier: county Register of Deeds. [2] | Same $24 search fee. [3] |
| Divorce | 1958 to the present. Earlier: county Clerk of Court. [2] | Same $24 search fee. [3] |
Superscript numbers point to the official page each fact came from, listed at the bottom of this page.
Birth records
- Where it is kept
- NC Vital Records, or the Register of Deeds in the county where the birth occurred. [2][5]
- Years covered
- 1913 to the present. Before 1913: the county Register of Deeds only. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Certified copies: yourself, spouse, sibling, direct ancestor, direct descendant, stepparent or stepchild, a person with a legal need, or their authorized agent or attorney. Uncertified copies are available to anyone unless legal restrictions apply. [5]
- Fee
- $24 standard search fee per three-year period (includes one copy); additional copies $15 each; VitalChek adds $13.95. [3]
- Processing time
- 10 business days (1913 to present), from when the request is keyed in. [4]
Death records
- Where it is kept
- NC Vital Records, or the county Register of Deeds. [2][5]
- Years covered
- 1930 to the present. For deaths before 1930: the North Carolina State Archives (a few delayed records go back to 1909). [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Same eligibility as birth. [5]
- Fee
- Same $24 search and $15 additional copy. [3]
- Processing time
- 2 business days for deaths 2022 on; 11 business days for 1930 to 2021. [4]
Marriage records
- Where it is kept
- NC Vital Records, or the Register of Deeds in the county where the license was issued. [2][6]
- Years covered
- 1962 to the present. Earlier: county Register of Deeds. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Same $24 search fee. [3]
- Processing time
- About 9 months at the state. [4]
Divorce records
- Where it is kept
- NC Vital Records, or the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was filed. [2][7]
- Years covered
- 1958 to the present. Earlier: county Clerk of Court. [2]
- Who can get a certified copy
- Not confirmed on the official pages we read.
- Fee
- Same $24 search fee. [3]
- Processing time
- About 9 months at the state. [4]
Genealogy
NC Vital Records says it should not be your first choice for genealogical research, because it needs specific information before a search can begin and charges $24 for each three-year period searched whether or not the record is found. Start with the Register of Deeds in the county where the event happened, the North Carolina State Archives, or the North Carolina State Library. The State Archives says over 99,000 items are available through its digital collections. [2][8]
About ordering online
NC Vital Records says VitalChek is the only authorized vendor for remote orders of state-issued certified birth certificates. VitalChek charges $13.95 on top of the state fee. Mail and in-person (by appointment) orders skip it. [3]
Archives and other places to look
- The North Carolina State Archives offers digital collections and online finding aids and indexes. The page we read does not name vital-record indexes specifically. [8] NC State Archives: researchers
The National Archives describes FamilySearch.org as free with account creation (see our census page), but we could not open FamilySearch's own pages, so we do not describe what it holds for North Carolina.
Historical newspapers
The Library of Congress's Chronicling America lists 128 digitized newspaper titles published in North Carolina, with issues dated from March 1, 1820 to December 29, 1963. Coverage is uneven inside that span: it is a list of titles, not a promise that every town or year is there. Chronicling America includes select digitized newspapers through 1963.
Browse North Carolina titles at the Library of Congress
New to newspaper research? See our guide to finding old newspapers (obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements).
Counts come from the Library of Congress's "All Digitized Titles" list, read October 27, 2026. The Library of Congress says it believes these newspapers are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions.
How we verified this page
Last verified October 27, 2026. Offices change fees and rules without notice. If something here no longer matches the official page, trust the official page.
Confirmed on official pages
- State records: birth 1913, death 1930, marriage 1962, divorce 1958 to present.
- Search fee $24 per three-year period, non-refundable.
- Processing times: births 10 business days; deaths 2 to 11 business days; marriage and divorce about 9 months.
- Certified copies are limited by statute; uncertified copies are open to anyone unless legally restricted.
Could not verify
- What exactly the State Archives holds for deaths before 1930 (the page we read is a general researcher page).
- Who may order marriage and divorce certificates (the pages say only that certified copies follow the same statute).
- County Register of Deeds and Clerk of Court fees and times.
- A free FamilySearch collection for North Carolina. We could not open FamilySearch's pages.
Sources
- NC Vital Records: Order a certificate Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC Vital Records: Research Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC Vital Records: Fees Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC Vital Records: Processing dates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC Vital Records: FAQs Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC Vital Records: Marriage certificates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC Vital Records: Divorce certificates Official state page read 2026-10-27
- NC State Archives: Researchers Official state page read 2026-10-27