County to get more money as fees rise

Starting Monday it will cost more to be born, get married or die in the state of North Carolina.

The Rowan County Register of Deeds office staff is expecting more than a few complaints about the new prices.

Many of the standard fees will more than double. For example, the cost of a certified copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate will increase from $3 to $10.

The cost of a marriage license will rise from $40 to $50.

Register of Deeds Bobbie Earnhardt and her staff have sent out notices, put up posters and tried to get the word out for the past several months.

The General Assembly passed the legislation increasing fees across the board for registering or filing papers in general, getting certified copies or other transactions.

“The first thing we tell the public when they come in is that fees are going up Jan. 1,” said Earnhardt.

“This has nothing to do with the county, with the Register of Deeds or the Rowan County Board of Commissioners,” said Earnhardt.

The statewide Register of Deeds Association lobbied against the fee increase particularly in vital records such as marriages, births, and deaths.

To get the word out, the local staff has notified banks, funeral homes, attorneys and others. “We’ve tried to cover all the bases,” she said.

The changes in fees cover deeds of trust, mortgages, plats, legitimations, qualification of a notary public, copies both certified and uncertified of various documents, and other filings.

Although the county may not have asked for the new law, the county will benefit. Most of the money will end up in the county’s general fund.

The state sets aside 10 percent of fees to be used for technology upgrades.

The Register of Deeds office went on line with land records last year. Images of the deeds recorded since June 2000 are online and the index of transactions since 1975.

As soon as funds are available to convert the microfilm to computer images, land records will be online through 1975.

The Register of Deeds records are accessible through the Rowan County Web site. The office is in the county building at 402 N. Main St.

Contact Jessie Burchette at jburchette@salisburypost.com  or call 704-797-4254.