Search Davidson County, NC Property Records

In Davidson County, North Carolina, property records are kept at several county offices, where parcel maps and ownership documents, along with tax assessments, liens, plats, and deeds, can be found. Cities and towns will oversee the local aspects of land development, such as zoning, inspections, permits and code enforcement, and planning approvals.

Property records can also help illustrate broader housing and economic trends within the county. Available data indicate a median home value of $172,700.00 and a median monthly rent of $798.00. These records also show the county’s median household income of $58,063.00 and the median annual real estate tax of 0.65%.

Property records in Davidson County, NC, can be searched either online or in person at the county offices. Searching online for these records is the most common method.

The County Register of Deeds Online Records System allows individuals to search the county's recorded land documents. These documents date back to 1984, and searches can be completed by party type, book-page number, and recording date.

The County Real Estate Search and Property Basic Search allow individuals to search for details about parcels within the county or to search properties in the county by property owner, parcel number, or address.

Other details about the county's parcels can be found in its Interactive Applications, including its WebGIS site on the county's GIS Hub.

Anyone who wants all of this pulled together can access it through PropertyChecker. This service shows all types of ownership information, related documents such as deeds and liens, assessed value, tax information, purchase history, etc., all based on the database.

While PropertyChecker can be a good first place to check records, the true and accurate records should be obtained from the correct agency.

Walk-ins are welcome, too, as most offices have public terminals and self-service kiosks available for free searches, and staff can often direct people to the right documents. Routine items a patron requests at the counter can often be recorded and created the same day.

Mail requests are the third route. Just send in a written request with the appropriate fees, and the documents will come back by mail. A quick phone call in advance helps to confirm what is needed, since requirements vary. Access is generally open, with some restrictions based upon the type of record required and the office with which the requester is working.

Property Ownership and Title Information

If you want Davidson County property title info, you’ll head to the County Register of Deeds in Lexington. Deeds, plats, releases, and recorded documents are the accepted means of verifying ownership and title history.

You can search by name in the Register of Deeds Online Records System, or skip the screen and go to a public access terminal in the office. Title companies and abstractors can play a role, too, especially in “real estate deals” that require a full title search.

Property Sales and Transaction History

The County Sales Search is the primary access point for transaction history and prior sales in Davidson County. That site also allows cross-checking of records against the Register of Deeds’ own records, either online through its records system or in person at its office.

PropertyChecker covers this ground as well, incorporating historical sales and transaction data into its larger property reports. Typically, the results will include past sale prices, transaction dates, and any changes in ownership when applicable.

For anyone who would like to retrieve a sales history along with the property's other characteristics in a single step, rather than toggling through different functions across different county systems, this is obviously a time-saver.

Property Tax Assessment and Payment Records

Davidson County property tax assessment and payment records are available on the County Real Estate Search and Tax Bill Search sites. Plug in the needed information to access assessment and tax rate information, along with payment history. If that doesn’t work, the County Tax Office can assist in locating records.

Appeals on assessed values can be submitted within 30 days of the assessment notice. File with the County Tax Office or with the Board of Equalization.

Property Characteristics and Parcel Details

For property characteristics and parcel details, Davidson County offers several online resources: County Real Estate Search, Property Basic Search, and Interactive Applications from the County GIS Hub. Anything using Parcel ID, address, account number, or owner name will usually produce a match in any of these resources.

What’s available in the record depends on the property. Some will offer:

• building style

• number of stories

• basement type

• room counts

• bedroom and bathroom totals

• exterior wall materials

• heating systems

• fuel type

• total living area

Zoning, Land Use, and Planning Records

Davidson County Planning and Zoning Department handles zoning and land use records, so their office or website is where to find zoning maps, land development plans, subdivision ordinances, and district information.

The GIS Hub’s Interactive Applications include WebGIS, which can also display zoning classifications, parcel boundaries, agricultural districts, and commercial or residential land-use areas. For further verifying a zoning classification, the County Real Estate Search and Property Basic Search serve that purpose.

Legal Documents Affecting Property

In Davidson County, property owners can access a range of legal documents via the County Register of Deeds, including deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, easements, plats, liens, and other documents affecting ownership or title.

For deeds of record from 1984 onward, the Register of Deeds Online Records System allows searches by owner name, recording date, or book and page reference, while records older than that won’t be digitized and will require contacting the Register of Deeds Office directly.

Court records are something different. Property-related judgments and similar filings can be found in the Clerk of Court’s Office, and the quickest way to learn about record searches for them is to call there and ask what search tools to use.

Building Permits, Inspections, and Construction Records

For unincorporated parts of Davidson County and municipalities that contract with the county for these services, building permits, inspections, and code enforcement are handled by the County Inspections/Central Permitting Department.

The county's OpenGov portal makes most of this self-service: apply for permits, schedule inspections, upload documents, and look up permit and inspection records, all online.

Not all municipalities operate this way, though; some run their own permitting or inspection programs, and properties there must go through the appropriate city or town office.

Maps and Visual Property Data

WebGIS, as part of the County GIS Hub Interactive Applications and the Mapping/Land Records Division of the County Tax Office, provides maps and other visual data on about 99,000 parcels throughout Davidson County.

Search or give them the address, owner name, parcel number, and location, and you’ll get parcel boundaries, aerials, roads, and other geographic data layers associated with that property.

Displayed here are charts summarizing the county's tax rates, accompanied by insights into median home values, income figures, and rent rates.

Median Rent

$798.00

North Carolina	$846.75
National	$840.25

• -5.8 %
  vs North Carolina
• -5.0 %
  vs National

Median Home Value

$172,700.00

North Carolina	$176,900.00
National	$173,750.00

• -2.4 %
  vs North Carolina
• -0.6 %
  vs National

Median Household Income

$58,063.00

North Carolina	$57,889.50
National	$65,108.00

• +0.3 %
  vs North Carolina
• -10.8 %
  vs National

Median Property Tax Rate

0.65%

North Carolina	0.72%
National	0.74%

• -9.7%
  vs North Carolina
• -12.2 %
  vs National

Unemployment Rate

2.93%

North Carolina	3.02%
National	2.87%

• -3.0 %
  vs North Carolina
• +2.1 %
  vs National

Renter Occupied Housing

25.52%

North Carolina	25.4%
National	21.81%

• +0.5 %
  vs North Carolina
• +17.0 %
  vs National

The Register of Deeds is charged with keeping Davidson County’s real property records: deeds and deeds of trust, plats, easements, liens, etc.

Various county trade functions, such as property tax payments, zoning, land use planning, and confirmation of ownership, use these. These records are also checked by government agents and the general public, as well as by a huge list of title companies, big and small, from across the country.

Records from 1984 on can be searched by owner name or recording date, or by book and page in the Register of Deeds Online Records System. Anything older is not in the system, and requesters must appear in person at the Register of Deeds Office. There is a public computer lab that handles legal searches there, and self-serve kiosks for quicker lookups.

Certified copies start at $5 for the first page and $2 for each additional page, though larger requests and documents that are more difficult to copy are priced differently.

Davidson County is made up of several incorporated cities and towns, each acting independently of county government. While the county is responsible for property records, the local government is responsible for land development rules, zoning codes, and other property issues within the boundaries of each city and town.

The municipalities of Davidson County are as follows: the provided links take you to the local zoning, planning, and development information for each.

• City of Lexington
• City of Thomasville
• Town of Denton
• Town of Midway
• Town of Wallburg