Susan Frye, Clerk of Forsyth County Superior Court
21st District of North Carolina

Security of Personal Identification

  1. Any person preparing or filing a document for recordation or filing in the official records may NOT include a social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords in the document(s), unless expressly required by law or court order, adopted by the State Registrar on records of vital events, or redacted so that no more than the last four (4) digits of the identification number is included.
  2. Any person has a right to request a register or deeds or clerk of court to remove, from an image or copy of an official record placed on a register of deeds’ or clerk of court’s Internet Web site available to the general public or on a Internet Web Site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or clerk of court to display public records, any social security, employer taxpayer identification, driver license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords contained in an official record. The request must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission, or delivered in person to the register of deeds or clerk of court. The request must specify the personal information to be redacted, information that identifies the document, that contains the personal information and unique information that identifies the location within the document that contains the social security number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords to be redacted. No fee will be charged for the redaction pursuant to such a request. Any person who requests a redaction without proper authority to do so shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation.
  3. Any affected person may petition the court for an order directing compliance with this section. NO LIABILITY shall accrue to a register of deeds or clerk of court or to his or her agent(s) for any action related to provisions of this section or for any claims or damages that might result from a social security number or other identifying information on the public record or on a register of deeds’ or clerk of court’s Internet Website available to the general public or an Internet Web Site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or clerk of court.  (N.C.G.S. 132-1.10 (h) 2005-414, s . 4: 2006-173, ss. 1-7; 2009-355,s . 3.)