North Carolina Asset Search Services
U.S. Asset Records reads register of deeds indexes and clerk of superior court judgment dockets in all 100 North Carolina counties, adds business, UCC, vehicle and federal court records, and then runs every name nationwide.
Order North Carolina Asset SearchAll 100 Counties · Flat-Fee Pricing · 1-5 days · FCRA/GLBA Compliant
Quick Answer
A North Carolina asset search from U.S. Asset Records costs $195 flat-fee for the Asset Profile Report or $295 for the FCRA-compliant Creditor-Status Profile, and is delivered in 1 to 5 days. It identifies real property, business interests, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, UCC filings and docketed judgments in all 100 counties and in other states. The subject is never contacted.
What is a North Carolina asset search, and why does it matter more when wages are off limits?
A North Carolina asset search is a public-records investigation that identifies the real property, business interests, vehicles, UCC filings and docketed judgments tied to a person or company, across all 100 counties and nationwide. Attorneys order one before suing, to collect a judgment, in equitable distribution cases and in estate administration.
The state makes property the main target. The Judicial Branch tells litigants that a winning party cannot garnish wages or public benefits except in child support cases, and a debtor’s earnings from the 60 days before an order cannot be applied to a judgment when the family needs them (G.S. 1-362). What a creditor can reach is land: a docketed judgment is a lien on the debtor’s real property in each county where it is docketed, for 10 years from entry (1-234). Finding which counties hold that land, and how it is titled, is the work.
The Short Version
| Coverage | All 100 counties, the Eastern, Middle and Western federal districts, and a nationwide cross-reference |
|---|---|
| Price | $195 Asset Profile Report; $295 Creditor-Status Profile (FCRA, for collection use) |
| Delivery | 1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and county |
| Judgment lien | 10 years from entry, in each county where docketed; no renewal (G.S. 1-234, 1-47(1)) |
| Wage garnishment | Not available on an ordinary judgment; child support, taxes and a few public debts excepted |
| Residence exemption | $35,000, or $60,000 for certain surviving co-owners 65 and older (1C-1601(a)(1)) |
| Marital property | Equitable distribution with an equal-division presumption (50-20(c)) |
| Voidable transfers | Uniform Voidable Transactions Act, G.S. 39-23.1 to 39-23.12 |
Two Offices in Every County
- Register of deeds, all 100 counties: Each county elects a register of deeds (G.S. 161-1), who registers and indexes deeds, deeds of trust and other instruments (161-14). These indexes are read under the subject, the spouse and every known entity.
- Clerk of superior court judgment docket: Judgments are not recorded with the deeds. The clerk indexes them on the judgment docket (1-233), and a judgment entered elsewhere reaches a county only when a transcript is docketed there (1-234). Notices of lis pendens are filed with the same clerk (1-116(d)). Both are searched in every county.
- Secretary of State: Corporations, LLCs and partnerships with officers, members, managers and registered agents, plus UCC financing statements, which are filed centrally except fixture, timber and as-extracted filings (25-9-501).
- Vehicle titles: Requested under a DPPA permissible purpose.
- Estate files: The clerk of superior court is ex officio judge of probate (28A-2-1), so estate records sit in the same office as the judgment docket.
- Federal court: The state has three federal districts, Eastern, Middle and Western (28 U.S.C. 113); PACER is searched in each for suits, bankruptcies and federal judgments.
- Vessels, aircraft and other states: Coast Guard documentation, the FAA aircraft registry, and property, entity and court records under the same names nationwide.
Docketing, Execution and Examination
With wages largely protected, each step below aims at property. The right column is what the search supplies.
| Step | What the General Statutes provide | What the search supplies |
|---|---|---|
| Docket the judgment (G.S. 1-233, 1-234) | A lien on real property the debtor owns, or later acquires, in each county where the judgment or a transcript is docketed, effective against third parties from indexing, for 10 years from entry | Every county where the debtor holds land, so a transcript can be docketed in each |
| No renewal (1-47(1)) | One new action on the judgment may be brought within ten years, and it does not continue the original lien | Whether property exists that justifies suing on the judgment again |
| Exemptions first (1-305(b); 1C-1603) | No execution issues until exemptions are designated or waived; the debtor has 20 days after receiving notice to claim them | A property list to test the debtor’s exemption schedule against |
| Execution (1-302, 1-306, 1-313(1)) | Issues within ten years of entry; satisfied from personal property first, then real property owned on or after the docketing date | Vehicles, equipment and parcels to levy on |
| Sheriff’s sale (1-339.41, 1-339.52, 1-339.64) | Notice posted for 20 days and published once a week for two successive weeks; upset bids of at least 5% may follow within 10 days | Deeds of trust of record and the equity above them |
| Supplemental proceedings (1-352, 1-352.1, 1-352.2) | Within three years of issuing an execution: an order to appear and answer, interrogatories answered under oath within 30 days, and production of records | Specific holdings to ask about under oath |
| Third parties (1-360, 1-362) | Persons holding the debtor’s property or owing the debtor money can be ordered to answer, and that property applied to the judgment | Business connections that point to third-party holders |
| Wages (1-362; 110-136; 105-242(b)) | Recent earnings needed for family support are protected; child support garnishment is capped at 40% of monthly disposable earnings, and state tax garnishment at 10% of wages | The non-wage assets that make an ordinary judgment collectible |
| Foreign judgments (1C-1701 to 1C-1708) | Filed with the clerk of superior court where the debtor lives or owns property; no execution until 30 days after notice is served (1C-1703) | Whether in-state property justifies filing |
Equitable Distribution and Divisible Property
The state is not a community property state. On application the court identifies marital and divisible property and divides it equally by net value unless it finds an equal split is not equitable (G.S. 50-20(a), (c)). Property acquired during the marriage and before separation is presumed marital (50-20(b)(1b)); property owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance is separate (50-20(b)(2)). Divisible property, such as passive appreciation and passive income after separation, is now defined in 50-20(b)(1a) after a 2025 recodification. Divorce and equitable distribution are heard in district court (7A-244).
Because the separation date draws the line, the report gives the recording date of every deed and the formation and officer history of every entity, for both spouses. Waste or conversion of property after separation is itself a distribution factor (50-20(c)(11a)), so dated transfers matter. Classification is for counsel and the court.
Exemptions and Entireties Property
| Protection | Rule | Effect on recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Residence (1C-1601(a)(1)) | $35,000 in value, measured as market value less liens senior to the judgment lien; $60,000 for an unmarried debtor 65 or older whose co-owning spouse or joint tenant has died | Equity above the cap and every other parcel are outside it |
| Wildcard (1C-1601(a)(2)) | Up to $5,000 of unused residence exemption, in any property | Small debtors may shelter some cash or goods |
| Motor vehicle (1C-1601(a)(3)) | $3,500 in one vehicle | Other vehicles and value above the cap are reachable |
| Household goods and tools (1C-1601(a)(4), (a)(5)) | $5,000 plus $1,000 per dependent, capped at $4,000 for dependents; tools of the trade $2,000; goods bought within 90 days before collection excluded (1C-1601(d)) | Larger equipment and recent purchases are reachable |
| Retirement (1C-1601(a)(9), (a)(11)) | IRAs, Roth IRAs and inherited IRAs; other states’ plans to the extent their law exempts them | Generally not a collection source |
| 529 and ABLE accounts (1C-1601.5) | Exempt from liens, garnishment and levy for actions filed from September 1, 2025, unless funded by fraud or not used for a qualifying purpose | A newer exemption to factor in |
| Tenancy by the entirety (41-60(a)(1)) | A judgment against one spouse does not attach to entireties property; a joint judgment against both does, and divorce converts the property so a live lien attaches (41-60(b)) | Whether the debt is joint decides whether the home is reachable |
| LLC interests (57D-5-03) | The charging order is the exclusive remedy and gives only a right to distributions; the section provides no foreclosure and no single-member exception | The report separates property the LLC holds from property the member holds |
| Limited partnership interests (59-703) | The court may charge the interest; the creditor has an assignee’s rights | Partnership property is listed separately |
| Self-settled trusts (36C-5-505(a)(2)) | No shield: a creditor reaches the most an irrevocable trust could distribute to the settlor, and revocable-trust property in full | Trusts the debtor created are worth finding |
Voidable Transactions and the Thirteen Factors
The Uniform Voidable Transactions Act, formerly cited as the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, is G.S. 39-23.1 to 39-23.12 (Chapter 39, Article 3A). A transfer is voidable if made with intent to hinder, delay or defraud any creditor, or without reasonably equivalent value while the debtor was left with unreasonably small assets or expected debts beyond the ability to pay (39-23.4(a)).
- Time limits (39-23.9): Actual intent: four years after the transfer or, if later, one year after discovery. Constructive fraud: four years. Insider preference: one year after the transfer.
- Intent factors (39-23.4(b)): Thirteen listed factors, among them a transfer to an insider and retained control. The list also asks whether the transfer was made in the course of legitimate estate or tax planning. Insider status is a factor, not a presumption.
- Insiders (39-23.1(7), (11)): For an individual debtor, relatives, including a spouse, and partnerships and corporations the debtor runs or controls.
- Existing creditors (39-23.5): Also voidable: a transfer without reasonably equivalent value while insolvent, and a transfer to an insider for an old debt while insolvent.
- Transferees (39-23.8): Judgment may run against the first transferee and later ones, but not against a good-faith transferee who took for value.
- In bankruptcy: A trustee can avoid transfers made within 2 years before the petition under 11 U.S.C. 548.
How the Search Runs
The subject, any spouse and every related entity are run through each county’s register of deeds index and clerk of superior court judgment docket, then the Secretary of State’s entity and UCC records, vehicle, vessel and aircraft registries, PACER in all three federal districts, and records in other states.
An analyst confirms each match and reports it with the reference needed to pull a certified copy: deed book and page, judgment docket entry, entity ID, title record or federal case number.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a North Carolina asset search cost?
$195 flat-fee for the Asset Profile Report, or $295 for the FCRA-compliant Creditor-Status Profile used when collecting a debt. Both prices are published.
How long does the search take?
1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and county. Subjects with many entities or property in several states take longer within that window.
Do you search all 100 counties?
Yes. Wake and Mecklenburg together hold about 22% of residents, but each county’s register of deeds and clerk of superior court is searched, along with other states.
Can you find a debtor’s bank accounts?
No. Account numbers and balances are never provided. Under 15 U.S.C. 6821, part of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, obtaining someone’s bank information from a bank by false pretenses is a federal violation, and so is knowingly asking someone to do it. After judgment, creditors reach accounts through court process aimed at banks named in the public record. Real property, business interests, vehicles, and judgments are identified in every Asset Profile Report.
Can wages be garnished to collect a judgment here?
Not on an ordinary judgment. The Judicial Branch states that wages cannot be garnished except in child support cases, and recent earnings needed for family support are protected by statute (G.S. 1-362). Tax collectors may take up to 10% of wages (105-242(b)).
How long does a judgment lien last?
10 years from entry of the judgment, in each county where it is docketed (1-234). It cannot be renewed; a creditor may sue on the judgment once within ten years, but that does not extend the original lien (1-47(1)).
Is the subject told about the search?
No. The search uses public records and licensed databases only, and the subject is never contacted.
How much of a home is exempt?
$35,000 in value over senior liens, or $60,000 for an unmarried debtor 65 or older whose co-owner has died (1C-1601(a)(1)). A home held by spouses as tenants by the entirety cannot be reached on a debt of only one spouse (41-60(a)(1)).
Is North Carolina a community property state?
No. It is an equitable distribution state, and marital and divisible property are divided equally unless the court finds that is not equitable (50-20(c)). The report dates each acquisition.
Can a creditor reach a debtor’s LLC?
Only through a charging order, which is the exclusive remedy and pays the creditor distributions (57D-5-03). The report separates property the LLC holds from property the member holds.
Which law governs fraudulent transfers?
The Uniform Voidable Transactions Act, G.S. 39-23.1 to 39-23.12. Actual-intent claims must be brought within four years of the transfer or one year after discovery, if later (39-23.9).
How is an out-of-state judgment enforced?
Under the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, it is filed with a clerk of superior court where the debtor lives or owns property, and execution waits 30 days after notice is served (1C-1703).
Last reviewed and updated: October 21, 2026 · U.S. Asset Records editorial team
What does U.S. Asset Records provide on a North Carolina search?
Published pricing, a fixed delivery window, and a record reference behind every finding.
- Price: $195 Asset Profile Report or $295 Creditor-Status Profile, flat-fee
- Coverage: All 100 counties, three federal districts and a nationwide cross-reference
- No-hit refund: Full refund if no assets found
One Hundred Counties
The state has 100 counties (G.S. 153A-10) and 11,046,024 residents (Census Bureau, July 2024 estimate). Wake is the largest at 11.2%, just ahead of Mecklenburg at 10.9%, and with Guilford and Forsyth the four largest hold 30.7%.
That leaves 69.3% of the population in the other 96 counties, and a judgment reaches land only in counties where it is docketed. Every register of deeds and every clerk’s docket is searched.
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Pricing & comparison: asset search cost best asset search company
Sources for This Page
Each legal statement on this page cites one of these primary sources.
- ▸ G.S. 1-233 and 1-234, docketing and judgment lien
- ▸ G.S. 1-47, actions on judgments
- ▸ G.S. 1-305 and 1-306, issuing execution
- ▸ G.S. 1-313, form and order of execution
- ▸ G.S. 1-339.52 and 1-339.64, execution sales
- ▸ G.S. 1-352 to 1-352.2, supplemental proceedings
- ▸ G.S. 1-360 and 1-362, third parties and earnings
- ▸ G.S. 1-116, lis pendens
- ▸ G.S. 1C-1601, exemptions
- ▸ G.S. 1C-1601.5, 529 and ABLE accounts
- ▸ G.S. 1C-1603, designating exemptions
- ▸ G.S. 1C-1703, foreign judgments
- ▸ G.S. 110-136, child support garnishment
- ▸ G.S. 105-242, tax garnishment
- ▸ G.S. 41-60, entireties property and debts
- ▸ G.S. 57D-5-03, LLC charging orders
- ▸ G.S. 59-703, limited partnership charging orders
- ▸ G.S. 36C-5-505, creditor claims against settlor
- ▸ G.S. 39-23.4, Uniform Voidable Transactions Act
- ▸ G.S. 39-23.9, time limits
- ▸ G.S. 50-20, equitable distribution
- ▸ G.S. 7A-244, district court domestic jurisdiction
- ▸ G.S. 161-14, register of deeds
- ▸ G.S. 25-9-501, UCC filing offices
- ▸ G.S. 28A-2-1, clerk as judge of probate
- ▸ G.S. 153A-10, counties
- ▸ N.C. Judicial Branch, Small Claims help topic
- ▸ 28 U.S.C. 113, North Carolina federal districts
- ▸ 15 U.S.C. 6821, pretexting for financial information
- ▸ 11 U.S.C. 548, fraudulent transfers in bankruptcy
- ▸ U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates
“U.S. Asset Records has become our go-to resource for judgment collection support. Their reports are thorough, accurate, and have helped us recover millions in outstanding judgments.”
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Skip Trace ($95) →Asset Profile Report ($195) →Creditor-Status Profile ($295) → Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis ($595) →What the Report Contains
Every report is analyst-written, and each finding carries the record it came from.
- Real property schedule: every parcel found, with county, assessed value and recording detail
- Business interests: entities where the subject appears as owner, officer, manager or registered agent
- Vehicles, vessels and aircraft: with title and registration detail
- Judgments and liens: the subject’s existing creditor exposure
- UCC filings: secured-creditor relationships and the collateral described
- Nationwide cross-reference: holdings in other states under the same names
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