The first land record filed in the Guilford County Register of Deeds office came into the office on May 4, 1771. Historically, our office has provided a place to record a land transfer in a book with the names of the parties, terms of sale and payment and descriptions of the property. In this space, we are a place to determine who owns what, that parties are who they say they are, and essential to plainness in fair dealing. In sum, Register of Deeds offices are essential to democracy, commerce, and the rule of law.

Guilford County was established in 1771 by the North Carolina General Assembly. Today, the county’s population is nearly 500,000. The Register of Deeds is one of the few counties in North Carolina with two major urban cities: High Point and Greensboro. We have two offices and process about 110,000 land record documents each year. In addition, our office issues marriage licenses, certified birth and death certificates and military discharges.

Registers of Deeds of Guilford County, North Carolina

Listed below are registers of deeds of Guilford County from 1866 to our current register of deeds Jeff Thigpen.

• 1866-1870 John W.L. Parker
• 1870-1886 William W. Steiner
• 1886-1890 Jonathan Washington Causey
• 1890-1910 Abel G. Kirkman
• 1910-1918 William Henry Rankin
• 1918-1936 Robert H. Wharton
• 1936-1960 John Hilliard McAdoo
• 1960-1964 John Bennett Carpenter
• 1964-1980 Julius Mark Stewart
• 1980-1990 Kay F. Patseavouras
• 1990-2004 Katherine Lee Payne
• 2004-Present Jeff L. Thigpen