INFORMATION BY MAIL

The primary function of the North Carolina State Archives (NCSA) is to preserve and protect North Carolina's public records. A search room and professional staff are provided to assist the general public in the use of these records. The Archives is neither authorized nor staffed to conduct in-depth research. For example, the NCSA cannot answer such questions as "Who are John Doe's parents?".

Residents of North Carolina may request information by mail, by fax, or bye-mail. An e-mail request form is available on our website (see below for web address). There is no search fee for answering inquiries by North Carolina residents. -

Nonresidents of North Carolina may request information by mail only. A $20.00 search fee, established by North Carolina statute 121.5 (d), is required for all inquiries by non-residents of North Carolina. This search fee also covers the cost of copying up to 20 pages of records. Non-resident inquiries that do not contain the proper search fee will be returned.. A search fee is charged for each record category that is consulted and for each name checked against a record category. Personal checks or money orders should be made payable to North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

All inquiries must include name, county, and time period (within a ten-year time frame). Please limit your request to one record category for one person per inquiry. Responses to inquiries will include a statement of copying costs, if applicable.

Do not send estimated copying costs with your original request. Your request will be returned if it includes estimated copying costs.

For inquiries received by mail, by fax, or by email, the NCSA staff can check the following record categories. Listed in each category are the standard sources consulted.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Pay Vouchers
Army Accounts
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina

WAR OF 1812
Pay Vouchers
Muster Rolls of soldiers of the War of 1812

CIVIL WAR, Confederate service only .
Moore's Roster of North Carolina Troops .
North Carolina Troops 1861-1865
State Pensions, 1885 and 1901

MARRIAGE BONDS
1741-1868

COURT MINUTES
Up to the latest year of original records received from the county (Must provide term and year)

LAND GRANTS
Secretary of State Land Grant Office records

DEEDS
except for latest 40 years (Must provide exact book and page number)

ESTATES
up to the latest year of original records received from the county

DIVORCE RECORDS
up to the latest year of original records received from the county
(For a statewide index from 1958 to the present contact Vital Records at 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1903)

CENSUS DATA
Published state census, 1784-1787
Published federal census indexes, 1790-1870
(For copies of federal census records contact NARA -National Archives & Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20408)

WILLS
North Carolina Wills: A Testator's Index 1665-1900
Original Wills, from 1901 to the latest year of original records received from the county

DEATH CERTIFICATES
1913-1955 only
( For death certificates from 1956 to the present contact Vital Records at 1903 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1903)

CEMETERY RECORDS
WPA pre-1914 cemetery survey index
North Carolina Cemetery Survey Project (Must provide county and name of cemetery

Complete List for New Hanover County

For more information on the collections, services, and policies of the NCSA:
See our website at http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us
Call (919) 733-3952.
Email: archives@ncmail.net.

You may fax a request to (919) 733-1354.

All other inquiries, including out-of-state inquiries and search fees should be sent to the following address:

North Carolina State Archives
4614 Mail Service Center
Raleigh. NC 27699-4614