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Free Recording of a Military Discharge — and It Is Not a Public Record

There is no charge to record a military discharge with a register of deeds, and no charge to obtain a copy. The recorded discharge is not a public record and access is restricted by statute — but it has to be filed in person, not posted.

Verified August 23, 2026

What this benefit is

What it's worth: No charge to record, and no charge to obtain a copy

The register of deeds states there is no charge to record or obtain a copy of a military discharge.
The saving is small; the point of the record is that a certified copy exists in a county office and is protected from public access.

Who is entitled to it

The record subject may record the discharge and obtain certified copies.
A surviving spouse of a deceased service member is named among the authorised parties.
Your home is in North Carolina.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

1Go in person. A military discharge must be filed in person by the authorised party and cannot be mailed to the register of deeds office to record or to request copies.
2Take government-issued photographic identification. The service member or authorised agent must show it to file or to obtain a certified copy.
3Do not pay. There is no charge to record or to obtain a copy.
4Know who counts as an authorised party before sending someone else: the record subject, a surviving spouse of a deceased service member, an authorised representative with written permission, a Veterans Affairs agent, an authorised court official assisting the subject, and the state archives.
5Expect the record to be closed. North Carolina law restricts public access to a recorded military discharge and it is not treated as a public record like other documents filed with the register of deeds.
6Record it before a claim needs it. A certified copy on the day of an application is the whole benefit.

Form: The register of deeds’ military discharge request form
File with: The register of deeds for a North Carolina county
Documents you will need: dd214
No renewal: Once granted it does not need renewing.

CorrectionThis is not something to post in. The register of deeds states the discharge must be filed in person by the authorised party, which is the commonest wasted attempt at this benefit.

Worth knowingRegisters of deeds operate county by county, so the form and the counter practice will differ. The fee position and the in-person requirement are the parts that should not.

Known gapN.C.G.S. §§ 47-113 and 47-113.2 remain unread. Whether the statute itself puts the fee at nil, or whether that is administrative practice, is not established here — nor is the full statutory access list.

Sources

authority · published policyWake County Register of Deeds — Military Discharge DD214 Records: "There is no charge to record or obtain a copy of a military discharge"; military discharges have restricted public access and cannot be freely obtained by the general public; the service member or authorised agent must show a government issued ID; a military discharge must be filed in person by the authorised party and cannot be mailed to the office to record or request copies; authorised parties include the record subject, a surviving spouse of a deceased service member, authorised representatives with written permission, Veterans Affairs agents, authorised court officials assisting the subject, and the NC State Archives; citing N.C.G.S. § 47-113(2) and the public access restriction at N.C.G.S. § 47-113.2(b)(1)

Why only one source type: ncleg.gov refused retrieval again this session, so N.C.G.S. §§ 47-113 and 47-113.2 could not be read; the record rests on the recording official’s own published statement of how it applies them.

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.