Title: Chain of Title: How Ownership Passes From Deed to Deed | FOUND Description: A chain of title is the line of recorded transfers from one owner to the next. How the indexes work, the 30-year rule in North Carolina, and where chains break. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/insights/chain-of-title/ # Chain of title: how ownership passes from deed to deed A chain of title is the sequence of recorded transfers that carries ownership of land from one owner to the next, down to the current owner. Each link is a deed, a will, an inheritance, or a court order. A break in any link can leave the current owner without clear title. [Order a parcel brief](/services/parcel-brief/) In this article 1. [What a chain of title is](#what-a-chain-of-title-is) 2. [How the grantor and grantee indexes work](#how-the-grantor-and-grantee-indexes-work) 3. [How a search runs back through the chain](#how-a-search-runs-back-through-the-chain) 4. [The 30-year chain under the Marketable Title Act](#the-30-year-chain-under-the-marketable-title-act) 5. [Where a chain breaks](#where-a-chain-breaks) 6. [Who searches the chain](#who-searches-the-chain) 7. [Key recap](#key-recap) 8. [Questions](#questions) 9. [References](#references) > **Quick summary:** This guide explains what a chain of title is, how the grantor and grantee indexes let you trace it, what North Carolina's 30-year Marketable Title Act does, and where chains break. It is for buyers, sellers, and heirs of land. The key takeaway: every link must be recorded, indexed, and valid, and an attorney decides whether a gap is a defect. ## What a chain of title is A chain of title is the line of recorded transfers that carries ownership from one owner to the next, ending with the current owner. Each transfer is a link. A link can be a deed, a probated will, an inheritance, a foreclosure deed, or a court judgment. The [Marketable Title Act's definitions](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-8.html) list the transfers that count as title transactions. They include title by will or descent, tax deeds, trustee's and commissioner's deeds, warranty and quitclaim deeds, leases, and court orders. For the deed types, see [Warranty deed vs quitclaim deed: what each one conveys](/insights/warranty-deed-vs-quitclaim-deed/). Each link must be valid to pass title. The [pattern jury instruction on a connected chain](https://sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/pji-master-2025/civil/820.50%20Proof%20of%20Title%20-%20Connected%20Chain%20of%20Title%20from%20the%20State.pdf) lists what a deed must show: a named grantor, an existing grantee, words of conveyance, a description that identifies the land, a signature, acknowledgment, delivery, and acceptance. ## How the grantor and grantee indexes work The register of deeds keeps alphabetical indexes of the parties to every recorded deed, deed of trust, and lien. The [index statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_161/GS_161-22.html) requires the full names of all parties, grantors and grantees, with the book and page or other location of each instrument. The two indexes work as a pair. - **Grantor index.** Lists each instrument under the name of the person who signed it away, such as a seller or a borrower. - **Grantee index.** Lists each instrument under the name of the person who received it, such as a buyer or a lender. The register stamps the day and hour on each instrument and records instruments in the order they arrive, as the [registration statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_161/GS_161-14.html) requires. That order matters. Under the [recording act](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-18.html), a deed is valid against later purchasers for value and lien creditors only from the time it is registered. ## How a search runs back through the chain A chain search runs backward through the grantee index, then forward through the grantor index. The searcher starts with the current owner's name in the grantee index and finds the deed that conveyed the land to that owner. The grantor on that deed becomes the next name to search in the grantee index. The searcher repeats the step, owner by owner, back to the starting point. Then the searcher runs forward. Each owner's name goes into the grantor index for the years that owner held title. That step finds what each owner signed while they held the land, such as deeds of trust, easements, and partial sales. A sale of part of the tract appears here and not in the backward search. The search also leaves the deed books. Estate files at the clerk of superior court show who inherited. Plats show how a description was drawn. For the full scope of a title search, see [Title search for land: what it finds and who does it](/insights/title-search-for-land/). > **The short version:** Search backward through the grantee index to build the chain, then forward through the grantor index to find what each owner signed. North Carolina's Marketable Title Act lets a 30-year record chain cut off most older claims, with listed exceptions. ## The 30-year chain under the Marketable Title Act North Carolina's Marketable Title Act lets a person rely on a recorded chain of 30 years or more. The [Act's statement of purpose](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-1.html) says title should be determinable from recent records only. Under [the operative section](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-2.html), a person who, with prior owners, has been vested with an estate of record for 30 years holds a marketable record title. That title is free of claims that depend on events before the 30-year period. The Act has a long list of [exceptions](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-3.html). Older interests survive in these cases, among others. - **Specific references.** Interests named in the 30-year chain's own deeds by book and page. - **Possession.** Rights of a person in present, actual, and open possession. - **Minerals.** Rights of mineral owners. See [Mineral rights: who owns what is under the land](/insights/mineral-rights/). - **Utility easements.** Easements for lines, pipes, and drainage, recorded or not. - **Residential covenants.** Covenants of a general scheme of development that restrict land to residential use. See [Restrictive covenants: what they are and how to find them](/insights/restrictive-covenants/). - **Deeds of trust.** Recorded deeds of trust and mortgages that are still enforceable. A claimant can also preserve an older interest by recording a notice within the 30-year period, under [the notice section](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-4.html). The register indexes that notice under the record owner's name in the grantor index. ## Where a chain breaks A chain breaks wherever a link is missing, invalid, or hard to find. Four breaks are common on rural and family land. ### Unprobated estates When an owner dies, title to real property vests in the heirs at death under the [estate title statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_28A/GS_28A-15-2.html). Land devised by will vests in the devisees only under a valid probated will. The [probate statute](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_31/GS_31-39.html) says a will is not effective against purchasers from the heirs unless it is probated or offered for probate within the time the statute sets. That limit is two years from death or the clerk's approval of the final account, whichever comes first. No deed records the heirs' shares. See [What is heirs property?](/insights/heirs-property/) ### Missing or unrecorded deeds A deed signed but never recorded leaves a gap. The recording act protects later purchasers who record first. The unrecorded grantee may hold a claim that the record does not show. ### Misindexed names A deed indexed under a misspelled or shortened name can be invisible to a name search. The index statute says an instrument is not deemed registered until it is indexed so that a reasonably careful examiner would find it on inquiry. ### Description gaps Two deeds in a row can describe the land differently. A call that does not close, or an older description that cites a tree or a fence, leaves a question about what passed. See [Metes and bounds: how to read a land description](/insights/metes-and-bounds/). > **Take action:** Before you buy or list, see the recorded chain for the parcel and where it has gaps. Start with [One parcel. Everything the record says, in order.](/services/parcel-brief/) ## Who searches the chain A North Carolina attorney examines the chain for a real estate closing. The [Department of Insurance](https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/homeowners-insurance/title-insurance) says the closing attorney checks deeds, mortgages, wills, court judgments, tax records, liens, and maps for defects before the title insurer issues a policy. Paralegals and abstractors may pull the records. The attorney decides whether a gap is a defect and how to cure it. Some cures are paper. A corrective deed, a deed from each heir, or a recorded affidavit can close a gap. Others need a court. See [Quiet title action: how a court settles who owns land](/insights/quiet-title-action/). ## Key recap - A chain of title is the line of recorded transfers from one owner to the next. - The register of deeds indexes every instrument by grantor and grantee, and a deed is valid against later purchasers from registration. - A search runs backward through the grantee index and forward through the grantor index. - The Marketable Title Act lets a 30-year record chain cut off most older claims, but minerals, possession, utility easements, and other listed interests survive. - Unprobated estates, unrecorded deeds, misindexed names, and description gaps are common breaks. An attorney decides how to cure each one. ## Questions ### How far back does a chain of title go? The Marketable Title Act lets an examiner rely on a record chain of 30 years or more, subject to its exceptions. Title insurers and attorneys may search further when an exception applies. Ask the closing attorney how far back the search for your parcel will run. ### Can I trace a chain of title myself? Yes. Many registers of deeds put their grantor and grantee indexes online. A self-search shows the recorded links. A North Carolina attorney decides whether each link is valid and gives the title opinion a lender or insurer relies on. ### What happens if the chain has a gap? The attorney identifies the cause and the cure. A corrective deed or deeds from heirs can close many gaps. A gap that the owners cannot cure by agreement may need a court action to quiet title. ## References Primary sources cited on this page, in APA style. - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 161-14 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_161/GS_161-14.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_161/GS_161-14.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 161-22 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_161/GS_161-22.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_161/GS_161-22.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-15-2 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_28A/GS_28A-15-2.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_28A/GS_28A-15-2.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 31-39 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_31/GS_31-39.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_31/GS_31-39.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47-18 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-18.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47/GS_47-18.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47B-1 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-1.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-1.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47B-2 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-2.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-2.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47B-3 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-3.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-3.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47B-4 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-4.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-4.html) - N.C. Gen. Stat. § 47B-8 (2025). [https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-8.html](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_47B/GS_47B-8.html) - North Carolina Conference of Superior Court Judges, Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions. (2001, May). *Proof of title, connected chain of title from the State* (N.C.P.I.-Civil 820.50). North Carolina pattern jury instructions, general civil volume. UNC School of Government. [https://sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/pji-master-2025/civil/820.50%20Proof%20of%20Title%20-%20Connected%20Chain%20of%20Title%20from%20the%20State.pdf](https://sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/pji-master-2025/civil/820.50%20Proof%20of%20Title%20-%20Connected%20Chain%20of%20Title%20from%20the%20State.pdf) - North Carolina Department of Insurance. (n.d.). *Title insurance*. Retrieved October 3, 2026, from [https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/homeowners-insurance/title-insurance](https://www.ncdoi.gov/consumers/homeowners-insurance/title-insurance) ## Buying land: records, survey, and title - [One parcel. Everything the record says, in order.](/services/parcel-brief/) - [Start with the right parcel](/what-we-check/parcels-and-boundaries/) - [Every search starts at the county tax office](/insights/county-records-first/) - [A land due diligence checklist for North Carolina](/insights/land-due-diligence-checklist/) - [ALTA survey vs boundary survey: what each one shows](/insights/alta-survey/) - [Plat map: what it is and how to read one](/insights/plat-map/) - [How to find property lines](/insights/how-to-find-property-lines/) - [Land survey cost: what drives the price](/insights/land-survey-cost/) - [How to find the owner of a property](/insights/find-owner-of-property/) - [Title search for land: what it finds and who does it](/insights/title-search-for-land/) - [Acreage that holds up after the survey](/services/land-and-acreage/) - [How to buy land](/insights/how-to-buy-land/) - [Land loans: how financing raw land works](/insights/land-loan/) - [Metes and bounds: how to read a land description](/insights/metes-and-bounds/) - [Topographic survey: what it shows and when you need one](/insights/topographic-survey/) - [What is a parcel number, and how do you find one](/insights/what-is-a-parcel-number/) - [Restrictive covenants: what they are and how to find them](/insights/restrictive-covenants/) - [Easement by necessity: access for landlocked land](/insights/easement-by-necessity/) - [Prescriptive easement: how long use becomes a right](/insights/prescriptive-easement/) - [Warranty deed vs quitclaim deed: what each one conveys](/insights/warranty-deed-vs-quitclaim-deed/) - [Adverse possession in North Carolina](/insights/adverse-possession-north-carolina/) - [How to read a land survey](/insights/how-to-read-a-land-survey/) - [Right-of-way vs easement: what the difference means for land](/insights/right-of-way-vs-easement/) - [Private road maintenance agreements: who pays for the road](/insights/private-road-maintenance-agreement/) - [Encroachment: when a fence, drive, or building crosses the line](/insights/encroachment/) - [Lis pendens: what a notice of a pending lawsuit does to land](/insights/lis-pendens/) - [Deed of trust: how a loan is secured by land in North Carolina](/insights/deed-of-trust/) - [Tenancy in common: owning land with other people](/insights/tenancy-in-common/) - [Quiet title action: how a court settles who owns land](/insights/quiet-title-action/) - [Boundary line agreements between neighbors](/insights/boundary-line-agreement/) - [Selling land under a power of attorney in North Carolina](/insights/power-of-attorney-real-estate/) - [Boundary disputes in North Carolina: how a line gets settled](/insights/boundary-dispute-north-carolina/) - [Shared driveway agreements: access, upkeep, and recording](/insights/shared-driveway-agreement/) - [Trees on the property line: who owns them and who answers](/insights/tree-on-property-line/) - [Fences on the property line: permits, setbacks, and neighbors](/insights/fence-on-property-line/) Send the requirements. 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