How to request a delinquent tax list in North Carolina

Every North Carolina county keeps a list of properties with unpaid taxes, and it is a public record. Ask for it under the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 132) with the free letter below, or pick your county for a letter already addressed to it.

North Carolina at a glance

Who to ask
The office that collects property taxes in the county. Depending on the county that is the treasurer, tax collector or tax commissioner.
The law
The North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 132).
Response time
North Carolina's law sets no single number of days. Ask the office for a date.
Who can ask
Anyone can ask. You do not need to live in North Carolina.
Cost
Offices can charge for copies or staff time on a large data pull. The letter asks for an itemized estimate first.

Your North Carolina records request letter

Type the county name and your details. It updates as you type.

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Email subject: Public records request: delinquent property tax list, [County name], North Carolina

November 7, 2026

Records Custodian, [County name] property tax office
[County name], North Carolina

Subject: Public records request: delinquent property tax list, [County name], North Carolina

Dear Records Custodian:

Under the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 132), I request a copy of the current list of real property accounts with delinquent property taxes in [County name], North Carolina.

Please include these fields, to the extent your office keeps them:
- Parcel or account number
- Owner name
- Property (situs) address
- Owner mailing address
- Tax years that are delinquent
- Amount owed (by year, if your office keeps it that way)

I would like the list in electronic form (CSV or Excel), sent by email to [Your email]. A file your office already produces is fine. I am not asking you to create a new record.

If there is a charge, please send me an itemized estimate first if it will be more than $25.

If the list will take time to prepare, please let me know when I can expect it.

If you withhold any part of the list, please tell me which exemption applies and send the rest.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[Your mailing address]
[Your email]

How to send it

  1. Check what the county already posts. Many tax offices publish the delinquent list on their website or in a newspaper notice before a tax sale. If it is posted, you may not need a request at all.
  2. Find the records contact. Look on the tax office's website for an open-records email address or online request portal. If the office has its own form, you can paste this letter into it.
  3. Send the letter and keep a copy. Note the date you sent it. North Carolina's law sets no single day count, so if you hear nothing in two weeks, follow up politely and ask for a date.
  4. Approve or question the estimate. Large data pulls can carry a fee for staff or computer time. Ask what it covers before you pay.

Or skip the wait

For many North Carolina counties we already have the list. Each county page shows a free sample, and where we sell the list, the whole file for $27, or $39 with deal scores. See the North Carolina counties we have

Pick your North Carolina county