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12 <br /> § 161-14. Registration of instruments. <br /> (a) After the register of deeds has determined that all statutory and locally adopted prerequisites for <br /> recording have been met, the register of deeds shall immediately register all written instruments <br /> presented to him for registration. When an instrument is presented for registration,the register of <br /> deeds shall endorse upon it the day and hour on which it was presented.This endorsement forms a part <br /> of the registration of the instrument.All instruments shall be registered in the precise order in which <br /> they were presented for registration. Immediately after endorsing the day and hour of presentation <br /> upon an instrument,the register of deeds shall index and cross-index it in its proper sequence.The <br /> register of deeds shall then proceed to register it on the day that it is presented unless a temporary <br /> index has been established. <br /> The register of deeds may establish a temporary index in which all instruments presented for <br /> registration shall be indexed until they are registered and entered in the permanent indexes. A <br /> temporary index shall operate in all respects as the permanent index. All instruments presented for <br /> registration shall be registered and indexed and cross-indexed on the permanent indexes not later than <br /> 30 days after the date of presentation. <br /> (b) All instruments, except instruments conforming to the provisions of G.S. 25-9-521, presented for <br /> registration on paper shall meet all of the following requirements: <br /> (1) Be eight and one-half inches by eleven inches or eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches. <br /> (2) Have a blank margin of three inches at the top of the first page and blank margins of one-half <br /> inches on the remaining sides of the first page and on all sides of subsequent pages. <br /> (3) Be typed or printed in black on white paper in a legible font.A font size no smaller than 10 points <br /> shall be considered legible. Blanks in an instrument may be completed in pen and corrections to an <br /> instrument may be made in pen. <br /> (4) Have text typed or printed on one side of a page only. <br /> (5) State the type of instrument at the top of the first page. <br /> If an instrument does not meet these requirements,the register of deeds shall register the instrument <br /> after collecting the fee for nonstandard documents as required by G.S. 161-10(a)(19) in addition to all <br /> other applicable recording fees. However, if an instrument fails to meet the requirements because it <br /> contains print in a font size smaller than 10 points,the register of deeds may register the instrument <br /> without collecting the fee for nonstandard documents if, in the discretion of the register of deeds,the <br /> instrument is legible. <br />