Requesting Research and Copies

Researchers have the option to:

• Request searches and order reproductions online in the State Archives of North Carolina Store.
• Write a letter or print out a copy of the request form (PDF), fill it out and either mail it or fax it to:
  State Archives of North Carolina
  4614 Mail Service Center 
  Raleigh, NC 27699-4614
  Fax: (919) 814-6899
• North Carolina residents can email requests to archives@ncdcr.gov and provide their name and mailing address in addition to the information needed to locate the record.

All requests are processed in the order that they are received regardless of how the request was placed. If you have a general question that does not require research, then please check the State Archives web page for your answer. If the answer cannot be found there, then send general inquiries to archives@ncdcr.gov.

Guidelines for Requesting Research

The type of research that can be requested by mail from the State Archives is limited to those questions that can be answered by consulting a specific record. The Archives is neither authorized nor staffed to engage in genealogical research. If you have a question about the feasibility or cost of a search, please email us at archives@ncdcr.gov. For other research projects, please consult our approved list of independent researchers. See the below examples for research that can or cannot be conducted:

The Archives CAN respond to requests for records such as:

• Do you have a marriage bond for Elijah Coor and Grace Jones, Craven County, about 1800?
• Do you have a will for Elijah Coor of Craven County, about 1840?

The Archives CANNOT respond to requests for records such as:

• Please send me anything about Elijah Coor, Craven County, 1755-1840. (A specific record must be requested.)
• Who were the children of Elijah Coor of Craven County, l800-l840? (Ask instead for a will or an estate record and hope the children will be named therein.)

Fees and Payments

North Carolina residents will receive an invoice in response to your inquiry. The invoice will include a citation for the material requested and a quote for copying costs (if no record is found the invoice will state that instead). Please do NOT send any estimated costs of copying with your initial request.

Nonresidents must submit a $20 fee for each inquiry about one record or one person’s record. Since October 1978 the General Statutes of North Carolina have authorized the State Archives to require the payment of a Search and Handling Fee before replying to inquiries received from researchers who reside outside the state. The fee helps defray the cost to the taxpayers of North Carolina in rendering this service to nonresidents of the state. A statement will be generated in response to your inquiry. The statement will include a citation for the material requested and, if copies of the requested record are not covered by the fee, an invoice for the remaining balance. If no record is found you will receive a statement telling what record series was checked without finding a record. Typically, the State Archives will include up to 20 photocopies, 8 microfilm copies, or 1 scanned image before assessing additional charges.

Researchers can pay invoices by VISA or Mastercard in the Archives Store or return the invoice by mail and remit payment to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. For information about fees for photocopies, copies of photographs and other materials, please consult Duplication Services.