Rep. Stevens files bill in North Carolina House to combat deed fraud

A new bill filed by State Rep. Stevens in the North Carolina House seeks to strengthen measures against deed fraud and improve the security of land records, according to the North Carolina State House.

The bill, filed as HB 431 on March 18 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Preventing Deed Fraud.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill seeks to combat deed fraud by granting registers of deeds the authority to refuse recording suspicious instruments and requiring non-trusted submitters to present a government-issued photographic ID. It mandates the creation of a fraud detection alert system that sends notifications when land records are recorded and calls for a study examining the feasibility of automatic enrollment in such systems without fees. Additionally, the bill provides for an expedited legal process to quiet titles affected by fraudulent instruments, allowing real property owners to challenge false, fictitious, or fraudulent recordings in court. It goes into effect Oct. 1, 2025, for new registrations and court actions.

Of the four sponsors of this bill, Brian Biggs proposed the most bills (17) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Stevens graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1981 with a BS and again in 1986 from Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law with a JD.

Stevens, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2009 to represent the state’s 90th House district, replacing previous state representative Jim Harrell.