GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

S                                                                                                                                                    2

SENATE BILL 900

Judiciary I Committee Substitute Adopted 5/13/09

Short Title:        Enable Registers of Deeds to Protect Identity.	(Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:

March 26, 2009

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to allow registers of deeds to remove personal identifying information from images or copies of records placed on the Internet.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 132-1.10 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(f1) Without a request made pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, a register of deeds or clerk of court may remove from an image or copy of an official record placed on a register of deeds' or clerk of court's Internet Web site available to the general public, or placed on an Internet Web site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or clerk of court to display public records, a person's social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, State identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, debit card number, date of birth, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords contained in that official record."

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 132-1.10 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(f2) Registers of deeds and clerks of court shall apply optical character recognition technology and other reasonably available technology to official records placed on Internet Web sites available to the general public in order to, in good faith, identify and redact social security and drivers license numbers."

SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 132-1.10(h) reads as rewritten:

"(h)       Any affected person may petition the court for an order directing compliance with this section. No liability shall accrue to a register of deeds or clerk of court or to his or her agent for any action related to provisions of this section or for any claims or damages that might result from a social security number or other identifying information on the public record or on a register of deeds' or clerk of court's Internet Web site available to the general public or an Internet Web site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or clerk of court. court, provided a register of deeds or clerk of court complies with subsection (f2) of this section."

SECTION 3.  Section 2 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2011.  The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.