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The Carteret County GIS Division is responsible for assigning addresses to improved properties within the unincorporated areas of Carteret County, North Carolina, and any incorporated areas included through inter-local agreement. You can call 252-728-8506 Option #2 or submit an online form for an address request. For properties within municipal limits, we can coordinate with the appropriate department to have an address assigned for you.
We locate each site via GIS mapping and generally measure the distance from the adjacent address to the entrance of the proposed property, assigning 1 number for each 25-feet in rural areas and 5-feet in urban areas. We try to numerically balance in order to reduce potential address changes in the future.
Requirement of a 911 address is a NC Statute as well as a county ordinance. Posting your house number is crucial to emergency responders in locating you in your time of need. Remember, Enhanced 911 only tells the 911 Telecommunicators where you are. This information has to then be relayed to the responding units. Posting your house numbers makes you much easier to find during an emergency.
Every owner of improved property shall purchase and display official address numbers so that they may be visible from the street on which the property fronts. If a building is more than 75 feet from any road, the address number shall be displayed on a sign attached to a fence, gate, lawn stake, mailbox (except when the mailbox is on the opposite side of the road from the structure), etc., adjacent to the road right-of-way in a manner that clearly identifies the entrance to a property. Please see Sec 16-11 of the Carteret County Road Naming and Addressing Ordinance for additional posting requirements.
We make every effort to avoid address changes, yet sometimes there may be an issue with your address and there has been difficulty in locating the house or business. Seconds count in an emergency, and accurate addressing enables rapid emergency response, utilities to be connected, outages to be located and repaired and efficient delivery of mail and packages. If you don’t change your address, you are putting yourself, your family and neighbors at risk in an emergency.
Notify any company that sends you bills, magazines, or other important information, such as mortgage, financial, and insurance documents. Contact your letter carrier or the local post office about a change of address notification. Update your driver's license or DMV ID card at a local office or online at www.ncdot.org/dmv. Carteret County will send an update to the E911 system and tax office. Keep the letter that you received from Carteret County with your important papers. If you misplace it and need a copy, contact our office.
No. Your property deed is based on the legal description, not the E911 address. You do not need to change the deed to your property.
Currently Enhanced 911 (E911) call routing relies on tabular data in order to send 911 calls to the correct 911 dispatch center, which then generates location information of the call. Now counties all over North Carolina are converting to a state-mandated internet protocol-based network to enable citizens to make voice, text and video calls from any communications device. Carteret County GIS will be providing the state with the GIS data needed to populate the system for Carteret County Communications. With the Next Generation 911 (NG911) system, call routing and location information will be relying on GIS data, primarily street centerlines and 911 address point data. This will also allow for a seamless transition to a backup 911 location should communications ever face a significant failure or disaster. The change from E911 to NG911 highlights the importance of accurate addressing!
You can submit a Sign Request or Call Public Works at 252-648-7878. This is for County areas ONLY; not for roads covered in Municipal limits.
Complete the N.C. State Voter Registration Form . New registrations and party change requests must be returned to the Elections Office no later than 25 days prior to Election Day to be applicable for the election. Note: The original form must be submitted in-person or by mail for new registrations. Same-day registration is available during One-Stop voting only after the deadline (where voters can register and vote the same day.)
A Voter Information Card will be mailed to you once your registration application has been processed. This card provides your proof of registration and also provides useful information like your precinct number and assigned polling location for Election Day. This card also displays what jurisdictions you vote in. Please retain this card as it may be used to change your address, name, or party affiliation within Carteret County. It can also be used to cancel your Carteret County registration should you move out of the county. This card is not required on election day in order to vote.
A citizen of the United States (if convicted of a felony, citizenship rights must be restored). A legal resident of Carteret County for 30 days by the date of the next election. A person 18 years of age, or a person 17 years of age can register and vote in the primary if they will be 18 by the date of the General Election.
The voter registration form (also used for changes) is available at the Board of Elections Office, and downloadable here.
You may also pick up a form at any Carteret County Driver's License Office, Public assistance agency, public high school, Armed Forces recruitment office, and most post offices.
There are two ways a voter can change their information. A voter can send us their voter card with the change (new information) marked on the back or the voter can complete a voter registration/change form annotating the new information. Either form MUST be signed with the voter's original signature. By law we cannot accept emails or phone calls requesting a change.
Yes. If you vote absentee by mail, you will be asked to include a copy of your photo ID with your ballot.
Yes, voters will be required to show Photo ID to vote. On April 28, 2023, the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed an injunction against implementation of photo ID legislation. As a result, photo ID laws enacted in 2018 and 2019 will be implemented moving forward, starting with the municipal elections in November 2023.
Every voter will be assigned a voting place within the precinct where they live. Your precinct will be assigned by our office. You will receive a Voter's Information Card by mail indicating the name and location of your voting place when you register or change your address.
All voting places in Carteret County are open on Election Day from 6:30 am until 7:30 pm.
If you are unable to enter your voting place due to age or physical disability, you will be allowed to vote in your vehicle. Have someone enter the voting place and inform the election officials of your desire to vote a curbside ballot. The precinct officials will bring the ballot and voting forms to your vehicle or you can request absentee ballot.
Mail your request for an absentee ballot to: Carteret County Board of Elections, Attn: Absentee Ballots, 1702 Live Oak Street, Suite 200, Beaufort, NC 28516. Please make sure to sign your request.
To vote by mail, the voter will properly complete the Absentee Ballot Request form and submit it no later than the Tuesday prior to Election Day. Upon receipt of the request, the Board of Elections will mail the voter his/her ballot. The voter will properly complete his/her ballot and return envelope and mail it back to the Board of Elections by the deadline.
During One-Stop Early Voting, the voter appears in person to vote at any early voting site during the scheduled time for the election. This process is technically called "One-Stop No-Excuse Absentee Voting" as it is technically a form of in-person absentee voting prior to Election Day.
It is the responsibility of the voter to ensure that their information is correct on the records of the Board of Elections. If the voter shows up at a precinct on election day and the information in the voter records is incorrect or not there at all, the voter will be allowed to fill out a voter registration/change form and vote a ballot. This provisional ballot will be examined by the Board to determine if it can be counted. Under the provisions of the Voter Rights Act of 1993, failsafe voting, we will make every effort to count the provisional ballots. A voter who has moved to a different precinct more than 30 days prior to the election will be transferred to their new precinct where they will not have to vote a provisional ballot.
There are several ways to cancel your own Carteret County registration:
When you register to vote in a new county or state, you can complete the "Previous Voter Registration" section of the registration form. The county or state will notify Carteret County that you have moved, and we will cancel your Carteret County registration.
Complete the back of your voter card with the new address and county information and send the voter card to the Carteret County Board of Elections.
Click here to access a cancellation form to remove yourself from our voter registration records.
You may register with any political party recognized in the State of North Carolina. Party affiliation determines the primary in which a voter is eligible to vote. You may also register as unaffiliated. If you do not declare a party, you will be registered as unaffiliated. During a partisan primary election, an unaffiliated voter may vote only if a party authorizes unaffiliated voters to vote in their primary. If all parties authorize unaffiliated voters to vote, the voter must chose which party ballot he wishes to vote on the day of the Primary.
If mailed, the registration form must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election. If hand-delivered, the registration form must be received at the Board of Elections office no later than 5:00 pm on the 25th day prior to the election.
No. You must vote at the polling place for your precinct on Election Day. The precinct officials there will look for your name on a list of all of the voters in the precinct.
If you are not sure of the status of your voter registration, call the Board of Elections Office at 252-728-8460 and someone will verify your registration status. You may also search the website voter search utility to determine your registration status and voting location. The voter information there is updated daily.
Election administrators take many steps to ensure that voters only cast one ballot in an election. Voters have to be eligible to receive a ballot. Election officials keep detailed records of who has already voted, and who has already requested and received a ballot in the mail. These steps make it difficult for someone to cheat, so voting twice is both easy to catch and extremely rare. Additionally, most state laws make this type of illegal activity a felony that is punishable by time in jail, large fines, or both.
You have the right to:
Additionally, you may:
In accordance with G.S. 163-227.10, absentee ballots will be made available no later than 50 days before the primary and election.
To track your absentee ballot request through BallotTrax, click here.
Visually impaired voters can request and vote with an accessible ballot through the Absentee Ballot Portal.
No. Each voter receives an absentee ballot return envelope. That envelope is specific to each voter and should be returned only with that voter's completed ballot inside.
If you are a near relative or a verifiable legal guardian you may request a ballot by completing the required request form. Power of Attorney is not the same as legal guardian. Power of Attorney does not give an individual the right to sign for another for a request or the absentee ballot.
Any registered voter may vote an absentee ballot. No reason is required.
In order to receive an absentee ballot you must first complete a request form. This form is available here on our website or through the online submission portal. It must be completed and returned in person, through our online portal, or by mail. You will not be able to receive an absentee ballot unless this required form is properly completed and signed by the voter or requester. Click here for more information.
Please click on the following link for detailed, election security information.
https://www.ncsbe.gov/election-security
All accommodations within the County subject to sales tax imposed by the State under G.S. 105-164.4(a)(3) are subject to Occupancy Tax of six percent (6%) of the gross receipts derived from the rental of accommodations. This occupancy tax is in addition to state and local sales tax, and is based on gross room sales.
You can contact the NC Department of Revenue at 1-877-252-3052 or www.dornc.com.
Fill out the new Remitter Form and send to the Carteret County Finance Department as indicated on the form.
Occupancy Tax remittance and forms must be delivered in person, emailed or postmarked on or before the 20th of every month for the previous month of sales. For example, Occupancy Tax for the month of July (1st-31st) is due on or before August 20th. If the 20th falls on a weekend, the due date will be the following Monday.
Currently payments are accepted in the form of online pay and cash, check or money order physically delivered or mailed to the Carteret County Finance Department.
The property owner is responsible for ensuring that Occupancy Tax is collected and remitted to Carteret County for all applicable sales and fees. Some online services will collect the Occupancy Tax at the time of the reservation. Some of the online services will also remit the tax on the owner’s behalf, while some choose to send the tax collected to the owner for remittance. It will be the responsibility of the property owner to communicate with the online service and be clear on the extent of their involvement.
If a third party is collecting AND remitting Occupancy Tax for sales at your establishment, you will not need to remit any tax for those particular sales.
Please note, in the event of an audit, the property owner would be required to produce documentation showing that a third party had remitted Occupancy Tax for any sales that the owner did not pay tax on.
An accommodation rented to the same person for a period of 90 or more continuous days is not subject to Occupancy Tax. The tax collected from any person prior to the accumulation of such 90 continuous days of occupancy by said person shall be refunded to such person by the establishment. An establishment making any such refund of tax which has been paid to the County shall be entitled to claim a credit for the tax so refunded on the return due to the County for the month in which the refund occurred.
Check the Official Records using the Records Search to see what documents are recorded under your name and sign up for the Carteret County Register of Deeds free Recording Notification Service for automated email alerts when your name or names are added to the Official Records index.
If your property is vacant, check often to make sure it is not occupied illegally.
Ask someone you trust to look after your property if you are away for an extended period of time.
Do not let mail pile up when out of town.
Make sure the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector offices have the correct mailing address for you or the person who should receive notices about your property.
Recording Notification Service is a free service offered by the Carteret County Register of Deeds that alerts citizens via email when a document is recorded in their name.
On the Recording Notification Service sign up page, you may enter up to ten name variations per email address. When a document is recorded into the Official Records of Carteret County with a name that is being monitored, an email will automatically be sent to the provided email address.
The Recording Notification Service alerts you to newly recorded documents only, i.e. documents recorded after you have signed up for the service. To search documents already recorded under your name, click here.
To edit the names you are monitoring, you can select the "Update Subscription" on the Recording Notification Service Page and enter your changes to the listed names.
Yes, email addresses and names used in registrations for the Recording Notification Service are subject to public disclosure per North Carolina public records law.
Yes, you can unsubscribe at any time by selecting the "Unsubscribe" link on the Recording Notification Service page and entering registered email address.
The Register of Deeds must record all documents that meet the requirements outlined in the North Carolina Statutes. The Register of Deeds has no authority to refuse to record a properly prepared document, even if it may be fraudulent.
No document can be removed from the Official Records without a court order. Therefore, citizens are urged to contact law enforcement and/or an attorney for prompt, appropriate action if fraud is suspected.
Contact the Carteret County Sheriff's Office at (252) 728-8400 and/or your attorney or legal advisor.
Neither the Register of Deeds, nor Tax Administrator offices can take legal action on your behalf to reverse the fraudulent activity.
No, the service only alerts subscribers of documents being recorded in the Carteret County Official Records.
We cannot guarantee we can watch your home every minute of every day, but we will do our best to protect your property.
Foster care is the temporary placement of children and youth with families outside of their own home due to situations such as child abuse or neglect. The goal is to provide a safe, stable, nurturing environment.
A foster parent is a person who cares for children/youth who are not in their custody, children and youth who have entered the foster care system. Foster parenting is an opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life during a time of crisis. Foster parents care about children and are willing and able to provide care and nurturing for the duration of the child's stay in foster care. Foster family care is a temporary arrangement until a child’s permanent plan is achieved, such as return to their own families or adoption. Foster parents are asked to complete an application, submit to home assessments and attend training. Foster families must demonstrate financial and emotional stability, responsibility and a willingness to work with the agency that supervises their home.
You are encouraged to be informed. Watch the required orientation video here. Gather information about foster parenting, talk to other foster parents, then contact your local social services office to sign up for their next foster parent orientation session. There are a number of ways to get information about orientation schedules:
Should you decide that you do not have sufficient room in your home or that you are unable to provide full time care for another child in your home, we encourage you to explore alternative ways to support foster care.
Foster parent certification follows mandates set by Louisiana law, Bureau of Licensing requirements and agency policy. The following requirements must be fulfilled prior to an individual or couple being certified to provide care for children. Individuals or couples must:
Although foster care regulations vary from state to state, there are some universal requirements:
Yes. You will have to work with the child’s birth parent(s) when it is deemed safe. This is called shared parenting. The Department of Social Services Foster Parent Program is comprised of a team of persons working together to do what is in the best interest of children. Foster Parents are critical members of that team. The goal for a child placed in the Department of Social Services custody is to achieve safety and permanency as soon as possible, which includes working with the child’s parents towards reunification.
Monthly board payments are made to certified foster parents to reimburse for the cost of caring for a child. Board payments are to help meet the daily needs of the child for shelter, food, clothing, allowance and incidental expenses. Board payments are determined by the child’s age. The child’s health and dental needs are covered by Medicaid.
Unfortunately, no. Social workers do their best to match a foster child with a foster family who can best meet the child’s needs. Some foster parents prefer to work with teenage children, while others do better with young children. You, however, will be able to specify the age and gender of the child you prefer.
he length of time that a child stays in a foster home varies according to the plans for reunification with their biological family. Children may be in foster care for only a few days up to 12 months or more. The length of stay is influenced by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. The goal is to seek a permanent placement for the child as quickly as possible, be it reunification with the birth parents, kinship care, or adoption. If the child cannot be reunited with their biological family, the child will be placed in a permanent home. Placement is for as long as it takes to achieve a permanent placement for the child, whether the plan be for reunification with the child's family, placement with relatives, or adoption.
Yes. Single persons and married couples are generally accepted as foster parents.
Each family or child is assigned a case manager who is responsible for providing support to each family. Supportive services (respite care, training, crisis lines, etc.) are provided by the licensing agency. Support is also available through state and local associations.
Foster children are eligible for Medicaid cards which cover medical, dental and counseling services.
Yes. For families where both parents work full time day-care can be provided.
Foster parents receive a reimbursement which is intended to cover the cost of food and clothing. In addition, each child will receive a $200 clothing stipend 2 times per year.
No.
In most cases, foster children can share a bedroom with another child of the same sex. Each foster child must have their own bed and dresser.
The first goal is to reunify a child with his/her family. In the event that the child cannot return home or be placed with other relatives, foster parents have first consideration as adoptive parents.
Many families are interested in both fostering and adopting. They agree with the agency that the needs of the child come first. In most cases, this means that they help prepare children for reunification with their birth family or toward a relative or kinship placement. When termination of parental rights is in the child’s best interest and adoption is the child’s plan, then foster parents who have cared for the child will be given the opportunity to apply for adoption.
Every case we work begins as a reunification case. Due to this, our licensed homes must be open to fostering. After some time, a child’s case plan could change to adoption and the foster parents are given the first opportunity to adopt the child. If you cannot see yourself fostering, we would recommend contacting Children’s Home Society about your desire to adopt. You may visit their website here: https://www.chsnc.org/
Yes, with permission of the child's social worker.
Carteret County Tax Administration office is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday except for County holidays.
North Carolina General Statutes (Chapter 105) are all laws associated with taxation for the state of North Carolina.
The last day to pay your taxes on real and personal property (not registered motor vehicles) is January 5. Taxes paid after January 5 are delinquent and subject to interest. If January 5 falls on a weekend, the next business day is the last day to pay before interest accrues.
A list of tax rates within Carteret County can be found by clicking here.
Carteret County Tax Administration Office is located on the ground floor of the Court Services Administrative Building at 302 Courthouse Square, Beaufort, NC 28516.
Change of address requests must be made in writing and must specify the account number and name. Click here to submit your change of address request electronically. Requests can also be emailed to taxinformation@carteretcountync.gov or mailed to our office at 302 Courthouse Square, Beaufort, NC 28516.
We recently changed software therefore, we also changed the format of our bill to reflect the information that displays in the new system.
We recently installed new software and it did create this change. The software is an asset-based system without the ability to tie this directly to your real property. We have discussed with the new software options in the future they may be able to do this. You however do not need to write two checks to pay in mailing in your payment. You can include both bottom coupons with one check in one envelope.
Our office began utilizing a service through our local bank that allows for processing our mail payments. This ensures the county can process your tax payments more efficiently using a service that specializes in high-speed processing equipment. This also ensures that we can utilize our staff differently by assisting citizens who need face-to-face or telephone assistance with fewer wait times.
You should see a property key that is either your listing number or parcel number to use for payment. This new process ensures that we are processing payments in our office, check payments processed electronically, or those who wish to pay via our website using a credit card that your payment is posted to the asset you have attempted to pay.
There is no longer a tax rate charged for the water district, however, that is the official name of the district. The only taxes you have been charged are for county, fire, and rescue.
The $157.00 annual disposal fee (green box fee) is charged to every taxable improved property in the County that does not have municipal or private trash collection. This fee helps fund the County’s solid waste sites. If you have curbside pickup, please contact the tax office no later than June 1, 2023, to provide the following information: a statement that provides proof of service from a private trash collection service for the time period of July 1, 2022, through June 1, 2023, if you would like to have this fee waived from your bill.
If you live within city/town limits you will receive a tax bill for both the city/town taxes and County taxes. The County collects for the following towns: Beaufort, Bogue, Cedar Point, Peletier, Cape Carteret, and Emerald Isle. If you live in one of the towns the County collects for, then you will receive one tax bill including both city/town and County taxes. If you live in a town/city that the County does not collect for, then you will receive two separate bills; one from Carteret County for County taxes and one from the town/city in which you live for their taxes.
July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, and represent what is owned as of January 1, 2022.
Visit www.carteretcountync.gov/1076/Forms-and-Publications and click on Personal Property Appeal Link.
Based on the timing of when this approval was made, and for what year the approval was granted, this can occur and will require the appraisal technician to review and resolve.
If your personal property was sold after January 1, 2022, you are still responsible for the full 2022 tax bill.
Visit our website at www.carteretcountync.gov/1076/Forms-and-Publications and click on Personal Property Appeal Link. You have 30 days from the date of the bill to appeal the value. Once you have submitted your appeal someone from our office will be in contact.
The tax assessor is required to assess personal property at 100% market value annually. If you feel your property has not been assessed at market value we encourage you to complete the appeal form. You must complete the appeal form within 30 days of the date of the notice. Visit our website at www.carteretcountync.gov/1076/Forms-and-Publications and click on Personal Property Appeal Link. Once you have submitted your appeal someone from our office will be in contact.
Any evidence you have that would help support the value you feel is market value of your personal property, should be submitted along with the appeal form. If the appraiser needs additional information in the review process they will make contact with you during their review.
Unfortunately It is too late to appeal the value of real property for the 2022 tax year as the statutes dictate the time in which you can appeal real property. We encourage you if you feel your property value is incorrect to submit an appeal for the 2023 tax year at www.carteretcountync.gov/1076/Forms-and-Publications. Once your appeal has been received, our office will be in contact. Should you have questions concerning your 2022 Real Property value please contact our real estate department at 252-728-8485, opt.3.
The new software system has a safeguard to ensure the most current owner of the property receives the bill. The last recorded document in the Register of Deeds would change the bill processing order to that person. Example: Brother 1 has always received the bill, brother 2 is on the parcel, but the bill has always gone to brother 1, sister goes in and files a deed giving her rights to the property to a spouse but maintains a L/T right to the property. She is the last owner who filed a deed and therefore the system sends the bill to that person versus brother 1.
The bill format provides limited space and without the ability to provide the entire list of the assets listed, the Department of Revenue recommendation is to use a generic description to ensure there is no misrepresentation of the value listed on the bill to a partial list of assets.
If you provide your email address, the County can email you a copy of what we have listed in your name.
The 2022 tax bill due date is September 1, 2022 however, interest and penalties do not apply until January 6, 2023.
No, there is no discount for paying county taxes early.
No, not if the tax bill is paid by January 5, 2023. Interest begins on January 6, 2023, with a 2% interest rate for the first month and ¾ % for every month thereafter until paid.
The bill is payable without interest until January 6, 2023. The statutes do not require a bill to be mailed to citizens, however, Carteret County does so to assist its citizens with payment. We, unfortunately, have no provisions in the statutes that allow citizens additional time to pay without interest and if not paid by January 5, 2023 interest will accrue.
Tax bills are sent to the taxpayer and not the mortgage company. It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to notify their mortgage company.
Mortgage companies usually send their payments in November and December. You can call our office to verify payment has been received or check our website at www.carteretcountytax.com/taxes to see if your bill has been paid.
Yes, if you pay by credit card, you will pay a convenience fee. The amount of the fee is 2.5% plus a .30 per transaction fee. To avoid convenience fees, you may send a check by mail or pay with a check or cash in person. Please do not mail cash to our office.
The statutes of NC do not allow the tax collector to accept less than the face value of the bill. Most citizens do not realize the acceptance of credit cards involves an agreement to have this fee removed from the amount and then submitted. Therefore this would violate the statutes.
Yes, a flat fee of $1.50.
No, the coupons are voluntary, not mandatory. They are included to help taxpayers who wish to make payments over a period of time rather than pay the entire tax bill all at once. You have the option to make payments or pay the bill in full with one payment.
The County provides the bill and the coupons as a courtesy to assist citizens, the statutes of NC do not provide provisions for us to provide additional time. You do have until January 5, 2023, to pay prior to any interest that is accrued.
Prepayments are not reflected in your bill amounts. These payments were applied after the billing file was sent to print. Please contact our office for updated bill amounts.
You will be refunded any overages unless you want them applied to your 2023 bill as a prepayment.
210 Turner StreetBeaufort, NC 28516
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