N.C. Gen. Stat. § 146-20 (2026)

All the grants and deeds for swamplands made prior to November 1, 1883, must have been proved and registered, in the county where the lands are situate, within 12 months from November 1, 1883, and every such grant or deed, not being so registered within that time, shall be void, and the title of the proprietor in such lands shall revert to the State; but the provisions of this section shall be applicable only to the swamplands which have been surveyed or taken possession of by, or are vested in, the State or its agencies. (R.S.,  c. 67, s. 10; R.C., c. 66, s. 10; Code, ss. 2513, 3866; Rev., s. 4046; C.S., s. 7623; G.S., s. 146-96; 1959, c. 683, s. 1.)

§ 146-20.1.  Conveyance of certain marshlands validated; public trust rights reserved.

(a) Validation. - All conveyances of swamplands, including regularly flooded estuarine marshlands, that have previously been made by the Literary Fund, the North Carolina Literary Board, or the State Board of Education are declared valid, and the person to whom the conveyance was made or his successor in title is declared to have title to the marshland.

(b) Reservation. - Areas of regularly flooded estuarine marshlands within conveyances validated by subsection (a) remain subject to all public trust rights. (1985, c. 278, s. 1.)

SUBCHAPTER II. ALLOCATED STATE LANDS.

Article 5.

General Provisions.