GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

S                                                                                                                                                     1

SENATE BILL 29

 

 

Short Title:        DOB Redaction Requests For Public Documents.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senators Curtis (Primary Sponsor); and Krawiec.
Referred to:	Rules and Operations of the Senate.

February 5, 2015

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to allow registers of deeds and clerks of court to redact dates of birth from certain public records to protect the public from identity theft.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 132‑1.10(f) reads as rewritten:

"§ 132‑1.10.  Social security numbers and other personal identifying information.

…

(f)         Any person has the right to request that a register of deeds or clerk of court remove, from an image or copy of an official record placed on a register of deeds' or court's Internet Website available to the general public or an Internet Web site available to the general public used by a register of deeds or court to display public records by the register of deeds or clerk of court, the person's social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords contained in that official record. personal identifying information as described in this subsection. The request must be made in writing, legibly signed by the requester, and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission, or delivered in person to the register of deeds or clerk of court. The request must specify the personal information to be redacted, information that identifies the document that contains the personal information and unique information that identifies the location within the document that contains the social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords personal identifying information, as described in this subsection, to be redacted. The request for redaction shall be considered a public record with access restricted to the register of deeds, the clerk of court, their staff, or upon order of the court. The register of deeds or clerk of court shall have no duty to inquire beyond the written request to verify the identity of a person requesting redaction and shall have no duty to remove redaction for any reason upon subsequent request by an individual or by order of the court, if impossible to do so. No fee will be charged for the redaction pursuant to such request. Any person who requests a redaction without proper authority to do so shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation.

(1)        The register of deeds or clerk of court shall, upon receipt of a request made pursuant to this subsection, comply with the request for redaction for the following personal information displayed in a manner described in this subsection:

a.         Social Security number.

b.         Employer taxpayer identification number.

c.         Drivers license number.

d.         State identification number.

e.         Passport number.

f.          Checking or savings account number.

g.         Credit or debit card number.

h.         Personal identification (PIN) code or passwords.

(2)        Upon receipt of a request made pursuant to this subsection, the register of deeds may comply with the request for redaction of all, or a portion of, the requestor's date of birth from any land records displayed in a manner described in this subsection."

SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.