Public records for building construction and land development are considered development records.  The directions that follow provide guidance on obtaining development records for a specific property within the city’s jurisdiction.

NC Public Records

North Carolina G.S. 132 governs public records and it provides the right for citizens to request access to inspect and copy public records.  This includes development public records, if they exist.  If those records do not exist, a city is not obligated to create such a record.  In accordance with state public records law, a city may satisfy the requirement to provide access to public records by making the records individually available online.

Development Public Records

The development records maintained by the City of High Point include permits, inspections, certificates of occupancy, site plans, variances, special uses, conditional zonings, annexations, zoning map amendments, code violations and other similar records.

The following are not development records:

• A request for verification of zoning or other codes applicable to a specific property is not a development record request and is processed differently.   To submit a request for written verification of zoning and other codes applicable to a specific property, please go to Code Confirmation.
• Activity Use Limitations (AUL) are not development records because the City does not produce or maintain those records.  AULs are environmental legal records that are typically recorded in the respective County Register of Deeds Office for a specific property.
• The City does not maintain records of prior uses of property; however, historical aerial imagery is available on thePoint. 

Obtaining Development Records

The City complies with the state public records law by making many development records individually available online to inspect and copy through Accela Citizen Access (ACA). To learn how to obtain records on ACA, please see Searching Development Records on ACA (PDF).

The following development records are not available online through ACA:

• Fire code and soil erosion & sedimentation violation records must be requested through the City’s Public Records Request portal.
• Legacy development records, (those originating before August 2015), can be requested only by email submitted to build@highpointnc.gov.  In the email subject line, please state “Legacy Record Request” and make sure to include the property address in addition to the specific records requested in the body of the email.  No development records obtainable online through ACA can be provided through a legacy development record email request.

Additional Online Records and Information

• To find a property address or the name of the property owner, go to Property Information.
• To find the applicable zoning district(s) for a property, also go to Property Information.
• To obtain the zoning district requirements and other related development standards, please consult the City’s Development Ordinance.
• For Planning & Zoning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, or Board of Adjustment agendas & minutes, go to Agenda Center.
• To review the City’s adopted comprehensive and area plans that may be applicable to property, go on-line to Publications.