Selling landlocked land in North Carolina

How North Carolina law handles land with no road access

A landowner with no adequate access to a public road can petition the clerk of superior court for a cartway across a neighbor's land if the way is necessary, reasonable and just. The petitioner pays the neighbor's damages.

Statutory route: Cartway (private way laid off by a jury of view in a special proceeding) under N.C.G.S. 136-69 and 136-68.

Common-law route: Easement by necessity recognized; case law requires enforcing an existing easement by necessity before using the cartway statute.

Law: N.C.G.S. 136-69; 136-68; compensation per Chapter 40A, Article 4. Court routes take time and cost money. Ask a local attorney.

Your options as a landlocked owner

• Ask a neighbor to sell or grant an access easement, in writing and recorded.
• Offer the land to the neighbor who borders it. They are often the most natural buyer.
• Use the North Carolina legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

North Carolina land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $5,750 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $19.99 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: $1.00 on each $500 (or fractional part) of the consideration or value (about 0.2%), paid to the register of deeds before the deed is recorded.
• Seller disclosure: No statewide condition disclosure form applies to vacant land, but a lot in a residential subdivision with a new street can need a streets disclosure. The Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Act covers only property with one to four dwelling units. The streets rule covers subdivisions created since October 1, 1975 with a new or changed street, mainly outside city limits (G.S. 136-102.6). There, the developer and seller must give the buyer a subdivision streets disclosure statement before any agreement or sale.

These are statewide averages, not an appraisal. See selling land in North Carolina for county values, or try the land value estimator.

How a cash sale handles this

Liberty Acres is a family-owned cash land buyer. We buy land anywhere in the US, in any condition, including land with back taxes, inherited land and land with no road access. We pay back taxes and all closing costs, use no agents and charge no commissions, and close through a title company, escrow company or real estate attorney who pays you by wire or check.

Common questions