Quick answer: North Carolina has no transfer-on-death deed for real estate. Payable-on-death bank accounts and transfer-on-death securities are allowed, but because of expanded estate recovery, a deed alone is a weak way to protect a home.
Homeowners in North Carolina shouldn't assume a transfer-on-death deed can pass their home at death — the state's current Chapter 39 simply doesn't include a TOD provision for real property, unlike many other states.
North Carolina does allow payable-on-death designations for bank accounts and transfer-on-death registrations for securities, but those statutes are specific to those asset classes and don't extend to real estate. Combined with the state's expanded estate-recovery rules, that means a deed-based strategy alone is a weak way to protect a home here — planning typically needs to look at trusts, life estates, and other tools with a clear eye on how expanded recovery treats each one.
Sources and official resources
- NC Medicaid: Nursing Facilities
- U.S. Code: 42 U.S.C. § 1396p (liens, estate recovery, transfers of assets, Partnership disregard)
- CMS: 2026 SSI and Spousal Impoverishment Standards
Rules and figures change. Confirm current details with the agency before you act.