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1. Where do I get voter registration forms?

You may pick up a voter registration form at the following locations:

• Board of Elections Office
  Planning, Permitting, and Elections Building
  213 E. Elm Street
  Yadkinville, NC 27055
• Department of Motor Vehicles - When applying for a driver's license
• Other county agencies
• Public libraries

You may also download a registration form from the North Carolina State Board of Elections Website

2. What are the rules and policies to absentee voting?

Early "no excuse" voting is now available for any registered voter either by mail or in person. To vote by mail, a voter may make a request by filling out the official state request form. You may call our office at 679-4227 to request one be mailed to you or you may find the link to get one on our webpage. The deadline for requesting that a ballot be mailed is always the Tuesday before an election. Completed ballots must be in the election office by 5:00 pm on the election day to be eligible for counting.

One-stop / no excuse voting is available in the election office 17 days before and until 1:00 pm the Saturday prior to all elections for any registered voter who would like to vote early. To make your request in person, visit:

• Board of Elections Office
  Yadkin County Courthouse
  213 E. Elm St.
  Yadkinville, NC 27055

3. What time do polls open and close on election day?

All 12 precincts open at 6:30 am and close at 7:30 pm with curbside voting the entire time the polls are open on election day.

4. What are the qualifications to register to vote in Yadkin County?

Must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, by the date of the next general election, a legal resident of Yadkin County for 30 days by the next election, and not voted in any other county or state after submission of registration form to Yadkin County, not be a convicted felon, or have had citizenship rights restored.

5. How do I register for a party affiliation?

You may register with any political party recognized in the State of North Carolina.
Party affiliation determines the primary in which a voter is eligible to vote. You may
also register unaffiliated. If you do not declare a party, you will be registered as
unaffiliated. During a partisan election, an unaffiliated voter may only vote if a
party authorizes unaffiliated voters to vote in their primary.

6. What is the registration deadline?

If mailed, the registration form must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election
If hand-delivered, the registration form must be received at the Board of
Elections no later than 5:00 pm on the 25th day prior to the election.

7. Can I vote at another precinct?

NC General Statute 163-166.11 states that. "The county board of elections shall count the individuals provisional ballot for all ballot items on which it determines that the individual was eligible to vote, except that the ballot shall not be counted if the voter did not vote in the proper precinct under GS 163-55, including a central location as provided."
If you think you may not make it to your correct precinct on Election Day, please consider voting early at the early voting site.

8. May I Vote Curbside?

If you vote on Election Day or at the early voting site but are unable to enter the facility, you may vote outside the voting location in your car. This procedure is called "curbside voting." Look for the curbside voting sign near the entrance to the voting place and park there. Someone will assist you in verifying your registration information and bringing you a ballot. If you prefer to vote from your home you can request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you. You can find that information under Absentee voting.

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1. What does GIS stand for?

Geographic Information Systems. This provides us with a platform to create, study, modify, sort, and publish information about the world we live in.

2. Who do I talk to if I have a question about a watershed or flood zones?

You can contact Yadkin County Planning and Development Department at (336) 849-7906 Currently Dawn Vallieres and Ben Millard are serving as floodplain administrators, and you would also contact Planning and Development with any questions about the watersheds that are in the county. Other good resources are NC Floodplain Mapping Program and NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

3. How can I find my zoning?

First go to the Yadkin County GIS Site, and then search for your parcel, once you have found it turn on the zoning layer it can be found under the Layers tab on the right side of the screen. Once you have the layer on you can use the identify tool (blue circle with a lower case i in it) and click inside the parcel and it will give you the zoning on the right side of the screen under Information. You can view all the zoning codes by clicking on the Legend tab on the right side of the screen. If you live in a city or in a cities’ ETJ you will need to contact the city or turn on the zoning layer for that city. At this time we only have Yadkinville’s Zoning Layer but we are working with Jonesville Boonville and East Bend to display their information as well.

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1. How do I contact a city/county department?

Visit the Staff Directory to find all department and staff contact information.

2. Where can I find the answers to my frequently asked questions?

Use the FAQs module to easily find answers to the questions you ask the most.

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1. WILL THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SERVE PAPERS FOR ME?

Absolutely. Your first step in the civil process is to go to the Clerk of Court's Office located in the Courthouse, and fill out the provided forms for the type of civil paper you need. Of course, there is a fee which is payable to the Clerk's Office, varying in cost depending on the type civil paper and the number of people to be served. Assistance with the filing is available from the Clerk for the asking. Once the paper is filled out and filed with the Clerk's Office, it is automatically sent to the Sheriff's Office for service. Normally, the civil paper will be served within seven days. Of course, this is dependant on the accuracy and amount of information you provide, such as the current address and place of employment of the person to be served.

2. WHERE DO I GO TO TAKE OUT A WARRANT?

The Magistrate Office located in the Courthouse issues all criminal warrants. A Magistrate is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3. IF I'M A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

If it is an emergency, dial 911. A Deputy will be sent out to offer assistance, and take the initial report and make an arrest if necessary. All domestic violence victims are put in contact with Yadkin County Domestic Violence, who will help you with the appropriate paperwork. The Sheriff's Office will then serve the protection order. Depending on the amount of information you furnish, we can generally serve the defendant with the order in less than 48 hours. You may contact Yadkin County Domestic Violence at (336) 679-2500.

4. HOW DO I HAVE A TENANT EVICTED FROM RENTAL PROPERTY I OWN OR MANAGE?

The first step is to go to the Clerk of Court's Office located in the courthouse and fill out the necessary paperwork for a summary abetment. A hearing date will be set by the Clerk. A magistrate will hold the hearing, where both parties will plead their case. After the hearing, a writ of possession is issued and served by the Sheriff's Office and the tenant is given seven days to vacate the property. If after the seven days, the tenant has not vacated the property, the Sheriff's Office will evict them. The eviction process can get complicated; if you have questions you can contact the Executions Officer at the Sheriff's Office.

5. IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING FURNITURE FROM A PROPERTY PRIOR TO AN EVICTION?

No. The physical removal and storage of items removed from the property is the responsibility of the plaintiff.

6. IF I'M A VICTIM OF CRIME, HOW CAN I BE NOTIFIED WHEN THE OFFENDER IS BEING RELEASED FROM JAIL?

Call the Yadkin County Sheriff's Office SAVAN (Statewide Automated Victim Assistance & Notification) at 1-877-627-2826, to register as a victim. You will be called when there is any kind of custody change. This is a free service. You can visit their web site at www.ncsavan.org to read more.

7. MY INSURANCE COMPANY WANTS A COPY OF A REPORT THAT I MADE. HOW DO I GET A COPY OF A REPORT

Either come by or call our Office and speak with our Criminal Investigations Division secretary and she will be glad to furnish you with a copy.

8. HOW DO I APPLY FOR A FIREARM PUCHASE PERMIT?

Print and fill out an application from our forms section. Bring the form to our Office, Monday thru Friday, from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm. A background check is completed and the Sheriff reviews all applications. You must be at least 21 years of age and not have any criminal history.

9. HOW DO I APPLY FOR A CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT?

Concealed handgun permit applications are available in our forms section are taken on Monday thru Fridays, between the hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The process takes about an hour. There are several forms to fill out and you will have to be fingerprinted. You can contact our Office at 679-4217, if you have any questions concerning the process.

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1. How can I get a copy of my military records?

Most military records are held in storage at the Records Management Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Records can be requested through the Yadkin County Veteran Services office or online through the National Archives.

2. Do widows of veterans have any benefits?

There are benefits available to surviving spouses of deceased veterans. If the veteran was receiving either compensation or pension at the time of death, there would be a burial and plot allowance. If the veteran served in a time of war, the surviving spouse could file for widows pension.

3. How long do I have to use my education benefits under the GI Bill?

Generally speaking, a veteran has 10 years from date of discharge to use education benefits under the GI Bill. However, breaks in service may extend this time.

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1. Are these inspections required before I can get my Certificate of Occupancy (CO)?

Yes, for newly constructed wells all inspections must be completed before a CO is issued. The water samples may be taken up to one year after the well permit has been issued. It is the responsibility of the well owner to call in and request the water samples.

2. Can I get my water tested for free and If not why?

Yadkin County’s operating budget does not provide for free water testing. The costs associated with sample analysis, such as labor, equipment, and supplies must be reimbursed through fees.

3. Do I need a permit to drill a new well or to repair or abandon an existing well?

Yes, before beginning construction, repair, or abandonment of a well a permit is required from Yadkin County. Permit applications are available at the permitting office. The fee for new well construction is $400. The permit is free for well repair or abandonment.

• Central Permitting

  Central Permitting
  213 E Elm St.
  Yadkin County, NC 27055
  Ph:(336) 679-4233

4. How do I test for red muddy water or reddish staining?

In most cases red material tests as iron, not mud. Iron can cause staining of fixtures. If the water is reddish we recommend an iron / sediment test. In many cases, the reddish color is due to a condition referred to as biofouling, where bacteria in the well feed off of nutrients in the well and over time produce the reddish water. This is usually addressed by cleaning the well, lining the well casing and placing the well pump at an optimum location in the well. Other culprits of red water are iron bacteria. There is a standard test to determine the presence of iron bacteria.

5. How often should I have my well tested?

We recommend that you have your well water tested whenever you notice a sudden change in the taste, smell or appearance of your water. It is always wise to test a well before occupying an existing home. It is a common recommendation to sample a well annually for coliform bacteria.

6. My well water has a bad smell like sulfur, what tests should be run and what can be done to fix this?

These smells are typically caused by sulfur bacteria or sulfate-reducing bacteria. While not harmful, these bacteria can be quite a nuisance. There are tests to determine if this type of bacteria is present. A standard recommendation to remove these bacteria is to thoroughly treat the well and the entire water system with chlorine.

7. What determines whether I can keep an existing well or have to abandon it?

If a well is determined to be a source or channel of contamination, or is located too close to a source of contamination, such as a septic system, the well must be properly abandoned (filled in).

8. What do I need to do to maintain and protect my well?

Make sure that the well is protected from freezing. Also, do not use or store pesticides, gasoline and other contaminants near your well. More information can be found here at Well Owner.org

9. What do I do if coliform bacteria are found in my well water?

It is recommended that the well be disinfected through a chlorination process and then retest upon having all of the chlorine flushed from the well and water system. It is recommended to not use the water for drinking or cooking until acceptable sample results are achieved.

10. What do I do if bacteria are found on a follow up sample after the well has been chlorinated?

If a retest determines that coliform bacteria are present, then the recommendation is to attempt the chlorination process again and retest. If, after three chlorination procedures the well continues to test positive, then other options are to inspect the well with a camera to determine if the well has construction deficiencies. Another option is to install online treatment devices such as ultraviolet lights to disinfect the water.

11. What if I am concerned about pesticides, petroleum, or radon?

Yadkin County can assist you in testing for pesticides, herbicides, petroleum products and radionuclides. Please contact one of our Environmental Health Specialists for more information at (336) 679-4244.

12. What inspections, if any, are required for my well?

When a new well is constructed, site visits are made to complete the following inspections:

• Site the well location and issuance of a well construction authorization permit
• Inspecting the casing grout and well location during the well construction
• Inspecting the well head after the pump is installed
• Collecting water samples (must be requested by the well owner)

13. What may cause green or bluish-green stains on fixtures?

The pH of well water in Wake County is generally less than 6.5 and therefore acidic. Acidic water reacts with copper pipes and copper in fixtures resulting in the blue-green stains. A common remedy is to install an acid neutralizer water treatment system. Another option is to replace copper pipes with plastic pipes.

14. What should I have my water tested for?

Any sample analysis should be based on problems you are encountering or your concerns. Please contact one of our Environmental Health Specialists for guidance at (336) 679-4244.

15. What types of payments are accepted by Yadkin County?

Payment for water analysis can be made by check or exact change or credit cards.

16. Where and how can I have my well water tested?

Yadkin Environmental Health Performs the following testing:

• Bacterial $60
• Organic (VOCs, Petroleum Products, etc.) $60
• Inorganic (Heavy Metals, PH, Hardness, etc.) $60
• Sulphur $60
• Nitrite / Nitrate $60

To request water samples, please go to the Yadkin County Central Permitting Office at 213 East Elm Street in Yadkinville or call (336) 679-4233. All samples must be collected by one of our staff to ensure integrity of the sample.