South Carolina Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)

South Carolina splits deed recording between two different offices depending on the county. Twenty-four of its 46 counties have a standalone Register of Deeds under state law, while the rest fold recording into the Clerk of Court's office, so the correct office to search depends on where the property sits.

Information last verified on 2026-07-16. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

This guide covers how to search property records by state specifically for South Carolina, including which office handles recording in your county, how to find an owner for free, and what a certified copy costs.

How Property Records Work in South Carolina

South Carolina does not use one uniform office name for property recording statewide. South Carolina Code Section 30-5-10 names 24 of the state's 46 counties, Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, and Sumter, as the counties where a Register of Deeds handles recording of deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats. In every county not on that list, including York, the same statute assigns those duties to the Clerk of Court, who holds all the powers of a register of deeds. How the office is filled also varies: Section 30-5-12 directs the county governing bodies of fifteen of the 24, among them Anderson, Beaufort, Horry, Orangeburg, and Pickens, to appoint the register of deeds, while Section 30-5-10(B) provides that Berkeley and Dorchester elect theirs to four-year terms. Both offices perform the identical recording and indexing function; only the name and the parent office differ.

This split matters practically because the correct office to contact, and sometimes the correct website, depends entirely on which of the 46 counties the property is in. A search that starts by looking for a "Register of Deeds" in a county that actually files property records through its Clerk of Court will come up empty, even though the records exist and are public. The South Carolina Association of Counties' directory and each county's own government website are the most reliable ways to confirm which office handles recording for a specific county before beginning a search.

How to Find Out Who Owns a Property in South Carolina

The fastest free way to find a property's current owner in South Carolina is usually the county assessor's or GIS parcel-search tool, most of which are linked from the statewide qpublic.net/sc/scassessors directory maintained for South Carolina counties. Charleston County's own GIS parcel and property search is a representative example, returning the owner of record, parcel boundaries, and assessed value for a given address or parcel number at no cost. Keep in mind that a very recent sale can appear in the recording index before an assessor's ownership field updates, so cross-check both if timing matters.

For the underlying recorded deed itself, or if the assessor tool does not answer the question, search sclandrecords.com, the SC Association of Counties' free statewide grantor-grantee deed and mortgage index, which covers recorded documents across most of South Carolina's 46 counties by name or legal description. Many counties, including Greenville and Lexington, also run their own supplemental portal with additional years of coverage or document images. Basic index searching is generally free; some counties charge a small fee to print or download a full document image.

To get a certified copy of an actual recorded deed, request it from the Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court in the county where the property is located; the fee varies by county rather than following one statewide rate. Examples found: Chesterfield County charges $0.25 per page for a self-service copy plus a $5.00 certification fee, or $5.00 flat if staff makes the copy; Newberry County charges $10.00 for a certified copy; and Oconee County charges $5.00 for up to four pages and $0.50 per page after that. Confirm the current fee with the specific county before requesting a copy.

Why the Recording Office's Name Changes by County

South Carolina's two-track system, a standalone Register of Deeds in 24 counties and a Clerk-of-Court-run recording function in the rest, is unusual compared to states that use one uniform office title statewide. It is not a local option that counties chose into. Section 30-5-10 simply lists the 24 counties by name and assigns the register of deeds' duties to the Clerk of Court in every county the list leaves out, so the split was set by the General Assembly rather than county by county. A reader who assumes every South Carolina county has a "Register of Deeds" can end up searching, or calling, the wrong office in a county where recording is actually handled by the Clerk of Court. Checking the specific county government's website first, or using the SC Association of Counties directory, avoids that wasted step.

It also helps to know that South Carolina's "Deed Recording Fee," administered by the SC Department of Revenue at $1.85 per $500 of a property's value ($1.30 state plus $0.55 county), is a real-estate transfer tax collected when a deed is recorded, not a records-search fee or a certified-copy charge. Buyers and sellers pay it at the time of recording; it has nothing to do with the cost of later requesting a copy of that same deed.

Deed Scam Mailers and Property Fraud Alerts

South Carolina property owners receive the same mailer scam seen nationwide: an official-looking letter offering to sell a "certified copy of your deed" or a "property assessment profile" for a fee well above what the county actually charges, commonly cited in the $80 to $95 range. These letters use words like "official" and "certified," include real details about the property pulled from public records, and often set a false deadline to create urgency. An actual certified copy from a South Carolina Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court costs far less, commonly a few dollars per page plus a modest certification fee. There is no obligation to pay a solicitation like this; report it to the South Carolina Attorney General's consumer protection division or the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Deed fraud is a more serious risk: someone files a forged deed to transfer or borrow against a property that is not theirs, typically targeting vacant land, rental property, or homes owned free and clear. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a public service announcement in June 2026 warning that criminals use identity data pulled from public records and data brokers to impersonate real property owners and divert sale or loan proceeds. A free county-run defense exists in several South Carolina counties: recording-notification or property fraud alert services that email or text you when a document is recorded under your name. Confirmed examples include Dorchester, Spartanburg, Greenville, whose version is branded FraudSleuth, Horry County's Recording Notification Service, and Georgetown, Beaufort, and Sumter counties. If your county is not on this list, ask its Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court whether a program is planned.

Not a Substitute for a Title Search

A free county or assessor search is a useful research tool, but it is not the same as a professional title search. A title company or closing attorney reviews deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, and court records together and evaluates them for risk, which a self-directed lookup does not attempt to do, and roughly a quarter of residential transactions nationally turn up a title issue that this kind of review catches before closing. Anyone buying property in South Carolina, especially given that the correct recording office differs by county, should engage a licensed title company or real estate attorney rather than relying on a DIY search alone.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how to locate publicly available property records in South Carolina. It is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for a licensed title company's title search or title insurance before a real estate purchase. County offices, fees, and online tools change without notice; verify current details with the Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court in the county where the property is located. Consult a licensed South Carolina attorney for advice about your specific situation.

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Last updated: 2026-07-16. Figures and program details reflect their in-force version as of 2026-07-16.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does South Carolina use a Register of Deeds or a Clerk of Court for property records?

It depends on the county. Under SC Code Section 30-5-10, 24 of the state's 46 counties have a standalone Register of Deeds; the rest record deeds through the Clerk of Court's office instead.

Is there a free statewide South Carolina property records search?

Yes, for the recording index. sclandrecords.com, run by the SC Association of Counties, provides a free grantor-grantee deed and mortgage search covering most of the state's 46 counties, though many counties also run their own supplemental portal.

How do I find out who owns a property in South Carolina for free?

Start with your county's assessor or GIS parcel-search tool, most of which are linked from the qpublic.net/sc/scassessors directory. If you need the actual recorded deed, search sclandrecords.com or the county's own Register of Deeds portal.

What does a certified copy of a South Carolina deed cost?

It varies by county. Examples found range from about $5.00 flat in Chesterfield County to $10.00 in Newberry County, with Oconee County charging $5.00 for the first four pages. Confirm the current fee with the specific county.

Is South Carolina's Deed Recording Fee the same as a certified-copy fee?

No. The Deed Recording Fee, $1.85 per $500 of realty value, is a real-estate transfer tax paid when a deed is recorded. It is separate from, and unrelated to, the per-page fee a county charges to issue a certified copy of that deed later.

Does South Carolina have a property fraud alert program?

Some counties do. Free recording-notification services are confirmed in Dorchester, Spartanburg, Greenville (FraudSleuth), Horry, Georgetown, Beaufort, and Sumter counties, but the program is not offered in every county.

Can a free records search replace a title search when buying property in South Carolina?

No. A licensed title company's title search reviews deeds, liens, judgments, and court records together for risk in a way a self-directed lookup does not. Buyers should still engage a title company or real estate attorney.