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South Kingstown, Rhode Island town records

In South Kingstown, deeds are recorded by the Town Clerk - Land Records Registry; property values come from the Town Assessor; court files are kept by the Probate Court.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Other records at the town
  14. Good to know about South Kingstown records
  15. Office addresses, phones and hours
  16. Records that are not online: public records requests
  17. Questions people ask
  18. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  19. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsTown Clerk - Land Records Registry1Search deeds1$1.50 per page (non-certified, incl. by mail)1
Property values and ownersTown Assessor2Property search2—
Property tax billsTax Collector's Office3Tax bill search2—
Court casesProbate Court4Rhode Island Superior Court - Washington County5
Rhode Island District Court - Fourth Division5
Rhode Island Family Court - McGrath Judicial Complex5		—
Marriage recordsTown Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics6—Certified copy fee: $22 first copy, $18 each additional (same time); by mail $25 first, $18 additional (fees effective July 1, 2018)6
Divorce recordsRhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office7Search divorce records5—
Birth certificatesTown Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics6—$22 first copy, $18 each additional; by mail $25 first, $18 additional (fees effective July 1, 2018)6
Death certificatesTown Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics6—$22 first copy, $18 additional; by mail $25 first6
Probate and willsProbate Court4—certificate of appointment $5; copies $1.50/page plus $3 to certify8
Business names (DBA)No longer local: since the 2025-26 transfer, the RI Department of State keeps all trade name (DBA) records9——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in South Kingstown are recorded by the Town Clerk - Land Records Registry.1

Years online
Land indexes and images from 1980; map indexes from 1980, map images from 19981
Who holds it
Town Clerk - Land Records Registry (deeds, mortgages, discharges, liens, maps)1
Copy fee
$1.50 per page (non-certified, incl. by mail)1
Certified copy fee
$1.50 per page plus $3 per document (e.g., certified 3-page record $7.50); complete documents only1
Recording fee
Deeds (warranty, quitclaim, foreclosure, other) $84 + $1/additional page; mortgage $64; lease $64; discharge/assignment $49; all other documents $49; federal tax lien $11.25; mechanics lien $14; MLC $81
Realty tax
RI realty transfer tax stamps $4.60 per thousand, or a statement that none are required1
How to order
By mail: send book and page, recording date, page count and a check payable to the Town of South Kingstown to the Town Clerk; no fax copies1
Electronic recording
In person, by mail, or e-recorded through Simplifile or CSC1
Recorded by
Rhode Island records by city or town, not county1

How deeds work in Rhode Island

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Town Assessor (Department of Assessment) sets property values2; the Tax Collector's Office bills and collects the tax3.

Property search
gis.vgsi.com/SouthKingstownRI (Assessor Online Database, Vision Government Solutions)2
Tax bill search
tax.riegov.com/… (Tax Rolls Online); PDF tax rolls 2023-2026 on the Assessor page2
Parcel map (GIS)
axisgis.com/south_kingstownri (GIS Online Mapping Service); GIS data via APRA portal10
Appealing a value
Assessment appeals accepted only August 1-November 15 each year; then Assessment Board of Review; then Superior Court2
Tax rates
2026 (assessment 12/31/2025): real estate/commercial $9.12 per thousand; personal property $11.05 per thousand2
Revaluation
Full revaluation tax year 2021; statistical 2024 and 2027; full 20302
Municipal lien certificate
$25.00 check plus a self-addressed stamped envelope, mailed to the Tax Collector; no specific form required3
Tax bills
Mailed once a year, traditionally first week of July; quarterly due Aug 1, Nov 1, Feb 1, May 13

How property tax works in Rhode Island

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Rhode Island Superior Court - Washington County (McGrath Judicial Complex)Statewide trial court: felony criminal cases, civil cases (above District Court limits), probate appeals and property-tax appeals11—publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal5
Rhode Island District Court - Fourth Division (McGrath Judicial Complex)Misdemeanors, small claims, civil cases up to $5,000 (concurrent to $10,000), all evictions12—publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal5
Rhode Island Family Court - McGrath Judicial ComplexDivorce and other domestic relations, juvenile matters7—publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal5
South Kingstown Probate Court (municipal)Wills, administration, guardianships, conservatorships, name changes, adoptions8Probate Court—
Court system
Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal (publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal): public remote access to the register of actions/docket only (the Judiciary page states no fee and does not call it free); documents viewable at courthouse terminals5

Criminal records and background checks

State repository
Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI), Customer Service Center, 4 Howard Avenue, Cranston13
Court dockets
Judiciary Public Portal (docket/register of actions only)5

How Rhode Island courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Town Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics.6

Marriage license
Issued to residents and non-residents marrying in South Kingstown; complete the Marriage Application Worksheet6
Certified copy fee
$22 first copy, $18 each additional (same time); by mail $25 first, $18 additional (fees effective July 1, 2018)6

Rhode Island marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by: Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office7

Birth certificates

Kept by the Town Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics.6

Fee
$22 first copy, $18 each additional; by mail $25 first, $18 additional (fees effective July 1, 2018)6
Statewide from
Statewide births back to 1960, deaths back to January 2022 and marriages back to April 2022 can be obtained in any city or town6
Who may order
Persons with a "direct and tangible interest"6
By mail
Check payable to the Town of South Kingstown, copy of driver's license and stamped self-addressed envelope6

Ordering a Rhode Island birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Town Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics.6

Fee
$22 first copy, $18 additional; by mail $25 first6
What it covers
Deaths in South Kingstown or of residents who died elsewhere in RI6

Ordering a Rhode Island death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Probate Court.4

Which court
Normally the 3rd Thursday of each month, Town Council Chambers, Town Hall4
Fees
Petitions: 1% of personal estate ($34 minimum, $1,504 maximum); advertising $25; certificate of appointment $5; copies $1.50/page plus $3 to certify8
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1235 (Probate Clerk)4
Records from
Municipal probate court of each city/town (records requested from the city or town clerk); appeals go to Superior Court11

Business names (DBA)

No longer local: since the 2025-26 transfer, the RI Department of State keeps all trade name (DBA) records; every municipality transferred its active trade names before January 1, 20269

Voter records

Kept by Canvassing Authority.14

Board
Canvassing Authority (staff assistance by the Town Clerk) handles registration and voting lists14
Statewide
Registration is kept in the statewide Central Voter Registration System (CVRS); local boards of canvassers maintain voter status15

Historical records

State archives
Rhode Island State Archives (Department of State), 33 Broad St., Providence; Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30; free16
Court archives
Older case files are at the Judicial Records Center, Pawtucket (archival records 1671-1900 and naturalizations); current files stay with each court clerk17

Other records at the town

Court files and the public records law

What the office says
APRA does not apply to court case files; ask the clerk of the court where the case was filed18

Good to know about South Kingstown records

  • The Washington County Superior, Family and District Courts sit in Wakefield (South Kingstown) at the McGrath Judicial Complex19
  • The 1857 Stone Records Building in Kingston was built as a fireproof repository for state Supreme and Superior Court records; court records moved to the West Kingston courthouse in 190020
  • Online land records start in 1980 (maps images from 1998)1
  • Each land record is also microfilmed and stored off-site1
  • Property assessment appeal window is strictly August 1-November 152

Office addresses, phones and hours

Town Clerk - Land Records Registry

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Mail
Town of South Kingstown Town Clerk's Office, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 028791
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1230; fax (401) 788-979221
Hours
Recording 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday1

Town Clerk - Registry of Vital Statistics

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Mail
Town Clerk, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 028796
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1230; fax (401) 788-979221

Probate Court

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x12354

Town Clerk

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1230; fax (401) 788-979221

Town Assessor (Department of Assessment)

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x12292

Tax Collector's Office

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Mail
Town of South Kingstown, Attn: Tax Collector, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 028793
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1215; fax (401) 788-97923

Canvassing Authority

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1230; fax (401) 788-979221

GIS Division

Address
Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield, RI 0287921
Phone
(401) 789-9331 x1232 (APRA coordinator, for GIS data requests)10

Records that are not online: public records requests

Online
southkingstownri.portal.opengov.com/… (account with name and e-mail)22
Where to send it
APRA coordinator, 401-789-9331 x1232; or mail/visit the Town Clerk's office, 1st floor, Town Hall, 180 High Street, Wakefield22
Fees
$0.15 per page; search/retrieval $15 per hour22

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in South Kingstown?

The Town Clerk - Land Records Registry keeps deed records. To order copies: By mail: send book and page, recording date, page count and a check payable to the Town of South Kingstown to the Town Clerk; no fax copies. Plain copies: $1.50 per page (non-certified, incl. by mail). Certified copies: $1.50 per page plus $3 per document (e.g., certified 3-page record $7.50); complete documents only.1

How much is a birth certificate in South Kingstown?

$22 first copy, $18 each additional; by mail $25 first, $18 additional (fees effective July 1, 2018).6

Where do I get a divorce decree in South Kingstown?

Divorce decrees are court records; ask the Rhode Island Family Court, Domestic Relations Clerk's Office.7

How do I look up who owns a property in South Kingstown?

Use the property search of the Town Assessor (Department of Assessment): gis.vgsi.com/SouthKingstownRI2

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any South Kingstown office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other towns and cities in Rhode Island with a full guide: Coventry, Cranston, Cumberland, East Providence, Johnston, North Providence, Pawtucket, Providence, Warwick, West Warwick, Woonsocket. Every town and city in the state: Rhode Island town and city list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 23 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Land Records RegistryTown of South Kingstown
  2. Town AssessorTown of South Kingstown
  3. Tax Collector's Office (Tax & Utility Collection)Town of South Kingstown
  4. Probate CourtTown of South Kingstown
  5. Access to Case InformationRhode Island Judiciary
  6. Registry of Vital StatisticsTown of South Kingstown
  7. About the Family CourtRhode Island Judiciary
  8. Schedule of Probate Fees (PDF)Town of South Kingstown
  9. Trade Names - Municipal Transfer DatesRhode Island Department of State
  10. Geographical Information Systems (GIS)Town of South Kingstown
  11. Judicial Records Center - List of RecordsRhode Island Judiciary
  12. About the District CourtRhode Island Judiciary
  13. Get a Background CheckRhode Island Office of the Attorney General
  14. Canvassing AuthorityTown of South Kingstown
  15. Voter List Maintenance in Rhode Island (info sheet)Rhode Island Department of State
  16. Rhode Island State ArchivesRhode Island Department of State
  17. Judicial Records CenterRhode Island Judiciary
  18. Record, Report, and Document RequestsRhode Island Judiciary
  19. Courthouse and Facility LocationsRhode Island Judiciary
  20. Stone Records Building (South Kingstown Public Library local history)Town of South Kingstown
  21. Town ClerkTown of South Kingstown
  22. Request for Public InformationTown of South Kingstown
  23. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau