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South Carolina public records: who holds what

In South Carolina, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds in most places and requests for other government records fall under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in South Carolina
  2. Public records law in South Carolina
  3. How South Carolina organizes its records
  4. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  5. Counties in South Carolina
  6. Warnings from official sources
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Official directories
  9. Sources

Who holds what in South Carolina

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Register of Deeds in 23 counties (appointed in Anderson, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter; elected in Aiken, Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Greenville, Lexington); elected Clerk of Court performs the function in the remaining 23 counties1Set locally; no statewide uniform copy fee found. Examples: Beaufort $0.50/page; Horry $0.50/page on the copy machine and $1.00/page staff copying; Oconee by mail $5.00 for up to 4 pages and $0.50 for each additional page2
Property recordsCounty Assessor appraises and lists real property; all counties must have a full-time assessor3—
Court recordsState-run court system with county clerks: Circuit Court (Common Pleas civil, General Sessions criminal), Family Court, Probate Court, Magistrate and Municipal courts; 16 judicial circuits. An elected Clerk of Court in each county keeps circuit and family court records.4—
Marriage recordsCounty Probate Judge issues licenses and keeps the record; in Darlington and Georgetown counties the Clerk of Court issues them5$12 search including one certified copy (non-refundable); $17 expedited; $3 per additional copy ordered at the same time6
Divorce recordsDecree: Clerk of Court in the county where filed (Family Court). State: DPH holds only a Report of Divorce, not the decree7$12 search including one certified copy; $3 per additional copy; $17 expedited where offered6
Birth certificatesState only: SC DPH Vital Records (formerly DHEC). Any Vital Records office can issue for any county; births since 19158$12 search including one certified copy; $17 expedited; $3 per additional copy6
Death certificatesState: SC DPH Vital Records; any Vital Records office can issue for any county9$12 search including one certified copy; $17 expedited; $3 per additional copy9
Probate and willsCounty Probate Court; an elected Probate Judge in each county has jurisdiction over estates, marriage licenses, guardianships, conservatorships10Uniform: $5.00 certified copy; $20.00 exemplified/authenticated copy; $10.00 filing and indexing a will under § 62-2-90111

Public records law in South Carolina

South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (S.C. Code Title 30, Chapter 4 (§ 30-4-10 et seq.)) Read the law12

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any "person" (individual, corporation, partnership, firm, organization or association). No statement of residency in the access right; the right does not extend to people serving a sentence of imprisonment in a correctional facility.12
Response time
Written requests: determination within 10 business days (20 business days if the record is more than 24 months old). Records must then be furnished within 30 calendar days of the determination (35 if more than 24 months old). No timely notice means the request is considered approved as to nonexempt records.12
Copy fees
Reasonable fees not above actual cost of search, retrieval and redaction, at the prorated hourly salary of the lowest paid qualified employee; fee schedule must be posted online; copy charges capped at the prevailing commercial rate and do not apply to records sent electronically12
If a request is refused
Suit in circuit court for declaratory judgment and/or injunctive relief, within one year of the violation; initial hearing within 10 days of service; attorney fees may be awarded to a prevailing party. The statute names "a citizen of the State" as the applicant.12
What is exempt
Section 30-4-40 lets a public body withhold (but does not require it to) items including trade secrets, information of a personal nature whose disclosure would be an unreasonable invasion of privacy, and certain law enforcement records12
Official guide
scag.gov/freedom-of-information-act-foia explains FOIA and how to request the Attorney General's own records (its fee schedule: $19.00/hour staff search, $0.20/page, $12.00/hour electronic conversion)13
More on the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act
Response time production
30 calendar days after the determination; 35 if the record is more than 24 months old12
Deemed approved
No timely written notice = request considered approved as to nonexempt records12
In person no written request
Certain records need no written request in person, including meeting minutes for the preceding six months and documents identifying people confined in a jail, detention center or prison for the preceding three months12
Closed by definition
Income tax returns, medical records, scholastic records, adoption records and similar closed records are not opened by the Act12
Commercial use ban
Knowingly obtaining or using personal information from a state or local government for commercial solicitation directed at anyone in South Carolina is prohibited (§ 30-2-50); misdemeanor with fine up to $500 or up to one year14

How to write a public records request

How South Carolina organizes its records

  • Who keeps deeds differs by county: separate Register of Deeds in 23 counties, Clerk of Court in the other 231
  • Marriage licenses come from the Clerk of Court, not the Probate Judge, in Darlington and Georgetown counties5
  • The state health agency changed: DHEC became the Department of Public Health; statutes were re-worded in 2026. Some county sites still link to the old scdhec.gov address15
  • Clerk of Court serves both Circuit and Family Court, so civil, criminal and divorce files sit in one county office4
  • State marriage and divorce copies stop at December 2023; newer ones come from the county16
  • Since Nov. 17, 2025 the Richland County Vital Records office no longer does same-day amendments; most in-person amendments at regional offices take 1-2 business days6

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED), via CATCH: catch.sled.sc.gov17
Fee
$25.00 non-refundable; $8.00 for qualifying charities17
Service fee
From July 1, 2026 online requests add a service fee: $1.43 per $25.00 report, $1.14 per $8.00 report17
Who may order
Name-based; the page states no requester eligibility rule. Requires a starts-with match on last name, first name and date of birth17
What it covers
SC only; no wanted-person data, no sex offender check; fingerprint checks only where required by statute17
More about criminal history checks
By mail
Form, fee and SASE to SLED Records Department, PO Box 21398, Columbia SC 29221-1398. Business, certified or cashier's check or money order; no personal checks or cash17

Sex offender registry

Official registry
scor.sled.sc.gov18
Search
By name or geographic location, after accepting Conditions of Use; free per SLED18
Free
Free of charge17
Misuse
Committing a crime using registry information increases penalties (§ 23-3-510)18

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
SC Department of Corrections inmate search: public.doc.state.sc.us/scdc-public (via doc.sc.gov/inmate-search-disclaimer); current inmates as of midnight the previous day; phone line 1-866-727-284619
Exclusions
Excludes people released, in county detention, on parole or probation, juveniles, and current fugitives19
County jails
County jails: ask the county detention center or sheriff; FOIA makes documents identifying people confined for the preceding three months available in person without a written request12

Voter records

Public or restricted
Lists are sold, but only to registered South Carolina voters20
Statute
§ 7-3-20(D)(13): precinct lists at a reasonable price to a qualified elector21
Who keeps them
SC Election Commission; county boards of voter registration and elections20
Fields
Electronic list fields include name, address, race, gender, date of birth, voter registration number, county, precinct, districts and participation history20
Fee
Electronic: 1,000-5,000 records $25; 5,001-50,000 $25 + $1 per additional 200; 50,001-75,000 $275; 75,001+ $275 + $75 per additional 25,000, max $2,500. Flat: State House $160, State Senate $300, US House $1,200. Labels/printed: $75 for 1,000-5,000, $15 per additional 1,00020
More about voter records
Fee effective
Schedule effective March 1, 202220
Restriction
Commercial solicitation use is prohibited (§ 30-2-50)20
Your own record
Voters check their own registration at vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/Voter/Login22

Business names (DBA)

Secretary of State
Secretary of State holds corporations, nonprofits, LLCs, LPs and LLPs23
Sole props
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships do not file with the Secretary of State23
Officers
SOS has no officer or director names; refer to SC DOR (844) 898-854223
Certificate
Certificate of Existence: $10.00 from the SOS23

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
Secretary of State is the central filing office; search at ucconline.sc.gov/…25
Fixtures
Fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber go to the mortgage recording office (county)26
UCC fee
$8 for a 1-2 page written record; $10 for 3 pages (+$1 each additional page); $10 by other authorized medium; $5 search/certificate request26
UCC search fee
$5 for an information request26
County UCC fee
$25 for a UCC document recorded at county level11
More about liens and ucc filings
Lapse
UCC-1 lasts 5 years; continuation within the last 6 months25
Mechanics
Mechanic's lien notice: $25 at the county; release $1011
State federal liens
State and federal liens filed at county level: $10 to file, enroll, satisfy or expunge11
Dor lien
Unpaid state tax is a lien in favor of the Department of Revenue27
Judgments
Judgments are with the Clerk of Court (example, Oconee)28
Secretary of State fee schedule
SOS UCC fee schedule: UCC-1/UCC-3/UCC-5 pages 1-2 $8.00, page 3 $2.00, pages 4+ $1.00 each, 3rd debtor and beyond $2.00; UCC-11 search $5.00; document request $1.00 per page; certification $2.00 per document; manufactured home or public finance transaction $20.0025

GIS and parcel maps

Statewide search
SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office GIS Data hub: gis-rfa.hub.arcgis.com29
Imagery
Statewide aerial imagery program29
Archaeology
SC ArchSite: the state cultural resource GIS30

Historical and genealogy records

Archives
SC Department of Archives and History, Research Room31
Best records
Best sources: census, county probate, county land, county equity court, state death certificates. Marriage licenses from 1911; birth and death certificates from 191532
Online index
Online Records Index: archivesindex.sc.gov31
Catalog
SCArchCat catalog of state, county and municipal holdings30
Requests
Mail and e-mail requests: two to four weeks; staff check indexes for a specific name and return a photocopy order; phone 803-896-6104; closed Sunday, Monday and state holidays33
More about historical and genealogy records
Death records
Deaths 1915-1963 on microfilm34
Research fees
Archival research fees: $10 minimum per in-state research request; $20 minimum per out-of-state request (Archives and History fees report for FY 2021-22)35

Counties in South Carolina

18 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 46 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.36

Warnings from official sources

  • Secretary of State SCAM ALERT: mailers demand hundreds of dollars for items available free or cheaply; a Certificate of Existence is $10.00 from the SOS23
  • DPH: use only its approved vendors for vital records; orders from other websites may not be processed8
  • SLED: government agencies do not ask for payment or personal information by phone or social media37
  • Oconee County offers a free property fraud alert with its Register of Deeds28

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 Carolina office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 41 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Register of DeedsSC Judicial Branch
  2. Register of DeedsBeaufort County
  3. SC Code Title 12 Chapter 37, Assessment of Property TaxesSC Legislature
  4. Clerks of CourtSC Judicial Branch
  5. SC Code Title 20 Chapter 1, MarriageSC Legislature
  6. Fees - Vital RecordsSC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  7. Divorce ReportsSC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  8. Birth CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  9. Death CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  10. Probate CourtSC Judicial Branch
  11. SC Code Title 8 Chapter 21, Fees and CostsSC Legislature
  12. SC Code Title 30 Chapter 4, Freedom of Information ActSC Legislature
  13. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)SC Attorney General
  14. SC Code Title 30 Chapter 2, Family Privacy ProtectionSC Legislature
  15. SC Code Title 44 Chapter 63, Vital StatisticsSC Legislature
  16. Marriage CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  17. SLED CATCHSC Law Enforcement Division
  18. SC Public Sex Offender RegistrySC Law Enforcement Division
  19. Inmate SearchSC Department of Correctionsarchived copy
  20. Sale of Voter Registration ListsSC Election Commission
  21. SC Code Title 7 Chapter 3, State Election CommissionSC Legislature
  22. SC Votes home pageSC Election Commission
  23. Business EntitiesSC Secretary of Statearchived copy
  24. Business Entities File and Search OnlineSC Secretary of Statearchived copy
  25. Uniform Commercial CodeSC Secretary of Statearchived copy
  26. SC Code Title 36 Chapter 9, Secured TransactionsSC Legislature
  27. SC Code Title 12 Chapter 54, Uniform Method of CollectionSC Legislature
  28. Register of DeedsOconee County
  29. SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office home pageSC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Officearchived copy
  30. Online ResearchSC Department of Archives and Historyarchived copy
  31. Research and GenealogySC Department of Archives and Historyarchived copy
  32. Genealogy ResourcesSC Department of Archives and Historyarchived copy
  33. Research RequestsSC Department of Archives and Historyarchived copy
  34. Death Indexes, GenealogySC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  35. Fees and Fine ReportSC Department of Archives and History
  36. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  37. Scam AwarenessSC Law Enforcement Divisionarchived copy
  38. Courthouse SearchSC Judicial Branch
  39. County Voter Registration & Election OfficesSC Election Commission
  40. Vital Records Office LocationsSC Department of Public Healtharchived copy
  41. Case Records SearchSC Judicial Brancharchived copy