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Dorchester County, South Carolina public records

In Dorchester County, deeds are recorded by the Dorchester County Register of Deeds; property values come from the Dorchester County Assessor; court files are divided among the Dorchester County Clerk of Court, the Dorchester County Family Court and the Dorchester County 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. Voter records
  11. Historical records
  12. Good to know about Dorchester County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Records that are not online: public records requests
  15. Questions people ask
  16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  17. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsDorchester County Register of Deeds4Search deeds2$0.50 per page3
Property values and ownersDorchester County Assessor5Property search6—
Property tax billsDorchester County Treasurer's Office7Tax bill search8—
Court casesDorchester County Clerk of Court6
Dorchester County Family Court6
Dorchester County Probate Court9		Circuit Court (Court of General Sessions - criminal; Court of Common Pleas - civil), 1st Judicial Circuit10
Probate Court6
Magistrate Courts6		—
Marriage recordsDorchester County Probate Court9—Certified copy fee: $11.50 per certified copy, ordered online (southcarolinaprobate.net, select 'Dorchester Marriage')11
Divorce recordsDivorce decree: Dorchester County Clerk of Court (Family Court)12——
Birth certificatesState only: SC Department of Public Health Vital Records13——
Death certificatesState only: SC Department of Public Health Vital Records (any office, any county)14——
Probate and willsDorchester County Probate Court9——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Dorchester County are recorded by the Dorchester County Register of Deeds (ROD).4

About this search
Dorchester County Online Record System2
Copy fee
$0.50 per page3
Certified copy fee
$103
How to order
In person at the ROD research office (201 Johnston Street, St. George; 8:00 AM-5:00 PM) or by phone (843) 563-01814
Recording fee
Deed $15 + deed tax of $1.30 state and $0.55 county for each $500 of consideration (except exempt per affidavit); mortgage $25; satisfaction of mortgage $10; plat (any size) $25; UCC filings $253
Fee schedule date
Fee schedule last updated 8/1/20193
Fraud alerts
Free Recording Fraud Alert (email when a document is recorded under your name)4
State tax liens
Since November 1, 2019 state tax liens are on the SC Department of Revenue State Tax Lien Registry, not the ROD index2

How deeds work in South Carolina

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Dorchester County Assessor sets property values5; the Dorchester County Treasurer's Office bills and collects the tax7.

Property search
Real Property Records search (dorchestercountysc.gov/…)6
Tax bill search
Search or pay taxes online via Billtrax (dorchestercountysc.billtrax.com/welcome), linked from the county home page and from the Treasurer site www.dorchestercountysctaxes.org8
Parcel map (GIS)
TMS Number and Parcel Information Search (dcscgis.maps.arcgis.com/…)15
Estimator
Assessor's online Tax Estimator Tool5

How property tax works in South Carolina

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Circuit Court (Court of General Sessions - criminal; Court of Common Pleas - civil), 1st Judicial CircuitFelony and civil cases; Clerk of Court keeps the records10Dorchester County Clerk of Court (Circuit Court: General Sessions and Common Pleas; Family Court)publicindex.sccourts.org/… Dorchester County Public Index10
Family CourtFamily cases; Family Court Courthouse in Summerville10Dorchester County Family Court (Clerk of Court)—
Probate CourtEstates, wills, marriage licenses, guardianships16Dorchester County Probate Courtdorchestercountysc.gov/… Estate Records6
Magistrate Courts (summary courts)——dorchestercountysc.gov/… Summary Court Docket search6

Criminal records and background checks

Summary
SLED CATCH name-based criminal record check, $25.0017

How South Carolina courts keep their files

Marriage records

Dorchester County Probate Court, Marriage License Division (the county that issued the license holds it after the ceremony)11

Marriage license fee
$75 application fee plus $2.40 online processing fee11
How to apply
Online only; license mailed to the applicant; 24-hour waiting period11
Certified copy fee
$11.50 per certified copy, ordered online (southcarolinaprobate.net, select 'Dorchester Marriage')11
Contact
[email protected]; (843) 563-0105 / (843) 832-010511
Ceremonies
The Probate Court does not perform marriage ceremonies11
Copies from the state
SC DPH Vital Records holds marriage records from July 1950 (the DPH page gives the end as December 2023 in one place and December 2018 in another); other years from the issuing Probate Court18

South Carolina marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Divorce decree: Dorchester County Clerk of Court (Family Court)12

South Carolina divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

State only: SC Department of Public Health Vital Records13

Ordering a South Carolina birth certificate

Death certificates

State only: SC Department of Public Health Vital Records (any office, any county)14

Ordering a South Carolina death certificate

Probate records and wills

Dorchester County Probate Court (Probate Judge); estate records search linked from the county site6

Finding a will or probate case in South Carolina

Voter records

Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration & Elections, 201 Johnston Street, St. George19

Historical records

ROD sends microfilm copies of land records to the South Carolina Archives as required by law4

Good to know about Dorchester County records

  • Dorchester issues marriage licenses online only and mails them to the couple11
  • Dorchester's Register of Deeds is an elected office (one of six SC counties with an elected ROD)20
  • Circuit Court sits in St. George while Family Court and the Summerville Magistrate sit at 212 Deming Way, Summerville10
  • The Assessor keeps a second office in Summerville (500 N. Main St.)5
  • The ROD runs a free recording fraud alert service4

Office addresses, phones and hours

Dorchester County Register of Deeds (ROD)

Address
201 Johnston Street, St. George, SC 294774
Mail
Dorchester County ROD, Post Office Box 38, St. George, SC 294774
Hours
Research 8:00 AM-5:00 PM; recording 8:30 AM-4:00 PM; Monday-Friday excluding holidays4

Dorchester County Clerk of Court (Circuit Court: General Sessions and Common Pleas; Family Court)

Address
5200 E Jim Bilton Blvd, St George, SC 29477-802010
Mail
5200 E. Jim Bilton Blvd., St. George, SC 2947721
Phone
(843) 563-0160 (Clerk of Court); Criminal Clerk (843) 563-0231; fax (843) 563-017821
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday, excluding holidays21

Dorchester County Clerk of Court (Common Pleas)

Address
5200 E Jim Bilton Blvd, St George, SC 29477-802010
Mail
5200 E. Jim Bilton Blvd., St. George, SC 2947721
Phone
(843) 563-0160 (Clerk of Court); Civil Clerk (843) 563-0108; fax (843) 563-017821
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday, excluding holidays21

Dorchester County Family Court (Clerk of Court)

Address
Dorchester Family Court Courthouse, 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 2948310
Mail
P.O. Box 1885, 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 2948322
Phone
(843) 832-0360 (Family Court); Clerk of Court main (843) 563-016022
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday, excluding holidays22

Dorchester County Probate Court

Address
5200 E. Jim Bilton Blvd, St. George, SC 29477 (mailing and office)9
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday, excluding holidays9

Dorchester County Treasurer's Office

Address
500 North Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483; 201 Johnston Street, Saint George, SC 294778
Mail
PO Box 834, Saint George, SC 294778
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm8

Dorchester County Assessor

Address
201 Johnston St., St. George, SC 29477; Summerville office 500 N. Main St., Summerville, SC 294835
Hours
8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday, excluding holidays5

Dorchester County Board of Voter Registration & Elections

Address
201 Johnston Street, St. George, SC 2947719

Dorchester County GIS (GIS Property Search)

Dorchester County Sheriff's Office

Address
Summerville Office & Mailing Address: 212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483; St. George Office: 101 Ridge St. Suite 1, St. George, SC 2947723
Phone
(843) 832-0300 (Summerville); (843) 563-0259 (St. George); Detention Center (843) 832-021523
Hours
Administrative office 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday, excluding holidays23

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
FOIA Coordinator, [email protected]; online portal dorchestercountysc.nextrequest.com; mail: Dorchester County, Att: FOIA Coordinator/ County Attorney's Office, 500 N. Main St., Summerville, SC 2948315

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Dorchester County?

The Dorchester County Register of Deeds (ROD) keeps deed records. To order copies: In person at the ROD research office (201 Johnston Street, St. George; 8:00 AM-5:00 PM) or by phone (843) 563-0181. Plain copies: $0.50 per page. Certified copies: $10.43

Where do I get a divorce decree in Dorchester County?

Divorce decree: Dorchester County Clerk of Court (Family Court).12

How much does a marriage license cost in Dorchester County?

$75 application fee plus $2.40 online processing fee.11

How do I look up who owns a property in Dorchester County?

Use the property search of the Dorchester County Assessor: dorchestercountysc.gov/…6

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

Other counties in South Carolina with a full guide: Aiken County, Anderson County, Beaufort County, Berkeley County, Charleston County, Cherokee County, Florence County, Greenville County, Horry County, Lancaster County, Lexington County, Oconee County, Pickens County, Richland County, Spartanburg County, Sumter County, York County. Every county in the state: South Carolina county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Property Deed SearchDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  3. Fee Schedule (Register of Deeds)Dorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  4. Register of Deeds (ROD)Dorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  5. AssessorDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  6. Dorchester County, SC websiteDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  7. Treasurer's OfficeDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  8. Dorchester County Treasurer's Office (Contact Us)Dorchester County Treasurerchecked November 7, 2026
  9. Probate CourtDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  10. Courthouse Search - Dorchester CountySouth Carolina Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Marriage License DivisionDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  12. Divorce ReportsSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  13. Birth CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  14. Death CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  15. FOIA Records Request | Dorchester County, SCDorchester Countychecked November 7, 2026
  16. Probate CourtSC Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  17. SLED CATCHSC Law Enforcement Divisionchecked November 4, 2026
  18. Marriage CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  19. County Voter Registration & Election OfficesSC Election Commissionchecked November 4, 2026
  20. Register of DeedsSC Judicial Branchchecked November 4, 2026
  21. Clerk of Court | Dorchester County, SCDorchester Countychecked November 7, 2026
  22. Family Court | Dorchester County, SCDorchester Countychecked November 7, 2026
  23. Sheriff's Office | Dorchester County, SCDorchester Countychecked November 7, 2026
  24. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026