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Richland County, South Carolina public records

In Richland County, deeds are recorded by the Register of Deeds; property values come from the Assessor; court files are divided among the Clerk of Court, the Family Court and 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. Voter records
  11. Historical records
  12. Good to know about Richland 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 recordsRegister of Deeds4Search deeds2$0.25 per page copier/printouts; $0.51 per page instruments/microfilm; $0.78 per page plats3
Property values and ownersAssessor5Property search5—
Property tax billsTreasurer6Tax bill search7—
Court casesClerk of Court8
Family Court9
Probate Court10		—$10 official certificate under seal (statewide statute); county copy fees not published11
Marriage recordsProbate Court10—Certified copy fee: $8.00 per copy, online with debit or credit card; nonrefundable12
Divorce recordsFamily Court9——
Birth certificatesSC DPH Vital Records, Richland County office13——
Death certificatesSC DPH Vital Records, Richland County office13——
Probate and willsProbate Court10Search probate cases14Copies $.50 per page; search fee $3.00; issuing certified copies $5.00; exemplified/authenticated copies $20.0015

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Richland County are recorded by the Register of Deeds.4

Copy fee
$0.25 per page copier/printouts; $0.51 per page instruments/microfilm; $0.78 per page plats3
Certified copy fee
$10 certification of true copy3
Mail fee
$15 copy request by mail, includes certification; enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope3
Recording fee
Deed $15 plus tax of $3.70 per thousand ($2.60 state, $1.10 county)3
How to order
In person at the Judicial Center, 1701 Main Street, Room 101, or copies by mail ($15, with a self-addressed stamped envelope); staff cannot run searches for you4
Payment
Check or cash only; checks payable to Richland County Treasurer3

How deeds work in South Carolina

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Assessor sets property values5; the Treasurer bills and collects the tax6.

Auditor
Auditor creates tax notices: 2020 Hampton St., Ste. 2067, Columbia, SC 29204; 803-576-2600; [email protected]17
Appealing a value
Online appeal form at www7.richlandcountysc.gov/…; Board of Assessment Appeals hears appeals of the Assessor's valuations; questions 803-576-264018

How property tax works in South Carolina

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Circuit Court (Common Pleas and General Sessions)Civil (Common Pleas) and criminal (General Sessions) cases8Clerk of Court (Common Pleas, civil)—
Family CourtDivorce, child custody, child support, adoption and juvenile matters9Family Court (Clerk of Court)—
Magistrate (Summary) CourtSummary court; small claims up to $7,50019——
Probate CourtMarriage licenses, estates of deceased persons and related matters20Probate Court—
Fees
$10 official certificate under seal (statewide statute); county copy fees not published11

Criminal records and background checks

Which court
General Sessions records (warrants, indictments, sentence sheets, bond papers) at Criminal Records, 4th floor, 1701 Main Street, by mail or in person; the Clerk does not hold magistrate-court records or do certified record checks21
State repository
SLED CATCH, catch.sled.sc.gov22
Custody
www7.richlandcountysc.gov/… (Detainee Public Information; redirects to jail.richlandcountysc.gov)23

How South Carolina courts keep their files

Marriage records

Probate judge issues in Richland County24

Marriage license fee
$45.24, online only, debit/credit card only; 24-hour waiting period25
Certified copy fee
$8.00 per copy, online with debit or credit card; nonrefundable12
How to order
Online request; processed within 2 business days and mailed12
Copies from the state
SC DPH holds July 1950 to December 2023; otherwise the issuing Probate Court26
Contact
[email protected]; 803-576-196327

South Carolina marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Decree from the Clerk of Court in the county where filed; DPH does not hold decrees28

Contact
Family Court, 803-576-33209

South Carolina divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

State only: SC DPH Vital Records, births since 191529

Ordering a South Carolina birth certificate

Death certificates

State: any SC DPH Vital Records office, any county30

Ordering a South Carolina death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Probate Court.10

Years online
Estates filed after 1983; earlier at the Probate Court, 1701 Main Street14
Coverage
Estate records from 1900 to present: 1900-1982 on microfilm; 1983 to present scanned and viewable on the public computers31
Copy fee
Copies $.50 per page; search fee $3.00; issuing certified copies $5.00; exemplified/authenticated copies $20.0015
By mail
Request by mail with a $3.00 search fee; a bill letter is then emailed for the copies31
Confidential
Estate records are open to the public31
Online subscription
Online estate records by subscription (day, week, month or year); probate access needs court approval31

Finding a will or probate case in South Carolina

Voter records

Kept by the Board of Voter Registration & Elections.32

Access
Lists sold only to registered South Carolina voters33

Historical records

State archives
SC Department of Archives and History, Research Room34
Probate estates
Probate estate records from 1900 at the Probate Court31

Good to know about Richland County records

  • RMC became Register of Deeds on January 1, 1998; older records may say Register of Mesne Conveyances.35
  • Richland's Register of Deeds is appointed, per the SC state association page, which counts 23 counties with a separate office. The county's own page says 15 of 46; the state figure is used.36
  • Carved out of the Camden District in 1785.37
  • The county history page notes Sherman's burning of Columbia in 1865; it does not state what happened to county records.37
  • The DPH Richland County office is the former State Office and the only place accepting drop-offs.30

Office addresses, phones and hours

Register of Deeds

Address
Richland County Judicial Center, 1701 Main St., Room 101, Columbia, SC 292014
Mail
Richland County Register of Deeds, P.O. Box 192, Columbia, SC 292024
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.4

Assessor

Address
2020 Hampton St., Ste. 2058, Columbia, SC 292045
Mail
P.O. Box 192, Columbia, SC 292025
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.5

Treasurer

Address
2020 Hampton St., Columbia, SC 29204 (Richland County Administration Building)7
Mail
Richland County Treasurer, P.O. Box 11947, Columbia, SC 292117
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.6

Clerk of Court (General Sessions, criminal)

Address
1701 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201 (Criminal Records department, 4th floor)21
Mail
Richland County Clerk of Court, Attn: Criminal Records, P.O. Box 2766, Columbia, SC 2920221
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.21

Clerk of Court (Common Pleas, civil)

Address
Richland County Judicial Center, 1701 Main St., Room 205, Columbia, SC 292018
Mail
P.O. Box 2766, Columbia, SC 292028
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.8

Family Court (Clerk of Court)

Address
1701 Main St., 1st Floor West Wing, Columbia, SC 292019
Mail
Richland County Family Court, P.O. Box 192, Columbia, SC 292029

Probate Court

Address
1701 Main St., 2nd Floor, Ste. 207, Columbia, SC 2920110
Mail
P.O. Box 288, Columbia, SC 2920110
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.10

Richland County Sheriff's Department

Website
rcsd.net38

SC DPH Vital Records, Richland County office

Address
2600 Bull St.13

Board of Voter Registration & Elections

Address
300 Columbia Mall Boulevard, Suite 210, Columbia, SC 2922339
Mail
Post Office Box 192, Columbia, SC 2920239
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.32

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
Richland County Ombudsman; 803-929-6000; fax 803-929-6009; [email protected]40
Fees
Search, email-search programming, public inspection and redaction at the gross hourly rate of the lowest paid qualified employee; off-site record retrieval $25; deposit up to 25 percent may be required40

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

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

The Register of Deeds keeps deed records. To order copies: In person at the Judicial Center, 1701 Main Street, Room 101, or copies by mail ($15, with a self-addressed stamped envelope); staff cannot run searches for you. Plain copies: $0.25 per page copier/printouts; $0.51 per page instruments/microfilm; $0.78 per page plats. Certified copies: $10 certification of true copy.43

Where do I get a divorce decree in Richland County?

Decree from the Clerk of Court in the county where filed; DPH does not hold decrees.28

How much does a marriage license cost in Richland County?

$45.24, online only, debit/credit card only; 24-hour waiting period.25

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

Use the property search of the Assessor: property.spatialest.com/sc/richland5

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 Richland 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, Dorchester County, Florence County, Greenville County, Horry County, Lancaster County, Lexington County, Oconee County, Pickens County, Spartanburg County, Sumter County, York County. Every county in the state: South Carolina county list. Looking for another Richland County? Richland County, Ohio.

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. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. Subscription Data ServicesRichland County, South Carolina
  3. Register of Deeds: Recording FeesRichland County, South Carolina
  4. Register of DeedsRichland County, South Carolina
  5. AssessorRichland County, South Carolina
  6. TreasurerRichland County, South Carolina
  7. Pay TaxesRichland County, South Carolina
  8. Common PleasRichland County, South Carolina
  9. Family CourtRichland County, South Carolina
  10. Probate CourtRichland County, South Carolina
  11. SC Code Title 8 Chapter 21, Fees and CostsSC Legislature
  12. Certified Copy Request For A Marriage LicenseRichland County, South Carolina
  13. Vital Records Office LocationsSC Department of Public Health
  14. Estate InquiryRichland County, South Carolina
  15. Probate Court: Estates (filing and additional fees)Richland County, South Carolina
  16. Geographic Information SystemsRichland County, South Carolina
  17. AuditorRichland County, South Carolina
  18. Assessor appeal applicationRichland County, South Carolina
  19. MagistratesRichland County, South Carolina
  20. Probate CourtSC Judicial Branch
  21. General SessionsRichland County, South Carolina
  22. SLED CATCHSC Law Enforcement Division
  23. Detention CenterRichland County, South Carolina
  24. SC Code Title 20 Chapter 1, MarriageSC Legislature
  25. Probate Court: MarriageRichland County, South Carolina
  26. Marriage CertificatesSC Department of Public Health
  27. Probate Court: Marriage LicensesRichland County, South Carolina
  28. Divorce ReportsSC Department of Public Health
  29. Birth CertificatesSC Department of Public Health
  30. Death CertificatesSC Department of Public Health
  31. Probate Court: Estate RecordsRichland County, South Carolina
  32. Voter Registration and ElectionsRichland County, South Carolina
  33. Sale of Voter Registration ListsSC Election Commission
  34. Research and GenealogySC Department of Archives and History
  35. Register of Deeds (former page, now redirected)Richland County, South Carolina
  36. Register of DeedsSC Judicial Branch
  37. About Richland CountyRichland County, South Carolina
  38. Richland County home pageRichland County, South Carolina
  39. County Voter Registration & Election OfficesSC Election Commission
  40. Public Records (FOIA)Richland County, South Carolina
  41. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau