Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
The Judicial Branch's Case Records Search gives free county-by-county access to trial court cases, each county register of deeds offers online land records, SLED's CATCH searches criminal records by name, and vital records are ordered from DPH Vital Records or a regional office.
Pay Any Required Fees
A South Carolina vital records search costs $12 and includes one certified copy, with additional copies $3 and $17 for expedited service; FOIA fees may not exceed actual cost.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records applicants show valid identification and proof of a qualifying relationship, and births open after 100 years and deaths after 50.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in South Carolina
Back to South Carolina Public Records
On This Page
State Directory
Popular Searches
Straight answers
South Carolina County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act, S.C. Code 30-4-10 and following, gives any person the right to inspect, copy or receive electronic copies of public records, and agencies must respond within 10 business days. Court records, register of deeds documents and assessor data are open. Birth certificates become public 100 years after the birth and death certificates 50 years after the death; newer ones go to the person named, immediate family and legal representatives. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A South Carolina vital records search costs $12 and includes one certified copy if the record is found, with additional copies $3 each; an expedited search with a turnaround of 10 business days or less is $17, and a special filing fee for amendments is $15. SLED's CATCH name-based criminal record search charges a fee per search, and under the FOIA agencies may charge no more than the actual cost of searching and copying.
Can I search county records online?
The South Carolina Judicial Branch's Case Records Search provides free county-by-county public access to trial court case records, and C-Track Public Access covers the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Each county register of deeds, Lexington and Horry among them, provides online search of deeds, mortgages and plats, and assessors post parcel data. SLED's CATCH system lets anyone view South Carolina criminal records by name, and vital records are ordered from DPH Vital Records or a regional office, not searched.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. South Carolina vital records applicants must show valid identification and, when not the person named, documentation of a qualifying relationship; the Department of Public Health lists acceptable IDs on its site and issues certificates to the registrant, parents, spouses, children, siblings and legal representatives.
How long does it take to receive records?
Average processing for a South Carolina birth certificate is 4 weeks, and any Vital Records office in the state can issue births from any county; the Richland County office no longer offers same-day amendments, and regional offices complete most in-person amendment requests within 1 to 2 business days. Case Records Search and register of deeds lookups are immediate.