South Carolina Land Records Quick Links: About South Carolina Land Records State/Regional BLM Office Locations South Carolina State Historical Society County Courthouse Directory Find County Records with Net Detective!

Map of South Carolina

South Carolina is a state-land state. Lands were generally acquired from the state/colony or from other individuals. Petitions for land are found at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Records of the Grand Council, 1671–1692 (two volumes) and Records of His Majesty's Council (twenty-seven volumes), which cover the entire colonial period. These twenty nine volumes are in chronological order but are unindexed; thus, the precept date is required to locate the petition. See also Alexander S. Salley, Jr., and R. N. Olsberg, eds., Warrants for Land in South Carolina, 1672–1721 (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1977), and Alexander S. Salley, Jr., Records of the Secretary of the Province and the Register of the Province of South Carolina, 1671–1675 (Columbia: Historical Commission of South Carolina, 1944).

Recorded plats also contain important information, including the precept date necessary to locate the original petition. They are indexed in the "Combined Alphabetical Index" located at the state archives.

Another important land record is the memorial. From 1731 through 1775, those who had obtained land were tasked with preparing a memorial attesting to the location, quantity, names of adjacent land owners, and the boundaries of the land. Memorials also included a chain of title, often from the original patentee to the current owner.

Original memorials are located at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and are indexed in the "Combined Alphabetical Index." Some have been microfilmed and are available at the FHL.
Lands were transacted between individuals through deeds, often called mesne conveyances, or conveyances in South Carolina, and are recorded in the office of the Register of Mesne Conveyance.

Original records are found in each county's clerk of court office, and microfilmed copies of most pre-1865 records are available at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the FHL.

Eastern States Office
Bureau of Land Management
7450 Boston Blvd.
Springfield, VA 22153
Tel: (703) 440-1600
FAX: (703) 440-1599

South Carolina Historical Society
Fireproof Building
100 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401
(803) 723-3225
URL: http://www.historic.com/schs/index.html

South Carolina Historical Association
Francis Marion College
Florence, SC 29501

Confederation of South Carolina Local Historical Society
1430 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 734-8577

Abbeville County
Abbeville County Clerk
P.O. Box 99
Abbeville, SC 29620
Telephone: (864) 459-5074

Aiken County
Aiken County Clerk
P.O. Box 583
Aiken, SC 29802-0583
Telephone: (803) 642-2001

Allendale County
Allendale County Clerk
P.O. Box 126
Allendale, SC 29810-0126
Telephone: (803) 584-2737

Anderson County
Anderson County Health Dept.
220 MeGee Rd.
Anderson, SC 29625
Telephone: (864) 260-5667

Bamberg County
Bamberg County Clerk
P.O. Box 150
Bamberg, SC 29003-0150
Telephone: (803) 245-2025

Barnwell County
Barnwell County Clerk
P.O. Box 723
Barnwell, SC 29812-0723
Telephone: (803) 541-1031

Beaufort County
Beaufort County Clerk
P.O. Box 1083
Beaufort, SC 29901
Telephone: (843) 525-7300

Berkeley County
Berkeley County Clerk
223 North Live Oak Drive
Moncks Corner, SC 29461-2331
Telephone: (843) 761-6900

Calhoun County
Calhoun County Clerk
302 South Railroad Avenue
St. Matthews, SC 29135-1452
Telephone: (803) 874-3524

Charleston County
Charleston County Clerk
4050 Bridgeview Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405
Telephone: (843) 740-0801

Cherokee County
Cherokee County Clerk
P.O. Box 866
Gaffney, SC 26342
Telephone: (864) 487-2562

Chester County
Chester County Clerk
P.O. Drawer 580
Chester, SC 29706-0580
Telephone: (803) 385-2605

Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County Clerk
P.O. Box 529
Chesterfield, SC 29709-0529
Telephone: (803) 623-2574

Clarendon County
Clarendon County Clerk
P.O. Box E
Manning, SC 29102-0136
Telephone: (803) 435-4444

Colleton County
Colleton County Clerk
P.O. Box 620
Walterboro, SC 29488-0620
Telephone: (843) 549-5791

Darlington County
Darlington County Clerk
Courthouse
Darlington, SC 29532-3213
Telephone: (803) 393-3836

Dillon County
Dillon County Clerk
P.O. Box 1220
Dillon, SC 29536-1220
Telephone: (803) 774-5611

Dorchester County
Dorchester County Clerk
101 Ridge St.
Saint George, SC 29477-2443
Telephone: (843) 563-5100

Edgefield County
Edgefield County Clerk
215 Jeter Street
Edgefield, SC 29824-1133
Telephone: (803) 637-5781

Fairfield County
Fairfield County Clerk
P.O. Drawer 236
Winnsboro, SC 29180-0236
Telephone: (803) 635-1411

Florence County
Florence County Clerk
180 N. Irby St. MSC-L
Florence, SC 29501-3456
Telephone: (843) 665-3031

Georgetown County
Georgetown County Clerk
715 Prince St., P.O. Box 1270
Georgetown, SC 29440-3631
Telephone: (843) 546-5011

Greenville County
Greenville County Clerk
301 University Ridge, Suite 1200
Greenville, SC 29601
Telephone: (803) 467-7170

Greenwood County
Greenwood County Clerk
528 Monument
Greenwood, SC 29646-2643
Telephone: (864) 229-6622

Hampton County
Hampton County Clerk
P.O. Box 7
Hampton, SC 29924-0007
Telephone: (803) 943-7510 or (803) 943-7513

Horry County
Horry County Clerk
P.O. Box 288
Conway, SC 29528-0288
Telephone: (843) 248-1200

Jasper County
Jasper County Clerk
P.O. Box 248
Ridgeland, SC 29936-0248
Telephone: (843) 726-8832

Kershaw County
Kershaw County Clerk
1121 Broad St., Room 302
Camden, SC 29020
Telephone: (803) 425-1527

Lancaster County
Lancaster County Clerk
P.O. Box 1809
Lancaster, SC 29720
Telephone: (803) 285-1581

Laurens County
Laurens County Clerk
P.O. Box 287
Laurens, SC 29360-0287
Telephone: (864) 984-3538

Lee County
Lee County Clerk
P.O. Box 387
Bishopville, SC 29010
Telephone: (803) 484-5341

Lexington County
Lexington County Clerk
139 E. Main St., Room 110
Lexington, SC 29072-3488
Telephone: (803) 359-8324

Marion County
Marion County Clerk
P.O. Box 295
Marion, SC 29571-0295
Telephone: (843) 423-6500

Marlboro County
Marlboro County Clerk
P.O. Drawer 996
Bennettsville, SC 29512-0996
Telephone: (843) 479-8391

McCormick County
McCormick County Clerk
133 S. Mine St., P.O. Box 86
McCormick, SC 29835
Telephone: (803) 465-2195

Newberry County
Newberry County Clerk
P.O. Box 278
Newberry, SC 29108-0278
Telephone: (803) 276-3494

Oconee County
Oconee County Clerk
P.O. Box 158
Walhalla, SC 29691-0158
Telephone: (864) 638-4280

Orangeburg County
Orangeburg County Clerk
P.O. Box 100
Orangeburg, SC 29116-0100
Telephone: (803) 533-1000

Pickens County
Pickens County Clerk
P.O. Box 215
Pickens, SC 29671-0215

Richland County
Richland County Clerk
1701 Main St., P.O. Box 192
Columbia, SC 29202-2833
Telephone: (803) 748-4684

Saluda County
Saluda County Clerk
Courthouse Square
Saluda, SC 29138-1444
Telephone: (864) 445-3303

Spartanburg County
Spartanburg County Clerk
180 Magnolia St.
Spartanburg, SC 29306
Telephone: (864) 596-2556

Sumter County
Sumter County Clerk
141 N. Main St.
Sumter, SC 29150-4965
Telephone: (803) 773-1581

Union County
Union County Clerk
P.O. Box G
Union, SC 29379-0200
Telephone: (864) 427-0391

Williamsburg County
Williamsburg County Clerk
203 North Brooks
Kingstree, SC 29556
Telephone: (843) 354-6012

York County
York County Clerk
P.O. Box 649
York, SC 29745-0649
Telephone: (803) 684-8505