Responsibilities
The Register of Deeds Office records land titles, liens and other documents related to property transactions in Charleston County. The ROD, an elected official, must assure that all recorded documents comply with the requirements of federal and state recording statutes and are available for public review.
Contact
Register of Deeds
O.T. Wallace County Office Building
101 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401
Mailing Address
101 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401
Suite 200Phone: (843) 958-4800
Fax: (843) 958-4803
Office Hours: M – F | 8:30AM – 5PM
We do not record documents after 4:30PM
Functions
Document Archival, Plat Maintenance, Public Records Maintenance, Real Property Transaction Recording:
- File, index and record deeds, mortgages and miscellaneous property-related records and plats in a variety of formats (including microfilm, digital imaging, hard copy and computer data storage)
- Record and index financing statements, state and federal tax liens
- Provide copies of deeds and plats for a fee
- Collect a recording fee based on all documents recorded
- Offer on-site information and instructions on how to use record books and microfilm
- Provide certified true copies of any documents on record in the ROD Office (such as mortgages, powers of attorney or plats)
Deeds, Mortgages & Misc.
Plats
UCC/State/Federal Liens
History
- 2023 to Present:
- Karen Hollings
- 2019 to 2023:
- Michael Miller
- 2017 to 2018:
- Elaine Bozman*
- 1994 to 2017:
- Charlie Lybrand
- 1978 to 1994:
- Robert N. King
- 1956 to 1978:
- Arthur H. Burton
- 1893 to 1956:
- Julius Elisha Cogswell
- 1877 to 1893:
- Charles Kerrison Jr.
*Appointed
Interesting Facts
- In Fiscal Year 1996, the Register of Deeds office recorded over 81,000 documents.
- The Register of Deeds has record books dating back to 1719.
- If going back to 1719 isn’t sufficient, the earliest conveyances can be obtained from the archives in Columbia Conveyance Books series, 1673-1719.
- The original documents and microfilm copies can be viewed in the Register of Deeds History Room, which is located on the second floor of the County Office Building (located at 101 Meeting St, Suite 200).
- Local attorneys use the Register of Deeds Office for student instruction on conducting title searches.
- The longest serving register is Julius Elisha Cogswell who served from 1893 through 1956 (63 years).
Common Terms
- Abstract
- See Title Search below.
- Conveyance
- The transfer of title to real property from one person to another.
- Deed
- A legal instrument or document used to transfer property to a new owner. A deed names ownership and details a description of the property, previous owners and type of deed, whether it is a tax deed, quitclaim, warrantee deed or other.
- Mechanic's Lien
- The record of a contractor's claim against property to secure payment of debt for materials or labor.
- Mesne
- Middle or intervening.
- PID Number (Parcel Identification Number)
- Also known as a TMS, it is a reference number containing information necessary to identify and locate a particular property parcel.
- Plat
- A scale-sized drawing of parcels or lots of land. Created by a surveyor, a plat defines a property's size and boundaries.
- Restrictive Covenants
- Specific rules that pertain to a particular property.
- Title Search
- Also known as an abstract, it is a comprehensive research process which analyzes property status information, including ownership, liens, deeds, mortgages and history.
- TMS Number (Tax Map Sequence Number)
- Also know as a PID, it is a reference number containing information necessary to identify and locate a particular property parcel.
Forms & Fees
The forms provided below are a few examples of documents filed in our office. Our office DOES NOT assist in or provide advice for the execution of these forms. If you are not sure how to properly execute the form, you should seek legal advice.
Forms listed below are in a PDF format. If you cannot view the PDF files, you will need to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader for FREE.
Charleston County
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Charleston County Government
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