Carolina Forest Property Records Access
Carolina Forest property records are maintained by the Horry County Register of Deeds. Carolina Forest is an unincorporated community in Horry County near Myrtle Beach with about 25,000 residents. Because Carolina Forest is unincorporated, there is no separate town or city government. All property records for Carolina Forest, including deeds, mortgages, plats, and liens, are recorded and held exclusively at the Horry County level. Horry County handles all government services for this community, including property recording, assessment, planning, and zoning. This page explains where to find Carolina Forest property records, what kinds of documents exist, how property is assessed, and how the recording process works.
Carolina Forest Quick Facts
Horry County as the Record Keeper for Carolina Forest
Carolina Forest is an unincorporated community. It has no separate municipal government, no city hall, and no independent recording office. All property records for Carolina Forest are maintained by Horry County. The Horry County Register of Deeds is the official repository for all real property instruments in this area. Horry County is named in S.C. Code Ann. § 30-5-10 as one of the counties required to maintain a separate Register of Deeds office.
The Horry County Register of Deeds records all instruments affecting title to real property within the county, including Carolina Forest properties. Under § 30-5-90, each instrument is recorded in the order received, creating a chronological and indexed public record. The Horry County departments page at horrycounty.org/departments provides access to all county services, including planning, zoning, and property records relevant to Carolina Forest.
| Recording Office | Horry County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Online Search | Horry County government site at horrycounty.org/departments |
| County Services | horrycounty.org/departments |
| SC Land Records | sclandrecords.com |
Note: Because Carolina Forest is unincorporated, there is no city-level permit or zoning office. All land use, planning, zoning, and building permit questions for Carolina Forest properties go through Horry County directly.
Searching Carolina Forest Deeds Online
The Horry County Register of Deeds provides online access to property records through the Horry County government site at horrycounty.org/departments. This portal allows researchers to search by grantor name, grantee name, document type, and date range. Index results include the party names, recording date, document type, and instrument reference number. Document images are available for most recorded instruments, allowing researchers to view deed text and plat descriptions for Carolina Forest properties without visiting the office.
The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com also provides access to Horry County's recorded document index and is a useful tool when researching across multiple South Carolina counties. Both portals draw from the same underlying data held at the Horry County Register of Deeds.
The South Carolina Association of Counties at scac.org provides guidance on how county recording offices across the state operate, including how Horry County handles documents for unincorporated communities like Carolina Forest.
The SC Association of Counties outlines the role of county recording offices statewide, including Horry County's responsibility for all Carolina Forest property instruments.
Property Document Types in Carolina Forest
The Horry County Register of Deeds holds all standard real property instruments for Carolina Forest. Warranty deeds transfer title with the seller's guarantee that the title is clear. These are used in most home sales throughout Carolina Forest's planned communities and subdivisions. Quitclaim deeds convey whatever interest the grantor holds without warranty and are used for family transfers, divorce settlements, and related matters. Both deed types require acknowledgment before a notary or competent officer as required by S.C. Code Ann. § 30-5-30.
Carolina Forest is a planned residential community that contains numerous subdivisions, master-planned neighborhoods, and homeowners associations. This generates a significant volume of plats, restrictive covenants, HOA declarations, and easement documents in the Horry County deed records. Mortgages and deeds of trust are recorded for all financed purchases. Satisfactions of mortgage are recorded when loans are paid off. Mechanics liens, judgment liens, and releases are all part of the property record system.
Common documents found in Carolina Forest property records include:
- Warranty deeds and special warranty deeds
- Quitclaim deeds for family and estate transfers
- Mortgages, deeds of trust, and satisfactions
- Subdivision plats showing lot boundaries and streets
- Homeowners association declarations and covenants
- Easements for utilities, drainage, and access
- Mechanics liens and releases
Property Assessment for Carolina Forest
The Horry County Assessor determines the fair market value of all real property in Carolina Forest. South Carolina law under S.C. Code Ann. § 12-37 sets the assessment ratios used to calculate taxable value. Owner-occupied homes are assessed at 4% of fair market value when the legal residence exemption is applied. All other residential and commercial property is assessed at 6%.
Many Carolina Forest properties are primary residences for year-round families. Homeowners who use their property as a primary residence should apply for the 4% legal residence exemption with the Horry County Assessor. The exemption reduces the taxable portion of the property's value and lowers the annual tax bill. The application is not automatic and must be submitted by the owner.
Act 388 and the Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI) rule affect Carolina Forest properties the same way they affect all South Carolina real estate. When a property sells, it is reassessed at full fair market value for the following tax year. Between sales, assessed values are capped at a 15% increase over each five-year reassessment cycle. Buyers should account for potential tax increases if the prior owner's assessment was well below the purchase price.
South Carolina Code Title 12 sets the assessment ratios and reassessment cycles that govern property taxes for all Carolina Forest homeowners and property owners.
Recording Documents for Carolina Forest Properties
Instruments affecting Carolina Forest real estate must be submitted to the Horry County Register of Deeds. Documents must be properly acknowledged before a notary or authorized officer as required by S.C. Code Ann. § 30-5-30. Deeds must include a derivation clause and the grantee's mailing address under § 30-5-35. All documents must be legible and include a "Return to" name and address so the original can be returned after recording.
The state deed recording fee applies to all taxable transfers in Carolina Forest. The fee is $1.85 per $500 of consideration, or fraction thereof, on transfers above $100. Details on the fee structure, exemptions, and the calculation method are at dor.sc.gov/tax-index/deed-recording-fee. The county collects the fee and remits the state's portion through the MyDORWAY electronic system by the 20th of the following month. After recording, the original document is returned to the "Return to" address provided.
Historical Records and State Resources
Carolina Forest developed primarily in the late 1990s and 2000s as a planned residential community, so its property records are largely modern. The Horry County Register of Deeds holds all recorded instruments for the area. The SC Land Records portal and the county's own online system cover the full range of recorded documents for Carolina Forest properties.
For the broader Horry County historical record, including older land grants and early deed records, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov maintains colonial plat books and state land grant records. The state archives also note that Horry County is among the border counties subject to the 2017 South Carolina-North Carolina boundary clarification under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-5-270, though this is unlikely to affect most Carolina Forest parcels given their location well within county boundaries.
The SC Land Records statewide portal gives researchers online access to Horry County's deed index, covering Carolina Forest and all other Horry County communities.
Horry County Property Records
Carolina Forest is an unincorporated community in Horry County. All property records for this area are maintained exclusively at the Horry County Register of Deeds. For a full county overview including the recording office, fees, assessor information, and all related resources, visit the Horry County property records page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Property records for nearby communities are held at the county level. Choose a city to find out more about its property record resources.