Find Property Records in North Charleston

North Charleston property records are primarily maintained by the Charleston County Register of Deeds. North Charleston is the third largest city in South Carolina, with about 115,000 residents. The city spans portions of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties. Most North Charleston properties fall in Charleston County, where the Register of Deeds holds all deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and easements for those parcels. Knowing which county your North Charleston property is in is the first step to finding the correct records.

Where to Find North Charleston Property Records

The Charleston County Register of Deeds is the primary recording office for North Charleston property records. The office maintains all real estate instruments for the Charleston County portion of the city. It is located in downtown Charleston and is open to the public during regular business hours. Staff can search records by owner name, parcel identification number, or street address.

North Charleston also extends into Berkeley and Dorchester counties. Properties in the Berkeley County portion of North Charleston are recorded at the Berkeley County Register of Deeds, 300-B California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461. Properties in the Dorchester County portion are recorded at the Dorchester County Register of Deeds in St. George. If you are not sure which county your North Charleston property falls in, check the parcel number or contact the City of North Charleston directly.

The City of North Charleston maintains its own planning and development records at northcharleston.org. Building permits, zoning decisions, code enforcement records, and subdivision approvals for properties within the city limits are available through the city government.

The City of North Charleston site provides contact information for the planning department, permit history lookups, and zoning maps for North Charleston properties. These city records complement the deed records held at the county register of deeds offices.

Searching North Charleston Property Records Online

For the Charleston County portion of North Charleston, the online search system at sc-charleston.publicaccessnow.com gives free public access to property records. You can search by owner name, parcel identification number (PIN), street address, or mailing address. When searching by PIN, enter the number without dashes or spaces. The system returns owner name, property address, legal description, assessed value, tax district, and links to recorded document images.

The statewide SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com covers Charleston County and allows searches by party name or legal description. This is a useful tool if you are not sure in which county a specific North Charleston parcel is recorded. The portal indexes all three counties that serve portions of North Charleston: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester.

Note: The Berkeley County and Dorchester County online systems have separate search tools. Check each county's website if you suspect a North Charleston property may be recorded outside of Charleston County. The county boundaries are not always obvious from street addresses alone.

Types of Property Records in North Charleston

County recording offices hold several types of documents for North Charleston properties. Each document type affects title, ownership, or use of the property. Understanding what is filed helps when researching a specific parcel.

Warranty deeds convey ownership with full title guarantees from seller to buyer. Quitclaim deeds transfer ownership without warranties and are often used in family transfers or to resolve title questions. Mortgages and deeds of trust secure financing on North Charleston properties. Subdivision plats establish the legal lot boundaries for residential and commercial developments. Mechanic's and materialman's liens attach to property when contractors or suppliers are not paid. Federal and state tax liens can also attach to North Charleston real estate when tax debts remain unpaid. Easements grant utilities, neighbors, or the public the right to use portions of a parcel. All of these instruments are recorded at the appropriate county office and are part of the public record.

Note: Under Section 30-5-90 of South Carolina law, the Register of Deeds must record all instruments in the order received and complete recording within thirty days of submission. Documents for North Charleston properties are generally processed quickly after submission to the correct county office.

Property Assessment in North Charleston

Property assessments for North Charleston depend on which county the parcel is in. The Charleston County Assessor handles properties in the Charleston County portion of the city. The Berkeley and Dorchester county assessors handle properties in those respective parts of North Charleston. South Carolina law under Title 12, Chapter 37 governs assessments statewide.

Assessment ratios are uniform across all South Carolina counties. Owner-occupied residences are assessed at 4% of fair market value. Commercial buildings, investment properties, and second homes are assessed at 6%. These ratios apply whether the North Charleston property is in Charleston, Berkeley, or Dorchester County. Counties must complete a full reassessment every five years.

Act 388, passed in 2006, created a 15% cap on taxable value increases between reassessment cycles for North Charleston properties that have not changed hands. This cap protects long-term owners from sharp tax increases. When a North Charleston property is sold or transferred, the Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI) rule triggers a full fair market value reassessment for the following tax year. New buyers should expect their assessment to reflect the purchase price in the year after closing.

Recording Requirements for North Charleston Properties

Deeds and other instruments for North Charleston properties must be recorded at the appropriate county register of deeds office to be valid against third parties. South Carolina Title 30, Chapter 5 sets the recording requirements that apply to all counties, including the three that serve portions of North Charleston.

Every deed must be properly acknowledged under Section 30-5-30 before recording. Acknowledgment before a notary public satisfies this requirement in most cases. Deeds executed after July 1, 1976, must include a derivation clause under Section 30-5-35 identifying the source of the grantor's title. The deed must also state the grantee's mailing address. Documents not meeting these standards will be returned by the recording office.

The deed recording fee applies to all North Charleston property transfers and is calculated under the schedule set by the South Carolina Department of Revenue. The fee is $1.85 for each $500 of value, or fraction thereof, over the first $100. The state receives $1.30 and the county receives $0.55 of each $500 increment. This fee is collected at the time of recording regardless of which of the three counties serves the North Charleston property being transferred.

Historical Property Records in North Charleston

North Charleston was incorporated as a city in 1978, but the land it covers has much older property records. The area was part of unincorporated Charleston County for most of its history. Records for North Charleston parcels in the Charleston County portion date back to the county's founding in 1719. Historical deed research for these properties follows the same process used for historic Charleston properties: surname-indexed records for earlier periods, geographic indexing for more recent documents.

The Charleston County Public Library's South Carolina Room at 68 Calhoun Street in Charleston holds city directories, historic maps, and tax records that cover what is now the North Charleston area. Researchers working on older properties can access these materials during library hours. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov holds state land grants and early plat books that cover portions of what is now North Charleston.

The SC Department of Archives and History maintains Colonial Plat Books (1731-1775) and State Plat Books (1784-1868) that document original land grants in the North Charleston area. For research on properties with very old histories, these archives are an essential resource that predates county-level recording systems.

South Carolina Land Records Portal

The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com is a free statewide search tool that covers all three counties serving North Charleston: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. You can search by party name or legal description across all counties at once. This makes the portal especially useful for North Charleston research, since properties in the city may be in any of the three counties.

Results from the portal include the names of all parties to a document, a short legal description, and a link to the document image in the county system. No registration or fee is required to use the portal. The portal is maintained with the cooperation of county recording offices and the SC Register of Deeds Association.

Note: The SC Land Records portal provides index-level access. For certified copies of recorded documents, contact the appropriate county register of deeds directly. For North Charleston properties in Charleston County, call (843) 958-4800.

Charleston County Property Records

The majority of North Charleston lies within Charleston County. Most North Charleston property records are filed at the Charleston County Register of Deeds. For the full county-level guide including recording requirements, fee schedules, assessor information, and all county resources, visit the Charleston County property records page.

View Charleston County Property Records

Nearby South Carolina Cities

Nearby cities use their own county recording offices for property records. Select a city below to find the right resources for that area.

View Major South Carolina Cities