Berkeley County Property Records
Berkeley County property records are maintained by the Register of Deeds at 300-B California Avenue in Moncks Corner. The Register of Deeds is an elected office serving a four-year term and is responsible for recording, indexing, and preserving all documents that affect real property in Berkeley County. The office records deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and other land instruments. Berkeley County is one of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina, located just north of Charleston. The Register of Deeds can be reached at (843) 719-4085.
Berkeley County Quick Facts
Berkeley County Register of Deeds
The Berkeley County Register of Deeds is designated by Section 30-5-10 of the South Carolina Code as the official recording office for real property documents in the county. Unlike some South Carolina counties where the Clerk of Court handles this function, Berkeley County maintains a dedicated Register of Deeds elected by voters to a four-year term. The office records all legal instruments affecting real property in Berkeley County and provides public access to the recorded documents.
The screenshot below is from the official Berkeley County Register of Deeds page, which provides information about the office's services and recording procedures.
The Register of Deeds page at berkeleycountysc.gov is the starting point for online searches and information on recording real property documents in Berkeley County.
| Office |
Berkeley County Register of Deeds 300-B California Avenue Moncks Corner, SC 29461 Phone: (843) 719-4085 |
|---|---|
| Website | berkeleycountysc.gov |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
Searching Berkeley County Property Records
Berkeley County provides online access to property records through the county website at berkeleycountysc.gov. The online system allows searches by grantor name, grantee name, and document type. Scanned images of recorded instruments are available for many documents in the system. This digital access means you can often find what you need without visiting the courthouse in Moncks Corner.
Berkeley County also maintains GIS mapping services that integrate property boundaries, ownership data, and parcel information. The GIS tools are accessible through the county website and can help you identify parcel numbers and locate properties on a map before searching for recorded documents. GIS and the Register of Deeds system work well together for complete property research.
The statewide SC Land Records portal provides an additional way to search Berkeley County property records online. This portal covers multiple South Carolina counties and indexes documents by party name and legal description. Use it as a cross-reference or as a starting point if you are unfamiliar with the county's own system.
For in-person searches, visit the Register of Deeds at 300-B California Avenue in Moncks Corner. Staff can assist with the index search and provide copies of recorded instruments. Bring a parcel number or prior deed reference to speed the search.
Berkeley County Property Documents Recorded
The Register of Deeds maintains a comprehensive collection of real property instruments for Berkeley County. Warranty deeds transfer ownership with full guarantees of title. Special warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds are also recorded frequently. Mortgages and deeds of trust secure lender interests in the property. Plats show the survey boundaries of parcels, subdivisions, and planned communities.
Additional document types in Berkeley County property records include:
- Releases and satisfactions of mortgages
- Assignments of mortgages to new lenders
- Easements and right-of-way grants
- Mechanic's liens and lis pendens notices
- Powers of attorney for real estate transactions
- UCC filings secured by real property
- Restrictive covenants and homeowner association documents
Every recorded instrument is indexed by grantor and grantee and assigned a book and page number as its permanent county identifier.
Recording Requirements and Fees in Berkeley County
Documents submitted to the Berkeley County Register of Deeds must meet the requirements of South Carolina law. Section 30-5-30 requires that every instrument be acknowledged before a notary public or proved by affidavit of a subscribing witness before it can be recorded. The document must bear original signatures. South Carolina real estate instruments typically require two witnesses in addition to the notarial acknowledgment.
Under Section 30-5-35, all deeds and mortgages must include a derivation clause explaining how the grantor received title, usually citing a prior deed by book and page number. The mailing address of the grantee or mortgagee must also appear on the instrument. Documents should have a clean three-inch top margin on the first page for the recording stamp.
Recording fees at the Berkeley County Register of Deeds are $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page for most documents. The state deed recording fee administered by the South Carolina Department of Revenue is $1.85 per $500 of stated property value. This fee is split between the state ($1.30) and the county ($0.55). The Register of Deeds collects and remits the state portion monthly through the MyDORWAY electronic filing system. Under Section 30-5-90, the Register of Deeds must record accepted instruments within 30 days of submission.
Berkeley County Property Assessment and ATI
The Berkeley County Assessor's Office appraises all real property in the county for ad valorem taxation purposes. The office maintains records of property ownership, physical characteristics, and assessed values. Assessment ratios under Title 12, Chapter 37 of the South Carolina Code are 4% for owner-occupied primary residences and qualifying agricultural land, and 6% for commercial property, rental property, and second homes. These ratios are applied to the property's fair market value to determine the assessed value used in the tax calculation.
The Assessor conducts a countywide reassessment every five years as required by state law. During the reassessment, all parcels in Berkeley County are reappraised to current fair market value as of December 31st of the year before implementation. Between reassessment cycles, Act 388 of 2006 caps taxable value increases at 15% for properties that do not transfer. When a qualifying sale or ownership transfer occurs, an Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI) results. The ATI causes the property to be reassessed at full market value for the tax year following the transfer.
Contact the Berkeley County Assessor's Office at berkeleycountysc.gov/dept/assessor for questions about current assessed values, special assessment applications, or the ATI process.
Historical Berkeley County Property Records
Berkeley County is one of the original counties established when South Carolina reorganized from the district system in 1868. The county takes its name from the colonial-era Berkeley County, one of the original three counties of the Carolina Province. The Register of Deeds holds land records from the county's current formation forward. Earlier records from the colonial and district periods are available through the state archives.
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History maintains historical property records for Berkeley County, including colonial plat books from 1731 to 1775 and state plat books from 1784 to 1868. These records document the original land grants issued in the Berkeley District and are essential for researching properties with long chains of title. The archives are located in Columbia and provide access to finding aids online.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch maintains court records related to property, including foreclosure proceedings in the Master-in-Equity court and probate estate records that may include real property transfers in Berkeley County.
South Carolina Land Records Portal and Berkeley County
The SC Land Records portal provides statewide access to indexed property records across South Carolina's 46 counties. For Berkeley County, the portal provides an additional search layer on top of the county's own online system. Searches return document types, recording dates, party names, and short legal descriptions for indexed instruments. This is a useful tool for title researchers and anyone who wants to confirm document coverage across both the county and state systems.
The image below is from the SC Judicial Branch website, which maintains court records including foreclosure proceedings and probate matters that affect property title in Berkeley County.
The SC Judicial Branch at sccourts.org provides public access to case information for Berkeley County court proceedings that may affect real property, including foreclosure actions and estate cases.
Berkeley County's position as part of the Charleston metropolitan area means it has a high volume of real estate transactions recorded annually. The combination of the county's online search system, GIS mapping, and the statewide SC Land Records portal provides researchers with multiple ways to access Berkeley County property records without needing to visit in person for routine inquiries.
Note: The South Carolina Association of Counties at scac.org provides resources on best practices for accessing county property records and understanding the role of the Register of Deeds in South Carolina's 46-county recording system.
Cities in Berkeley County
Berkeley County includes several growing communities in the Charleston metropolitan region. All property records for land within Berkeley County are filed with the Register of Deeds at 300-B California Avenue in Moncks Corner.
Goose Creek and parts of Summerville are within Berkeley County. All deed recordings and property documents for these areas are maintained at the Berkeley County Register of Deeds in Moncks Corner.
Nearby Counties
Berkeley County borders several South Carolina counties in the Lowcountry region. Property near a county line may have records filed in a neighboring county's recording office.