Colleton County Land Records and Deeds
Colleton County property records are maintained by the Register of Deeds in Walterboro, South Carolina. The Register of Deeds is an appointed office that records and preserves all deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and other instruments affecting real property in the county. Walterboro is the county seat, and the office provides both in-person and online access to Colleton County property records. The county's online system separates records into two time periods: documents recorded before August 1986 and those recorded after that date. Knowing which period applies to your search makes it much easier to find what you need in the Colleton County land records system.
Colleton County Quick Facts
Colleton County Register of Deeds
The Colleton County Register of Deeds is an appointed position under the county governing body. Under Section 30-5-10, Colleton County is among the South Carolina counties that maintain a separate Register of Deeds. The office in Walterboro is the official keeper of all recorded real property instruments in Colleton County. It records deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, satisfaction pieces, easements, and other conveyances.
The Colleton County website at colletoncounty.org provides access to Register of Deeds information and links to the county's land records search system.
The Colleton County website at colletoncounty.org provides access to Register of Deeds information and links to the county's land records search system.
Documents submitted for recording are checked for compliance with state formatting and acknowledgment standards. Once accepted, each document receives a book and page number, is scanned into the digital system, and is indexed by the names of the parties. The recording fee is $15 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. The deed recording fee for real estate transfers is $1.85 per $500 of property value as set by the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
| Office |
Colleton County Register of Deeds P.O. Box 99 Walterboro, SC 29488 Phone: (843) 549-7232 |
|---|---|
| Website | colletoncounty.org |
| Land Records Search | colletoncounty.org/ROD-Record-Options |
| Recording Fee | $15.00 first page; $5.00 each additional page |
| Deed Recording Fee | $1.85 per $500 of property value |
Online Land Records Search
Colleton County provides online access to land records through two separate systems depending on when the document was recorded. The dividing line is August 1986. Records from before that date are accessed through scanned deed books, deed indices, mortgage books, and mortgage indices. Records from after August 1986 are available through the colletondeeds.com searchable database. Understanding this split is the key to finding records efficiently in the Colleton County system.
The Colleton County ROD Record Options page provides access to both the pre-1986 scanned deed books and the post-1986 searchable database for online land records research.
The Colleton County ROD Record Options page at colletoncounty.org/ROD-Record-Options provides access to both the pre-1986 scanned records and the post-1986 searchable database.
For pre-August 1986 records, the county provides scanned deed books and deed indices, scanned mortgage books and mortgage indices, and pre-1986 plats. Each of these is accessed through a separate button on the ROD Record Options page. When searching pre-1986 records by name, you must clear the date fields before running the search. The name search and book/page search functions are separate, and you must use the correct search button for the section you are using. Some older mortgage books have not yet been scanned. If a book number is not underlined in the list, it has not been scanned and you will need to visit the office to view it in person.
For post-August 1986 records, the Colleton County deed search system at colletondeeds.com provides a more standard searchable database format. The system works best with Google Chrome on a desktop computer. Some files are large and may require downloading rather than previewing in the browser. If a file cannot be previewed online, click "Download Anyway" to save it locally and open it after the download completes.
Note: First determine whether the document you need was recorded before or after August 1986, then use the appropriate system. Mixing up the two systems is the most common source of confusion when searching Colleton County land records online.
Types of Property Records
The Colleton County Register of Deeds holds the complete range of real property instruments for the county. Warranty deeds guarantee clear title from seller to buyer. Quitclaim deeds convey whatever interest the grantor holds without any title guarantee. Both are recorded and indexed in the same way. Deeds of distribution, recorded when property passes through an estate, are also maintained in the Colleton County records.
Mortgages and deeds of trust secure real property as collateral for loans. When the debt is paid, a satisfaction or release is recorded to cancel the mortgage lien. Subdivision plats are recorded when tracts are divided, and each lot in a subdivision references the recorded plat. Easements grant use rights over portions of land, and restrictive covenants impose conditions that run with the land. These instruments affect all future buyers and must be searched as part of any complete title examination in Colleton County.
Under Section 30-5-35, all deeds and mortgages executed after July 1, 1976 must include a derivation clause. This clause identifies the instrument by which the grantor acquired title and links the current deed back to the prior conveyance. The clause is required for recording and ensures that each instrument in the chain of title connects to the previous one.
Recording Requirements
Documents submitted to the Colleton County Register of Deeds must meet South Carolina's recording standards. They must be originals with original signatures, printed in black ink on at least 8.5 by 11 inch paper, and legible enough for digital scanning. The first page must have a three-inch top margin for recording data. All other margins must be at least one inch.
Under Section 30-5-30, every deed and mortgage must be acknowledged before a notary public before it can be recorded. The notary's acknowledgment certificate must appear on the document. The deed recording fee, calculated at $1.85 per $500 of property value, is collected at the time of recording. Detailed guidance on the fee and its exemptions is available from the SC Department of Revenue at dor.sc.gov. Under Section 30-5-90, the Register of Deeds must record all lodged instruments within thirty days in the order received.
Property Assessment in Colleton County
The Colleton County Tax Assessor values all real property in the county for taxation. South Carolina law under Title 12, Chapter 37 sets the statewide assessment ratios. An owner-occupied home is assessed at 4% of fair market value. Commercial real estate and second homes are assessed at 6%. Agricultural land with qualifying use also carries the 4% ratio. These ratios apply uniformly across all 46 South Carolina counties including Colleton.
Colleton County is required to conduct a countywide reassessment every five years. Under Act 388, the taxable value of a property that does not transfer between reassessments is capped at a 15% increase. An Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI) is triggered when a property is sold or otherwise transferred after December 31, 2006. The ATI removes the cap and the property is reassessed at full fair market value for the following tax year. Buyers in Colleton County should be aware that the post-purchase tax bill may be higher than the prior owner's bill if the property was previously benefiting from the cap.
Note: Contact the Colleton County Assessor at colletoncounty.org to verify current assessed values and ownership records after a real estate transaction in the county.
Historical Land Records
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov holds the oldest land records for the entire state. The Surveyor General's Colonial Plat Books from 1731 to 1775 and State Plat Books from 1784 to 1868 document the original grants of land in the Colleton County area. These records predate the county's current recording system and are the starting point for title chains that go back to the colonial era. Colleton County is one of the oldest counties in South Carolina, and its land history extends well into the 18th century.
For historical deed research before the county's modern recording system, the state archives can direct researchers to the appropriate sources. The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com also provides statewide online access to recorded instruments, which can supplement the Colleton County-specific search tools. The portal indexes party names and legal descriptions and is a useful secondary resource when the county's own systems do not return results.
Nearby Counties
Colleton County borders six South Carolina counties across the Lowcountry and Midlands regions. Property must always be recorded in the county where it is physically located.