Hampton County Property Records
Hampton County property records are kept by the Clerk of Court in Hampton, South Carolina. The office records deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and other real estate documents for all land in the county. Hampton County sits in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina, bordered by the Salkehatchie River to the north and the Savannah River basin to the south. The county seat is Hampton, a small city in the heart of a largely rural county. Anyone who needs to research land ownership, verify a title, or look up recorded instruments can do so through the Clerk of Court or through statewide online tools that index Hampton County property records.
Hampton County Quick Facts
Hampton County Clerk of Court
The Clerk of Court in Hampton County handles all property recording duties. Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-10, counties not designated as having a separate Register of Deeds have their recording functions performed by the Clerk of Court. Hampton is one of those counties. The Clerk of Court records deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, easements, and other instruments that affect real property in Hampton County.
All documents presented for recording must meet the state's standards for acknowledgment and execution. Once a document is recorded, it is assigned a reel and page number, scanned, and indexed by the parties' names and a short legal description of the property. The original document is typically returned to the submitting party after recording is complete. Staff can help researchers locate recorded instruments by name or by legal description at the office.
| Office | Hampton County Clerk of Court P.O. Box 7 Hampton, SC 29924 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (803) 914-2140 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | hamptoncountysc.gov |
The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com includes an index of documents recorded in Hampton County. This free tool lets you search by party name and view a short property description without visiting the office in person.
How to Search Hampton County Property Records
You can search Hampton County property records online or in person. The statewide SC Land Records portal provides a name index for documents recorded at the Clerk of Court. You can look up a grantor or grantee, find the reel and page number, and then request a copy of the full document. This is often the fastest first step for a basic ownership search.
For a thorough search, visit the Clerk of Court in Hampton. Staff can pull records from public access terminals, assist with name variations, and provide copies of recorded instruments. You should bring the property address or parcel number if you have it. A grantor-grantee name search works well when the parcel number is not known. Older records going back many decades are available on microfilm at the office, and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov holds colonial-era land grants and plats that predate the county's formal recording system.
The Hampton County Tax Assessor's office also holds ownership and assessment data that can help confirm the current owner of a parcel. GIS mapping tools show property boundaries and can be useful for locating a parcel before pulling deed records. For a full title search covering a chain of ownership, many people work with a licensed title company or real estate attorney.
Note: Bring a valid photo ID when visiting the Clerk of Court office in Hampton, and confirm current hours by phone before making a trip.
Types of Documents Recorded in Hampton County
The Hampton County Clerk of Court records a wide range of real property instruments. Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds are the most common documents filed when property changes hands. Mortgages and deeds of trust secure lenders' interests in real estate. Plats and surveys show the boundaries of a parcel and are filed when land is divided or a new lot is created.
Other recorded instruments include easements granting rights of way across land, restrictive covenants attached to subdivisions, mechanic's liens filed by contractors, judgment liens from court cases, and releases of mortgage when a loan is paid off. UCC financing statements involving fixtures can also appear in the county property records. Each of these instruments becomes part of the public record once filed and is indexed for future searches in Hampton County.
- Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Mortgages and deeds of trust
- Plats and surveys
- Easements and rights of way
- Mechanic's and judgment liens
- Releases and satisfactions of mortgage
- Restrictive covenants and subdivision restrictions
Recording Requirements and Fees
Before any deed or other instrument can be recorded in Hampton County, it must be properly acknowledged or proved under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-30. A deed must carry the signature of the grantor and be acknowledged before an officer competent to take oaths, such as a notary public. Under Section 30-5-35, all deeds executed after July 1, 1976, must include a derivation clause in the property description stating how the grantor obtained title. The grantee's mailing address must also appear on the document.
The deed recording fee in South Carolina is calculated at $1.85 per $500 of the value transferred, or fraction thereof. The first $100 is excluded. The South Carolina Department of Revenue administers this fee statewide, and the Hampton County Clerk of Court collects it at the time of recording. Details on the fee calculation are available at dor.sc.gov. A flat recording fee of $15 applies to the first page of any recorded instrument, with additional fees for each page after the first. Documents must be legible and meet size standards for scanning and microfilm storage.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue provides full guidance on exemptions, deductions, and special situations through SC Revenue Ruling 17-5, which covers family transfers, gift deeds, trust transfers, and many other scenarios.
Note: The Clerk of Court must record instruments in the order received within thirty days of lodgment under Section 30-5-90.
Hampton County Property Assessment
The Hampton County Tax Assessor values all real property in the county for taxation purposes. South Carolina uses different assessment ratios depending on how property is used. Owner-occupied primary residences are assessed at 4% of fair market value under S.C. Code Ann. Title 12, Chapter 37. Agricultural property is also assessed at 4%. Commercial property, second homes, and investment real estate are assessed at 6%.
State law requires Hampton County to conduct a countywide reassessment every five years, with a one-year extension allowed by county ordinance. Act 388, passed in 2006, limits increases in taxable value between reassessments to no more than 15% for properties that do not transfer. This cap protects long-term owners from sudden spikes in their tax bill during a reassessment cycle. When a property is sold or otherwise transferred after December 31, 2006, it is treated as an Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI). The property then goes on the tax records at full fair market value in the year following the transfer, regardless of when the next countywide reassessment is scheduled.
Hampton County property owners who disagree with their assessed value can appeal to the Assessor and, if needed, to the county Board of Assessment Appeals. Keeping a record of your property's characteristics and any recent comparable sales can support an appeal.
Historical Property Records in Hampton County
Hampton County was formed in 1878 from portions of Beaufort County. Land records from before that date may be found in the Beaufort County historical records. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds state land grants, colonial plat books, and surveyor general records going back to the early 1700s. These historical documents are essential for researchers tracing long chains of title or working on genealogical projects tied to Hampton County land.
The Archives holds the Colonial Plat Books covering 1731 to 1775 and the State Plat Books from 1784 forward. Grants from the Lords Proprietors era and early state grants appear in these records. Researchers can visit the Archives in person at 8301 Parklane Road in Columbia or access finding aids through their website at scdah.sc.gov. Some Hampton County microfilm records are also held at the Clerk of Court office for older instruments recorded since the county's formation.
Note: Some early Hampton County records were recorded in parent districts before 1878, so checking Beaufort District records at the Archives is advisable for chains of title going back before the county's creation.
South Carolina Land Records and Statewide Tools
South Carolina provides several statewide resources that cover Hampton County property records. The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com indexes recorded documents from counties across the state. You can search by name and see the reel and page number for any recorded instrument. The portal also links to images where available, making it possible to view documents without visiting the Clerk of Court office.
The South Carolina Association of Counties at scac.org provides general information about county government operations, including how property recording offices are structured. The Judicial Branch at sccourts.org maintains court records that can relate to property, including foreclosure filings, probate matters, and civil judgments that may become liens on real estate in Hampton County.
The SC Code of Laws governing property recording is available at scstatehouse.gov. Title 30, Chapter 5 sets out the full legal framework for recording offices, document requirements, and public access to property records across all 46 South Carolina counties including Hampton.
Nearby Counties
Hampton County shares borders with several other South Carolina counties. If you are not sure which county holds the records you need, check the property address to confirm which recording office has jurisdiction.