Lexington County Property Records and Deeds
Lexington County property records are maintained by the Register of Deeds in Lexington, the county seat. Lexington County is one of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina, located in the central part of the state directly across Lake Murray and the Saluda River from Richland County and the state capital of Columbia. The county stretches from the suburban communities near Columbia south and west to more rural areas bordering Saluda, Edgefield, Aiken, Calhoun, and Orangeburg counties. The Register of Deeds records all instruments affecting real property in Lexington County, providing a complete and publicly accessible record of ownership, liens, mortgages, and plats for every parcel in the county.
Lexington County Quick Facts
Lexington County Register of Deeds
The Lexington County Register of Deeds is a designated office under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-10, which specifically lists Lexington among the counties required to maintain a Register of Deeds separate from the Clerk of Court. The Register records, indexes, and preserves all instruments that affect title to real property in Lexington County. This includes deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, easements, and releases. Documents are assigned a reel and page number, scanned, and indexed by party name and legal property description.
The office is in Lexington at the county government complex. Documents may be submitted for recording in person or by mail, provided they meet all state requirements for acknowledgment, execution, and formatting. Staff assist with name searches, parcel number lookups, and document copies. Original instruments are returned to the submitting party after recording. The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com provides a free online name index for Lexington County recorded documents and is a useful starting point for any property search.
| Office | Lexington County Register of Deeds P.O. Box 669 Lexington, SC 29071 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (803) 785-8168 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | lex-co.com |
The Lexington County official website at lex-co.com provides information on all county departments including the Register of Deeds, Tax Assessor, and GIS office.
How to Search Lexington County Property Records
Online searches for Lexington County property records can start at the SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com. A name search by grantor or grantee returns reel and page numbers for recorded instruments. The portal is free and available around the clock. For full document images, contact the Register of Deeds or visit the office in Lexington.
In-person research at the Lexington County Register of Deeds gives you full access to public terminals, microfilm of older records, and staff assistance. Bring a property address, parcel ID, or the names of the current and prior owners if you have them. The Lexington County Tax Assessor maintains detailed assessment and ownership records for all parcels in the county. The Assessor's data includes property characteristics, ownership history, and current valuation. The county GIS mapping system shows parcel boundaries and can help identify a tract from an address before pulling its deed records. These tools work together to give researchers a complete picture of a property's recorded history in Lexington County.
Lexington County's rapid residential growth means many subdivision plats and new deeds have been recorded in recent years. Buyers of newer homes in Lexington County should check both the deed index and the plat records to understand the full set of restrictions and easements that may affect their property. Title companies and real estate attorneys in the Lexington area are familiar with the county's recording systems and can conduct comprehensive searches for buyers and lenders.
Note: For Lexington County parcels with very old chains of title, some records from 1804 to 1869 were lost; records from 1869 forward are held at the Register of Deeds, and earlier records may be partially found at the SC Archives.
Types of Documents Recorded in Lexington County
The Lexington County Register of Deeds records a comprehensive range of real property instruments. Warranty deeds are used for most residential and commercial sales in Lexington County and carry the grantor's guarantee of clear title. Quitclaim deeds appear in family transfers, boundary corrections, and other situations where no warranty is given. Mortgages and deeds of trust are filed by lenders and released by satisfaction when the underlying loans are repaid. Plats and surveys are recorded when a new subdivision is created, land is divided, or boundary lines are adjusted. Given Lexington County's growth, subdivision plats are recorded with particular frequency.
Other recorded instruments include mechanic's liens from contractors and subcontractors for unpaid construction work, judgment liens from civil court cases that attach to the debtor's real property, tax liens for delinquent property taxes, easements for utilities and access, and restrictive covenants running with lots in planned subdivisions. Releases and satisfactions of mortgages and liens are also indexed at the Register of Deeds. Each instrument filed is part of the permanent public record that any member of the public may search and obtain copies of in Lexington County.
- Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Mortgages and deeds of trust
- Subdivision plats and boundary surveys
- Mechanic's, judgment, and tax liens
- Easements and utility rights of way
- Restrictive covenants and HOA documents
- Releases and satisfactions
Recording Requirements and Fees
Instruments submitted for recording in Lexington County must comply with the acknowledgment requirements of S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-30. The grantor's signature must be acknowledged before a notary public or another officer authorized to take oaths in South Carolina. Under Section 30-5-35, deeds executed after July 1, 1976, must include a derivation clause showing how the grantor obtained title. The grantee's mailing address must be printed on the face of the deed. Documents not meeting these requirements will be returned without recording.
The deed recording fee in South Carolina is $1.85 per $500 of value transferred, calculated on consideration after excluding the first $100. This fee applies to every transfer of real property in Lexington County. The state portion is $1.30 per $500 and the county portion is $0.55 per $500. The Register of Deeds collects the total at recording and remits the state's share monthly through SCDOR's MyDORWAY portal. Full guidance on the fee and its exemptions for family transfers, trusts, conservation easements, and other special situations is available at dor.sc.gov. A flat page recording fee of $15 applies to the first page. Additional fees apply to each page after the first. The Register of Deeds must record all instruments within thirty days of lodgment under Section 30-5-90.
Because Lexington County has high transaction volumes due to its growth, the Register of Deeds office processes a large number of deeds and mortgages each year. Allow adequate time for processing when submitting documents close to deadlines.
Lexington County Property Assessment
The Lexington County Tax Assessor values all real property in the county for ad valorem taxation. South Carolina's assessment ratios under S.C. Code Ann. Title 12, Chapter 37 are 4% for owner-occupied primary residences, 4% for agricultural land, and 6% for commercial, second home, and investment property. Lexington County's rapid growth has produced many new subdivision developments, and the Assessor regularly reviews new construction and sales to keep assessment records current. Properties newly constructed or transferred are assessed in the year following completion or sale.
State law requires Lexington County to conduct a countywide reassessment every five years. Act 388 of 2006 limits taxable value increases to 15% between reassessments for properties that do not transfer. When a Lexington County property is sold or otherwise transferred after December 31, 2006, it qualifies as an Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI). The property is reassessed at full fair market value the following year, removing the 15% cap for the new owner. In a fast-growing county like Lexington, where market values have risen significantly, this ATI adjustment can substantially increase the new owner's property tax bill compared to what the prior owner paid. Buyers should verify the post-ATI tax estimate with the Assessor's office before finalizing a purchase in Lexington County.
Note: Homeowners who use their Lexington County property as a primary residence should apply for the 4% owner-occupied assessment ratio with the Assessor to secure the lower tax rate.
Historical Records for Lexington County
Lexington County land records have a notable gap in the historical record. Records from 1785 to 1804 were lost. Records from 1804 to 1839 were also lost. Deed records from 1839 to 1869 are held under the Lexington District designation. From 1869 to the present, records are maintained at the Lexington County Register of Deeds. For the pre-county period from 1710 to 1785, the relevant records are held under the Charleston District collection at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov. Proprietary land grants from 1670 to 1710 are also at the Archives. Some Orangeburg District deeds were recorded in Charleston District and were not destroyed, which can sometimes fill gaps in Lexington County title chains.
The SC Archives holds the Colonial Plat Books, State Plat Books, and Surveyor General records that document original land grants across what is now Lexington County. Researchers tracing early ownership should plan to use the Archives for anything predating 1869. The Register of Deeds in Lexington holds all records from 1869 forward on microfilm and in the modern digital index.
South Carolina Land Records and Statewide Tools
The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com provides a free name index for documents recorded across all 46 South Carolina counties, including Lexington. The South Carolina Judicial Branch at sccourts.org holds court records including foreclosure proceedings and civil judgments that may create liens on Lexington County real estate. The SC Association of Counties at scac.org provides information about county government structures and recording offices statewide. The full text of Title 30, Chapter 5 governing recording requirements is at scstatehouse.gov, and Title 12, Chapter 37 governing property assessment is also available there for Lexington County research.
Cities in Lexington County
Lexington County includes the city of Lexington as its county seat, along with many other towns and communities. All property records for parcels in these communities are filed at the Lexington County Register of Deeds.
The city of Lexington is the county seat of Lexington County. It serves as the administrative center for the county and is home to the Register of Deeds, Tax Assessor, and other county offices.
Nearby Counties
Lexington County shares borders with six other South Carolina counties. Properties near county lines may require checking records in more than one jurisdiction to confirm complete ownership and lien history.