Sumter County Deeds and Property Records
Sumter County property records are maintained by the Register of Deeds, located in Sumter, the county seat. The Register of Deeds office records and preserves deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and other instruments affecting real estate in Sumter County. The county is situated in the central Pee Dee region of South Carolina, bordered by Richland, Lee, Clarendon, Williamsburg, Florence, Darlington, and Kershaw counties. Property owners, attorneys, title professionals, and the general public can access recorded instruments through the Register of Deeds office or through statewide online portals that index Sumter County documents.
Sumter County Quick Facts
Sumter County Register of Deeds
The Sumter County Register of Deeds is the official office for recording all real property instruments in Sumter County. South Carolina law under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-10 expressly names Sumter as one of the counties with a dedicated Register of Deeds office rather than handling recording through the Clerk of Court. This separate office serves the recording needs of one of the larger counties in South Carolina's Midlands and lower Pee Dee region.
Every instrument received at the Register of Deeds is logged in the order of its receipt, assigned a reel and page number, scanned into the office's document management system, and indexed by the names of all parties and a short legal description of the property. Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-90, recording must be completed within thirty days of the instrument being lodged. After recording, the original document is returned to the submitting party. The office keeps microfilm copies of all recorded instruments as permanent records for Sumter County.
| Office | Sumter County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 43, Sumter, SC 29151 |
| Phone | (803) 436-2162 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | sumtercountysc.org |
The county website at sumtercountysc.org provides access to county department information. For specific Register of Deeds inquiries, call the office directly before visiting.
Searching Sumter County Property Records
Sumter County property records can be searched online and in person. The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com is the primary online tool for accessing Sumter County deed and mortgage records. The portal provides a statewide index that includes instruments recorded in Sumter County. Searches can be conducted by grantor name, grantee name, or a combination of both, along with an optional date range. Each result includes a brief legal property description and a reference to the book and page location of the document in the Sumter County Register of Deeds.
For in-person research, go to the Register of Deeds office in Sumter. Staff can search the document index by grantor or grantee name and provide printed or digital copies of recorded instruments. Bring the names of the parties involved and a time frame if you have one. Older records may require more search time. Know that the index and images at the office are the authoritative source for all title research in Sumter County.
The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com provides a quick way to look up current ownership and document data for Sumter County parcels. This tool is a convenient first step before a formal title search.
Types of Documents Recorded in Sumter County
The Sumter County Register of Deeds accepts and records all instruments that affect title to real estate within the county. Common recorded documents include general warranty deeds, limited warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, subordination agreements, and assignments of mortgage. Plats showing subdivision layouts, boundary surveys, and lot dimensions are also part of the Sumter County record system.
The Register also records easements, access agreements, right-of-way grants, homeowner association declarations, condominium plans, mechanic's liens, materialman's liens, judgment liens, lis pendens filings, and UCC fixture filings when personal property is attached to real estate in Sumter County. Each of these documents creates a public record that future buyers and lenders can review.
Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-5-30, every deed or instrument must be properly acknowledged or proved before it can be recorded. The acknowledgment must be taken before an officer authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina. A document that lacks a proper acknowledgment will be returned without recording. Under Section 30-5-35, all deeds and mortgages executed after July 1, 1976, must contain a derivation clause and the mailing address of the grantee or mortgagee on the face of the document.
Note: Instruments that do not meet South Carolina's formatting and content requirements are returned to the submitter, which can delay closings. Review the requirements before submitting documents to the Sumter County Register of Deeds.
Recording Fees and Requirements in Sumter County
Standard recording fees in Sumter County are $15 for the first page and $2 for each additional page. These fees apply to deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, and other standard instruments. Documents must be on white paper sized 8.5 by 11 inches or 8.5 by 14 inches. The first page must have a top margin of at least three inches for the recording stamp, and all other margins must be at least one inch.
In addition to recording fees, deeds transferring real estate in Sumter County are subject to the South Carolina Deed Recording Fee. The fee is $1.85 per $500 of consideration or value, or fraction of $500, on any transaction of $100 or more. This fee has a state component of $1.30 per $500 and a county component of $0.55 per $500. The Register collects both and remits the state's portion each month through the MyDORWAY electronic portal. Exemptions exist for certain family transfers, government conveyances, and conservation-related transactions.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue publishes comprehensive guidance on the deed recording fee including SC Revenue Ruling 17-5. This ruling covers how to calculate the fee for various types of transfers, which values must be included, and which transfers qualify for exemptions. Title professionals and attorneys in Sumter County frequently reference this document when handling complex transactions.
The image below links to the SCDOR deed recording fee page, an essential reference for calculating the correct amount due on any Sumter County property transfer.
The SC Department of Revenue deed recording fee page provides the full fee schedule and exemption list that applies to all Sumter County real estate transfers.
The SCDOR page also links to the MyDORWAY system, where registers of deeds submit monthly fee remittances to the state.
Property Assessment in Sumter County
The Sumter County Assessor values all real property in the county for ad valorem tax purposes. The Assessor maintains records that include parcel identification numbers, ownership information, tax district assignments, and assessed values. These records are separate from but linked to the deed records at the Register of Deeds. When the Register records a new deed, ownership information flows to the Assessor's rolls for the next tax year.
South Carolina's assessment ratio system under Title 12, Chapter 37 applies uniformly across all counties. Owner-occupied primary residences are assessed at 4% of fair market value. Agricultural land in active use also carries a 4% ratio. All other real property, including commercial and investment property, rental units, and vacation homes, is assessed at 6%. Industrial and manufacturing property is assessed by the state Department of Revenue at a higher nominal rate but an effective rate of 6.5%.
Act 388 passed in 2006 introduced the 15% cap on increases in taxable value between reassessments for properties that have not transferred. South Carolina also requires each county to conduct a full countywide reassessment every five years. When a qualifying Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI) occurs in Sumter County, the property is placed on the tax rolls at full fair market value for the following year, bypassing the cap. This means that buyers should plan for their property taxes to reflect the purchase price rather than the previous owner's capped value.
The Sumter County GIS system, accessible through the county website, shows parcel boundaries, ownership, and tax district information for properties within the county. GIS data can help identify parcel numbers needed to search assessment and deed records.
Historical Property Records in Sumter County
Sumter County was established in 1800 from parts of Camden District and Claremont County. It was named for General Thomas Sumter, a Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina. Deed records from the county's early period are held at the Register of Deeds and at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia. The Archives holds colonial and state land grant records, surveyor general plat books, and other collections that predate the county's formation.
The SC Department of Archives and History maintains the Colonial Plat Books spanning 1731 to 1775 and the State Plat Books covering 1784 to 1868. These document original grants issued by the Lords Proprietors and later the State of South Carolina for lands in the Sumter County region. For research on property that dates back before the modern Register of Deeds records, contacting Archives and History staff is the recommended starting point. The department can direct researchers to the appropriate volumes and microfilm collections for Sumter County land history.
Note: Some older Sumter County deed books have been microfilmed and may be available through interlibrary loan or at the Archives and History facility in Columbia.
SC Land Records Portal and Statewide Tools
The SC Land Records portal is the most widely used statewide online tool for accessing deed and mortgage records in Sumter County. The portal is maintained in partnership with county recording offices and is updated as new instruments are indexed. It provides a searchable index of recorded documents with party names and short property descriptions. Full document images may be available through the portal or by contacting the Register of Deeds directly.
The South Carolina Association of Counties at scac.org provides resources on county government operations statewide, including guidance on property records management. The association works with all 46 counties to promote uniform standards and helps the public understand how each county's recording office functions.
The image below links to the SC Land Records portal, the primary online access point for Sumter County deed history.
The SC Land Records portal indexes recorded instruments from Sumter County and all other South Carolina recording districts in a single searchable system.
The portal lets users search Sumter County records by grantor or grantee name without visiting the courthouse in Sumter.
Cities in Sumter County
Sumter County is home to the city of Sumter, as well as several smaller communities. All real property instruments for parcels located within Sumter County boundaries are recorded at the Sumter County Register of Deeds.
Sumter is the county seat and the largest city in Sumter County. Shaw Air Force Base is also located within the county.
Nearby Counties
Sumter County borders seven other South Carolina counties. Each county maintains its own recording office. Verify the county of any parcel before requesting records to ensure you contact the right office.