South Carolina · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Beaufort County, SC
Beaufort County (population 187,117) records real-property documents through the Beaufort County Register of Deeds. Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Beaufort County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Beaufort County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- PO Drawer 1197, Beaufort, SC 29901 (physical: 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902)
- Phone
- (843) 255-2555
- Checks payable to
- Beaufort County Register of Deeds
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN
Beaufort County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- Deed: $15.00 flat + $1.85 per $500 of consideration (state $1.30 + county $0.55)
- Additional pages
- Mortgage/Lease/Easement/Power of Attorney/UCC/Agreement: $25.00 flat; Plats: $25.00 per page; Mortgage Assignment: $10.00 flat + $7.00 per additional book/page referenced
- Other fees
- Hilton Head Island properties incur additional transfer fees
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Beaufort County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
What Beaufort County requires
- Page formatting
- 1" top margin on all pages; standard paper 8.5x11 or 8.5x14 max; single-sided, uniform page size; original signatures (blue ink encouraged)
- Cover sheet
- No dedicated cover sheet form found; instead a 3"x3" blank space required in upper right corner of first page
- Submission & return
- Recorded documents returned via mail; originals take 4+ weeks; images available online next business day
- Hours & turnaround
- Recorded and scanned same day received; available online next day; original document return 4+ weeks
Can you e-record in Beaufort County?
Yes. Beaufort County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Beaufort County, South Carolina
- Prepare the document so it meets Beaufort County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, or by mail to Beaufort County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Beaufort County Register of Deeds.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Beaufort County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Beaufort County property are searchable at Beaufort County Assessor's Office (Real Property Search via Public Access Portal). A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in South Carolina
South Carolina requires two subscribing witnesses physically present at signing (S.C. Code §30-5-30), which our online notarization flow can't satisfy — not currently supported. See the states we file in.