South Carolina · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Dorchester County, SC
Dorchester County (population 161,117) records real-property documents through the Dorchester 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.
Dorchester County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Dorchester County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- 201 Johnston Street, St. George, SC 29477
- Phone
- (843) 563-0181
- Checks payable to
- Dorchester County Register of Deeds
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Dorchester County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $15 for a deed (plus SC deed transfer tax $1.85 per $500 of value: $1.30 state + $0.55 county, unless exempt); $25 for mortgages/other instruments; $10 for affidavits/releases
- Additional pages
- Flat statutory fee per document (fee schedule page exists at dorchestercountysc.gov but was inaccessible during verification — 403 error)
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Dorchester County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
What Dorchester County requires
- Page formatting
- Follows SC statewide formatting standard (legible print, 3"x3" recording block, preparer/return info)
- Cover sheet
- SC statewide practice requires 3"x3" blank space upper-right first page
- Submission & return
- Typically mail or e-recording. Office hours 8:30AM-4:00PM
Can you e-record in Dorchester County?
Yes. Dorchester County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Dorchester County, South Carolina
- Prepare the document so it meets Dorchester 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, or by mail to Dorchester County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Dorchester County Register of Deeds.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Dorchester County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Dorchester County property are searchable at Dorchester County Assessor — Real Property/Mobile Home Inquiry. 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.