Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.
Beaufort County, South Carolina, has about 202,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Beaufort County is in the deed records of the Register of Deeds and its taxable value is set by the County Assessor; what is built on it is a matter for the city or the county. This guide says who keeps each record and where the page for each office is.
This guide covers deeds, assessed values, city permits, evictions and court cases, records requests and common questions.
Related guides: Beaufort County public records, Beaufort County arrest records, Beaufort County warrants, Beaufort County inmate search, Beaufort County criminal records, South Carolina arrest records and South Carolina inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Beaufort County
Deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land in Beaufort County are recorded by the Register of Deeds, which indexes them by name and sells copies.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Beaufort County
The County Assessor sets the value each parcel in Beaufort County is taxed on and keeps the parcel maps. South Carolina reassesses every five years and caps the increase in a property's value at reassessment to 15 percent.
SearchSystems opened and checked the County Assessor's page at beaufortcountysc.gov/assessor/index.html (page title: The Beaufort County Assessor's Office), phone (843) 255-2400, 100 Ribaut Road County Admin Bldg, Rm# 210 Beaufort, SC 29902, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
Permits and City Records in the Cities of Beaufort County
Building permits, zoning and code cases inside a city are the city's own records. The cities in Beaufort County with a SearchSystems guide to their offices, with the city page SearchSystems verified:
- Hilton Head Island: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at hiltonheadislandsc.gov (verified September 26, 2026).
- Port Royal: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at portroyal.org (verified September 26, 2026).
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Beaufort County
An eviction is a court case in the Magistrate Court, and so is a foreclosure, a lien dispute or a quiet title suit, in the Beaufort County Circuit Court; the court file is public unless sealed.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at beaufortcountysc.gov/clerk-of-court/index.html, phone (843) 255-5710.
Asking a County Office for a Record
Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act a county office must answer a request within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old, and it may charge search, retrieval and copying at the agency's actual cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Beaufort County?
The Register of Deeds.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Beaufort County?
The County Assessor, whose page SearchSystems verified is at beaufortcountysc.gov/assessor/index.html.
Where are evictions from Beaufort County filed?
In the Magistrate Court. The file is public unless the court seals it.
How is property assessed in South Carolina?
South Carolina reassesses every five years and caps the increase in a property's value at reassessment to 15 percent.
Is this the official Beaufort County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.