Population
431K
County Seat
Charleston
Libraries
17
Schools
79
Searching Charleston County: what to expect
Charleston County runs a real online records operation — 6 of the sources below are the county's own, alongside the statewide systems. For cases, go straight to charlestoncounty.org: South Carolina courts search county by county, and that's Charleston County's entry point. The standout local source is sc-charleston.publicaccessnow.com, covering parcel and property-tax data. For recorded documents there's no county-level source online — the statewide routes on the South Carolina recorded documents page cover that piece. When the web runs out, the courthouse in Charleston holds the paper.
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by SearchSystems Editorial Team — verified against official government sources. About our editorial process.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all Charleston County record-source URLs verified against the official local and South Carolina state publishers on the review date. 3 primary .gov / official sources cited below.
Charleston County — Key Numbers (2026)
Population, demographics, and county-seat data for Charleston County, South Carolina — verified against U.S. Census 2024 estimates.
431,001
Population
Census estimate
171,795
Households
Census estimate
$78,795
Median income
Annual household
$415,000
Median home value
Census ACS
Charleston
County seat
In South Carolina
Criminal records
see state portal
Court records
6 sources
Wants & warrants
see state portal
Property records
3 sources
Vital records
see state portal
Voter records
see state portal
Professional licenses
1 source
Recorded documents
see state portal
Count of verified official sources per record type. Multiple sources One source Use state portal
Charleston County Records at a Glance
| Record type | Charleston County verified sources |
|---|---|
| Court records | Online Services | Clerk Of Court's Office Marriage License Division: Probate Court |
| Criminal records | Charleston County Sheriff's Office: Warrants Search |
| Wants & warrants | |
| Property records | SC-Charleston > Real Property Record Search > Sales Geographical Information System (GIS) |
| Vital records | |
| Voter records | |
| Professional licenses | Revenue Collections | Charleston County Government |
| Recorded documents | County Office Locations A Primer For Mortgage Foreclosures In South Carolina: Master-In-Equity | Charles Online Voter Registration. - scVOTES.gov - South Carolina |
Count of officially verified .gov / .us record sources cataloged for Charleston County. Sources reviewed June 04, 2026.
What Changed in 2026 — Charleston County Records
2026
Charleston County official government portal active
The official Charleston County government website at www.charlestoncounty.gov continues to serve as the canonical local source.
2026
Charleston County court records portal verified
State court system links for Charleston County verified against the South Carolina judiciary portal in 2026.
2026
Charleston County property records online
Charleston County property assessment and recorder office online portal active in 2026.
2026
FBI Identity History Summary (federal complement)
For records that may exist outside South Carolina, the FBI Identity History Summary at fbi.gov complements all county-level state records.
The 4-Step Charleston County Records Pathway
1
Step 1 — Start at the Charleston County clerk/courthouse
For most local records (court cases, property deeds, marriage licenses), the Charleston County clerk's office is the first stop.
2
Step 2 — Use the South Carolina statewide systems
Criminal background, court case search, voter registration, and professional licensing are all run at the South Carolina state level — not by the county.
3
Step 3 — Federal sources for federal records
Federal court cases (PACER), federal tax liens (IRS), military records (NPRC), and immigration data (ICE) are all federal — not held by the county.
4
Step 4 — Cross-check before relying on data
Most county portals lag 24-48 hours behind the courthouse. For time-sensitive verification, call the clerk directly.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Charleston County Records
MYTH"Charleston County maintains all criminal records."
FACTCriminal records for Charleston County are held by the South Carolina state repository, NOT the county. The county sheriff has only the local arrest log.
MYTH"Records sealed in Charleston County are gone everywhere."
FACTSealing removes records from public search but they still exist at the courthouse and may appear in FBI records (Identity History Summary).
MYTH"Free 'instant background' sites have Charleston County data."
FACTOnly the official South Carolina state repository has verified, current Charleston County data. Free sites often have stale data.
MYTH"The Charleston County assessor's value is what I'll sell my home for."
FACTThe Charleston County assessor's value is for property tax purposes only — usually below market value.
MYTH"All county records older than 50 years are public."
FACTPartially false. Public-records rules vary by record type AND state. Court records and deeds are usually older-public; vital records remain restricted longer (often 75-125 years).
Primary Sources and Official Record Portals
- www.charlestoncounty.gov — Official Charleston County government website
- cocdaybook.charlestoncounty.gov — Court records — official source
- fbi.gov — FBI Identity History Summary (federal record)
Related — Charleston County & South Carolina Records
For records not specific to Charleston County, use South Carolina's statewide system or the national hub.
📍 South Carolina statewide record systems:
- South Carolina Court Records →
- South Carolina Criminal Records →
- South Carolina Property Records →
- South Carolina Vital Records →
- South Carolina Voter Records →
- South Carolina Wants & Warrants →
- South Carolina Licenses →
- South Carolina Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 National hubs:
Related Public Records
South Carolina statewide records: Court records · Criminal records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Vital records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National directories: Court records · Criminal records · Property records · Vital records · Federal databases
Shortcuts for the most common Charleston County lookups:
About Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston County is located in southeastern South Carolina. The county seat is Charleston (official site: https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/).
- Households: 171,795
- Median household income: $78,795
- Median home value: $415,000
- Below poverty line: 12.3%
- Land area: 918.2 sq mi
- Population density: 469.4 people / sq mi
Online Services | Clerk Of Court's Office
Official Free
We are unable to process your request at this time. For additional information: Please copy this error message screen and email to Charleston County at webmaster@charlestoncounty.org with Subject line as - Unable to access Incident_ID - 7444898936454439023
Marriage License Division: Probate Court
Official Free
We are unable to process your request at this time. For additional information: Please copy this error message screen and email to Charleston County at webmaster@charlestoncounty.org with Subject line as - Unable to access Incident_ID - 7444898936442073521
General Information | Clerk Of Court's Office, Charleston County, SC
Official Free
The Clerk of Court provides administrative support to the Courts in the following manners. Process legal actions of a civil or criminal nature. Keeps and maintains case records, including records of judgments. Records transcripts of judgment from the Small Claims courts, and out-of-county judgments.
Public Index Search
Official Free
Access to the South Carolina Judicial Department Public Index web sites by a site data scraper or any similar software intended to discover and extract data from a website through automated, repetitive querying for the purpose of collecting such data is expressly prohibited · Please note that.
Charleston County Probate Court - Online Search Page
Official Free
E-mail your comments or questions about this site to publicinfo@charlestoncounty.org Report technical problems with this site to webmastercoc@charlestoncounty.org Scenic photos throughout this site provided by Alterman Studios, Charleston, South Carolina. This is the official web site for Charleston County Government.
Master-In-Equity
Official Free
We are unable to process your request at this time. For additional information: Please copy this error message screen and email to Charleston County at webmaster@charlestoncounty.org with Subject line as - Unable to access Incident_ID - 7444898936281494901
Case Records Search - South Carolina Judicial Branch
Official Free
The South Carolina judiciary's case records search — a statewide front door to county public indexes for circuit and summary court cases.
Charleston County Sheriff's Office: Warrants Search
Official Free
This office holds the sheriff's records for Charleston County. If a link breaks, the office homepage at charlestoncounty.gov carries the new path.
SC-Charleston > Real Property Record Search > Sales
Official Free
Location Filter Neighborhood Street Address Zip Code · Vacant Land Yes - label No - label Both - label (When "Yes", some criteria do not apply) Property Class Code All101 - RESID-SFR 110 - RESID-MBH 130 - RESID-DUP/TRI 195 - COMM-APP-RES 691 - RELIGIOUS 905 - VAC-RES-LOT Bedrooms All23456.
Geographical Information System (GIS)
Official Free
The GIS division is responsible for the development and management of the County's spatial database while providing data services to County departments, local businesses and governments. City of Charleston City of Folly Beach City of North Charleston City of Isle of Palms Town of Awendaw Town of Hollywood Town of James Island Town of Kiawah Island Town of Lincolnville Town of McClellanville Town of Meggett Town of Mount Pleasant Town of Ravenel Town of Rockville Town of Seabrook Island Town of Sullivan's Island
Register of Deeds Office | Charleston County Government
Official Free
The Register of Deeds has record books dating back to 1719. If going back to 1719 isn’t sufficient, the earliest conveyances can be obtained from the archives in Columbia Conveyance Books series, 1673-1719. The original documents and microfilm copies can be viewed in the Register of Deeds History Room, which is located on the second floor of the County Office Building (located at 101 Meeting St, Suite 200).
Document Search | City of Charleston GIS
Official Free
This site will only return property records for properties that are in the City of Charleston. A plat search will only return plats that the city has on file. Additional plats are available from the county RMC offices.
Revenue Collections | Charleston County Government
Official Free
Answer:To receive a first-time license, go to the Business License Office at the Charleston County Public Services Building. Once you have obtained your initial license, visit the Charleston County, South Carolina Revenue Collections Online Portal to renew it with your Visa or MasterCard.
Social Worker - South Carolina
Official Free
For example, "J" and "Smith" will search for records with a last name of "Smith" and a first name beginning with "J." If searching by license type, select license type and enter a city Records or disciplinary actions prior to 1994 may not be displayed, please contact the Board directly.
County Office Locations
Official Free
We are unable to process your request at this time. For additional information: Please copy this error message screen and email to Charleston County at webmaster@charlestoncounty.org with Subject line as - Unable to access Incident_ID - 7444898936395902197
A Primer For Mortgage Foreclosures In South Carolina: Master-In-Equity | Charleston County Government
Official Free
The Charleston County Contact form is currently unavailable. Please check back later. This article was originally published in the May/June, 1995 issue of the South Carolina Lawyer magazine. It is published here with the permission of the author and the South Carolina Bar. Whether one likes it or not, sooner or later most lawyers will have clients seeking to foreclose a note and mortgage. The primary purpose, of course, in a mortgage foreclosure suit is to have the mortgaged property sold and the proceeds of sale applied against the debt secured by the property.
Online Voter Registration. - scVOTES.gov - South Carolina
Official Free
Visit your county board of voter registration and register in person. You can also register while receiving services at various agencies including the Department of Motor Vehicles. See a list of agencies providing voter registration under the National Voter Registration Act.