Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
South Carolina · Lowcountry · #822
Berkeley County, South Carolina
North of Charleston where the Cooper River swells behind the Pinopolis Dam into Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion - the Santee Cooper lakes system that is the largest body of fresh water in South Carolina - Berkeley County has absorbed Charleston's northward residential expansion while maintaining the agricultural and timber character of the South Carolina Lowcountry interior.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Services: Enforces the latest South Carolina state-adopted versions of the International Building, Residential, and Fire Codes for unincorporated Berkeley County; three regional office locations for convenience
Notes: Town of Moncks Corner maintains its own SEPARATE building permit process via the CommunityCore online system, (843) 719-7914 – design criteria require a minimum of 133-140 mph wind rating and “D”/”D-2” seismic design for commercial/residential. Confirm your property’s correct jurisdiction.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Berkeley County Veterans Affairs Office – Moncks Corner, SC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Berkeley County Library System (BCLS) – main branch in Moncks Corner plus branches in Cane Bay, Daniel Island, Goose Creek, Hanahan, St. Stephen, and Sangaree, plus a bookmobile (M.O.R.E.)
Services: Houses the “South Carolina Room,” a dedicated local history and genealogy reference collection covering Berkeley County and the state broadly (Revolutionary War soldier lists, family cemetery records, local newspapers); offers a seed library, technology classes, and community programs
Related: Goose Creek Library – 325 Old Moncks Corner Road, Goose Creek, SC 29445, (843) 572-1376
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Berkeley County is genuinely home to the OLD SANTEE CANAL, constructed between 1793 and 1800 under the direction of Colonel John Christian Senf, the FIRST SUMMIT-LEVEL CANAL BUILT IN NORTH AMERICA, ranking among the earliest and most significant internal improvement projects in the young United States, comparable to Europe’s 17th-century Canal du Midi; backed by prominent Revolutionary War figures including Generals William Moultrie, Francis Marion, and Thomas Sumter, and U.S. Constitution signer John Rutledge, the 22-mile canal connected the Santee and Cooper Rivers, using a series of hand-made brick locks to raise vessels 34 feet to a summit point before lowering them 69 feet to Biggin Creek near Charleston, overcoming a genuine 35-foot elevation difference between the two rivers; at its peak, the canal’s decade-long construction employed over 1,000 laborers, many of whom were enslaved people; the canal opened to great fanfare in 1800 and operated successfully (aside from a severe drought period) until railroad competition made it obsolete by the 1850s; much of the historic canal now lies beneath Lake Moultrie, though a portion was placed under a conservation easement in 2021, and its locks were exposed during the notable drought of 2007; today, OLD SANTEE CANAL PARK preserves 195 acres along Biggin Creek and the Cooper River in Moncks Corner, featuring walking trails, an 1843 plantation house, the Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center, and a full-scale replica of the Confederate submarine “Little David,” refurbished by U.S. Submarine Veterans in 2004
Notes: The Old Santee Canal’s genuine, well-documented status as North America’s first summit-level canal – an ambitious engineering feat backed by some of the most prominent figures of the early American republic – is an extraordinary piece of early U.S. infrastructure history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Berkeley County GIS – accessible via berkeleycountysc.gov
Parcel Search: Berkeley County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Berkeley County Emergency Preparedness Division
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Berkeley Animal Center (Berkeley County Animal Shelter) – 131 Central Berkeley Drive, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 | (843) 719-5050 | Hours: Mon–Fri 12–3 PM
Services: County-run shelter now managed in partnership with the Charleston Animal Society, committed to a fiscally responsible, safe, and loving environment for rescued, abandoned, abused, or neglected animals; strives to place every adoptable animal with a home or rescue group; offers reduced adoption fees for animals over 6 months of age; relies on community donations and volunteers
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: SC DHEC – scdhec.gov
Notes: Contact Berkeley County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Berkeley County is genuinely home to the Old Santee Canal, North America’s first summit-level canal – an ambitious early American infrastructure project backed by some of the era’s most prominent Revolutionary War and founding figures. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Berkeley County
Berkeley County’s growth has been the Charleston metro’s most dramatic story – Goose Creek, Hanahan, Summerville (shared with Dorchester County), and the unincorporated communities along the I-26 and US-176 corridors have absorbed residential development at a pace that has made Berkeley one of the fastest-growing counties in the Southeast. Joint Base Charleston’s naval air and army installations generate significant military family residential demand in the county’s southern communities.
The Santee Cooper lakes – Lake Marion (largest in South Carolina at 110,000 acres) and Lake Moultrie – provide fishing, boating, and recreation infrastructure. Santee Cooper, the state-owned electric utility, operates from Moncks Corner and is one of the region’s major employers. The Francis Marion National Forest covers a significant portion of the county’s eastern sections, providing timber, recreation, and natural habitat.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
South Carolina assesses owner-occupied residential property at 4% of fair market value. Property owners may appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals. South Carolina offers a homestead exemption for residents 65 or older. South Carolina has no estate or inheritance tax.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
SENIOR SERVICES
Berkeley County Senior Services
(843) 719-4540
Senior Services
Berkeley County Senior Services
(843) 719-4540
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
1003 Hwy 52, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
(843) 719-4587
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Berkeley County Probate Court, Moncks Corner (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Berkeley County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Berkeley County Probate Court 300-B California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 (843) 719-4519 Berkeley County is in the coastal Lowcountry region of South Carolina, seated in Moncks Corner.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
South Carolina HAS adopted a version of the Uniform Probate Code, giving it more standardized and generally more streamlined procedures than states with older, common-law-based systems. Probate is handled by a dedicated Probate Court in each of South Carolina’s 46 counties – a separate court of limited jurisdiction, led by an elected Probate Judge (four-year term). The case is filed in the county where the decedent lived.
Small Estate Affidavit / Collection by Affidavit (S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201) – available when the gross value of the entire probate estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $45,000 (raised from $25,000 for deaths after May 2025). At least 30 days must have passed since death, and no petition for appointment of a personal representative can be pending anywhere. The successor files a Form 420PC “Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property,” which the probate judge approves and countersigns.
Summary Administration (§ 62-3-1203) – a simplified probate procedure available when the value of the estate passing by will (less liens and encumbrances) is under the statutory threshold, or when the surviving spouse is the sole heir or beneficiary.
Informal Probate – the standard path for the majority of estates. No notices or hearings are required unless demanded by an interested party.
Formal Proceedings – reserved for contested matters: objections to a personal representative’s appointment, will contests, a lost or destroyed will, or declaratory judgments on intestacy.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files a petition with the Berkeley County Probate Court where the decedent resided; if there’s a will, the original is filed with it.
For informal probate, the Probate Judge (or a designated staff member) reviews the application administratively; formal proceedings require notice and a hearing.
The court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, giving the personal representative authority to act.
The personal representative files an inventory and appraisement within 90 days of qualification, and provides periodic accountings as the court requires.
Creditors are notified; claims not timely presented are barred.
The estate closes with a final settlement – a verified report and proposed distribution served on interested parties and approved by the Probate Court.
What it costs
Filing fees vary; check with Berkeley County directly for current fees.
A personal representative’s bond, when required, must equal one and one-half times the value of the estate’s personal property, though bond can often be waived under certain conditions.
South Carolina does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
1003 Hwy 52, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
(843) 719-4587
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
223 North Live Oak Dr, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
(843) 719-4400
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
1003 Hwy 52, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
(843) 719-4093
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
DHEC Public Health Office
1130 Berlin G Myers Pkwy, Summerville, SC 29483
(843) 953-0150
Department of Social Services
223 North Live Oak Dr, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
(843) 719-4600
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Berkeley County Public Health (DHEC) – Moncks Corner, SC
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Moncks Corner
Population: 240,000
Tier: 2
Inmate Services
Care Packages
Send care packages to inmates in Berkeley County facilities via Amazon.
