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 · Atlantic Coast · #139 Most Populous County in the US
Charleston County, South Carolina
One of America's most celebrated historic cities - Charleston, the Holy City, where antebellum architecture, Gullah Geechee culture, and a booming aerospace and technology economy coexist on a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Charleston County residents.
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.
Charleston County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Charleston County Emergency Management Department (EMD) – EOC/CDC Emergency Safety Building, 8500 Palmetto Commerce Parkway, North Charleston, SC 29456 | (843) 746-3800 | Fax: (843) 746-3810
Services: Maintains the county Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and Re-Entry Plan; coordinates the Four Phases of Emergency Management (mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery); serves as liaison for the Charleston County Volunteer Rescue Squad, which handles vehicle extrications, land/water search and rescue, and boating/diving accident response
Related: County Citizens Information Line (active during emergencies): (843) 746-3900, TTY (843) 746-3911, Spanish (843) 746-3909; City of Charleston’s own Citizen Information Line: (843) 724-7311.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-26 and US-17 serve Charleston, the county seat, and its surrounding barrier islands and Lowcountry communities
Transit: CARTA (Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority) provides county bus service – confirm current routes directly.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Charleston County Building Inspection Services – permits and inspections via the EnerGov Citizen Self Service (CSS) online portal
Services: Building permits for unincorporated Charleston County and certain municipalities (including the Town of Awendaw) that rely on county permitting; a 911 address must be posted on-site before inspection, and final SC DHEC septic/sewer approval is required
Notes: The cities of Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville, and Isle of Palms each maintain their own SEPARATE permit authorities. Areas like West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Cainhoy include a mix of incorporated and unincorporated properties – verify jurisdiction via the county/city GIS map tools before applying.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Charleston County Veterans Affairs Office – Charleston, SC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) – main library plus numerous branches
Main Branch: Main Library – 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401 | Currently CLOSED for renovation starting August 1 – temporary core services relocated to 1142 Morrison Drive, Charleston, SC 29403; check ccpl.org for current reopening updates
Services: Established in 1930 and formally opened January 1, 1931, first housed in the Charleston Museum building; within its first two days issued 400 library cards and circulated over 8,400 books; originally funded in part by the Carnegie Corporation and the Rosenwald Fund, whose grant terms formally required the library to be racially integrated – though in practice separate operating hours were initially observed for different races, with segregation gradually loosening in the early 1960s and formally abolished in 1965; as of 2021, Charleston County Public Library was noted as the only public library system in South Carolina open on Sundays
Related: Johns Island Branch – currently closed for renovation as of recent reports; West Ashley Branch – 1858 South Grimball Rd., Charleston, SC 29412; Edisto Island Branch – 1589 Hwy 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438; numerous additional branches across the county – confirm current hours and locations directly at ccpl.org/branches given the main library renovation is affecting service temporarily.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Charleston County is home to historic Charleston, one of America’s oldest and most architecturally significant cities, founded in 1670; the county encompasses Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in April 1861, now part of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park; Charleston County’s public library system carries genuine civil-rights-era historical weight, having been built with early 20th-century Rosenwald Fund support specifically conditioned on racial integration – a distinctive piece of the library’s own institutional history documented above.
Notes: Given Charleston County’s extensive, widely documented historic district and landmark density, refer residents to the City of Charleston’s official visitor and preservation resources for a full inventory of historic sites.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Charleston County GIS – accessible via charlestoncounty.org and gis.charleston-sc.gov (for City of Charleston jurisdiction verification)
Parcel Search: Charleston County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Charleston County Emergency Management Department
Services: South Carolina’s largest and one of its most prominent animal welfare organizations, a designated No-Kill shelter; all adoptable pets come spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped; operates the AAHA-accredited Sam Greer Spay-Neuter Clinic; regularly partners with organizations like PetSmart Charities on adoption events; also handles animal control functions for portions of Charleston County
Notes: Confirm whether the town/city where you’re located (Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, etc.) has a separate municipal animal control division in addition to Charleston Animal Society’s countywide role.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: SC DHEC – scdhec.gov
Notes: Contact Charleston County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Charleston County’s public library system carries a genuine and documented piece of civil rights history – built in part with early 20th-century Rosenwald Fund support specifically conditioned on racial integration, decades before broader desegregation. 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, especially given the Main Library’s current renovation and temporary relocation.
About Charleston County
Charleston County contains one of the most historically significant and architecturally distinctive cities in the United States. Charleston – founded in 1670 as Charles Town, the first permanent English settlement in the Carolinas – spent two centuries as one of the wealthiest cities in North America, built on the labor of enslaved Africans in the rice and indigo plantations of the Lowcountry. The wealth generated by that system produced the extraordinary collection of antebellum architecture that survives today: the Battery, Rainbow Row, the French Quarter, the Historic District, and more than 1,400 historic structures that make Charleston one of the most intact colonial and antebellum cities in the hemisphere.
The city’s Gullah Geechee cultural heritage – the language, foodways, basket weaving, and spiritual traditions of the descendants of enslaved West Africans who developed a distinct culture in the Sea Islands and Lowcountry – is among the most significant living African American cultural traditions in the United States. The International African American Museum, which opened in 2023 on Gadsden’s Wharf (a major embarkation point for the transatlantic slave trade), is a landmark institution for this history.
Charleston has experienced one of the most dramatic economic transformations of any American city in recent decades. The presence of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner final assembly facility (which opened in North Charleston in 2011 and currently employs thousands), a growing cluster of aerospace and defense suppliers, the expansion of the Port of Charleston (one of the Southeast’s major container ports), and the emergence of a technology and startup ecosystem anchored by Volvo’s North American manufacturing facility have diversified an economy historically dependent on military (JBcharleston, JB Charleston – previously Charleston Air Force Base) and tourism.
Mount Pleasant, across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas at its opening in 2005) from downtown Charleston, has become one of the fastest-growing cities in South Carolina – a booming suburb with nationally regarded schools, waterfront communities, and a real estate market that rivals Charlotte and Atlanta.
County government is a seven-member County Council with a County Administrator and separately elected offices for the Clerk of Court, Coroner, Sheriff, Solicitor, and Treasurer.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
South Carolina’s property tax system turns on a fundamental distinction every Charleston County owner must understand:
Owner-occupied primary residences: assessed at 4% of appraised value
All other property (investment, vacation, commercial, industrial): assessed at 6% of appraised value
The 2-percentage-point difference is not trivial. A home appraised at $600,000 generates a $24,000 assessed value at 4% versus $36,000 at 6% – a 50% increase in the tax base. In Charleston County, where millage rates from multiple taxing authorities (county, city, school district, special purpose districts) compound, this classification difference can mean $2,000 or more per year in additional taxes. Verify your classification with the Charleston County Assessor if you own and occupy your home as your primary residence.
South Carolina conducts countywide reassessments every 5 years. The Charleston County Assessor (3875 Faber Place Drive, Suite 200, North Charleston, 843-958-4100) is responsible for appraising all property.
The appeal process:
Step 1 – Written objection to the Assessor: When your property value increases by $1,000 or more, the Assessor sends written notice. File a written objection within 90 days of the mailing date. Missing this window forfeits your right to appeal that year’s valuation. File with the Charleston County Real Property Services department.
Step 2 – Board of Assessment Appeals: If unresolved, appeal to the Charleston County Board of Assessment Appeals. In-person attendance at your hearing is required – failure to appear risks dismissal of the appeal. Bring comparable sales from your neighborhood, an independent appraisal, or evidence of property condition.
Step 3 – Administrative Law Court (ALC): If unsatisfied with the Board’s written decision, appeal to the South Carolina Administrative Law Court within 30 days. Decisions of the ALC are further appealable to the SC Court of Appeals.
Senior Homestead Exemption: Qualifying homeowners age 65+, legally blind, or permanently disabled may receive a $50,000 reduction in taxable value. Apply through the Charleston County Auditor.
No South Carolina estate tax. No South Carolina inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Charleston County’s 90-day objection window from assessment notice is strict – missing it forfeits the year. Confirm you are on the 4% owner-occupied rate; an incorrect 6% classification is one of the most common and expensive assessment errors in SC. Board hearing requires in-person attendance. Ownwell manages the full appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Charleston County's 90-day objection window from assessment notice is strict - missing it forfeits the year. Confirm you are on the 4% owner-occupied rate; an incorrect 6% classification is one of the most common and expensive assessment errors in SC. Board hearing requires in-person attendance. Ownwell manages the full appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Charleston County Circuit Court at 100 Broad Street, Charleston (843-958-5000) handles all civil, criminal, and probate matters. The Charleston County Clerk of Court at 100 Broad Street (843-958-5000) maintains all court records and land records – deeds, mortgages, and recorded documents – searchable online at charlestoncounty.org. The Charleston County Register of Deeds (843-958-4800) handles all property recording.
South Carolina probate: Transfer on Death deeds are not currently recognized – real property typically passes through probate or joint tenancy. No SC estate or inheritance tax.
Boeing and aerospace equity planning: Charleston County’s growing aerospace sector – Boeing 787, Volvo Cars, Mercedes-Benz Vans, and dozens of suppliers – has brought a significant population of engineers and managers with equity compensation from publicly traded companies. RSU vesting schedules, ISO/NQSO planning, and ESPP participation are common planning needs in this community.
Lowcountry property and flood risk: Charleston County’s coastal and tidal geography creates specific estate planning challenges around FEMA flood insurance, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy transferability (flood insurance policies do not automatically transfer with property), and the increasing difficulty and cost of insuring coastal structures. Properties in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) with pre-FIRM structures have complex insurance history that should be documented in estate plans.
Senior Services: The Charleston County Council on Aging / Trident Area Agency on Aging (843-762-2273) at 2176 Northbrook Boulevard, North Charleston coordinates senior centers, home-delivered meals, transportation, SHIIP Medicare counseling (SC’s SHIP program), caregiver support, Adult Protective Services, and connections to South Carolina Medicaid long-term care programs.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
100 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 958-5000
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Charleston County Probate Court, Charleston (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Charleston Old and Historic District, NRHP-listed, is one of the largest and best-preserved historic districts in the United States, including the 1753 courthouse.
South Carolina Historical Society, 100 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401 – a major statewide repository founded in 1855.
Local societies
South Carolina Historical Society confirmed, based in Charleston and holding extensive statewide manuscript and genealogical collections.
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
Charleston County Probate Court 100 Broad Street, Suite 469, Charleston, SC 29401 (843) 958-5180
Charleston County is in the coastal Lowcountry of South Carolina, seated in Charleston – one of the oldest and most historic cities in the United States. The 1753 Charleston County Courthouse, part of the Charleston Old and Historic District, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Charleston 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 Charleston 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
100 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 958-5000
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
3691 Leeds Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 529-5211
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
4045 Bridge View Dr, North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 202-6970
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
DHEC Public Health Office
3660 Warrior Ln, North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 953-0150
Department of Social Services
3695 West Montague Ave, North Charleston, SC 29418
(843) 953-9700
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Charleston County Public Health (DHEC) – (843) 953-0038 for special-needs/medical emergency registration
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.
Recommended for South Carolina
Ownwell
Property tax appeal service. Contingency fee - no savings, no charge.
