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South Carolina County
Hampton County, South Carolina
Hampton County's Alex Murdaugh connection and the Lowcountry legal dynasty - from the Murdaugh family's Hampton County dominance (the Murdaugh family - Randolph Murdaugh Sr., Jr., and III - served as solicitors of the 14th Judicial Circuit for 87 consecutive years, making Hampton County virtually synonymous with the family's legal and political power, which ultimately unraveled in the 2021 murders and 2023 trial of Alex Murdaugh) to Hampton County's Lowcountry agricultural and timber heritage along the Salkehatchie River near the Georgia border.
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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.
Office: Hampton County Emergency Management – 703 2nd Street West, PO Box 667, Hampton, SC 29924
Services: Countywide disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; participates in the Lowcountry Hazard Mitigation Plan alongside neighboring counties; Hampton County Fire-Rescue and E911 Central Dispatch operate under this department
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-278 and US-601 serve Hampton, the county seat, in the South Carolina Lowcountry
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Hampton County Building & Planning Department – 201 Jackson Avenue West, Hampton, SC 29924 | (803) 914-2127 | Fax: (803) 914-2130 | Email: [email protected]
Services: Ensures compliance with residential and commercial building codes and fire, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, gas, and flood zone regulations for unincorporated Hampton County; handles mobile home permits, new home construction, and home additions/porches
Notes: Confirm whether the Town of Hampton or other municipalities maintain their own separate permitting processes.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Hampton County Veterans Affairs Office – Hampton, SC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Hampton County Library – part of the AHJ (Allendale-Hampton-Jasper) Regional Library System
Main Branch: Hampton County Library – PO Box 681, Hampton, SC 29924 | Hours: Mon–Fri 10 AM–6 PM
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Hampton County is genuinely home to the HAMPTON COUNTY WATERMELON FESTIVAL, documented as South Carolina’s OLDEST CONTINUING FESTIVAL and described locally as “the world’s original Watermelon Festival” – running annually since 1939, interrupted only twice, during World War II (1943-45) and the Korean War (1951); local tradition holds that the festival originated from a conversation among the Hampton County Clemson Extension Agent, a local newspaperman, and the town mayor, who together formed the Hampton Booster Club to promote the county’s leading crop; today the eight-day festival (expanded from its original format in 1993), headquartered on the Hampton County Courthouse Square each June, draws an estimated 50,000 visitors annually for a parade, “Battle of the Towns” competition, street dances, a 5K run, fishing contest, mud runs, and the long-running Miss Coastal Empire pageant – past participants have included future Miss South Carolina and Miss America title-holders, and even the future wife of U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond competed as Miss South Carolina at the 1966 festival; Hampton County remains genuinely one of South Carolina’s largest watermelon-producing counties, and the festival is regularly recognized among the state’s top food-focused festivals
Notes: The Hampton County Watermelon Festival’s genuine, well-documented 85+ year continuous run – surviving only two wartime interruptions – makes it a distinctive and historically significant piece of South Carolina community heritage.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Hampton County GIS – accessible via hamptoncountysc.org
Parcel Search: Hampton County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Hampton County Emergency Management
Services: A small, not-for-profit shelter with just 12 dog and 12 cat kennels, run strictly by donations, taking in roughly one animal per day on average; rescues abused and neglected animals for rehabilitation and adoption; adoption fee $87, typically following a 10-day foster trial period; adoptions permitted out of county/state pending application approval; all adoptions are by appointment only
Notes: The shelter has periodically faced capacity strain following animal cruelty case intakes and appeals for emergency foster support – confirm current intake capacity directly given its small, donation-dependent size.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: SC DHEC – scdhec.gov
Notes: Contact Hampton County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Hampton County is genuinely home to South Carolina’s oldest continuing festival, the Hampton County Watermelon Festival, running annually since 1939. 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 Hampton County
Hampton County is where the Murdaugh family held sway for nearly a century – three generations serving as solicitors for 87 consecutive years gave the family extraordinary power over this small Lowcountry community, power that collapsed in the 2021 murders and Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 conviction.
Hampton (the county seat, population ~2,800) is the governmental hub for this rural Lowcountry county near the Georgia border and the Savannah River Site.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Hampton County Assessor at 200 Jackson Avenue W., Hampton, SC 29924, phone 803-914-2090. SC owner-occupied assessed at 4% of market value.
Courts & Legal
Hampton County Probate Court at 200 Jackson Avenue W., Hampton, SC 29924, phone 803-914-2120, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF COURT (RECORDING)
200 Jackson Ave East, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 914-2091
PROBATE COURT
200 Jackson Ave East, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 914-2081
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Hampton County Probate Court, Hampton (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1878 Hampton County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Hampton 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
Hampton County Probate Court 1 Courthouse Square (Elm Street), PO Box 601, Hampton, SC 29924 (803) 914-2250
Hampton County is in the southern Lowcountry region of South Carolina, seated in Hampton. The 1878 Hampton County Courthouse, Italianate in style, 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 Hampton 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 Hampton 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
200 Jackson Ave East, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 914-2081
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
200 Jackson Ave East, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 943-7530
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
200 Jackson Ave East, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 914-2120
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
DHEC Public Health Office
209 Grice St, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 943-2971
Department of Social Services
705 Elm St West, Hampton, SC 29924
(803) 943-2691
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Hampton County Public Health (DHEC) – Hampton, SC
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Hampton
Population: 20,000
Established: 1878
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Hampton County residents.
