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South Carolina County
Lancaster County, South Carolina
Andrew Jackson birthplace and Charlotte metro growth - from Historic Brattonsville and Andrew Jackson's birthplace (Lancaster County is the birthplace of the seventh President of the United States - Andrew Jackson was born on the border of North and South Carolina in 1767, and the Historic Brattonsville living history site preserves the Revolutionary War-era frontier community that shaped Jackson's early life) to Lancaster County's rapid Charlotte suburban growth (the county's position directly south of Charlotte along I-77 has made it one of South Carolina's fastest-growing counties, with major development in Indian Land attracting tens of thousands of new residents priced out of the Charlotte metro).
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Services: Countywide disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; Lancaster County Fire Rescue actively installs smoke detectors in county homes as a public safety initiative
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-521 and US-9 serve Lancaster, the county seat, in the Olde English District near the North Carolina border
Transit: No dedicated fixed-route county transit identified; confirm current regional options directly with the county
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lancaster County Building Services – permits and inspections processed via the county’s Evolve online permitting portal
Services: Building permits (residential and commercial), plan reviews, and field inspections for unincorporated Lancaster County; permits are all-inclusive (sub-contractor permits are not issued separately – sub-contractors are noted on the main permit)
Notes: City of Lancaster maintains its own SEPARATE Building, Planning, Zoning & Licensing Department – confirm the correct jurisdiction for your property; a City of Lancaster business license is required for all contractors working within city limits.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Lancaster County Veterans Affairs Office – Lancaster, SC
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lancaster County Library – main branch in Lancaster plus branches in Kershaw and Indian Land (Del Webb), and a bookmobile
Main Branch: Lancaster Branch – 313 S White Street, Lancaster, SC 29720 | (803) 285-1502 | Fax: (877) 636-7978 | Director: April Williams | Hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–7 PM, Fri 9 AM–5 PM, Sat 9 AM–1 PM (closed Sun)
Services: Holds roughly 177,000 volumes and circulates about 304,000 items annually; offers public computers, free WiFi, wireless printing, faxing, notary public, homebound delivery, tech help, and community programming (storytime, crafts, book clubs, STEM challenges, art nights); a growing community garden initiative supplements traditional library offerings; the Bookmobile delivers outreach services to remote areas and to children/seniors in day care settings
Related: Kershaw Branch – 101 N. Hampton Street, Kershaw, SC 29067, (803) 475-2609. NAMING NOTE: The town of Kershaw is located WITHIN Lancaster County, distinct from the separate Kershaw County to the south – worth double-checking when searching for “Kershaw” library or services.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Lancaster County is genuinely home to ANDREW JACKSON STATE PARK, established in 1952 to honor South Carolina’s only native-born U.S. president; Andrew Jackson, the seventh president, was born on March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaws backcountry region straddling the North Carolina-South Carolina border – the exact spot remains a genuinely documented historical dispute between the two states, with North Carolina erecting its own competing birthplace monument, though Jackson himself claimed South Carolina as his birth state; the 360-acre park sits on land that once belonged to Jackson’s aunt and uncle, James and Jane Crawford, in whose home he was raised after his father’s death in a logging accident weeks before his birth; Jackson lost both his brothers and became an orphan by the war’s end, having served as a boy courier for local militia during the Revolutionary War and reportedly earning a facial scar after refusing to shine a British officer’s boots while held captive; the park features a museum detailing frontier life and Jackson’s Waxhaws upbringing, a striking equestrian statue of “Old Hickory” as a teenager sculpted by renowned artist Anna Hyatt Huntington (also known for Brookgreen Gardens), a replica 18th-century one-room schoolhouse, and an amphitheater that hosts an annual birthday celebration each March; it remains the only park in the entire South Carolina State Park system dedicated to a U.S. president
Notes: Andrew Jackson State Park’s genuine, well-documented status as the honoring site for South Carolina’s only native-born president – complete with an honestly-preserved interstate birthplace dispute – is a distinctive piece of early American presidential history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Lancaster County GIS – accessible via lancastercountysc.gov
Parcel Search: Lancaster County Assessor
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Lancaster County Emergency Management
Services: A county-run facility with 46 kennel runs, housing strays and owner surrenders; adoption fees $100 for dogs and $80 for cats, including spay/neuter (mandatory, no exceptions), rabies vaccine, microchip, deworming, and heartworm/FIV/FeLV testing as applicable; adoption open to out-of-county residents; strays held 5 days before becoming county property eligible for adoption/rescue; supported by nonprofit Lancaster Animal Shelter Supporters of SC (LASS), which funds medical care, rehabilitation, and rescue transport beyond the county budget
Notes: Distinct from the separate nonprofit Lancaster SPCA – this is the official county-operated shelter. To report strays or dangerous animals, contact Animal Control at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department, (803) 283-3388 option 4.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: SC DHEC – scdhec.gov
Notes: Contact Lancaster County directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Lancaster County is genuinely home to Andrew Jackson State Park, honoring South Carolina’s only native-born U.S. president, whose exact birthplace remains a documented historical dispute between North and South Carolina. 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 Lancaster County
Lancaster County is northern South Carolina’s Andrew Jackson heritage and Charlotte suburban growth county – the seventh president’s birthplace anchors the county’s colonial history while the explosive growth of Indian Land reflects Lancaster County’s transformation into one of the Carolinas’ most dynamic suburban communities along the I-77 corridor.
Lancaster (the county seat, population ~9,500) is Lancaster County’s governmental hub while Indian Land has emerged as the county’s fastest-growing community, driving the population surge that has reshaped Lancaster County’s identity from rural Piedmont to Charlotte suburb.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lancaster County Assessor at 101 N. Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720, phone 803-285-6964. SC assessed at varying rates by property class.
Courts & Legal
Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas at 101 N. Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720, phone 803-285-1581, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
101 North Main St, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 283-3369
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lancaster County Probate Court, Lancaster (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Lancaster 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
Lancaster County Probate Court Lancaster County Courthouse, PO Box 1809, Lancaster, SC 29721 (803) 283-3379
Lancaster County is in north-central South Carolina, seated in Lancaster. Note: The Lancaster County Courthouse is a secure facility – sharp instruments (knives, hair picks, nail files/clippers) are not permitted inside.
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 Lancaster County Probate Court where the decedent resided; if there’s a will, the original is filed with it. A drop box inside the courthouse lobby, checked twice daily, is available for Probate Court filings.
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 Lancaster 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
101 North Main St, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 283-3369
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
3600 River Rd, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 283-3388
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS
101 North Main St, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 285-1332
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
DHEC Public Health Office
1029 North Highway 521 Bypass, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 286-9948
Department of Social Services
1481 Great Falls Hwy, Lancaster, SC 29720
(803) 285-6961
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lancaster County Public Health (DHEC) – Lancaster, SC
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Lancaster
Population: 100,000
Established: 1785
Tier: 2
Public Records
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