Greenwood County Deed Records and Recording Services
Greenwood County deed records are managed through the Register of Deeds office, where the functions are performed by the elected Clerk of Court. Located at 528 Monument Street in Greenwood, the office handles all real property recording for the county and provides both online terminals and traditional index books for public research. Searching Greenwood County deed records gives access to deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, and other instruments affecting land title. The county records all documents the same day they are received, and originals are returned by mail within three to five business days of the recording date.
Greenwood County Quick Facts
Greenwood County Register of Deeds Office Details
The Greenwood County Register of Deeds functions are performed by the elected Clerk of Court. The office is located at 528 Monument Street, Room 114, Greenwood, SC 29646. Hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The office name was changed from Register of Mesne Conveyances (RMC) to Register of Deeds (ROD) on January 1, 1998, reflecting the statewide transition to a unified title for recording offices.
The Greenwood County Register of Deeds official page provides information about recording services, hours, and online access to the county's deed record system.
Greenwood County Register of Deeds official page showing recording services, hours, and online access
The official page is the most reliable source for current information on how to submit documents, what the office accepts, and how to access the online search system.
| Office | Greenwood County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 528 Monument Street, Room 114, Greenwood, SC 29646 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Same-Day Recording | Yes, for documents received before close |
| After 4 PM | Processed following business day |
| Originals Returned | 3–5 business days after recording |
Note: Documents submitted after 4:00 PM will not be recorded until the following business day and may not appear on the website for up to one work week.
How Greenwood County Deed Records Are Processed
The Greenwood County Register of Deeds records all documents the same day they are received, provided they arrive before the close of business. This same-day recording policy gives parties confidence that their instrument will be in the public record quickly after submission.
After recording, the original document is mailed back to the submitting party within three to five business days. This is a standard practice in South Carolina — the county keeps a digital or microfilm copy and the original is returned. For real estate closings, the original deed is typically mailed to the new owner after recording.
The office provides both online terminals and traditional index books for researchers. Visitors can use the in-office terminals to search recorded instruments without needing to request physical deed books from staff. Index books remain available for those who prefer working with the traditional record format. This dual-access model accommodates both technology-comfortable researchers and those more familiar with the older index system.
Recording fees in Greenwood County follow the statewide schedule of $1.85 per $500 of consideration under Section 12-24-10. Documents must comply with Title 30, Chapter 5 requirements, including acknowledgment under Section 30-5-30 and the derivation clause under Section 30-5-35 for post-1976 deeds.
Searching Greenwood County Deed Records Online
Online access to Greenwood County deed records is available through both the county website and third-party platforms. The Greenwood County Government website links to the county's online records system and provides contact information for the Register of Deeds office.
Greenwood County Government website for public records and county services
The county website is the official gateway for online deed record searches in Greenwood County and provides links to the digital index and imaging system.
For property-level deed data and ownership history, SC Property Checker Greenwood County aggregates recorded instrument information tied to specific parcels.
SC Property Checker Greenwood County showing deed records and property data
SC Property Checker allows owner name and address searches to find recorded documents for Greenwood County parcels, including the history of past deed transfers and associated mortgage instruments.
The statewide SC Land Records portal is another online access route for Greenwood County deed documents. For historical records, the SC Department of Archives and History holds microfilmed deed books.
State Tax Liens and Greenwood County Deed Records
An important change took effect November 1, 2019 for Greenwood County deed records. As of that date, state tax liens are listed on the SC Department of Revenue State Tax Lien Registry rather than being filed in the county recording office. This means that state tax liens recorded on or after November 1, 2019 are not searchable through the Greenwood County Register of Deeds system.
A complete title search for Greenwood County property must now include a search of both the county deed records and the state tax lien registry. Failing to check the state registry could leave a buyer unaware of a state tax lien that would survive the purchase and become their responsibility.
Federal tax liens continue to be filed in the county recording office and are searchable through the Greenwood County deed indexes. The change only affects state tax liens. Title professionals and attorneys handling Greenwood County transactions should build the state lien registry search into their standard title examination checklist.
Note: This change is specific to state tax liens. All other instruments, including federal tax liens, deeds, mortgages, and other documents, continue to be recorded and searchable through the Greenwood County Register of Deeds.
What Greenwood County Deed Records Contain
Recorded deeds in Greenwood County include the grantor and grantee names and addresses, the legal description of the property, the consideration amount, the recording date, and the instrument number. Modern deeds also carry the derivation clause and grantee address required by Section 30-5-35.
Greenwood County deed records reflect the county's mixed residential and agricultural character. Legal descriptions in the county may reference recorded plats for subdivisions, use metes and bounds for rural tracts, or combine both methods. Older rural tracts may have descriptions referencing road names, creeks, and neighbors that require local geographic knowledge to interpret.
The Register also maintains mortgage records, plat maps, mechanics liens, powers of attorney, and UCC filings. Each instrument type is indexed separately. A title search for a Greenwood County property involves checking the deed indexes, the mortgage indexes, and the lien files to identify all instruments that might affect title.
South Carolina Recording Law in Greenwood County
All Greenwood County recordings must comply with state law. Section 30-5-30 requires acknowledgment of the grantor's signature before a deed can be recorded. Section 30-5-90 requires the office to record documents within 30 days of lodgment. Greenwood County meets this requirement easily with its same-day recording policy.
Under Section 30-7-70, a recorded deed provides constructive notice to all subsequent purchasers and creditors. Once an instrument is in the Greenwood County public record, no one dealing with that property can claim they did not know about it. This principle protects buyers who record promptly and motivates all parties to record their instruments without delay.
Nearby Counties
Greenwood County borders Laurens, Newberry, Saluda, Edgefield, McCormick, Abbeville, and Anderson counties. Each maintains its own recording office for deed records.