Beaufort County Genealogy Records
Beaufort County genealogy research reaches back to the colonial era. Beaufort was one of South Carolina's original districts, organized in 1769, and has maintained land and court records since the colonial period. Beaufort County is home to the South Carolina Sea Islands, where the Gullah Geechee community has deep roots going back to the era of enslavement. Genealogy research in Beaufort County requires knowledge of these historical layers. The Beaufort County Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and county library system are the primary local sources. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds state and regional collections that extend Beaufort County genealogy research back several centuries.
Beaufort County Quick Facts
Beaufort County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Beaufort County Probate Court holds marriage licenses issued from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-1-20, every marriage in South Carolina requires a written application filed with the Probate Court before a license is issued. The court maintains a permanent record of all licenses as required by § 20-1-270. The Probate Court is at Beaufort County Courthouse, 102 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902. Phone: (843) 255-5050.
Estate records at the Beaufort County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files. Because Beaufort County has maintained records since the colonial era, the estate files here span a much longer time range than most South Carolina counties. Early probate inventories from the eighteenth century list plantation property in detail. These colonial-era records, combined with later documents, make Beaufort County Probate Court one of the richest genealogy sources in the state.
For Beaufort County marriage records from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630. For Beaufort County marriages before July 1911, researchers must consult church records, family Bibles, and other sources since state marriage licensing did not begin until 1911.
Beaufort County Genealogy and Gullah Geechee Research
Beaufort County's Sea Islands were home to one of the largest concentrations of enslaved people in South Carolina. After the Civil War, the area became the focus of freedmen's education and land ownership programs. This history makes Beaufort County genealogy research distinct from other South Carolina counties, particularly for researchers tracing African American ancestors from the Lowcountry.
Penn Center on St. Helena Island preserves the history and culture of the Gullah Geechee people of the Sea Islands. The center maintains archival materials related to the Penn School, established in 1862 as one of the first schools for freed African Americans. Penn Center's archives include records of the school's students and teachers, community documents, and materials related to land ownership on the Sea Islands. Researchers tracing Gullah families from Beaufort County should include Penn Center in their research plan.
The Freedmen's Bureau records for South Carolina are held at the National Archives and are available on microfilm and through Fold3 and other genealogy platforms. For Beaufort County specifically, these records document labor contracts, ration requests, marriage registers, and claims filed by freedpeople in the years immediately after the Civil War. These documents can help bridge the gap between slavery and the era of official vital records.
Beaufort County Vital Records for Genealogy
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 44-63-10, every birth in the state must be registered within five days. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Beaufort County birth records for 1915 to 1918 online and death records for 1915 to 1963. The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds vital records from 1915 to present at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia. Phone: 803-898-3630.
Death certificates become public records 50 years after death under § 44-63-84. The free South Carolina death index for genealogy covers Beaufort County deaths from 1915 through 1967. Search by name to find the indexed entry and then request the full certificate from SCDAH or DPH. For Beaufort County genealogy research before 1915, church records are especially important. The county has a long history of active parishes, and many church registers document births, marriages, and deaths going back to the eighteenth century.
The Library of Congress guide links to vital records databases, census collections, and local history materials that supplement the official Beaufort County genealogy records held at the county and state level.
Beaufort County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Beaufort County Register of Deeds maintains land records dating back to the colonial period. Beaufort County has some of the oldest land records in South Carolina. The office is at 102 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902. Phone: (843) 255-5050. Deeds, mortgages, and plats held here document property ownership across many generations. Under Title 30 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, counties are required to maintain and preserve these public land records.
The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Beaufort area. These early plats document the original colonial grants of land in the Sea Islands region and along the coast. For Beaufort County genealogy, early land grants are particularly important because they establish the first European settlers in the area and trace how land passed through families over generations before and after the Revolution.
Land records in Beaufort County also reflect the complex history of land ownership following the Civil War. During the Port Royal Experiment, thousands of acres of Beaufort County land were sold at tax sales and acquired by freedpeople and Northern investors. These transactions are documented in the land records and are important for both African American and white family genealogy research in the county.
Beaufort County Library and Local Genealogy Resources
The Beaufort County Library maintains extensive local history collections at both the Beaufort and Hilton Head branches. The main branch is at 311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902. Phone: (843) 255-6450. The library provides access to census records, newspapers, and special collections on Lowcountry history. The Beaufort District Collection is the library's special local history holding, preserving materials related to the history and culture of the South Carolina Sea Islands and Lowcountry region.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds manuscript collections and genealogy vertical files that cover Beaufort County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. Their holdings include plantation records, church registers, and personal papers from the Sea Islands area. The society maintains the WPA Tombstone index and church registers that document births, deaths, and marriages from the colonial period through the early twentieth century.
The society's holdings include unique documents such as letters, diaries, and scrapbooks that are not found in official county records and can add significant depth to Beaufort County genealogy research.
The SCGenWeb Archives for Beaufort County provides free access to volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories. The Beaufort County section of SCGenWeb may include materials from the Sea Islands community and can help researchers identify churches, cemeteries, and other community institutions where Beaufort County ancestors are documented.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Beaufort County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds extensive Beaufort County records including colonial-era documents. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room is open to the public and provides access to microfilm of Beaufort County court records, land documents, and census materials. Staff can assist with research queries by mail, phone, or email.
The SCDAH Digital Collections include Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938, Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855, and colonial plats. These free online resources are especially useful for Beaufort County genealogy research from the antebellum and colonial periods. Colonial plats document land grants in the Beaufort area from the earliest period of European settlement. Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855 may include Beaufort County estates from the post-Revolutionary period.
The South Carolina State Library genealogy guide explains which office holds each type of record based on date range. The guide is a practical tool when you are unsure whether to contact the county Probate Court, SCDAH, or DPH for a specific Beaufort County genealogy record. The library is at 1500 Senate Street, Columbia. Phone: (803) 734-8666.
Cities in Beaufort County
Beaufort County includes the city of Beaufort as county seat, the town of Bluffton, and the town of Hilton Head Island. Genealogy records for residents of all Beaufort County communities are maintained at the county Probate Court and Register of Deeds.
Nearby Counties
Beaufort County borders several South Carolina Lowcountry counties. Ancestors who lived near a county line may have records in neighboring counties.