Dorchester County Genealogy Records
Dorchester County genealogy research begins with understanding the county's formation in 1897 from Berkeley County and Colleton County. All records for the Dorchester area before 1897 are held in those two parent counties depending on where an ancestor lived. Dorchester County is in the South Carolina Lowcountry north of Charleston and includes the town of Summerville, which has grown into one of the state's largest communities. The county Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and library system are the primary local sources for genealogy records. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds additional collections that cover Dorchester County and its parent county records.
Dorchester County Quick Facts
Dorchester County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Dorchester County Probate Court holds marriage licenses issued from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950. When the county formed in 1897, it began maintaining its own marriage records separate from Berkeley and Colleton counties. 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 Dorchester County Courthouse, 101 Ridge Street, St. George, SC 29477. Phone: (843) 563-0180.
Estate records at the Dorchester County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1897 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships across generations. Probate inventories from the early twentieth century document the farming and timber families who formed the backbone of the Dorchester County economy after the county's formation. These records are primary sources for Dorchester County genealogy research from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
For Dorchester 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.
Pre-1897 Dorchester Genealogy: Berkeley and Colleton Records
All genealogy records for the Dorchester County area before 1897 are located in Berkeley County or Colleton County. The northern portion of Dorchester County was carved from Berkeley County, while the southern portion came from Colleton County. Identifying which parent county holds records for a specific ancestor requires knowing their geographic location within the current county boundaries.
Berkeley County holds records dating back to 1682. Colleton County holds records from 1800. Both parent county collections are also accessible through the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia. The SCDAH Online Records Index allows name-based searches across all holdings and may return results connected to the Dorchester area within either parent county collection.
The Summerville Genealogical Society serves the Summerville and Dorchester County area and may hold resources relevant to both the post-1897 Dorchester County era and the earlier Berkeley and Colleton county periods for families that have lived in the area for multiple generations.
SCDAH's online research portal provides access to the broader collections that cover Dorchester County including the Berkeley and Colleton county records from before 1897.
Dorchester 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 must be registered within five days. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Dorchester 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 Dorchester County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Dorchester County genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Summerville and the surrounding area have long-established churches whose registers document baptisms, marriages, and burials going back into the nineteenth century.
Dorchester County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Dorchester County Register of Deeds maintains land records from 1897 forward. The office is at 101 Ridge Street, St. George, SC 29477. Phone: (843) 563-0187. Deeds, mortgages, and plats document property ownership since the county's formation. Under Title 30 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, counties are required to maintain and preserve these public land records.
For land transactions in the Dorchester area before 1897, researchers must consult Berkeley or Colleton county Register of Deeds offices. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Dorchester County area during the Berkeley and Colleton county eras. These plats document original land grants in the region and can help identify the earliest families in what became Dorchester County.
Dorchester County Library and Local Resources
The Dorchester County Library at 76 Old Trolley Road, Summerville, SC 29485 maintains local history collections and genealogical resources. Phone: (843) 871-5074. The library holds materials specific to Dorchester County and the surrounding Lowcountry region. Because Summerville is one of South Carolina's largest and fastest-growing communities, the library system serves a broad population and holds resources relevant to both long-established Dorchester County families and more recent residents.
The Summerville Genealogical Society is a local organization focused on genealogy research in the Summerville and Dorchester County area. The society may offer research assistance, hold local records or indexes, and connect researchers to other resources specific to the county. The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds manuscript collections that may include materials relevant to Dorchester County families from the Berkeley and Colleton county eras. Phone: (843) 723-3225.
The SCGenWeb Archives for Dorchester County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions and census extracts. The South Carolina State Library genealogy guide explains which office holds each type of Dorchester County genealogy record based on date range.
SCDAH staff can help researchers navigate Dorchester County records from 1897 and the Berkeley and Colleton county collections from before that date that cover the same geographic area.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Dorchester County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Dorchester County records and the Berkeley and Colleton county records that predate the county's formation. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room provides access to microfilm and a research library covering all 46 counties.
The SCDAH Digital Collections include Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938 and Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855. Will Transcripts from Berkeley and Colleton counties before 1897 may include estates from families in the Dorchester area. The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides a curated list of resources covering Dorchester County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Dorchester County
Dorchester County includes the town of Summerville. The county seat is St. George. Genealogy records for all Dorchester County communities are maintained at the county Probate Court and Register of Deeds in St. George.
Nearby Counties
Dorchester County was formed from Berkeley and Colleton counties in 1897. Those parent counties hold genealogy records for the Dorchester area before that year.