Lancaster County Genealogy Records
Lancaster County genealogy research draws on records dating back to the county's formation in 1785 as one of South Carolina's original counties. Lancaster County sits in the northern Piedmont near the North Carolina border, and its history reflects the Scots-Irish and English settlers who moved into the Carolina backcountry during the eighteenth century. The county seat is Lancaster. The Lancaster County Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and public library are the primary local sources for genealogy records. The University of South Carolina Lancaster maintains the Native American Studies Center, which holds collections related to the Catawba Indian Nation and their connections to the Lancaster County area. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds additional state-level collections covering Lancaster County from its formation through the twentieth century.
Lancaster County Quick Facts
Lancaster County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Lancaster 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 Lancaster County Courthouse, 104 N Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720. Phone: (803) 285-1581.
Estate records at the Lancaster County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1785 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships across more than two centuries. Early Lancaster County estate records document the backcountry farmers and tradesmen who settled the Piedmont region in the decades following the Revolutionary War. These records are primary sources for Lancaster County genealogy research from the antebellum period through the early twentieth century.
For Lancaster 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.
Searching Lancaster County Genealogy Records
The free South Carolina Archives Online Records Index is the best starting point for Lancaster County genealogy research. This database covers will transcripts, land grant plats, Confederate veteran records, and court records held by SCDAH. Search by name to find indexed entries for Lancaster County ancestors. The index covers Lancaster County records from 1785 and also returns results from earlier district-level records.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index at sccourts.org provides access to Lancaster County court case records. You can search by party name or case number. For full document copies, contact the Lancaster County Clerk of Court at 104 N Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720. In-person research at the Lancaster County Courthouse gives direct access to the full range of genealogy records held by the Probate Court and Register of Deeds.
SCDAH holds microfilm of Lancaster County wills, inventories, and other probate records that extend back to the county's founding and are accessible through the Research Room in Columbia.
Lancaster 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Lancaster County genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. The county has historic Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist congregations whose registers document vital events going back to the eighteenth century. The proximity to the North Carolina border means some families may have records on both sides of the state line.
Lancaster County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Lancaster County Register of Deeds maintains land records dating back to 1785. The office is at 104 N Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720. Phone: (803) 285-6975. Deeds, mortgages, and plats document property ownership across more than two centuries. 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 Lancaster County. These early plats document original land grants in the Piedmont and along the Catawba River. Lancaster County's early land records reflect the rapid settlement of the area by Scots-Irish and English families moving south from Virginia and North Carolina in the late eighteenth century.
Native American Studies Center for Lancaster County Research
The Native American Studies Center at the University of South Carolina Lancaster holds collections related to the Catawba Indian Nation and their history in the Lancaster County area. The Catawba people have inhabited the Catawba River valley for centuries, and Lancaster County sits within their traditional territory. The center's collections include historical documents, oral histories, and research materials that may be valuable for researchers tracing families with Catawba ancestry or studying the interaction between European settlers and the Catawba nation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The Catawba Indian Nation reservation is in neighboring York County, but the Lancaster area was within the broader Catawba territory. Researchers tracing both Native American and European settler families in the Lancaster area should consult the Native American Studies Center's resources alongside the official county genealogy records. USC Lancaster is located at 476 Hubbard Drive, Lancaster, SC 29720.
Lancaster County Library and Local Resources
The Lancaster County Library at 313 S White Street, Lancaster, SC 29720 maintains local history and genealogy collections. Phone: (803) 285-1502. The library holds materials specific to Lancaster County and the surrounding Piedmont region. Census records, local newspapers, and family history materials available through the library complement the official county genealogy records held at the courthouse.
The Lancaster County Historical Society preserves local history and genealogical materials. The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections that may include materials relevant to Lancaster County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Lancaster County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The state death index covers Lancaster County deaths from 1915 through 1967 and is a free online resource for identifying death records before contacting DPH for the full certificate.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Lancaster County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Lancaster County records including court files, land documents, and census materials. 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. Staff answer queries by mail, email, and phone.
The SCDAH Digital Collections include Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938 and Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855. Will Transcripts from Lancaster County cover the period from the county's founding and are available free online. The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides resources covering Lancaster County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Lancaster County
Lancaster is the county seat of Lancaster County. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Lancaster County courthouse offices on North Main Street.
Nearby Counties
Lancaster County borders several South Carolina Piedmont counties and North Carolina. Ancestors near the state line may have records on both sides.