Most states hand buyers a transfer tax that stings. South Carolina hands you one that barely registers. The state's deed recording fee runs 0.37% of the sale price, which on the statewide median of $359,900 is $1,332 — and by long-standing custom the seller writes that check, not you.
What South Carolina does have, and what most states don't, is a legal requirement that an actual attorney handle your closing. Not a title company with a lawyer on call. An attorney, supervising the transaction, physically present at the table. That's a real cost line out-of-state buyers routinely fail to budget for.
The result is a state where the closing bill is shaped less by taxes and more by professional fees — which is good news, because professional fees are the negotiable half. For the mechanics of any individual fee, our line-by-line breakdown of every closing-cost item covers the general rules so this article doesn't have to repeat them.
A note before you start: this is general education, not financial, legal, or tax advice. Every figure below is a statewide number from CalculatorByState's sourced dataset, and your county, lender, closing attorney, and contract will all move the total. Attorney fees and register-of-deeds charges aren't standardized, so two Charleston buyers at the same price can see different bottom lines. Your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure are authoritative. Use this to sanity-check them, not to replace them.
1. What closing costs actually run in South Carolina
Apply a 2-5% range to South Carolina's $359,900 median sale price and you get roughly $7,198 to $17,995, with a midpoint near $12,597. Round the price down to $350,000 and the same range becomes about $7,000 to $17,500.
That's a wide spread, and the width is the point. Because South Carolina's tax side is so light, where you land depends almost entirely on discretionary items: which lender you pick, which closing attorney you pick, and how much prepaid tax and insurance your closing date forces you to fund.
Closing costs sit on top of your down payment, not inside it. On a $359,900 purchase with 20% down, you finance $287,920 and put $71,980 down. Add the $12,597 midpoint and you need about $84,577 in cash to reach the table. Financing that $287,920 at the current 30-year fixed rate of 6.65% — or 5.95% on a 15-year — is the part everyone plans for. The $84,577 is the part that surprises people.
See your all-in South Carolina closing costs2. The deed recording fee is the transfer tax, and it's small
South Carolina doesn't call it a transfer tax. The Department of Revenue calls it the deed recording fee, set by state law at $1.85 per $500 of the realty's value — 0.37% of the sale price. Unlike states where local governments stack their own rate on top, this one is uniform statewide.
The $1.85 splits in two:
- $1.30 per $500 to the state — 0.26%, or about $936 on a $359,900 home
- $0.55 per $500 to the county — 0.11%, or about $396 on that same home
- Combined: $1,332 (0.37% of $359,900)
At a $350,000 price the fee is $1,295. There's no municipal surcharge to hunt down and no rate that changes when you cross a township line. Whatever your price, multiply by 0.0037 and you have the number.
Put that against the closing-cost midpoint and the deed recording fee is roughly 11% of the whole bill ($1,332 out of $12,597). In several other states the transfer tax alone eats a third or more of the total. Here it's a rounding error next to your lender's fees.
3. No mortgage recording tax either
South Carolina charges no mortgage recording tax, intangible tax, or mortgage registry tax. The deed recording fee applies to the deed, the document conveying the property. It does not apply to the mortgage, the document recorded to secure your loan. Some states tax both, so a bigger loan mechanically means a bigger government bill on the same house. In South Carolina, recording your mortgage costs only a flat county register-of-deeds fee.
Two consequences. A low down payment doesn't inflate your government charges here; only your price does. And refinancing is comparatively cheap, because a refinance transfers no deed — so no deed recording fee — and there's no percentage-based tax on the new loan.
4. An attorney has to close your loan, and that's the law
This is South Carolina's genuine outlier. In many states people say "you'll probably want a lawyer." Here, a licensed South Carolina attorney is required to supervise the closing and to be physically present for it. Handling a closing without one isn't a shortcut — it's the unauthorized practice of law. The requirement applies whether you're financing or paying cash.
What that means in practice:
- You will have a separate attorney line on your Closing Disclosure. It isn't optional and it isn't bundled into a title company's settlement fee.
- Attorney fees are not set by the state. They vary firm to firm, which makes this one of the few line items where shopping actually moves the number.
- You generally get to choose the firm, subject to your lender approving it. Don't treat your agent's default recommendation as the only option.
- A cash purchase doesn't get you out of it. Investors buying without financing still need the attorney.
The upside is real: someone with a law license and malpractice insurance reviews your deed, your title search, and your contract before you sign. Title insurance still works the same way it does everywhere — see what title insurance covers and who it actually protects — but in South Carolina the person walking you through it is a lawyer.
5. Who pays what, and what's negotiable
By South Carolina custom, the seller pays the deed recording fee. That tracks the statute, which puts primary liability on the grantor — the seller — with the buyer only secondarily liable. It's still a contract term, so it can be moved: a buyer offering to absorb the $1,332 is making a real concession that costs the seller money without touching the appraised value.
But notice the scale. Taking on the entire fee is a $1,332 gesture against a $12,597 midpoint bill. Here, the negotiation that matters more is over lender charges and seller credits, not the transfer tax. Everything else follows the usual pattern — our guide to which closing fees you can push back on and which are locked sorts them properly.
6. How to lower the bill before you sign
- Shop the closing attorney. Most South Carolina buyers accept the first name they're given. Since the attorney is mandatory and the fee isn't regulated, calling two or three firms is the highest-leverage phone call in this state.
- Shop lenders, not just advertised rates. Origination and underwriting charges differ between lenders on an identical loan and credit profile.
- Ask for a seller credit toward closing costs. With the deed recording fee already customarily on the seller's side, the conversation about who covers what is open.
- Watch your prepaids. Funding the first year of insurance and seeding the escrow account is real cash due at closing, and it swings with your closing date — how escrow accounts get funded up front explains the timing.
- Compare your Loan Estimate to your Closing Disclosure line by line. Some charges may change between the two and some may not; how to read a Loan Estimate against the tolerance rules covers which is which.
Frequently asked questions
How much are closing costs in South Carolina?
At the statewide median sale price of $359,900, a 2-5% range works out to roughly $7,198 to $17,995, with a midpoint near $12,597. At a $350,000 price the same range is about $7,000 to $17,500. Those figures exclude real estate agent commissions.
Does South Carolina have a transfer tax?
Yes, though it's called the deed recording fee. State law sets it at $1.85 per $500 of the property's value, which is 0.37% of the sale price, or $1,332 on a $359,900 home. It's uniform statewide with no municipal add-ons.
Who pays the deed recording fee in South Carolina, the buyer or the seller?
Customarily the seller. The statute places primary liability on the grantor, with the buyer secondarily liable, and standard practice follows that. It's still a negotiable contract term, so a buyer can offer to cover the $1,332 as a concession.
Do I really need a lawyer to close on a house in South Carolina?
Yes. South Carolina requires a licensed attorney to supervise the closing and to be physically present, and closing without one constitutes the unauthorized practice of law. The requirement applies to cash purchases as well as financed ones, so budget for the attorney fee either way.
Does South Carolina charge a mortgage recording tax?
No. There is no mortgage recording tax, intangible tax, or mortgage registry tax in South Carolina. The deed recording fee applies to the deed transferring the property, not to the mortgage securing your loan, so recording the mortgage costs only a flat county fee.
How much does the state get versus the county?
Of the $1.85 per $500, the state takes $1.30 and the county takes $0.55. On a $359,900 sale that's about $936 to the state and about $396 to the county, totaling $1,332.
Are closing costs part of my down payment?
No, they're separate, and both are due at closing. On a $359,900 South Carolina home with 20% down you finance $287,920, bring $71,980 as the down payment, and add roughly $12,597 in closing costs at the midpoint, for about $84,577 in cash. See also ways to reduce the cash you bring to closing.
What to do next
Run your actual purchase price through South Carolina's payment calculator, which builds in the state's property tax and insurance figures so you see a full monthly number, not just principal and interest. Then get a real quote from a closing attorney early — that's the line item most likely to differ from what you assumed.
- South Carolina mortgage payment calculator
- South Carolina affordability calculator
- South Carolina first-time buyer calculator
- How to buy a home in South Carolina
- First-time home buyer programs explained
Every figure on this site is sourced and dated, and you can see exactly where each one comes from on our methodology page.
The figures above are illustrations drawn from CalculatorByState's sourced dataset. They are statewide numbers, not county-level quotes, and South Carolina attorney fees in particular vary by firm. Your own costs depend on your address, lender, closing attorney, and contract. For advice specific to your situation, consult a licensed real estate professional, mortgage lender, or attorney in South Carolina.