How Do You Obtain A Land Patent In South Carolina?
Land patents are legal documents that formally transfer land from United States government ownership to individuals, usually homesteaders or early colonists in an area. Records for the original 13 colonies are kept by the states themselves in state archives. South Carolina’s state archives have 51,809 land grant-related items dating from 1784 to 1868. Gather as much information as you can find about the land patent you want to research. You will need at least the last name of the original grantee. Information about the land itself and the date the patent was filed is also useful. Search the South Carolina State Archives and History Center’s database of holdings through their website, at http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/guide/stateguide.htm. If you need help searching, you can contact the SCSAHC by phone at 803-896-6104, by email, by filling out of the forms located at http://archives.sc.gov/queries/. Request a print or microfilm copy of the land patent you need by contacting the SCSAHC at
