York County Residents Directory
The York County residents directory helps you find people and public records held by county offices. York County sits in the northern part of South Carolina, just south of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds office handles most record requests for York County residents. Rock Hill is the county seat and the main hub for court and land records. This residents directory covers property filings, court case lookups, vital records, and open records requests across York County. You can search for people by name, view land deeds, or check court dockets through the tools on this page.
York County Quick Facts
York County Clerk of Court
Angie M. Bryant serves as the Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds for York County. She is the first woman to hold this role in York County history. Governor Henry McMaster appointed her in July 2023. The office has more than 65 staff members who work in five locations across the county. They record about 60,000 documents each year, and they keep land records that go back to the 1700s.
The York County Clerk of Court has authority over three courthouses. These are the Historical Courthouse, the Joseph R. Moss Justice Center, and the Family Court Courthouse. Civil, criminal, and family court records are all stored by this office. If you need to look up a person in the York County residents directory for a court case, start with the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index. That tool lets you search by name or case number for free.
Visit the York County Clerk of Court website for office hours and contact details.
The Clerk of Court also runs a Passport Acceptance Facility in Rock Hill. This site handles more than 14,000 passport requests each year. It is one of the busiest passport offices in the region.
York County Property Records
The Register of Deeds side of the office records all property documents in York County. Recording hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff review each document before it is filed. If a paper lacks a required item, it will be sent back. Every deed must include the grantor name, grantee name, a legal property description, and notarized signatures.
Deed stamps in York County cost $3.70 for each $1,000 of value, rounded up to the next $500. A plain copy costs $0.50 per page, and a certified copy costs $5.00 per document. The office also accepts UCC filings for personal property liens. Veterans can file DD-214 military discharge records at no charge. Notary public oaths are recorded here as well. You can find more details about fees and forms on the York County Recording Information page.
If you are searching the York County residents directory for a property owner, the Register of Deeds keeps records by grantor and grantee name. You can look up who sold or bought land going back many years. Plat maps and subdivision records are also on file for anyone who needs them.
Note: Recording hours end at 5:00 p.m. sharp, so plan to arrive well before closing if you need to file a document in York County.
Public Records Requests in York County
South Carolina law gives the public the right to access government records. The Freedom of Information Act, found in S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-4-10, applies to all public bodies in York County. Each city and town has its own process for handling these requests. The response time and fees depend on where you send the request and how old the records are.
In Rock Hill, the City Clerk handles all open records requests. The response time is 10 working days for records less than 24 months old. For older records, the city has 20 working days to respond. After the city tells you your records are ready, you have 30 calendar days to pick them up. Some records in Rock Hill do not need a written request at all. These include meeting minutes from the past six months, crime reports from the past 14 days, and jail records from the past three months. You can learn more on the Rock Hill FOIA request page.
Fort Mill has its own online form for open records requests. All requests go to the Town Clerk for review. The same 10 and 20 business day deadlines apply, and weekends and holidays do not count toward those totals. Fort Mill follows S.C. Code Section 30-2-50, which blocks the use of personal data from public records for commercial gain. Visit the Fort Mill FOIA page for forms and fee details.
Whether you live in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York, or Tega Cay, the residents directory for York County points you to the right office for each type of request.
York County Vital Records
Birth, death, and marriage records in York County are handled by the state. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, known as SC DHEC, keeps vital records going back to 1915. You can order copies by mail, online through VitalChek, or in person at a regional DHEC office. The search fee for a birth certificate is $12, and extra copies ordered at the same time are $3 each. A valid photo ID is needed for all requests.
Marriage licenses in York County are issued through the Probate Court. The Probate Court also handles estate matters and guardianships. If you need a marriage record for a person in the York County residents directory, contact the Probate Court first. For divorce records, check with the Clerk of Court or order a certificate from DHEC.
Note: Birth records in South Carolina become fully public after 100 years, and death records open to the public after 50 years.
Statewide Resources for York County
Several state databases can help you search for people and records tied to York County. The South Carolina State Records portal gives access to more than 45 million public records across all 46 counties. You can search by name, county, or record type. This tool works well when you are not sure which office holds the record you need.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index covers court records from every county, including York. You can search for civil, criminal, and family court cases at no cost. Results show case names, party types, filing dates, and case status. For certified copies of court papers, you still need to go through the York County Clerk of Court office.
SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, runs the CATCH system for criminal history checks. A search costs $25 plus a $1 online fee. You need the person's last name and date of birth to run a check. The DHEC vital records office rounds out the main state tools for the York County residents directory.
Cities in York County
York County has several cities and towns with their own local offices. Each city may keep certain records like meeting minutes, ordinances, and police reports. For most county-level records, you will use the York County Clerk of Court or Register of Deeds.
Nearby Counties
York County borders several other counties in South Carolina. If you are not sure where a person lives, check the nearby county residents directories as well.