Columbia, SC Public Records
Columbia is an incorporated city in Richland County, South Carolina, with an estimated population of 144,788 (U.S. Census Bureau, July 2024 estimate) and 138.5 square miles of land. That is up about 7,983 residents since the 2020 Census base.
🏢 Columbia City Hall
Columbia's own city government keeps its local records: council or board meeting minutes, local ordinances and resolutions, local permits and licenses, and its own budget and contracts. Requests for those records go to the city clerk under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. Birth and death certificates, marriage records, deeds and court files are generally kept by county and state offices rather than by the city; see the offices below.
📇 Columbia Contact on File
| Government | City Of Columbia |
| Contact listed | City Manager |
| Mailing address | PO Box 147, Columbia, SC 29202 |
| Phone | Not stated |
| Official website | www.columbiasc.net |
| Source | U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units listing ↗ |
This is the mailing address the government reported to the U.S. Census Bureau; it may be a post office box or the office of an elected official rather than a public counter, and the source does not list a phone number. The website was reported by the government and was answering when we last checked. Call or check the official website before you visit.
↑ Back to record types🏛️ County Courthouse & Records Office for Columbia
Columbia is in Richland County (with parts in Lexington County). In South Carolina, deeds, mortgages and other land records are recorded by the county Register of Deeds (Register of Mesne Conveyances, or the Clerk of Court in some counties). Divorce cases in South Carolina are heard by the Family Court in each county. Wills and estates in South Carolina are handled by the Probate Court in each county.
📍 Richland County at a Glance
| County | Richland County |
| County population (2024 est.) | 430,651 Source: www2.census.gov ↗ |
| Also partly in | Lexington County |
⚖️ Richland County Clerk of Court (Richland County Courthouse)
| Address | 1701 Main Street, #205, Columbia, SC 29201 |
| Directions | Get directions ↗ |
| Phone | (803) 576-1950 |
| Hours | Not stated |
| Records available | Circuit Court (General Sessions criminal and Common Pleas civil) and Family Court case records for the county |
| Official website | Not stated |
| Sources | sccourts.org/…/courthouse-search ↗ sccourts.org/…/clerk-roster ↗ |
| Last verified | October 17, 2026 |
📜 Richland County Register of Deeds
| Address | PO Box 192, Columbia, SC 29202-0192 (mailing address) |
| Phone | (803) 576-1910 |
| Hours | Not stated |
| Records available | Recorded real-property documents (deeds, mortgages, liens, plats) |
| Official website | Not stated |
| Sources | sccourts.org/…/roster ↗ |
| Last verified | October 17, 2026 |
See the full Richland County records page →
↑ Back to record types📋 Where to Get Records for Columbia
Where to get the most-requested public records for people and property in Columbia, SC:
📋 Columbia Records Guide
| Birth & death certificates | South Carolina Department of Public Health – Vital RecordsCertified birth and death certificates for South Carolina are issued by the state vital records office; in some places a county or local office can also issue copies. |
| Deeds & property records | In South Carolina, deeds, mortgages and other land records are recorded by the county Register of Deeds (Register of Mesne Conveyances, or the Clerk of Court in some counties). |
| Court cases & divorce | Richland County courthouse. Divorce cases in South Carolina are heard by the Family Court in each county. |
| Wills & estates | Wills and estates in South Carolina are handled by the Probate Court in each county. |
| State court system | South Carolina Judicial Branch |
| Sex offender registry | South Carolina Sex Offender Registry (SLED) |