Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to come to the office to receive copies of the ROD records?

You do not have to come into the office to receive copies of the ROD records; however, you must send a written request and $5.00 to receive the copies.

Do I need to record a Power of Attorney?

Power of Attorney does not have to be recorded in the ROD office. However, most banks, hospitals, investment firms, etc. require them to be recorded. Recording a Power of Attorney document ensures that in the event the original is lost, a certified copy is always available.

How do I find out if somebody is in jail?

Call the Detention Center at 803.642.2040.

How do I find out who owns a piece of property?

The ROD Office records by the owner's name and legal description. If you do not have the owner's name, you can research the property in the Assessor's Office on the tax maps. By locating the piece of property on the tax map, a parcel number can be used to find the owner's name.

How do I get a divorce? Where do I go to file a divorce?

You can get a divorce through an Attorney filing your action unless you are familiar with filing your own paperwork. Self-Represented Litigant Divorce forms are available online. Please understand that the Clerk of Court's office cannot give any legal advice. All divorces begin with filing in the Clerk's office, Family Court Division and once they are ended (decided by judge), they are filed in the Clerk's office, Judgments Division.

How do I get child support payments deductions from someone's income?

If the order is filed in Aiken County, payable through Aiken County and is enforced in Aiken County, the Custodial Parent may come into the Clerk of Court's office and sign a Notice of Intent, or the Non Custodial Parent may come into the Clerk's office and sign a Voluntary Wage Withholding request. Either of these will initiate Income Withholding.

How do I get child support?

There are three (3) ways in which you may begin a child support action.

(1) You may file an action Pro Se. There is a filing fee and service fee to be paid upon filing.

(2) You may contact an attorney and they will file the action for you.

(3) You may file through SC Department of Social Services. You do not have to be on any type of state assistance to participate with this program. The Clerk's office has the application available in their office. You may pick one up, complete the application and mail it along with their processing fee to their address in Columbia, SC.

How do I make someone pay child support if they live in another state?

You should contact SC Department of Social Services. The Clerk's office has the applications available in their office. They will assist you to enforce an order in another state through UIFSA.

How do I report littering or illegal dumping?

Call the Litter Buster Hotline at (toll-free) 877.754.8837 to report littering. Call 803.502.STOP to report illegal dumping.

How do I stop telemarketers from calling my home?

The Federal government has established the national Do Not Call Registry, which is intended to stop most but not all telemarketing calls. Please visit their site at www.DoNotCall.gov to register your home and cell phone numbers.

How far back do the County's ROD (deeds, etc.) records go?

Records in the Aiken County ROD Office date back to 1872 and are public information.

I have paid a tax lien, but it is still on my credit report. Will you take it off, or write a letter that it is paid?

The ROD office records the original tax liens and satisfies and / or releases them upon notification from SC Department of Revenue or Internal Revenue Services (IRS). The credit reporting agencies gather the information once the liens are recorded, but only rarely do you ever pickup when the lien is satisfied or released. If the tax lien has been satisfied and/or released, you may obtain a copy and send it to the credit reporting agencies and ask that the liens be removed from your credit report.

I need a lawyer and can't afford one. Who can I call?

Call SC Legal Services in Lexington at 1.888.346.5592 to see if you qualify for their services for non-criminal legal matters. Also, visit http://www.sclegal.org/
The Aiken County Public Defender's office handles criminal cases for those that qualify.

If I paid off my mortgage, when will I get a copy of my deed?

In South Carolina, you must own the property before you can mortgage it. Most likely, you would receive a copy of a deed when property was purchased. The mortgage company is responsible for satisfying your mortgage.

Is the information in the ROD Office online?

In 2005 the ROD Office implemented a document indexing and imaging system. Deeds and other real estate documents are scanned and available for viewing immediately. The online index starts from 1982 and can be searched for and viewed in the eGov section of our website.

What are County office hours?

County Offices are open from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

What days are County Offices closed?

County Offices are closed on official holidays - New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

What Does ROD stand for?

Register of Deeds

What is the Register of Deeds Office?

The Register of Deeds (ROD) office handles all of the recordings of real estate in Aiken County. All mortgages, deeds, and plats of property, easements, and rights of way are recorded in this office. Also recorded are the South Carolina tax liens, federal tax liens, mechanics liens, and UCC finance statements. A law firm, bank, mortgage company, or individual may record these documents. After recording, the documents are scanned and the image is permanently saved in the ROD records. These records are public information. The ROD Office also records Military DD-214 forms. To obtain a copy, you must present a valid identification before the information can be released.

Where are Death Certificates obtained?

Death certificate information can be found here.

Where are deeds recorded?

All records relating to property (deeds, mortgages, plats) are recorded in the ROD Office (803.642.2072) in Suite 2100 of the Aiken County Government Center at 1930 University Parkway in Aiken. Copies of deeds can be obtained at a minimal cost.

Where are Naturalization Records obtained?

Where can Divorce Records be obtained?

All ended (completed) Aiken County Divorce records can be found in the Clerk of Court's office, Judgment Division.

Where can I apply for a passport?

You can search for the nearest passport acceptance facility by zip code on the Department of State's website.
More information about passports can be found on travel.state.gov.

Where can Probate Records be obtained?

Where do I go to get a marriage license?

Marriage licenses are issued by the Probate Court 803.642.2002 at the Judicial Center, 109 Park Avenue in Aiken.

Where is the courthouse?

The courthouse, or Judicial Center, is located at 109 Park Avenue in Aiken. Please click here for a map and more info on the Judicial Center.

Who do I call to find out the status of child support and/or spousal support payments?

803.642.1715

The Clerk of Court's Office, Child Support Division. The staff in the Clerk's office does not give out payment information over the telephone. With the proper account number, the automated telephone system will provide payment information.

Who may adopt a child? (and other adoption questions)

In South Carolina, the SC Department of Social Services supervises adoptions. You can find out more about adoptions here.

You can find information on the Aiken County DSS and its local office here.