Freedom of Information Act

South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): Section 30-4-10

On April 12, 2021 Beaufort County Council adopted a resolution for the Beaufort County FOIA policy. The Beaufort County FOIA Policy does not encompass all aspects of FOIA law, nor should it be construed to address every potential scenario that may arise or the specific procedures used by the County’s FOIA specialists. Additionally, the Policy shall not supersede any applicable state or federal law, and may be amended periodically in order to adhere to any new or amended applicable law.

View FOIA Policy Frequently Asked Questions

Cost Associated with Freedom of Information Act Requests Section 30-4-30 (B)

Unless specifically requested, all records will be provided in digital formats. Records totaling 15 MB or less will be emailed; records totaling more than 15 MB will be made available for download via a secure website.

If a fee is required, the requester will be notified with amounts and payment instructions.

The labor cost will be calculated according to the following guidelines:

Service	Cost
Search and Retrieval by Department for Records (excluding IT Department)	Department Staff: $14.00/hour Department Director: $24.00/hour Assistant Administrator: $50.00/hour Deputy/County Administrator: $50.00/hour
Retrieval of Electronic Records by the IT Department	IT Department: $33.00/hour
*Redactions	FOIA Specialist: $14.00/hour Legal Department: $30.00/hour

*Cost of redactions are based on one (1) minute per page requiring redaction

Copying and other costs will be calculated according to the following guidelines:

Service	Cost
Printed Copies of Records (excluding GIS Maps)	$0.20 per page (up to 11x17 only)
GIS Maps	$10.00 (up to 11x17 in.) $20.00 (larger than 11x17 in.)
USB Drive	$7.00 each
Certified Copies from Clerk of Court	$3.00 per copy
Certified Copies from Family Court	$5.00 per copy (All documents will be certified)
Certified Copies from Magistrate	$0.50 per page
Postage expense	Actual cost as determined by weight, size and zip code

Beaufort County Freedom of Information Act Request Form

You may access the following information: Deeds, Easements, Mortgages, Plats, Surveys and Liens (Tax, Federal, Mechanic) by visiting the Register of Deeds Website.

If you are looking for an Elevation Certificate for your property, please do not submit a FOIA request. Please click here to request Elevation Certificates only.

If requesting videos from council, committee, board or commission meetings, as well as various other community events, please visit The County Channel’s website to access its online video archive or to place an order for DVD copies.

Any request received after 4:30 pm Monday through Friday will be considered as having been received on the following work day. For further assistance, please contact the FOIA Specialist at 843-255-7201.

To submit a Freedom of Information Act Request, certify that you have read and acknowledge the information above by selecting "ACCEPT".

To submit your request via mail, click “Accept,” fill out the form, print and mail to:

Beaufort County FOIA Services
c/o Records Management Department
Post Office Drawer 1228
Beaufort, SC 29901-1228