Charleston County property taxes are due Jan. 15. North Charleston's 2025 rate is 307.6 mills. The 4% legal residence rate needs an application: 843-958-4100.
Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Charleston County Treasurer, Auditor and Assessor.
Most of North Charleston is in Charleston County, and three county offices handle your property tax. The Assessor sets the value, the Auditor applies the tax rate and the Treasurer collects the money. Bills usually go out in the fall, around Oct. 1, the Assessor’s office says, and they are due Jan. 15. Homes in the Dorchester County part of the city are billed by Dorchester County, not Charleston County.
Who to call
- Paying a bill, installment plan: Charleston County Treasurer, 843-958-4360, 101 Meeting St., Suite 120, Charleston, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
- Your value, the 4% legal residence rate, appeals: Charleston County Assessor, 843-958-4100, 4050 Bridge View Drive, Suite 100, North Charleston, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
- Tax rates, homestead exemption: Charleston County Auditor, 843-958-4200; homestead questions, 843-958-4220
- Pay online: Charleston County revenue collections portal
When the bill is due, and the penalties
The Treasurer’s office says real property and other personal property taxes, other than motor vehicles, are due by Jan. 15 of the year after the bill is dated. A bill mailed this fall is due Friday, Jan. 15, 2027. After that:
| Paid | Penalty |
|---|---|
| After Jan. 15 | 3% |
| After Feb. 1 | another 7%, or 10% in all |
| After March 17 | another 5%, or 15% in all, and the bill goes to the Delinquent Tax Department |
South Carolina law does not let the Treasurer take a partial payment on a single bill. If a mortgage company pays your taxes from escrow and the bill shows an old lender, send a copy of the bill to your current lender.
Car and truck taxes are on a different clock: they are due by the last day of the month your license plate expires, and must be paid before the tag can be renewed.
North Charleston’s tax rate
South Carolina rates are set in mills; one mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. The Auditor’s 2025 millage levy (PDF) is the most recent posted. For the city of North Charleston (tax district 43), it is 307.6 mills:
| Levy | Mills |
|---|---|
| Charleston County School District, operating | 142.5 |
| Charleston County School District, bonds | 23.0 |
| County government, operating | 37.8 |
| County government, bonds | 5.7 |
| Parks and recreation, operating | 3.7 |
| Parks and recreation, bonds | 1.7 |
| Trident Technical College | 1.7 |
| Countywide subtotal | 216.1 |
| City of North Charleston | 91.5 |
| Total | 307.6 |
Unincorporated pockets carry different rates. The Auditor lists the North Charleston Public Service District area (tax district 41) at 310.9 mills and North Charleston district 45, in the Northern Charleston Fire District, at 231.4 mills. The district number is printed on your bill.
Where the money goes
The Auditor’s tax estimator works out a bill for a given value and district, with credits.
Lower your bill: the 4% rate and the homestead exemption
The 4% legal residence rate. A home you own and live in as your primary legal residence can be assessed at 4% of its value instead of 6%. It is not automatic: you must apply to the Assessor and prove you qualify. The deadline is typically Jan. 15, according to the county’s tax exemptions page. Apply with the online legal residence application or the printable form (PDF).
The homestead exemption. Owners who are 65 or older by Dec. 31 of the year before, totally and permanently disabled, or legally blind can have the first $50,000 of their home’s value excluded. You must have lived in South Carolina for at least a year and already have the 4% rate. Apply with the Auditor’s homestead exemption application (PDF) or call the homestead representative at 843-958-4220.
How to appeal your value
Charleston County carried out its countywide reassessment in 2025, and the next is due in five years under state law. Reassessment can raise a home’s taxable value by no more than 15%, though some properties, such as those sold since the last reassessment, are not fully capped. The Assessor’s appeals section sets out three local steps:
- Objection. In writing, to the Assessor’s office only, within 90 days of the date the assessment notice was mailed. A phone call does not protect your rights. An appraiser will contact you, usually by phone.
- Protest. In writing, within 30 days of the decision on your objection.
- Appeal to the County Board of Assessment Appeals, residents appointed by County Council, within 30 days.
After that, the next stop is the state Administrative Law Court. Miss any deadline and the appeal is lost for the year. Mail with a verifiable date; the office says it cannot read a date from a postal bar code.
Pay in installments
The Treasurer’s Advance Property Tax Installment Plan spreads the bill over six payments at no extra cost: five equal payments every other month starting Feb. 15, based on last year’s tax, and the balance due by Jan. 15. Older bills must be paid off first, and accounts paid from mortgage escrow cannot join. Apply with the online installment application.
What this means for you
- Bills mailed this fall are due Jan. 15, 2027; the penalty starts the next day.
- Bought a home this year? Apply for the 4% rate now; at 6% the assessed value of your home is half again as high.
- Value notices come with a 90-day objection window. Put the date on your calendar.
Related guides: trash and recycling, which explains the county’s $150 solid waste fee on the tax bill, and moving to North Charleston.
Frequently asked questions
When are Charleston County property taxes due?
Real property tax bills are due by Jan. 15 of the year after they are issued. A 3% penalty applies after Jan. 15, rising to 10% after Feb. 1 and 15% after March 17, when the bill goes to the Delinquent Tax Department.
What is the property tax rate in North Charleston?
The 2025 levy for the city of North Charleston (tax district 43) in Charleston County is 307.6 mills: 216.1 countywide mills plus 91.5 city mills, according to the Charleston County Auditor’s Office.
How do I get the 4% assessment ratio in Charleston County?
Apply to the Charleston County Assessor’s Office for the 4% legal residence special assessment on the home you own and live in. The deadline is typically Jan. 15. Without it, a home is assessed at 6%.
How do I appeal my property value in Charleston County?
File a written objection with the Charleston County Assessor’s Office within 90 days of the date your assessment notice was mailed. Later stages, a protest and an appeal to the County Board of Assessment Appeals, each have 30-day deadlines.
Can I pay Charleston County property taxes in installments?
Yes. The Treasurer’s Advance Property Tax Installment Plan takes five equal payments every other month starting Feb. 15, with the balance due by Jan. 15. Partial payments of a single bill are not allowed outside the plan.
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