Real Property Services - Easements
All navigable waters of South Carolina are considered public trust properties owned by the State. The State of South Carolina is the custodian of these lands and/or waters, and it is within the interest of the State to protect the public interest in which these lands are held. Any easement requested across, over, under or through State-owned property, including marshlands and navigable waters, require the approval of the Budget and Control Board. Real Property Services reviews and assesses all such easement requests and presents to the five-member Budget and Control Board for final approval those easement requests determined to be necessary and beneficial.

Applicants must submit a completed easement application to Real Property Services. This application must be accompanied by:

  1. two drawings showing the location and dimensions of the easement and bearing the date, name, signature, RLS number and seal of the surveyor,

  2. copy of easements or other documents (i.e., encroachment permit) authorizing the use of adjacent lands and

  3. copy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or DHEC construction permit or correspondence granting construction approval.
The request for a state easement is the final step in the permitting process. All other required permits must be obtained prior to requesting Budget and Control Board approval.

Since applicants may be subject to multiple permit requirements, early contact with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control should be incorporated into the planning stage of the project so that adequate time may be allowed for the applicant to obtain the appropriate permits for the proposed activity prior to submitting the State easement application.

Fees

The consideration for easements granted over marshlands or other navigable waters is $200 per acre or any portion of an acre, plus a $500 administrative fee. The fee for all other easements over State lands not exempt from real property oversight is the appraised value of the easement plus a $500 administrative fee. Easements granted over State lands to serve and benefit a State agency are exempt from the aforementioned fees.

Easement Forms