Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: South Carolina’s probate fee scales from $25 for estates under $5,000 up to $95 plus 0.15% of value over $100,000; a $250,000 estate costs $320.00.
If a trust could save your estate this fee in South Carolina
A living trust avoids probate entirely in South Carolina, which means the estate skips the $25.00 above along with every other cost the court charges once a case is open. LawDepot builds a state-specific one.
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What South Carolina charges to open probate
South Carolina sets this fee on a statutory tier tied to the estate’s value, starting at $25.00 for estates under $5,000 and rising in steps as the estate gets larger.
| Estates under $5,000 | $25.00 |
| Estates $100,000-$600,000 (base + 0.15% of excess) | $95.00 plus 0.15% over $100,000 |
| Example: a $250,000 estate | $320.00 |
Where this money goes and who sets it
The authority for this figure is S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770(B). In the source’s own words: “Property valuation less than $5,000.00: $25.00 / Property valuation of $5,000.00 but less than $20,000.00: $45.00”
What this fee doesn’t cover
Because South Carolina prices this by tier, the fee jumps at each threshold in the table above rather than climbing smoothly with the estate’s value. Either way, this is the court’s own charge just to open the file and issue letters, separate from what an attorney charges to actually handle the estate and separate from any state estate or inheritance tax the estate itself might owe.
Sources
Source: S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770(B).