Short answer: On a Hilton Head purchase, the fixed government fees are the Town of Hilton Head Island's real estate transfer fee of 0.25% of the price, which the Town Code places on the buyer, and South Carolina's deed recording fee of $3.70 per $1,000, which the statute places on the seller, plus flat recording fees of $15 for the deed and $25 for a mortgage. On a $900,000 home that's $2,250 for the Town fee and $3,330 in deed recording fee. Most large communities add their own fee: in 2026, 0.5% in Palmetto Dunes (buyer) and Port Royal, 0.75% in Leamington, and $8,829 for a home in Indigo Run.
Key facts
- Town transfer fee: 0.25% of the sale price on property inside Town limits, collected by Beaufort County for the Town's land acquisition program (Town of Hilton Head Island, Town Taxes and Fees). State law bars local transfer fees except those adopted before 1991; the Town's dates from 1990 (SC Code 6-1-70).
- Deed recording fee: $1.85 for each $500 of value or fraction of $500 ($1.30 state, $0.55 county), so $3.70 per $1,000. By statute the seller is primarily liable and the buyer secondarily (SC Code 12-24-10, 12-24-20, 12-24-90).
- Flat recording fees: $15 for a deed, $25 for a mortgage (SC Code 8-21-310; Beaufort County Register of Deeds).
- Palmetto Dunes: 0.5% Community Enhancement Fee paid by the buyer and a $250 administrative processing fee paid by the seller (Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association, 2026).
- Attorney: South Carolina requires a licensed attorney to supervise the closing, so an attorney's fee is part of every purchase. See do I need an attorney to buy a house in SC.
Worked example: $900,000, inside the Town, financed
| Fee | Usually paid by | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Town transfer fee, 0.25% | Buyer | $2,250.00 |
| Deed recording fee, 1,800 × $1.85 | Seller | $3,330.00 |
| Recording the deed | Buyer | $15.00 |
| Recording the mortgage | Buyer | $25.00 |
| If in Palmetto Dunes: Community Enhancement Fee, 0.5% | Buyer | $4,500.00 |
| If in Palmetto Dunes: administrative fee | Seller | $250.00 |
Who pays can be changed by the contract. The table shows the default under the law or the association's rules; your closing attorney's settlement statement is the final word.
What this doesn't include
Everything else is quoted by the provider: the closing attorney's fee, title insurance, lender charges, the home and wind mitigation inspections, the survey, prorated property tax and POA dues, any prepaid insurance, and commissions. Ask each for a written quote early; the attorney can give you an estimate of the full settlement statement once you're under contract.
Questions
Who pays the Hilton Head transfer fee, the buyer or the seller?
The Town Code places the 0.25% transfer fee on the buyer, and says an agreement between buyer and seller doesn't change who is legally liable. A contract can still have the seller pay it in practice. Ask your closing attorney to confirm how it's handled on your settlement statement.
How much are deed stamps in South Carolina?
South Carolina's deed recording fee, often called deed stamps, is $1.85 per $500 of the price, or $3.70 per $1,000, and the seller is primarily liable by statute. See the SC deed recording fee for exemptions and how value is figured.
Do other Hilton Head communities charge a fee when you buy?
Most of the large ones do. From their 2026 documents: Palmetto Dunes 0.5% (buyer), Port Royal 0.5%, Leamington 0.75% on homes, Indigo Run $8,454 plus $375 for a home, Palmetto Hall $3,400, Windmill Harbour one year's assessment, and a capped fee in Hilton Head Plantation. Sea Pines, Shipyard, and Wexford don't publish one. See community transfer fees.
Sources
- Town taxes and fees, Town of Hilton Head Island (checked October 2026)
- SC Code Title 12 Chapter 24, deed recording fees, SC Legislature
- SC Code 6-1-70, local real estate transfer fees, SC Legislature
- Document recording, Beaufort County Register of Deeds
- Attorneys and Realtors, Palmetto Dunes Property Owners Association