Ashleychelys palmeri was named by Weems and Sanders (2014). Its type specimen is ChM PV7002, a skeleton (a largely complete skeleton including the skull, lower jaw, much of the carapace and the plastron, girdle elements, humerus, and femur), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Limehouse Branch, east bank, which is in a Rupelian offshore shelf marl in the Ashley Formation of South Carolina. It is the type species of Ashleychelys.