SC · State vital records

South Carolina Vital Records

Official birth, death, and marriage certificate request information for South Carolina, with a directory of all 46 counties and county-equivalents.

How South Carolina issues vital records

Statewide vital records in South Carolina are administered by the South Carolina DHEC, Vital Records. The office maintains certified records of births and deaths from approximately 1915 onward and is the primary issuing authority for certified copies of those records anywhere in the state. Statewide vital records since January 1915. Marriage records since July 1950; earlier marriage records held by the probate judge in the county where the license was issued.

For events that pre-date statewide registration, or for marriage records in jurisdictions where the state office only maintains verifications, the official custodian is generally the county clerk, probate judge, register of deeds, or court that originally recorded the event. Use the county directory below to identify the right office for your request, then follow the certificate-specific guides for the documentation each county will require.

Fees and what to expect

  • Certified birth certificate: $12.00 per copy at the state office.
  • Certified death certificate: $12.00 per copy at the state office.
  • Certified marriage certificate: $12.00 per copy at the state office (county-issued copies may carry a separate fee).

Most counties in South Carolina accept requests in person, by mail, and increasingly online through a state-approved third-party processor. Mail-in requests typically include a completed application, a legible photocopy of a government-issued photo ID, the applicable fee paid by check or money order, and a self-addressed stamped return envelope. Counties may add their own service charge on top of the state base fee and may require notarized identification for restricted records.

Eligibility for restricted records

Birth and death records in South Carolina are not public during the restricted-access window that applies to most U.S. vital records. Certified copies are released only to the registrant, an immediate family member, a legal guardian, the surviving spouse, an executor or administrator of an estate, or an attorney representing one of the above. Genealogy researchers may obtain non-certified informational copies once a record is old enough to leave the restricted window, typically 75 years for births and 25–50 years for deaths depending on jurisdiction.

Browse counties in South Carolina

The directory below lists every county and county-equivalent in South Carolina recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau in its 2020 county codes file. Click through to a county for its certified copy request page, broken down by certificate type.