South Carolina Vital Records

South Carolina vital records capture major life events-births, deaths, marriages, and divorces-that occurred within the state. These records are preserved and administered by the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) through its Division of Vital Records.

Beyond their statistical value for tracking population changes, demographic trends, and social and economic patterns, vital records can also serve as official legal-status documents. A certified birth or death certificate, for example, can serve as proof of identity or citizenship for various official processes, including securing a driver's license, passport, or Social Security card.

This article aims to answer fundamental questions regarding vital records in South Carolina, including "What are vital records?", "Who is eligible to request them?", and "How do official request processes work?" Interestingly, the South Carolina public records law (otherwise called the South Carolina open records law or Freedom of Information Act) does not cover vital records. These records are still accessible, but disclosure is strictly controlled and reserved for parties statutorily entitled to access.

Public Access to South Carolina Vital Records

Vital records in South Carolina are generally not deemed public records in the same way as other governmental documents, which are broadly accessible to members of the public under the South Carolina open records law (SC Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq.). Instead, state law restricts access to vital records to protect individual privacy.

To this end, certified copies of vital records are confidential documents in South Carolina. They may only be disseminated to persons/entities deemed eligible under Title 44, Chapter 63 of the state's Code of Laws or for authorized purposes under the law.

Uncertified records, on the other hand, may be available to the general public for research purposes, but only after the records have reached a certain age-usually decades after the event-or as a less detailed document (informational copy). Under South Carolina law, historical vital records may be accessed in archival formats (photographic, digital copies, or microfilm) as follows:

• Birth records: 100 years from the date of birth
• Death records: 50 years after the date of death
• Marriage records & divorce reports: No waiting period imposed by law; the Division of Vital Records may provide informational statements of a marriage or divorce

For anyone wondering, "Are vital records public in South Carolina?," the Department of Public Health's Division of Vital Records remains an authoritative source for confirming eligibility and access procedures.

Types of Vital Records Available in South Carolina

Individuals can find different types of vital records in South Carolina. These include birth, death, and marriage records, in addition to divorce reports. All four record types are disseminated as certified copies, restricted to specific parties.

However, the South Carolina Office of Public Health Statistics and Information Services, which acts as the state registrar for such events, may provide noncertified statements or extracts of marriage, death, or divorce records to ineligible requesters. Similar statements are not available for births that occurred in the state.

South Carolina Birth Records

Birth records for individuals born since 1915 in South Carolina are obtainable as computer-generated long-form certificates through the DPH's Division of Vital Records. Birth records document the incident of a person's birth, including the

• Registrant's complete name, date and county of birth, and place of birth (city)
• Parent(s) information-father's name (if listed on the original birth certificate), mother's maiden name, father's place of birth, mother's place of birth
• State file number, filing date, and issue date

To get a birth certificate in South Carolina, a qualified individual (e.g., the registrant) can request online or by phone, or they may drop off, mail, or hand-deliver a vital records application form to the DPH.

South Carolina Death Records

Death records certify the demise of an individual. In South Carolina, these records are available to eligible parties (e.g., immediate family members) through the Division of Vital Records, a branch of the state's Department of Health. The department issues the following types of death certificates:

• Long-form death certificate: Includes all information, including cause of death.
• Short-form death certificate: Includes limited information. It does not include the cause of death, but it contains the manner of death.
• Death statement: An excerpt that carries only the decedent's name, county, and date of death.

A South Carolina death certificate can be requested online, by phone, by mail, by drop-off, or in person. However, individuals who wish to find death records in South Carolina should be aware that fees apply to obtain these documents, which can vary depending on the order channel and vendor. Furthermore, each requester will need to provide a valid form of identification.

Notably, ineligible requesters may receive a statement of death from the DPH. The DPH also provides public death indexes from 1915 to 1967, which contain information such as the deceased's first and last name, the volume number, certificate number, county, and date of death.

South Carolina Marriage Records

South Carolina marriage records confirm that two persons entered a marital union within the state. To obtain a marriage certificate in South Carolina, one can reach out to the Department of Public Health, which serves as the primary custodian of marriage records. However, the department's records are only from July 1950 to December 2023. For the years before or after these dates, individuals can contact the Probate Court that issued the marriage license.

An application for a South Carolina marriage record can be submitted using procedures provided on the DPH's Marriage Certificates page. All requests for a certified copy require proper identification, as only specified parties (such as the married parties) are entitled to these records. Other applicants may be offered a marriage statement that reveals a marriage indeed occurred.

For records maintained by the Probate Court, access procedures can be retrieved from the respective probate clerk of the court's office. However, several offices offer online marriage license searches to the public, as well as online platforms for requesting certified copies of marriage licenses. Per SC Code Ann. § 20€‘1€‘340, anyone can request marriage records from the South Carolina Probate Courts.

South Carolina Divorce Records

South Carolina maintains a parallel record-keeping system for divorce documentation. On the one hand, there are the courts, which are responsible for processing divorce cases, issuing decrees that finalize marriage dissolutions, and maintaining complete divorce case files. On the other hand, for administrative and statistical purposes, the State Division of Vital Records maintains a "Report of Divorce" for marriages dissolved between July 1962 and December 2023.

Similar to how different authorities manage South Carolina divorce records, access rules and procedures-eligibility requirements, associated fees, application methods, payment channels-also vary.

Case documentation maintained by the South Carolina courts is generally open to the public, as mandated by the state's Freedom of Information Act. This means court records preserved within the South Carolina Family Court system, including divorce court records, are publicly accessible unless otherwise provided.

Conversely, divorce reports maintained by the Division of Vital Records are releasable only to statutorily authorized persons, such as one of the divorced parties. Nevertheless, the division may provide other applicants with a statement of divorce that includes the county and date of divorce.

How to Order Vital Records in South Carolina

Ordering any of the four types of vital records issued by the South Carolina Division of Vital Records follows a similar procedure.

• In Person: Individuals can visit the DPH State Vital Records Office in Columbia, Richland County (officially known as the State Office), or any of the 16 Regional Vital Records Offices.

• By Mail: Applications can be forwarded to the SC Department of Public Health, Vital Records Section, PO Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171.
• Drop Off: Parties can drop off a completed application form at the DPH State Office in Columbia, Richland County. Only this location accepts drop-off requests.
• Online or by Phone: Requests can be submitted online or by phone through any of the state-approved vendors.

Mail, drop-off, and in-person requests to the DPH require completion of the respective application form:

• Vital Records Birth Application (or Spanish Version)
• Vital Records Death Application (or Spanish Version)
• Vital Records Marriage/Divorce Application (or Spanish Version)

Requesters will also need to submit a valid ID (a photocopy for mail requests) and pay the assessed fees. Each form contains the specific ID and fee requirements. Note: Online and phone requests follow procedures implemented by the specific state-approved vendor. However, the requester will need to verify their identity and pay the necessary fees directly to the vendor.

Individuals with additional questions about how to order South Carolina vital records can contact the DPH Vital Records Office at (803) 898-3630 during regular business hours.

Who Can Request South Carolina Vital Records?

SC Code Ann. § 44-63-10 et seq., expressly Sections 44-63-90 through 44-63-86, restricts who can access vital records in South Carolina. Certified copies are issued only to parties who meet the eligibility standards established by statute. Limited information statements may be accessible to non-eligible requesters, and indices, microfilms, or related archival materials may be available to the general public where explicitly permitted by law.

In practice, eligibility is record-specific. That is to say, a group granted access to one vital record category may not have the same level of access to another type of record. The table below includes a broader overview of the South Carolina vital records eligibility criteria.

Record Type	Eligible Requestors	Required Documents	Official Source Link
Birth Certificate	Registrant (if at least 18 years old) Parent(s) named on the certificate Legal guardian Immediate family members Legal representatives	Valid/current government, school, or employer-issued photo ID Certified court order establishing guardianship/custody (when the requester is a legal guardian) Original, certified copy of the registrant's death record (when the requester is an immediate family member or their legal representative)	South Carolina Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
Death Certificate	Immediate member of the decedent's family (current spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child, or grandchild) Legal representatives Individuals with a tangible interest in a property or personal right	Valid/current photo ID Proof of tangible interest	South Carolina Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
Marriage Record (DPH)	Any party (spouse) to the marriage Adult child(ren) of the married couple A former or present spouse of either married party The married party's legal representative	Valid/current photo ID	South Carolina Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records
Divorce Report (DPH)	Either divorced party Adult child(ren) of the divorced parties A present or former spouse of either divorced party, or their legal representative	Valid/current photo ID	South Carolina Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records

Processing Times for South Carolina Vital Records Requests

To the question "How long does it take to get a South Carolina vital record?" the reality is the timeline is often variable, depending on the medium used to apply for the record-online, in person, by phone, by mail, or drop-off-or the record's vendor.

Online and phone requests are typically faster, allowing inquirers to submit applications and retrieve documents conveniently. Same-day retrieval is possible by visiting a vital records office during normal administrative hours, but this is only an option for state residents. In contrast, mail-in and drop-off requests, while valid avenues for requesting South Carolina vital records, have the slowest turnaround times.

South Carolina vital record processing times, as estimated by the South Carolina Department of Health, are published on the specific pages for each type of vital certificate, as well as on the DPH's Average Processing Times web page.

Record Type	Factors That Influence Processing Time	Considerations
Birth/Marriage/Death Certificate, or Divorce Report	Request channel: Time varies based on whether the request was submitted online/by phone, mail, in-person, or via drop-off. Agency workload: Volume of requests being processed by the agency/vendor. Mail delivery: If the requester opts to receive documents by mail, such time factors into the overall processing period. Incomplete application: Without proper identification, the request will be rejected, and processing will be delayed until corrected information is provided.	In-person requests may be faster for residents; the quickest option for non-residents may be to submit an online/phone request through one of the state-approved vendors. Expedited processing may be available.

Fees for Obtaining Vital Records in South Carolina

Vital records fees in South Carolina are the same regardless of the type of document requested. It costs $12 to search for and receive one copy of any vital record from the South Carolina Department of Public Health, and $3 for each other copy of the same record ordered simultaneously. That is to say, South Carolina birth certificate costs are the same as South Carolina death, divorce, or marriage certificate costs.

Additional fees may apply, however:

• Requesters may pay an extra $17 to expedite processing (this is optional).
• Requests submitted online or via phone through state-approved vendors incur added processing fees.

How to Search Vital Records Online in South Carolina

The South Carolina Division of Vital Records handles applications for vital records exclusively through mail-in, in-person, and drop-off submissions. While the Division recommends certain vendors to search vital records online in South Carolina and obtain necessary copies, it does not operate/own an official platform for this purpose.

Notwithstanding, the Division offers available years of public death indexes for those seeking South Carolina genealogy records. The South Carolina Department of Archives & History also preserves this information, as well as other historical vital records.

Note: Marriage and divorce records in South Carolina can be obtained online through probate and family courts, respectively. However, these are considered "court records," not vital records. To determine if a particular court offers online access, one can check the court's official website or contact the court clerk's office.