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South Carolina marriage records

Who holds it: County Probate Judge issues licenses and keeps the record; in Darlington and Georgetown counties the Clerk of Court issues them1

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. How to search and order
  2. Fees
  3. Who may order and what is restricted
  4. More details
  5. Related records in South Carolina
  6. How South Carolina handles it
  7. Marriage records in South Carolina counties with a full guide
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Sources

State fee

$12 search including one certified copy (non-refundable); $17 expedited; $3 per additional copy ordered at the same time2

Who may order

State copies: the parties, their adult children, a present or former spouse, or their legal representative; others get only a statement that the marriage occurred, date and county3

How to search and order

Copies from the state
SC DPH Vital Records: marriages from July 1950 to December 2023. Earlier or later: Probate Court that issued the license4
Waiting period
At least 24 hours between application and issuance1
State how to order
Mail to the DPH Vital Records P.O. Box (P.O. Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171), or online via VitalChek ($17 expedited search fee plus $12.85 VitalChek charge). The page states in-person requests are currently unavailable.4
Online (example)
Oconee County online marriage index goes back only to 1988; older records by visit or mail5

Fees

State fee expedited
$17 expedited; not offered by mail2
County copy fee
Probate Court certified copy: $5.00 (§ 8-21-770(C)(1)). Example: Horry County charges $5.00.6
Marriage license fee
County-set total. Statute adds $20 to the license fee for the Domestic Violence Fund. Example, Horry County, cash only: $55 county resident, $80 SC resident, $120 all others, each including a $5 certificate6

Who may order and what is restricted

Who may request county
County copy: "any person" per § 20-1-3401

More details

Domestic violence add on
$20 additional fee on each license (§ 20-1-375)1
First required
Licenses required from 19117
Divorce records: who holds it
Decree: Clerk of Court in the county where filed (Family Court). State: DPH holds only a Report of Divorce, not the decree8

How South Carolina handles it

  • Marriage licenses come from the Clerk of Court, not the Probate Judge, in Darlington and Georgetown counties1
  • State marriage and divorce copies stop at December 2023; newer ones come from the county4

Marriage records in South Carolina counties with a full guide

The local office, its official online search and its own fee, for each county with a full guide. Local fees can differ from the statewide figures above.

CountyOfficeSearch onlineFee
Aiken CountyProbate Court9——
Anderson CountyAnderson County Probate Court10—Certified copy fee: Probate Court certified copy: $5.00 (§ 8-21-770(C)(1)). Example: Horry County charges $5.00.11
Beaufort CountyBeaufort County Probate Court13Search12Certified copy fee: $5.00; mail requests need a certified bank check or money order and a self-addressed stamped envelope; personal checks not accepted14
Berkeley CountyBerkeley County Probate Court15——
Charleston CountyProbate Court issues licenses (online application at https://mlonline.charlestoncounty.gov/)16——
Cherokee CountyProbate Court17——
Dorchester CountyDorchester County Probate Court18—Certified copy fee: $11.50 per certified copy, ordered online (southcarolinaprobate.net, select 'Dorchester Marriage')19
Florence CountyFlorence County Probate Court20—Certified copy fee: Marriage certificate $10 copy paper or $20 certificate paper (1991-present); $25.00 research fee + $10/$20 for 1911-1990; certified copy of license $25.00 research fee + $5.00 per certified copy21
Greenville CountyGreenville County Probate Court22——
Horry CountyProbate Court: license $55.00 Horry residents, $80.00 other SC residents, $120.00 all others (each includes one certificate)23——
Lancaster CountyProbate Court24—Copy fee mail: $5 per certificate, by mail25
Lexington CountyProbate Court26—Certified copy $5.00 plus $0.25 per page copy charge; marriage license $30.0027
Oconee CountyProbate Court28——
Pickens CountyProbate Court29—$50.00, cash or money order; checks not accepted29
Richland CountyProbate Court30—Certified copy fee: $8.00 per copy, online with debit or credit card; nonrefundable31
Spartanburg CountyProbate Court32—$5.00 per certified copy, cash only in person33
Sumter CountySumter County Probate Court34——
York CountyYork County Probate Court35——

For any other county, see the county list on the South Carolina guide.

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any South Carolina office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Rules in other states: marriage records in every state. Everything else in South Carolina: South Carolina public records guide.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. SC Code Title 20 Chapter 1, MarriageSC Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  2. Fees - Vital RecordsSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  3. SC Code Title 44 Chapter 63, Vital StatisticsSC Legislaturechecked November 4, 2026
  4. Marriage CertificatesSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  5. Probate CourtOconee Countychecked November 4, 2026
  6. Probate Court FeesHorry Countychecked November 4, 2026
  7. Genealogy ResourcesSC Department of Archives and Historyarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  8. Divorce ReportsSC Department of Public Healtharchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  9. Probate Court | Aiken County, SCAiken County, South Carolinachecked November 7, 2026
  10. Probate CourtAnderson County, SCchecked November 4, 2026
  11. Probate Court FeesHorry Countychecked November 4, 2026
  12. Probate CourtBeaufort Countychecked November 4, 2026
  13. Records ManagementBeaufort Countychecked November 4, 2026
  14. Probate Court FeesBeaufort Countychecked November 4, 2026
  15. Probate CourtBerkeley County Governmentarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  16. Online ServicesCharleston County Governmentchecked November 4, 2026
  17. Probate CourtCherokee County, SCchecked November 7, 2026
  18. Probate CourtDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  19. Marriage License DivisionDorchester Countychecked November 4, 2026
  20. Probate CourtFlorence Countychecked November 4, 2026
  21. Marriage LicensesFlorence County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026
  22. Probate CourtGreenville County Probate Courtchecked November 4, 2026
  23. Probate Court FeesHorry County, South Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  24. DepartmentsLancaster County, SCchecked November 7, 2026
  25. Marriage Certificate RequestsLancaster County, SCchecked November 7, 2026
  26. Probate CourtCounty of Lexingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  27. Probate Court: Court FeesCounty of Lexingtonchecked November 4, 2026
  28. Probate CourtOconee Countychecked November 4, 2026
  29. Probate CourtPickens County, SCchecked November 8, 2026
  30. Probate CourtRichland County, South Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  31. Certified Copy Request For A Marriage LicenseRichland County, South Carolinachecked November 4, 2026
  32. Probate Court | Spartanburg County, SCSpartanburg Countychecked November 4, 2026
  33. Marriage License Requirements | Spartanburg County, SCSpartanburg Countychecked November 4, 2026
  34. Sumter County Government home pageSumter Countychecked November 7, 2026
  35. Probate CourtYork Countychecked November 4, 2026