Introduction to South Carolina Marriage Certificates

This article is designed to help you get a South Carolina Marriage certificate.  Marriage Certificates are a bit more difficult to obtain than Marriage Certificates and Death Certificates.  The main difficulty in obtaining Marriage Certificates is that states have not been registering marriages for as long as other vital records.  There are some states that still do not register marriages.  Due to this lack of centralization it is common to contact the county in which the marriage took place.

Counter to common belief, not everything is a few clicks away on the Internet.  Marriage Certificates are one of the items that you can’t just click some links and get a copy of your Marriage Certificate; this is probably a good thing.  You do not want your Marriage certificate in the public domain, where it can be seen by anyone.  However, this does not mean that you can’t easily get your Marriage certificate by following the correct procedure. 
 

South Carolina Marriage certificates have been maintained by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for individuals married in the state of South Carolina since 1950.

South Carolina Marriage Certificate Authorized Persons

By South Carolina state law, you are entitled to obtain a certified copy of a marriage certificate if you are:

• one of the married party (bride or groom),
• the married party's adult child(ren),
• a present or former spouse of either married party, or
• the married party's legal representative

Other applicants may be provided with a statement that the marriage occurred, including the date and county the marriage license was issued.

South Carolina Marriage Certificate for Genealogy Purpose

The statement that the marriage occurred, including the date and county the marriage license was issued usually used for genealogy reasons.

South Carolina Marriage Certificate Ordering

Options Option 1 – Order South Carolina Marriage Certificate Online

This option is the simplest and easiest way to get your South Carolina Marriage Certificate.  Order online and you will get your South Carolina Marriage Certificate usually in less than a week.  Many times you will have the option of receiving your vital record by next-day or second-day service.

Order Birth and Death Records Online!  

Option 2 – Order South Carolina Marriage Certificate through the Mail

Follow the instructions below, if you are not ordering your South Carolina Marriage certificate online.  It usually takes 2-4 weeks upon receipt of request to be sent to you:

Step 1: Download Mail-In Application

Step 2: Please provide as much of the following information as possible to locate the South Carolina Marriage certificate:

• Full name of husband on the South Carolina Marriage certificate
• Full maiden name of wife on the South Carolina Marriage certificate
• Date of Marriage on the South Carolina Marriage certificate
• County (or city) of Marriage on the South Carolina Marriage certificate
• Your name  
• Your signature  
• Your relationship to the person whose South Carolina Marriage certificate you are requesting  
• Address where the South Carolina Marriage certificate is to be mailed  
• Self addressed stamped envelope
• Your daytime phone number
• By Mail: Send the above information and the appropriate fee to:

South Carolina DHEC – Vital Records

2600 Bull Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Option 3 – In Person

In Person in South Carolina : You may go to any county health department in the State of South Carolina to obtain a certified copy of a South Carolina Marriage certificate. Most South Carolina Marriage certificates can be issued while you wait.

South Carolina Marriage Certificate Ordering Cost

The fee to search for a South Carolina Marriage certificate is $12.00, which includes one certified copy of the South Carolina Marriage certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." For each additional copy of the South Carolina Marriage certificate ordered at the same time, the fee is $3.00. Checks or Money Orders should be made payable to "SC DHEC." Please do not send cash. Fees are not refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service.