South Carolina Vital Records

Before you start the process to order a certified copy of a birth, marriage, or death certificate, you should know some important information about the requirements, processing times, and other useful information required by the state of South Carolina.

Processing times differ between offices, but you should expect to receive your vital records in the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) in 2 to 4 business weeks.

To complete the online application, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control requires applicants to prove their identity by including a photocopy of their ID. It varies depending on the type of certificate, but commonly people can use a driver's license or a state photo ID. Check other acceptable IDs per certificate needed:

• South Carolina Birth Certificate Requirements
• South Carolina Marriage Certificate Requirements
• South Carolina Death Certificate Requirements

Whenever you are ordering birth records, marriage certificates or licenses, divorce certificates or death records, Vital Records Online will charge a fee starting from $49 for the assistant service, and the state of South Carolina will charge a $12.00 fee for each certified copy of birth, $20.00 fee for each marriage certificate certified copy and $12.00 for each death certificate. Any additional copy to your order will cost $15.00

There are limitations to who can request vital records in the state of South Carolina Bureau of Vital Statistics. It depends on if the request is for a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or death certificate, the requestor must be doing it on their own behalf. Otherwise, the requester must be part of the close family, some distant family member, or must be the legal representative for the individual of record.

There are two options to order vital records in South Carolina. The first and the simplest way is through Vital Records Online. You will be able to start your application process online, and then you will receive your birth certificate or the other vital records by mail.

The second option is going in person to the public office where the person in the record was born. This process can be time-consuming because of the paperwork required and the long waiting lines typically associated with the Administration.