Finding a cemetery in South Carolina usually starts with a practical question. Where is a relative buried? Who owns the ground? Who can sell a plot? Our directory lists 240 cemeteries across 106 cities and 41 counties, from large memorial parks in Columbia and Greenville to small burial grounds in rural towns. This page explains how those cemeteries are organised, which bodies oversee them, and what to do before you call or visit. The aim is to help you reach the right office on the first try and know what to ask once someone answers.

Who Runs and Oversees Cemeteries in South Carolina

No single office runs every burial ground in the state. Cemeteries here fall into a few ownership types, and the type decides who answers the phone and what rules apply.

Private memorial parks sell plots, crypts and markers as a business. Examples in our listings include Columbia Palmetto Cemetery on Fairfield Road in Columbia, Florence Memorial Gardens Cemetery on South Cashua Drive in Florence, and Aiken Memorial Gardens & Mausoleum Cemetery on Edgefield Highway in Aiken. Municipal cemeteries, such as Orangeburg City Cemetery on Broughton Street, are generally managed by a city department and follow local rules for lot sales and upkeep. Church and community burial grounds are usually looked after by a congregation or a volunteer committee, and some keep no regular office hours at all.

State oversight is split by task. The Board of Funeral Service, part of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, licenses funeral directors and funeral homes. The Department of Public Health handles vital records, including the death certificate that a burial or cremation depends on. Complaints about a sales practice or a contract can go to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs. Zoning questions, such as where a new burial ground may be placed, are decided by the county or municipality.

Coroners are elected at the county level and become involved when a death needs investigation. In an ordinary death, the funeral home handles the paperwork and coordinates with the cemetery.

Veterans' burials are a separate track. The South Carolina State Veterans Cemetery at 140 Inway Drive in Anderson is a state-run facility, while national cemeteries are run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. We cover both below.

How Cemeteries Differ Across the Upstate, Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry

Where you are in South Carolina changes what you will find. Our largest counts sit in the Upstate and around Charleston, while the rural counties in between have fewer and smaller offices. The regional notes below show what that means in practice.

Upstate: Spartanburg, Greenville and Anderson

Spartanburg County has more listings than any other county in our database. Spartanburg Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery is on Cannons Campground Road, and Boiling Springs Memorial Gardens Cemetery is on South Carolina 9. Both list the same phone number, 864-582-1249, so one call may reach either office. In Greenville County, you will find Citadel West Lawn Cemetery on Arlington Avenue in Greenville and Greenville Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Augusta Road in Piedmont. Anderson ties with Columbia for the most city listings, and it is home to the state veterans cemetery.

Midlands and Pee Dee: Columbia, Aiken, Florence and Dillon

Columbia and the surrounding Richland County hold some of the state's larger memorial parks alongside older historic grounds. Aiken, Orangeburg and Lancaster each have their own cemeteries; Lancaster Memorial Park Cemetery is at 1389 Memorial Park Road. In the Pee Dee, Florence is the main hub. Dillon Resthaven Cemetery on U.S. 301 and Hartsville Westview Memorial Park Cemetery on West Home Avenue serve smaller communities nearby. Smaller offices may have limited staff, so leave a clear message with your name, the deceased's name and a callback number.

Lowcountry and Grand Strand: Charleston, Berkeley, Beaufort and Horry

Charleston County includes Charleston Brown Cemetery on Magnolia Road and North Charleston Carolina Memorial Gardens Cemetery on Rivers Avenue. Berkeley Memorial Gardens Cemetery is on South Carolina 6 in Moncks Corner, and Beaufort Forest Lawn Cemetery is on Robert Smalls Parkway in Beaufort. The coast also has older churchyards and Gullah Geechee family burial grounds, some of them on private land. High water tables and flood-prone ground can shape how graves are dug, so ask any coastal cemetery about its vault or grave liner requirements. Up the coast in Horry County, Loyal Companions Pet Cremation and Memorial Cemetery in Conway serves people who want a place to remember an animal.

Small towns and rural counties

In smaller towns the picture changes. Gaffney Burns Cemetery on Peachoid Road in Cherokee County, Forest Lawn Cemetery & Mslms on Torrington Road in Laurens, and Pickens Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery on Gentry Memorial Highway are typical examples. Offices there may be open on weekdays only. Some listings, such as Greenwood Magnolia Cemetery on Magnolia Avenue, have no public phone number in our records, so a call to the city or county office may be the quickest route to the right person.

Veteran Burial in South Carolina: Anderson and the National Cemeteries

The South Carolina State Veterans Cemetery at 140 Inway Drive in Anderson can be reached at 864-332-8022. State veterans cemeteries generally accept eligible veterans and often their spouses and dependent children, but the operating agency sets the exact rules. Have the veteran's discharge paperwork, usually DD Form 214, ready before you call, and ask how far ahead a committal service must be scheduled.

South Carolina also has national cemeteries, including Fort Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia, Beaufort National Cemetery and Florence National Cemetery. These are run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rather than the state, and each has its own scheduling process. Separately, the VA can provide a government headstone or marker for an eligible veteran who is buried in a private cemetery. A veteran in a family plot or church graveyard is therefore not excluded from that benefit.

Preparing for a Burial, Purchase or Visit in South Carolina

A little preparation saves repeat calls. Before you contact a cemetery, gather what you know and decide what you need from the office.

Cemetery hours often differ from office hours. The grounds may be open from dawn to dusk while staff work weekdays only. Ask which hours apply, and do not assume a gate is unlocked.

If you are arranging a funeral now, the funeral home usually coordinates with the cemetery, files the death certificate and schedules the opening of the grave. Still confirm the cemetery's own requirements directly, because they vary from one cemetery to the next and can affect timing and cost.

Government cemeteries in South Carolina include facilities administered by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries funded through state and federal partnerships, and local municipal and county cemeteries operated by city and county governments throughout the state.

Cemetery locations are available in 106 cities across South Carolina. They are spread across 41 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Anderson, Columbia, Charleston, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in South Carolina may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Services to confirm eligibility requirements and available state-operated facilities.

Cemetery by Counties

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Families and genealogists in South Carolina can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many South Carolina counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

Browse Cemetery by county across South Carolina to find the nearest location.

Tracing Family Graves and Historic Burial Grounds in South Carolina

Many visitors to this page are researching family history rather than planning a funeral. South Carolina has centuries of burials, from colonial-era churchyards in Charleston to small family plots on former farmland and Black community cemeteries in nearly every county.

Many older sites have no staff, so records often sit somewhere else. Good places to start include the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia, the South Carolina rooms at county libraries, and each county's Probate Court, which holds estate files that can name heirs. Church registers, newspaper obituaries and funeral home files fill many gaps.

Once you find a likely cemetery, call before you drive. Ask whether a burial register exists, whether it can be searched by surname, and whether staff can confirm a section and lot number. A lot number turns a long walk through rows into a short one. Older markers may be worn or missing, so cross-check dates with a second source.

When you visit, photograph the stone and nearby landmarks, and respect any posted rules. Skip rubbings and harsh cleaners on old stone, because both can cause damage that cannot be reversed. Bring water, insect repellent and sturdy shoes in summer, since the ground in older sections can be uneven.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cemeteries in South Carolina

Start with what you know: the full name, an approximate year of death and the county. Browse our listings by city or county and call the most likely cemeteries, such as the larger memorial parks in Columbia, Charleston or Greenville. If those offices have no record, check an obituary, the funeral home that handled the arrangements, or the county Probate Court. Funeral homes keep files for many years and can often name the cemetery. Volunteer grave-search websites can help as a cross-check, but confirm any result with the cemetery itself before you travel.

The cemetery at 140 Inway Drive, in Anderson County, serves eligible veterans and, in general, certain family members. The operating agency sets the exact rules, so call 864-332-8022 before making plans. Be ready to provide discharge papers, usually DD Form 214, and the veteran's identifying details. Ask what documents are needed for a spouse or dependent, whether any residency requirement applies, and how far ahead a service must be scheduled. If the veteran does not qualify there, the national cemeteries in Columbia, Beaufort and Florence follow separate VA rules and may be an alternative.

Ask for a written price list before anything else. It should show the cost of the space, the fee to open and close the grave, any required outer burial container, and charges for markers or foundations. Ask whether the price includes perpetual care and what that care covers. Find out who owns the cemetery, whether the plot can be transferred or resold, and what happens if you move away. Do not sign under pressure. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs accepts complaints about business practices, and funeral-related concerns may involve the Board of Funeral Service.

Many old family burial grounds sit on land that has changed hands. South Carolina law generally recognises that relatives and descendants may reach a grave on private property, but that does not mean walking in unannounced. Contact the landowner first, agree on a day and route, and keep to it. Bring proof of your family connection if you have it, such as an obituary or death record. If the owner refuses access, the county government or an attorney can advise you on the next step. Never move stones or dig, even in an overgrown site.

Yes. Loyal Companions Pet Cremation and Memorial Cemetery is at 1000 South Carolina 544 in Conway, in Horry County, and lists 843-234-5683. Most cemeteries that bury people do not accept animal remains, so ask first rather than assuming. If you choose a pet memorial site, ask about cremation options, whether ashes can be returned to you, how plots are marked, and how long the site commits to maintain them. If you plan to bury a pet at home, check county zoning and property restrictions first.

Start by identifying the owner. County deed records, the city or a church may hold the answer. If the site carries a city name, like Orangeburg City Cemetery, begin with city hall. For historic or unmarked burial grounds, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the state archaeology institute at the University of South Carolina can advise on recording the site. Local historical societies and volunteer groups often organise cleanups. Get permission from the owner first, and avoid pressure-washing or chemicals on old stones, since both can erode the surface.