Marriage Licenses in South Carolina: Who Issues Them and How the System Works

South Carolina does not issue marriage licenses at the state level. Each of the state's 46 counties has a probate court, and that court is where a couple applies, pays the fee and receives the license. You might plan a courthouse ceremony in Columbia, a beach wedding near Myrtle Beach or a garden wedding in Charleston. In every case the process starts at a county probate office.

The state still has a role. After the ceremony, the signed license goes back to the probate court that issued it, and the marriage is reported into the state vital records system. Our database lists one office for South Carolina: the South Carolina Marriage License entry at the Office of Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, in Richland County. The listed phone number is 803-898-3630. That is a state records office, not a county license counter. Use it for questions about statewide marriage records, and use your county probate court to apply.

The agency name on that listing needs some explanation. Vital records were long run by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, known as DHEC. In July 2024 the agency was split, and public health functions, including vital records, moved to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. Our listing still carries the older name, so you may see both in use. If a form or website mentions either one, you are dealing with the state records side of the process.

One listing does not mean few options. Licensing is decentralised, so every county has its own court, hours and procedures. The statewide rules are the same, but the experience at the counter can differ a good deal from one county to the next.

What You Need to Apply for a South Carolina Marriage License

The basics are the same in every county. Plan to bring the following to the probate court:

South Carolina requires a 24-hour waiting period between the application and the issuing of the license. A couple cannot apply and marry on the same afternoon. Anyone planning a weekend wedding should apply early in the week, because probate courts keep county business hours and close on state holidays.

Residency is not required, and no blood test or medical exam is needed. Out-of-state and international couples apply on the same terms as South Carolina residents. That openness is one reason the state is popular for destination weddings.

Age is the area where couples should be most careful. Adults who are 18 or older can apply on their own. If either person is under 18, special rules apply, and the probate court is the right place to confirm what is required before you travel or book a venue.

The same rules apply to same-sex couples, who can obtain a license on the same terms as any other couple. South Carolina also no longer recognises new common-law marriages. In 2019 the state Supreme Court ruled that couples who simply live together cannot become legally married that way. A license and a ceremony are now the only route.

Richland, Charleston, Horry and Beaufort: Metro, Coastal and Rural Differences

The law is uniform, but the counter experience is not. Larger counties such as Richland (Columbia), Charleston, Greenville and Horry handle a heavy volume of applications. Lines can form, especially on Fridays and before popular wedding dates. Many busy courts post application forms online, and some offer appointments or pre-application steps. Check the court's own page before you go, and arrive early in the day.

Rural probate offices work differently. Staff are fewer, hours may be shorter, and some offices close over the lunch hour. You are less likely to wait in line, but you have fewer time slots, and a missing document can cost you a second trip. Some smaller offices also have limited payment options, so ask whether they take cards, cash, checks or money orders.

The coast adds its own pattern. Charleston, Myrtle Beach in Horry County and Hilton Head Island in Beaufort County draw many couples who live elsewhere. Because of the 24-hour wait, a couple who flies in on Friday for a Saturday wedding may run out of time. A better plan is to arrive midweek and apply the day you land. Another option is to apply at a probate court along your route, since a South Carolina license is generally usable for a ceremony anywhere in the state. Confirm that with the issuing court first.

Columbia is a special case. It is the state capital, and Richland County holds the only listing in our database. The county probate court and the state records office on Bull Street are both in the city. A couple with a license question and a records question can plan one day in the capital and handle both. Call the offices first to confirm hours, because the two organisations keep separate schedules and rules.

After the Ceremony: Returning the License, Certified Copies and Name Changes

The wedding does not finish the paperwork. Your officiant completes the license, signs it and returns it to the probate court that issued it. Ask the court how soon this must happen and who is allowed to deliver it. Missing signatures or unclear handwriting can delay recording, and that delays your certified copy.

Once the marriage is recorded, you can request certified copies. The issuing county probate court keeps the local record and is usually the quickest source for recent marriages. State-level records are held by the vital records function in Columbia, the office our database lists at 2600 Bull Street, with the phone number 803-898-3630. Fees, ID rules and ordering methods change, so check the current instructions from the Department of Public Health before you send a request.

Most people need a certified copy for several reasons. A common order of steps looks like this:

Order more than one certified copy, since several agencies keep the original document. Lost or damaged records are easier to fix when you know which county issued the license and the exact date of the marriage. Write both down and keep them with your copy of the certificate.

Marriage licenses in South Carolina are issued by county clerks or recorders, with requirements for identification, fees, and waiting periods set by state law. Couples must obtain their license from a county within the state where the ceremony will be performed.

Marriage Licenses locations are available in 1 cities across South Carolina. They are spread across 1 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Columbia, which serve as county seats with the busiest marriage license offices in the state.

Couples in South Carolina should verify current ID and documentation requirements directly with the issuing county clerk before applying, as requirements for previously divorced or widowed applicants may differ from those marrying for the first time.

Marriage Licenses by Counties

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Couples in South Carolina should check whether their county clerk offers online appointment scheduling for marriage license applications, which can reduce wait times significantly compared to walk-in visits, especially during the busy spring and summer wedding season.

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

Using the Columbia Listing and Your County Probate Court Together

Think of South Carolina's marriage license system as two layers. The county probate court handles the front end: the application, the waiting period, the license and its return after the ceremony. The state handles the long-term record. The Columbia office in our database, at 2600 Bull Street in Richland County, belongs to that second layer, and its listed phone number is 803-898-3630.

A practical approach is to work in order. First, call the probate court in the county where you will apply and confirm its hours, fee and payment options. Second, check that both of you can appear in person with photo ID and with the details of any earlier marriage. Third, count the 24-hour wait backward from your wedding date, and leave a cushion for holidays and weekends. Fourth, tell your officiant when and where to return the signed license.

After the wedding, keep a record of the county that issued the license and the date it was recorded. If you need a certified copy later, start with that county court. Contact the state records office in Columbia when you need a statewide record or when the local court directs you there. Because the former DHEC functions now sit under the Department of Public Health, expect to see the newer agency name on current forms and web pages.

The questions below cover the points South Carolina couples ask most often.

South Carolina Marriage License FAQs

You apply at a county probate court. South Carolina has 46 counties, and each has a probate court that handles marriage licenses. Most couples choose the county where they live or where they plan to marry, such as Richland County for a Columbia wedding. A South Carolina license can generally be used for a ceremony anywhere in the state. Both people normally appear together with photo ID. Call the court first to confirm hours, accepted payment types and whether it offers appointments. The Columbia office in our database handles state-level records, not license applications, so do not go there to apply.

South Carolina law requires a 24-hour wait between the application and the issuing of the license. In practice you apply on one day and return the next, or the court releases the license once the 24 hours have passed. Couples marrying on a weekend or holiday should apply early in the week, because probate courts follow county business hours and close on state holidays. Couples arriving from out of state should plan to be in town at least two business days before the ceremony. Ask the court how it handles the clock, since procedures can differ between counties.

No on both counts. South Carolina does not require residency to obtain a marriage license, so out-of-state and international couples apply on the same terms as locals. There is no blood test or medical exam requirement. What you do need is valid photo ID, accurate details about any previous marriage and the ability to appear in person together. If either of you has been married before, know the date and place that marriage ended. International couples should call the probate court ahead of time to confirm which forms of identification it will accept.

South Carolina allows a range of officiants. Ministers and other clergy, judges and notaries public are authorized, which is why many couples hold small ceremonies at a venue with a notary. Probate judges can also perform marriages, and some courts offer ceremonies, but practice varies, so ask your county. Whoever officiates must complete the license accurately and return it to the probate court that issued it. Errors or missing signatures can delay recording and your certificate. Confirm your officiant's authority before the day, especially if that person is visiting from another state.

Start with the probate court in the county that issued your license, since it keeps the local record and can often provide certified copies. For state-level records, the vital records function in Columbia holds marriage records. Our database lists that office at 2600 Bull Street, with the phone number 803-898-3630. Vital records moved from DHEC to the Department of Public Health in 2024, so check current ordering instructions and fees before you send anything. Have both spouses' full names, the marriage date and the county ready. You will usually need to show ID and may need to prove your eligibility to request the record.

Not for new relationships. In 2019 the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that common-law marriages would no longer be recognised going forward, so a couple who simply live together cannot become legally married that way. Marriages of that kind formed before the ruling may still be recognised in some situations, and disputes are decided in family court. If you want legal marital status for tax, insurance, immigration or inheritance purposes, obtain a license from a probate court and have the ceremony properly recorded. A family law attorney can advise you about an older relationship.