Learn Where a South Carolina Marriage Certificate Is Filed

Are you wondering if you are allowed to request a South Carolina marriage certificate? The first thing to know is that, under US law, marriage records belong in the public domain. This means that if you are a US citizen, you have a right to get your copy when you place a request. There may be limits in place in particular states to prevent its abuse, such as impersonation instances, but in principle they are yours by legal right.

Vital Records from State Sources

Early records in South Carolina were recorded with the county authorities, bu the state did not require registration of marriage license until 1911. Today, for South Carolina marriage certificates from July 1st, 1950, you can visit or write to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control, Bureau of Vital Statistics, J. Marion Sims Building, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201-1797.

Birth and death records sometimes help trace marriages too. This is particularly helpful when you are not certain whether the person you are looking for indeed came to the state and lived here. In all such cases, it might be better to crosscheck your information with these records.

Perhaps you asked for marriage records and did not get what you were looking for. By taking a look at the birth and death records and finding an entry there, you may discover that the person lived in the state, but did not marry in South Carolina. This is why many people who are interested in marriage records often take a look at the birth and death records too.

For birth and death records from 1915 to "50 years ago," you will need to contact the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1430 Senate Street, P.O. Box 11669, Capitol Station, Columbia, SC 29211-1669.

For earlier records, you will have to try the relevant county clerk’s office.

Submitting Your Request Correctly 

When you place a request for it, you will surely receive a copy of the marriage certificate because the state and the county offices are legally bound to share it with you. You will however need to submit the request correctly.

How do you accomplish this? Here is a guide to help you:

Keep your request letter concise and topical. Unnecessary details about the family lines tend to confuse and should thus be avoided. Too many requests take longer to process and so you should make no more than two requests at any time.

Provide the fullest possible information. If a person went by more than one name, write down all of them including the nicknames. Also do mention the alternate spellings and nicknames.

Be absolutely accurate about the date of a South Carolina marriage. If you are not sure of the precise date, provide a span of years that must be searched. Remember that you have to pay extra for searches that cover many years.
 
Be prepared to wait. Do not pay until you know the exact cost of the document/s. Guesswork could bring grief. A safe way out is to send a signed blank check with "Not to exceed $__.00" (the maximum likely amount) written preferably in red ink under the check’s "$____" line.

The safest course of action is to write two letters. In the first letter you will have to specify your needs, list all the data and ask to know the charges. In the second letter you must enclose your check.

It is also a good idea to enclose a stamped and self-addressed envelope.

Things Your Request for a South Carolina Marriage Certificate Must Always Contain:

•    Your date of request
•    Husband’s full name (the last name in caps) and wife’s full name (maiden last name in caps)
•    The marriage date
•    Place of marriage (city or town, county, state)
•    Relationship to you
•    Purpose of your application
•    Your name, signature & address
•    Your driver's license number & state may be required in some counties