How to Find South Carolina Marriage Records
Finding South Carolina Marriage Records
- Counties began recording marriages on July 1, 1911
- 1950 - County officials began sending copies to the state
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More marriage information is usually found on the marriage license application or the marriage register. Less information is found on the marriage certificate. |
Next Step: When did the marriage occur? |
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Learn more about U.S. Marriage Records
Marriages Before 1911
Marriages were not recorded by the counties or the state of South Carolina until July 1, 1911 when the county probate judge's office was required to issue marriage licenses.
| Try these databases. Marriage information is taken from substitute records such as church records. | |||
| Database Name | Link or links to access database | # of records | |
| Ancestry, South Carolina Marriages, 1641-1965 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 69,131 |
| FamilySearch, South Carolina, Marriages, 1709-1913 | Free, incomplete, index only | 4,154 | |
| Ancestry, South Carolina Marriages, 1688-1799 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 355 |
| Ancestry, Supplement to South Carolina Marriages, 1688-1820 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 1,000+ |
| Ancestry, South Carolina Marriages, 1800-1820 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 178 |
| Findmypast, United States Marriages, 1843-1945 | ($), index and images | ||
| Ancestry, South Carolina, County Marriages, 1910-1990 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 420,000+ |
| Can't access Ancestry? | Visit your local FamilySearch center or your local public library. |
| No marriage record for your ancestor? |
Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. |
If you did not find your ancestor in the above indexes, try searching for marriage information in other records.
| 1. Look first in | 2. Then search |
Marriages from 1911 to 1949
County probate judge's offices began registering marriage licenses starting July 1, 1911.
STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information
| Try these databases. Marriage information is taken from substitute records such as church records. | |||
| Database Name | Link or links to access database | # of records | |
| South Carolina, Marriages, 1709-1913 | free, incomplete, index only | 4,154 | |
| South Carolina Marriages Index, 1641-1965 | free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 69,131 |
| Findmypast, United States Marriages, 1843-1945 | ($), index and images | ||
| Ancestry, South Carolina, County Marriages, 1910-1990 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 420,000+ |
| Can't access Ancestry? | Visit your local FamilySearch center or your local public library. |
| No marriage record for your ancestor? |
Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. |
STEP TWO: Obtain the Record
PART A: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records or the above indexes
- Order the marriage record from the county probate judge's offices in the county the marriage took place.
PART B: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage
- Still can't find your ancestor in the above indexes? Try searching other records.
Marriages from 1950 to Present
Currently, there are no complete indexes to South Carolina marriage records online for this period.
The Vital Records office of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has copies of marriages from July 1950 to 2010. The county probate judge also keeps a copy of the marriage.
STEP ONE: Find Marriage Information
| Try these databases. Marriage information is taken from substitute records such as church records. | |||
| Database Name | Link or links to access database | # of records | |
| South Carolina Marriages Index, 1641-1965 | free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 69,131 |
| Ancestry, South Carolina, County Marriages, 1910-1990 | Free using Ancestryinstitution at FamilySearch Centers | $, Use your own Ancestry subscription | 420,000+ |
| Can't access Ancestry? | Visit your local FamilySearch center or your local public library. |
| No marriage record for your ancestor? |
Search for Gretna Greens-- locations away from the home county where marriage laws were less restrictive. |
STEP TWO: Obtain the Record
PART A: You know the exact date and place of marriage from your records or the above indexes
- Order the marriage record from the county probate judge's offices in the county the marriage took place.
OR
- Order the marriage record from the Vital Records office of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
| To Order Marriage Certificates | |||
| County probate judge's offices | Vital Records office of the SC Dept of Health and Environmental Control | ||
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| May be less expensive and faster than ordering from the state | County websites can be more difficult to use | Expedited service on VitalChek | May be more expensive than ordering from the county |
PART B: You don't know the exact date or place of marriage
- If you know the county of marriage, you can request a search for the marriage date for a fee from the County probate judge's offices.
- If you don't know the date or county of marriage, you can try searching for marriage information in other records.
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