Mail-In/Online Only Requests for Marriage and Divorce

To get a certified copy of a marriage or divorce that occurred in South Carolina, submit the request by mail or online. In-person and drop-off services for these requests are temporarily unavailable. See mail-in and online directions for a Marriage Certificate or Divorce Report.

In-Person Amendment Requests at Regional Offices

Beginning November 17, 2025, the Richland County office (formally known as the State Office) will no longer take same-day amendment requests. All on-site amendment requests submitted to the regional offices, including the Richland county office, will be completed within 1-2 business days.

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Updated: Oct. 27, 2025

Paternity Acknowledgement

Adding a Biological Father (Out of Wedlock) to Your Child's Birth Certificate

If the mother was not married at any point between conception and birth, she and the biological father may complete a form called a Paternity Acknowledgement. A paternity acknowledgment is a form approved by DPH acknowledging that both parents are confident that the man signing is the biological father of the child and that they both agree to have his name placed on the certificate.

Important Notes:

  • The form must be signed, notarized, and witnessed to be acceptable for filing.
  • A paternity acknowledgment may not be completed with a parent who is not the biological father of the child.
  • A paternity acknowledgment cannot be completed if the mother was married at any time during the pregnancy or at the child's birth, or if a father is already recorded on the birth record.
  • If either parent signs a paternity acknowledgment with knowledge that the father signing the acknowledgment is NOT the biological father, they may be committing perjury and may be referred to law enforcement if that is discovered.
  • Both parents must have valid IDs in order to be able to sign this document.

The parents may indicate in the hospital after the child is born if they would like to complete this process to have the father listed on the certificate upon registration with the state. If the parents choose not to complete this in the hospital, they may later choose to do so through later through a Vital Records office.

How to Apply

In Person/By Mail

DPH staff will have to review the request to determine if a paternity acknowledgment can be completed. If you are the mother, you can have this review made. You will need to:

You can initiate this process at your nearest Vital Records office or by mail.

Once the review is completed and DPH determines that a father can be added to the record, both you and the father will need to sign the paternity acknowledgment form in the presence of a notary. Once the form is signed and notarized, the father's name can be added to the certificate. DPH will then be able to give you a certified copy.

The amendment fee is $15 in addition to the fees for certified copies of the birth certificate.

New Online Paternity Acknowledgement Process

Paternity acknowledgments can now be sent and signed electronically through our online notary vendor, Notaries On Demand. This allows the parents to sign from the comfort of their home even if they live in different states or countries.

Process

  1. As soon as the Vital Statistics Amendment Specialist completes the form, they send the request for the online notary.
  2. The mother will receive a series of emails for her to establish an account with Notaries On Demand.
  3. The father will receive an email to go through identity verification processes.
  4. After payment is collected, the mother will also be prompted to go through an identity verification process.
  5. Once both parents are identified successfully, a zoom call will be scheduled where the notary will discuss the form and allow the parents to review it for accuracy.
  6. The parents will then sign electronically with the assistance of the notary.
  7. The document will be notarized and electronically sent back to the Vital Records office via a secure folder.
  8. The amendment specialists will then retrieve the document and complete the necessary steps to add the father.
  9. The certificate will be mailed to the parents as soon as it is completed.

Fees

  • $45 service fee for Notaries on Demand and
  • State fees:
    • $12 for mailed request; $17 for expedited in-person request,
    • $15 amendment fee and
    • Additional certified copy fees ($3 each)

Legitimation of Birth

When You Marry the Child's Father After the Child is Born

If you marry your child's father and:

  • there is no father listed on your child's birth certificate, and
  • you were never married during pregnancy or at the time of your child's birth,

you can request what is called a 'legitimation' of birth. Legitimation is a legal process that establishes the father of a child born out of wedlock as the child's legal father.

How to Apply:
You can start that process at your nearest Vital Records office or via mail to the DPH State Vital Records Office in Columbia. You will need to provide a certified copy of the marriage license, and both you and the child's father will have to sign a statement called an 'affidavit' in the presence of a notary. You will also need to request a certified copy of the birth certificate.

If you and the father cannot visit a Vital Records office together, you may submit your request by mail. You will need to mail the following:

  • Your request for a birth certificate and a statement saying that you want to add the father to the birth certificate
  • A certified copy of your marriage license (this will not be returned to you)
  • A phone number where you can be reached between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Mail to:
S.C. Department of Public Health
Vital Records Section
P.O. Box 2046
West Columbia, SC 29171

DPH staff will review and determine if legitimation can be completed. If the father can be added, an affidavit will be mailed. Both parents will need to sign it in the presence of a notary and return the signed document with the $15 amendment fee.

For more information, contact us.