Only persons named on the divorce report, their adult children or a present or former spouse may order through an online vendor.

Note: Please use only these approved vendors to send online requests for certified copies of South Carolina Vital Records. We cannot guarantee that orders from other websites will be processed.

Vital Chek

Fees Include:

• A $17 non-refundable expedited searching fee
• $3 for each additional copy
• $12.85 additional charge to pay for the services of VitalChek
• Shipping fees should you choose to have your record sent to you by UPS rather than regular U.S. mail

www.vitalchek.com

Estimate Processing Time

Additional Information

All fees must be paid using a major credit/debit card. Additional fees may apply if you choose expedited shipping.

If you are applying for a copy of a divorce report through one of our online vendors, you will be asked to submit a copy of a valid government, school or employer issued photo ID. VitalChek performs online identity verification of the individual ordering the record on all orders. This additional security step can assist individuals without identification. If you do not pass the online identity verification you will be required to upload a valid ID.

Temporarily unavailable as of 6/19/2025. Please request by mail.

Same day service is a goal of Vital Records; most requests can be processed the same day. For services that require additional processing time such as corrections and amendments, please arrive early to ensure adequate time to process your request. Same day service is not guaranteed for requests such as corrections and amendments.

Note: Vital Records experiences a high volume of in-person requests on Mondays and Fridays as well as during the lunch hours every day. Customers can help reduce their wait time by bringing exact payment (i.e., cash, check, money order) and completed forms. Non-peak hours are 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday.

You Will Need to Provide:

• A completed application form (pdf)
• $17 non-refundable expedited searching fee
  • Search fee includes one certified copy of the divorce report, $3 for each additional copy
• A valid government, school or employer issued photo ID

*You must pay with exact cash, a money order, or cashier's check made payable to S.C. DPH

Where to Go:

• DPH State Vital Records Office, Columbia
  • Address: 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201
    Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
    Phone: (803) 898-3630

Reduce Your Wait Time
Vital Records experiences a high volume of in-person requests on Mondays and Fridays as well as during the lunch hours every day. Customers can help reduce their wait time by bringing exact payment (i.e., cash, check, money order) and completed forms. Non-peak hours are 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday. 

Average processing time is 4 weeks.

You Will Need to Send:

• A completed application form (pdf)
• A $12 non-refundable standard searching fee
  • Search fee includes one certified copy of the death certificate, $3 for each additional copy
• A photocopy of a valid government, school or employer issued photo ID. When we receive applications without proper identification, we reject them automatically; we do not process them.

Mail to:

*Mail requests are only accepted at the DPH P.O. Box:

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

Temporarily unavailable as of 6/19/2025. Please request by mail.

Average processing time is 30-45 minutes.

Same-day service is a goal of Vital Records; most requests can be processed the same day. For services that require additional processing time such as corrections and amendments, please arrive prior to 4 p.m. to ensure adequate time to process your request. Same-day service is not guaranteed for requests such as corrections and amendments.

You Will Need to Provide:

• A completed application form (pdf)
• $12 non-refundable search fee (4 week processing time) or $17 non-refundable expedited searching fee (5 business days or less)
  • Search fee includes one certified copy of the divorce report, $3 for each additional copy
• A valid government, school or employer issued photo ID

*You must pay with exact cash, money order, or cashier's check made payable to S.C. DPH

Additional Information

• We'll give you a receipt when you drop off your request.
• We can mail your marriage certificate to you or you can pick it up at the Columbia state office. 

Where to Go:

• DPH State Vital Records Office, Columbia
  • Address: 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201
    Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
    Phone: (803) 898-3630

Reduce Your Wait Time
Vital Records experiences a high volume of in-person requests on Mondays and Fridays as well as during the lunch hours every day. Customers can help reduce their wait time by bringing exact payment (i.e., cash, check, money order) and completed forms. Non-peak hours are 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Tuesday-Thursday. 

• Full name of the husband
• Full name of the wife
• Date of divorce
• County where the divorce hearing was held
• Signature of the person requesting the divorce record and their current mailing address
• The relationship between the divorced parties and the person requesting the certified copy
• Full name and complete mailing address where the certified copies are to be mailed
• Area code and daytime telephone number of the person requesting the divorce record

You should contact the Clerk of Court's office in the county where the divorce was filed for a copy of the decree. We do not have divorce decrees filed in Vital Records.

If you have not received any response to your request within 30 days of submission, contact us for an update. To help us locate the request, provide the person’s first and last name, date of birth, and the address where the certificate was supposed to be mailed. 

• Send an email to vrrequeststatus@dph.sc.gov, or
• Call (803) 898-3630, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday, excluding state holidays, or
• After hours, submit an online request