No, you do not notarize a marriage license in South Carolina. No notary stamp, seal, or acknowledgment goes on the document at any stage, from application through recording at the Probate Court.1Greenville County Probate Court. Officiant Dos and Donts for Marriage Licenses The confusion usually traces back to the fact that South Carolina notaries public are allowed to perform wedding ceremonies, but officiating a wedding and notarizing a document are two different things.
A Notary Can Officiate Without Notarizing Anything
South Carolina law authorizes four categories of people to perform a marriage ceremony: ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths (which includes notaries public), and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.2South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 20-1-20 – Persons Who May Perform Marriage Ceremony A notary qualifies as an officer authorized to administer oaths, so a notary can legally marry you.
When a notary serves as the officiant, they sign the license the same way any other officiant does. They do not add a notary stamp or seal. Greenville County’s Probate Court states this directly: a notary stamp or seal is not required on the license, and placing one on the form can actually cause problems if it covers printed information.1Greenville County Probate Court. Officiant Dos and Donts for Marriage Licenses
What the Officiant Actually Signs
South Carolina marriage licenses are issued in triplicate. After the ceremony, the officiant completes their section on all three copies, filling in their signature, title, and the date and location of the wedding.1Greenville County Probate Court. Officiant Dos and Donts for Marriage Licenses Witness signatures are not required, and South Carolina does not require witnesses to attend the ceremony at all.
That officiant signature is the legal attestation that makes the marriage valid. It is the step people sometimes mistake for notarization, but it is simply the officiant certifying that they performed the ceremony. The form is designed to be completed with signatures and handwritten information only.
The Oath at the Probate Court
Before the license is issued, both applicants file a sworn statement affirming that they are legally entitled to marry.3South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 20-1-230 – Issuance of License; Premarital Preparation Course The probate judge or court clerk administers that oath on the spot. That built-in oath takes the place of any separate notarization you might otherwise expect on a sworn document. There is no reason to visit a notary before or after your Probate Court appointment.
What Happens to the License After the Ceremony
The officiant keeps one of the three copies for the married couple and returns the other two to the Probate Court that issued the license. State law gives the officiant 15 days to return those copies, though some county Probate Courts ask for them sooner.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 20-1-330 – Issue of Licenses in Triplicate; Disposition The Probate Court then records the marriage. What gets recorded is the signed license, not a notarized version of it. Certified copies you request later for name changes, insurance, or taxes come from the Probate Court’s recorded file.5Horry County SC.Gov. Marriage License – Horry County Probate Court
If someone has told you to get your marriage license notarized in South Carolina, they are mistaken. The signatures required are those of the applicants, the probate judge or clerk who issues the license, and the officiant who performs the ceremony. No notary is part of that chain, even when the officiant happens to be one.