How to Get a Birth Certificate in Charleston, SC

To get a birth certificate in Charleston, SC, you apply through the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH), which holds every birth record for the state. You fill out form D-2595, show a valid photo ID, and pay the search fee: $12 by mail or $17 in person or online. One certified copy is included if the record is found. The fastest route is walking into the Charleston County regional office in North Charleston; the cheapest is mailing the application to Columbia.

Who Can Order a Copy

South Carolina keeps birth records confidential, and only a short list of people can request a certified copy under SC Code § 44-63-80.¹ You qualify if you are:

The person named on the certificate, age 18 or older
A parent or guardian listed on the record
A person or agency with current legal custody under a court order
The Department of Social Services, for a child in foster care
A caregiver providing care under a court order
An attorney representing the registrant or a parent named on the certificate
Certain directors of organizations serving homeless children

Siblings, spouses, and adult children of the person on the record are not on that list. They can only order a copy if they hold a power of attorney or otherwise fit one of the categories above. Court-appointed guardians need to bring a copy of the order establishing guardianship. Requests from anyone outside those categories will be denied.¹

What You Need Before You Apply

Download form D-2595 from the DPH website or pick one up at a regional office.² The form asks for:

The registrant’s full name at birth
Date of birth, sex, and city and county of birth (Charleston County for births in and around the City of Charleston)
Both parents’ full names before their first marriages
Whether the parents were married at the time of birth

Fill in every field you can. Missing parent names and estimated birth dates are the most common reasons staff can’t find a record on the first search.

You also need a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID, or U.S. passport works. School and employer photo IDs are also accepted. Applications submitted without proper ID come back unprocessed.²

The Three Ways to Apply

In Person at the North Charleston Office

The Charleston County regional office handles walk-in requests and is the fastest option. Call 843-953-0032 to confirm the current address and hours before heading over.³ Once staff verifies your ID and application, most routine requests are completed the same day. The fee is $17, which includes the $5 expedite charge that applies to any service with a 10-business-day or faster turnaround. Additional copies ordered at the same time cost $3 each. Same-day service is not guaranteed for complicated requests like amendments or paternity additions.⁴

By Mail to Columbia

Send your completed D-2595, a photocopy of your photo ID, and a check or money order for $12 payable to SC DPH to:

S.C. Department of Public Health
Vital Records
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Mail requests typically take two to four weeks. There is no expedited option for mailed applications, so if you need the certificate sooner, use the in-person or online route. The $12 search fee is non-refundable even if no record turns up. Extra copies of the same record ordered at the same time are $3 each.⁴

Online or by Phone

DPH authorizes only two online vendors: Go Certificates and VitalChek. Both charge the $17 search fee plus a processing fee of their own: $8.70 at Go Certificates and $8.75 at VitalChek. Shipping is extra and varies by speed. Processing averages five to seven business days before anything ships. Only the person named on the certificate can order through Go Certificates. VitalChek runs its own identity verification on every order and also takes orders by phone.⁵

A single certified copy ordered online runs around $26 before shipping, compared with $12 by mail. Decide whether speed is worth the difference. DPH also warns against unapproved third-party sites: orders placed through vendors not listed on the DPH page may not be processed, and you can lose your payment with nothing to show for it.⁵

Fixing a Mistake on the Record

Small errors like a misspelled name or wrong date can usually be corrected without going to court. Bring supporting documents such as school records, hospital records, or other paperwork that shows the correct information. If the evidence passes review, DPH prepares an affidavit for you to sign and notarize, and the correction is applied. The amendment fee is $15. Replacement copies reflecting the change are $3 each if you ordered a certified copy within the past 12 months.⁵

Bigger changes like a legal name change or adoption require a certified court order with a raised or inked seal. Photocopies of court orders are not accepted, and DPH keeps the certified copy permanently. In-person amendments at a regional office are usually completed within one to two business days after central-office review, though court-ordered amendments can take up to two weeks.⁴

Adding a Father to the Record

If the mother was unmarried throughout the pregnancy and at the time of birth, both parents can complete a Paternity Acknowledgment to add the biological father’s name. Both must present valid photo IDs, and the form must be signed, notarized, and witnessed. DPH offers an online notarization option through Notaries On Demand, which handles the whole thing by video call. The amendment fee is $15, on top of the standard copy fees.⁶

Paternity acknowledgment is not available if the mother was married at any point during the pregnancy or at the child’s birth, or if a father is already listed. If either parent has any doubt about biological paternity, DPH advises against signing. Knowingly signing a false acknowledgment can be referred to law enforcement for perjury.⁶

If DPH Has No Record of Your Birth

The $12 search fee is still non-refundable if no record is found, but you have a path to create one. Under SC Code § 44-63-100, you can establish a delayed birth certificate through family court.⁷

Start by getting a certification from DPH confirming that no record was found. That certification must be dated within two years of filing your petition. File the petition in the family court of the county where you live, or in a court in your current state if you’ve moved out of South Carolina. The petition includes your name, date and county of birth, parents’ names, and evidence supporting the claim. The court serves DPH at least 30 days before the hearing. If the court grants the petition, the order goes to DPH, which creates a Delayed Certificate of Birth. The special filing fee for the delayed registration is $15.⁷⁴

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 44-63-80 – Certified Copies of Birth Certificates; To Whom Issued
2
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Vital Records Birth Application
3
City of Charleston. Frequently Asked Questions – Clerk of Council
4
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Fees – Vital Records (Birth, Death, etc)
5
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Birth Certificates
6
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Adding Father to Birth Certificate
7
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 44-63-100 – Registering Birth