How to Get a Certified Death Certificate in South Carolina

To get a certified death certificate in South Carolina, order one from the state Department of Public Health (SC DPH) Office of Vital Records online through VitalChek, by mail, or in person at the Columbia office or a regional vital records office. A certified copy costs $12 for a mail order or $17 through any expedited channel, with additional copies of the same record at $3 each when ordered together. Mail requests take two to four weeks; online orders arrive in about five to seven business days; walk-in requests are usually filled in 30 to 45 minutes.¹²

Who Can Order One

South Carolina restricts certified death certificates to people with a defined connection to the deceased. Immediate family members, including a spouse, parent, or adult child, qualify through any method. A legal guardian or the legal representative of the estate qualifies as well. Others who can show a direct and tangible interest, such as needing the record to establish a property right, may also request a copy, but they may have to document that interest.

Online ordering through VitalChek is limited to immediate family. If you fall outside that group, use mail or an in-person request.

What You’ll Need Before You Apply

Have the following details about the deceased ready: full legal name, date of death, county where the death occurred, date of birth, and parents’ names (including the mother’s maiden name). You’ll also list your own name, mailing address, phone number, email, and your relationship to the deceased.

Every applicant must include a photocopy of a valid government-, school-, or employer-issued photo ID. A driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, or U.S. passport all work. Applications without proper ID are rejected and won’t be processed.³ The application itself is a downloadable PDF on the SC DPH website.

The Three Ways to Order

Online Through VitalChek

VitalChek is South Carolina’s authorized online vital records service, and only immediate family members can use it. You submit your information, upload a copy of your photo ID, and pay electronically. The first certified copy is $17, which includes the $5 expedite fee that applies to every non-mail order, and each additional copy of the same record is $3 when ordered at the same time.² Delivery runs about five to seven business days.¹

By Mail

Mail is the only method that avoids the $5 expedite fee. Send the completed application, a photocopy of your photo ID, and payment to:

Office of Vital Records
SC Department of Public Health
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201

The fee is $12 for the search and first certified copy, plus $3 for each additional copy of the same record. Pay by money order or cashier’s check made out to “SC DPH.” Mail requests take two to four weeks to process.¹ The $12 search fee is nonrefundable even if the record can’t be found.²

In Person

Walk-in requests are accepted at the State Vital Records Office in Columbia and at regional vital records offices around the state. Bring the completed application, valid photo ID, and payment. In-person orders carry the same $17 expedited fee (search plus one copy) and are typically ready in 30 to 45 minutes, though older or complex records can take longer.¹ Walk-in offices generally accept cash (exact change), credit and debit cards, and money orders.

Long Form or Short Form

South Carolina issues two versions. The long form shows every field on the record, including cause and manner of death. The short form shows identifying information and date of death but omits the medical cause. Banks, insurers, and probate courts almost always want the long form, so order that unless you have a specific reason to request the short version.

How Many Copies to Order

Most families underestimate how many certified copies they need and end up reordering later at full price. Each bank, insurer, and government agency typically requires its own certified original. A rough guide:

Life insurance claims: one per policy
Bank and investment accounts: one per financial institution
Property and vehicle title transfers: one per transfer
Social Security and veterans’ benefits: one for each federal agency
Probate court filing: at least one for the estate

A typical estate often runs through 10 to 15 certified copies. Additional copies ordered at the same time as the first are $3 each, well below the $12 or $17 you’d pay for a separate later order.

When the Certificate Isn’t Ready Yet

You don’t file the death certificate yourself. The funeral director, or whoever first takes custody of the body, files it electronically with SC DPH’s Bureau of Vital Statistics after collecting personal information from the next of kin and the medical certification of cause of death from the attending physician, medical examiner, or coroner.⁴ Certified copies become orderable only after the record is filed and registered.

If the cause of death is still under investigation or awaiting autopsy results, the certificate may be filed with “pending” as the cause. The medical certifier updates it once results are in. That can delay a complete long-form copy, so ask the funeral home what timeline to expect.

Fixing an Error on the Certificate

Misspelled names, wrong dates, and incorrect demographic details can be corrected through SC DPH’s Vital Records office. The process requires a written application, verified and sworn, along with supporting evidence when the regulation calls for it.⁴

Demographic corrections generally require an affidavit from the original informant listed on the certificate or from an adult next of kin. Medical items, including cause and manner of death, can only be changed by the physician, medical examiner, or coroner who originally certified the death. A correction made more than a year after the date of death leaves the certificate permanently marked “amended,” and the supporting affidavits become part of the record.⁴

Deaths Before 1915

SC DPH holds death certificates from 1915 forward. For a death before 1915, the state vital records office won’t have a record. Look instead to county probate court records, church registers, cemetery records, or the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

1
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Average Processing Times
2
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Fees – Vital Records (Birth, Death, etc)
3
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Vital Records Forms
4
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 44-63-150 – Correction of Mistakes in Birth or Death Certificates