SC Long Form Birth Certificate: Who Can Order and How to Apply

The SC long form birth certificate is the only birth certificate South Carolina currently issues, and you order it from the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) for $12 by mail or $17 in person.¹ The short-form wallet card was discontinued in January 2015, so the computer-generated long form is what the state produces today, and it is treated under state regulation as equivalent to the original certificate for all legal purposes.

What Information the Long Form Contains

The computer-generated long form pulls a specific set of fields from the original birth registration:¹

Registrant’s full name as recorded at birth
Date of birth
County and city of birth
Father’s name, if listed on the original certificate
Father’s place of birth
Mother’s maiden name
Mother’s place of birth
State file number
Date the record was filed and date the certificate was issued

Because this is a computer-generated reproduction rather than a photocopy of the original filing, some hospital worksheet details, like time of birth or the attending physician’s name, do not appear. For passport applications, dual-citizenship filings, and identity verification, the long form carries everything you need. The mother’s maiden name and both parents’ birthplaces are what distinguish it from the retired wallet-size certification, which showed only the child’s name, sex, birth date, county, and file number.

Who Can Order a Copy

Access is limited by statute. Under SC Code Section 44-63-80, certified copies may be issued only to:²

The person named on the certificate, if 18 or older
A parent or legal guardian listed on the certificate
An attorney representing the registrant or a listed parent
A person or agency with current legal custody under a court order, including temporary orders
A kinship caregiver providing care under a court order
The Department of Social Services, for paternity or child support purposes

Extended family members, employers, and the general public are not on that list. If you have a legitimate legal need but don’t fit any category, a court order from a judge with proper jurisdiction can authorize release.

What to Have Ready Before You Apply

The application is DPH Form 2595, available on the Vital Records website or at any office.³ It asks for the registrant’s full name at birth, date of birth, county of birth, and both parents’ names prior to first marriage.

You also need a valid, unexpired photo ID. DPH returns requests without proper identification unprocessed rather than holding them for follow-up.⁴ Accepted forms include:

State DMV-issued driver’s license, ID card, or learner’s permit
U.S. passport
Military card, active duty or retired
Current school or employer photo ID
Foreign passport
Permanent resident card (Form I-551)
Re-entry permit (I-327) or refugee travel document (I-571)
Weapon or gun permit issued by a government agency

Everything must be unexpired. Social security cards, utility bills, and other secondary documents are not accepted in place of a photo ID.

How to Order

South Carolina offers four ordering channels. The search fee is nonrefundable in every case, even if the record cannot be located.⁵

In Person

You can go to the DPH State Vital Records Office at 2600 Bull Street in Columbia or any regional Vital Records office. Any office can issue a birth certificate from any county in the state.¹ The in-person expedited search fee is $17, and each additional copy of the same record is $3. Most requests are processed the same day, with an average wait of 30 to 45 minutes. Cash, checks, and money orders are accepted. Bringing exact payment helps reduce wait times.

By Mail

Mail requests go to the state office at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. The standard search fee is $12, with $3 for each additional copy. Include the completed DPH Form 2595, a photocopy of your valid photo ID, and payment. Processing averages about four weeks.¹

Drop-Off at a Regional Office

Regional offices accept drop-offs if you’d rather skip the line but still submit in person. Standard processing is $12 (about four weeks); expedited processing is $17 (five business days or less). Additional copies are $3 each. Payment must be exact cash, a money order, or a cashier’s check made payable to S.C. DPH.¹

Online or by Phone

DPH authorizes two third-party vendors, Go Certificates and VitalChek. Both charge the $17 expedited search fee plus their own processing fee: $8.70 for Go Certificates and $8.75 for VitalChek. Additional copies are $3 each. Payment is by credit or debit card only.¹ Standard orders typically arrive in five to seven business days. VitalChek also offers next-day delivery with a signature requirement for an additional shipping fee.

Correcting an Error or Adding Information

If your certificate has a misspelled name, incorrect date, or missing parent information, DPH can amend it. The State Vital Records Office in Columbia handles all amendment reviews, but you can start the correction at any regional office. Most in-person amendments are completed within one to two business days after the central amendment team reviews them. Court-ordered amendments, like a legal name change, may take up to two weeks for legal review.¹

A $15 special filing fee applies to amendments, covering changes made through affidavits, court orders, adoptions, legitimations, paternity acknowledgments, and delayed registrations. That is separate from any search fee for a new certified copy.⁵ If you visit in person for an amendment, arrive before 4:00 PM to allow processing time. Same-day completion is not guaranteed.

Adding a Father

If no father was listed at birth, there are two ways to add one. Both parents can sign a voluntary paternity acknowledgment affidavit at the hospital when the baby is born or later at any Vital Records office. The other route is a court-ordered paternity determination, which may involve DNA testing arranged through the Department of Social Services.⁶ Either path produces an amended certificate that includes the father’s name, and the $15 special filing fee applies.

Using the Certificate Abroad

A South Carolina birth certificate needed in another country will usually require an apostille or authentication certificate from the South Carolina Secretary of State’s Office. The cost is $5 per document. Submit the certified birth certificate with the Secretary of State’s authentication cover letter, a self-addressed stamped return envelope, and payment by check, money order, or cash.⁷

You can mail documents or bring them to the Secretary of State’s Office at 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201. Walk-in hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Specify the destination country when you apply; whether the document receives an apostille or an authentication certificate depends on whether that country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. Documents that appear to violate state or federal law will not be certified.⁷

1
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Birth Certificates
2
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 44-63-80 – Certified Copies of Birth Certificates; to Whom Issued
3
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Vital Records Birth Application
4
South Carolina Department of Public Health. ID Requirements for Vital Records
5
South Carolina Department of Public Health. Fees – Vital Records (Birth, Death, etc)
6
South Carolina Department of Social Services. Establishing Paternity
7
SC Secretary of State. Apostilles