South Carolina · 46 counties
When someone dies in South Carolina
Two things matter first: getting certified death certificates, and, if money is short, reaching the burial assistance program in the county where the death happened. Pick your county below for exact contacts.
The paperwork
Death certificates in South Carolina
Certified copies come from the South Carolina Department of Public Health, Vital Records Section (official site).
The $12 search fee covers your first certified copy if the record is found, and additional copies of the same certification ordered at the same time are only $3 each, so order them all together. A $5 expedite fee is allowed for faster processing. Going in person to the state office at 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201 takes about 30 to 45 minutes, versus roughly 4 weeks by mail to P.O. Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171. VitalChek handles online and phone orders at 1-877-284-1008. Only an immediate family member may order a death certificate.
Planning ahead
Nobody has died yet? Set up a power of attorney
If someone you love is aging or ill, the cheapest protection your family can get is a power of attorney, and it must happen while they can still sign. We cover South Carolina's exact rules and official forms.
South Carolina power of attorney rulesPick your county
South Carolina counties (46)
Abbeville CountyAiken CountyAllendale CountyAnderson CountyBamberg CountyBarnwell CountyBeaufort CountyBerkeley CountyCalhoun CountyCharleston CountyCherokee CountyChester CountyChesterfield CountyClarendon CountyColleton CountyDarlington CountyDillon CountyDorchester CountyEdgefield CountyFairfield CountyFlorence CountyGeorgetown CountyGreenville CountyGreenwood CountyHampton CountyHorry CountyJasper CountyKershaw CountyLancaster CountyLaurens CountyLee CountyLexington CountyMarion CountyMarlboro CountyMcCormick CountyNewberry CountyOconee CountyOrangeburg CountyPickens CountyRichland CountySaluda CountySpartanburg CountySumter CountyUnion CountyWilliamsburg CountyYork County