South Carolina Death Certificate: How to Get One and How Many to Order

You cannot do almost anything after a death in South Carolina without a certified death certificate in hand. You cannot open probate, transfer the house, claim life insurance, close a bank account, or retitle a vehicle. The funeral home files the death with the state, but getting certified copies is your responsibility — and running short of them mid-process is one of the most common, most avoidable delays families hit.

Here is exactly how the process works, what it costs, and how many copies to order.

Who Issues Death Certificates in South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Public Health (SCDPH) Office of Vital Records is the only agency authorized to issue certified death certificates for deaths that occurred in the state. The physical office is located in Columbia, but you can order by mail, in person, or online through a third-party vendor authorized by the state.

The funeral director typically files the initial death registration with the county registrar, who forwards it to the state vital records office. From that point forward, the family orders certified copies directly from SCDPH.

What a Death Certificate Costs in South Carolina

South Carolina's fee structure is straightforward, though it involves a few line items that catch families off guard:

Standard search fee: $12.00 — this is non-refundable and covers one certified copy. If the record cannot be located, you do not get the money back.

Additional copies (ordered at the same time): $3.00 each. If you order ten copies in a single transaction, you pay $12.00 for the first and $27.00 for the remaining nine, for a total of $39.00. This is substantially cheaper than returning for more copies later.

Expedited processing (five business days or less): $17.00 — a $5.00 surcharge over the standard fee. This applies to the first copy; additional copies remain $3.00 each.

Online orders through third-party vendors: SCDPH uses an authorized third-party platform for web-based orders. Expect an additional processing fee of roughly $8.75 per transaction on top of the state fees. Optional next-day delivery is also available for an added charge.

Plan your budget accordingly. For most estates, ten to fifteen certified copies will cost approximately $40 to $55 if ordered together directly from SCDPH.

Who Can Request a Death Certificate

South Carolina restricts access to death certificates to protect privacy. Eligible requestors include:

• The surviving spouse or immediate family members (parents, children, siblings)
• A legal representative of the decedent's estate (including the court-appointed Personal Representative)
• Anyone with a direct legal or financial interest, such as a named beneficiary or an insurance company investigating a claim
• A funeral director acting on behalf of the family

You must submit a photocopy of a valid, government-issued photo ID with every request. There are no exceptions to this requirement.

How to Order

In person: Visit the SCDPH Office of Vital Records in Columbia. This is the fastest route if you need copies immediately and can make the trip. Bring your photo ID and payment.

By mail: Download and complete the application form from the SCDPH website. Include a photocopy of your photo ID and a check or money order made payable to SCDPH. Mail to the Columbia office. Processing times for standard mail requests vary — budget two to four weeks.

Online: Order through the SCDPH-authorized third-party portal. Expect the $8.75 vendor fee in addition to state fees. Processing follows the same standard or expedited timeline, with optional courier delivery.

Processing Times

Standard requests are processed in the order received. Mail orders can take anywhere from two to four weeks during normal volume periods, though this can stretch during peak periods following local disasters or public health events.

Expedited processing (five business days or less, $17.00 for the first copy) is the better choice if you are actively trying to open probate, initiate a life insurance claim, or complete a vehicle transfer — all of which require a certified copy before anything can move forward.

How Many Certified Copies to Order

This is the question families get wrong most often. They order two or three copies, run out within the first two weeks, and then spend additional days waiting for a second order while the estate sits frozen.

Order ten to fifteen certified copies upfront. Here is why: most institutions require an original, certified copy with a raised seal or a security-paper watermark — they will not accept a photocopy or a scan. The following entities typically require their own certified copy, and they generally do not return it:

• The county probate court (to open the estate)
• The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (to retitle each vehicle)
• Each financial institution holding a solely-owned account
• Life insurance companies (one per policy)
• Pension or retirement account administrators
• The Social Security Administration
• The Register of Deeds (to record a Deed of Distribution for real property)
• The VA, if the decedent received veterans benefits
• The IRS and SCDOR, for final income tax returns

Banks, credit card companies, and utility providers sometimes accept a photocopy, but you cannot count on it. Ordering fifteen copies upfront costs roughly $51 — a fraction of the time lost waiting for additional copies.

When a Death Certificate Is Not the Only Document You Need

For certain South Carolina processes, a death certificate alone is not sufficient.

Small estate affidavit (Collection by Affidavit): If the estate's personal property is valued at $45,000 or less and contains no real estate, the family can use South Carolina's simplified small estate process — but only after a mandatory thirty-day waiting period from the date of death. You will present a certified death certificate alongside the completed affidavit (Form 420ES) to banks and other custodians holding the decedent's property.

Real estate transfers: South Carolina does not allow Transfer on Death deeds for real property. To move real estate out of the estate, the court-appointed Personal Representative must execute a Deed of Distribution, sign it, and record it with the county Register of Deeds — along with a certified death certificate.

Vehicle transfers: If the decedent had filed a Transfer on Death designation (Form TOD-1) for a vehicle, the beneficiary presents a death certificate and a completed Form 400 to the SCDMV to transfer the title directly, bypassing probate. If no TOD designation exists, the vehicle must pass through the estate.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Certificate

If a certified copy you already have is lost, damaged, or rejected as illegible, you simply order another from SCDPH using the same process. There is no special replacement procedure — you pay the standard $12.00 fee and receive a fresh certified copy. Keep all certified copies in a secure location, such as a fireproof lockbox, until all estate matters are resolved.

Settling an estate in South Carolina involves many moving pieces beyond the death certificate — probate filings, creditor notices, real estate deeds, vehicle transfers, and tax returns, all on strict statutory deadlines. The South Carolina Estate Settlement Guide walks through each phase in plain language, with the exact forms, fees, and timelines so you are not piecing the process together from a dozen different government websites.

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