4 Ways to Apply for a Death Certificate

According to the South Carolina Vital Records website there are 4 ways to apply for a death certificate:

Walk-in

Average processing time is 30-45 minutes.

You will need to provide:

Where to Go:

DHEC State Vital Records Office, Columbia – Issues death certificates and processes corrections for all years and counties.
- Office Hours 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Telephone: (803) 898-3630
- Address: 2600 Bull St., Columbia, SC 29201

Regional offices – Issues death certificates for death certificates since 2005 and initiates corrections for those records.

Average processing time is 2-4 weeks

You will need to send:

A completed application form
A $12 non-refundable standard searching fee; Add $3 for each additional copy.
A valid government, school or employer issued photo ID (or photocopy of one). When we receive applications without proper identification, we reject them automatically; we do not process them.

Mail to:
DHEC Vital Records
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201

Average processing time is 5-7 business days. Call 1-877-284-1008 (toll-free) to order a record.

You will need to provide:

A $17 non-refundable standard searching fee
A $10.50 additional charge to pay for the services of VitalChek, the private vendor that processes phone requests.
Shipping fees should you choose to have your record sent to you by UPS rather than regular U.S. mail

Average processing time is 5-7 business days.

Visit VitalChek on the Web, 7 days a week, 24-hours-a-day. Only an immediate family member of deceased may order through VitalChek.

You will need to provide:

A $17 non-refundable standard searching fee
A $10.50 additional charge to pay for the services of VitalChek.
Shipping fees should you choose to have your record sent to you by UPS rather than regular U.S. mail
Only an immediate family member of deceased may order through VitalChek.

Last Updated: August 21, 2025