Kershaw County Marriage License Rules
Kershaw County Probate Court issues marriage licenses for local applicants. The court states that marriage applications are accepted in person by appointment only, and both applicants must appear together. Applicants should call the Probate Court at 803-425-1503 before going to the courthouse because the latest appointment is no later than 4:00 PM Monday through Friday. South Carolina law requires a marriage license before a couple can marry in the state, and Probate Court has original jurisdiction over issuing the license.
Each applicant must bring two forms of identification. Kershaw County lists a Social Security card or alien identification number for resident aliens, plus a state-issued picture ID or a passport with a current visa. Foreign consular ID cards are not accepted for the county's marriage license process. Applicants age 16 or 17 must bring a certified long-form birth certificate, Social Security card, and state-issued ID. A parent or guardian must appear, show identification, and give written consent. If the parents are divorced, the custodial parent must also present a certified Family Court custody order.
The official South Carolina FOIA statute is one access law behind public records work, but marriage licensing also has its own office rules and vital-record limits. Kershaw County Probate Court is the local source for the license and certified license copies.
That state access framework is reflected in the image captured from the South Carolina code page.
The statute helps explain why public access starts with an agency request, while the county office still controls certified copies and confidential limits.
Apply for Kershaw County Marriage Records
The marriage license process is not a walk-in online search. It is an in-person application through Kershaw County Probate Court, followed by a state waiting period before the license can be issued. The ceremony must take place in South Carolina. Probate Court does not perform marriage ceremonies, so the couple must use a minister or another person allowed to administer oaths in South Carolina, including a notary public.
- Call Kershaw County Probate Court at 803-425-1503 to schedule a marriage application appointment.
- Have both applicants appear together with the required identification and any minor-consent or custody documents that apply.
- Pay the marriage license fee in exact cash, since the county states that the license fee must be paid that way.
- Wait the required 24 hours from application until license issuance under South Carolina rules.
- Hold the ceremony in South Carolina within one year from the application date, or reapply if the license expires.
Note: Kershaw Probate Court does not perform the ceremony, even though it issues the license.
Kershaw County Marriage Form Fields
The county marriage appointment uses identity and eligibility information. State-level DPH requests for a later marriage certificate use a broader vital-record application. The DPH application is useful when someone needs a state certificate from the statewide coverage period, while the Probate Court copy is the county license copy. The form inventory below comes from the South Carolina DPH vital-record application reviewed in the research file.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant name | Yes | Name of the person requesting the certificate or report. |
| Day phone and address | Yes | Used by DPH for contact and mailing. |
| Relationship to named person | Yes | Shows eligibility to request the record. |
| Bride or spouse name | Yes for marriage | Names on the marriage record, with alternate surnames if needed. |
| Marriage date | Yes for marriage | Use the best known date to help locate the certificate. |
| County license obtained | Yes for marriage | Use Kershaw County if the license was issued there. |
| Signature | Yes | The requester signs the vital-record application. |
Kershaw County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Kershaw County publishes local Probate Court charges for marriage licenses and copies. SC DPH has a separate statewide fee schedule for marriage certificates and divorce reports. The local license copy and the state certificate are not the same product, so the correct fee depends on which office is processing the request. The county research did not locate a Kershaw-specific divorce filing fee in the official sweep, so that amount should be confirmed with Family Court or the Clerk before filing.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Kershaw County marriage license | $45.00 exact cash only |
| Certified copy of Kershaw marriage license | $5.00 |
| Marriage license correction | $6.75 |
| Marriage license re-issuance | $6.75 |
| SC DPH marriage certificate or divorce report search | $12.00 non-refundable search fee |
| SC DPH expedited processing | $17.00 |
| SC DPH additional copies | $3.00 each |
Look Up Kershaw County Marriage Records
A Kershaw County marriage record search should begin with Probate Court when the license was issued in Kershaw County. The Probate Court can issue certified copies of the local marriage license. Statewide DPH marriage certificates are available for marriages from July 1, 1950 forward, but central filing was not required before that date. Earlier marriage records must be requested from the probate judge in the county where the license was issued.
Public Index searching is not the primary route for marriage license lookup. Probate Court is the practical custodian for the license, while DPH is the state vital-record channel for eligible certificates. Bring or provide the spouses' names, date of marriage, and the county where the license was obtained. For Kershaw County marriage records, that county field should say Kershaw if the license came from the local Probate Court.
Find Kershaw County Divorce Records
Kershaw County divorce records are Family Court records, not Probate Court records. The county Family Court handles divorce, legal separation, custody, visitation, support, alimony, marital property, and name change matters. Divorce case files and certified decrees must be requested from the Clerk or Family Court in the county where the final divorce hearing was held. For a Kershaw decree, the local contact is Family Court at 1121 Broad Street, Room 213, Camden, SC 29020, phone 803-425-7225.
SC DPH provides certified reports of divorce for divorces decreed between July 1962 and the current state coverage period. That report is not a divorce decree. It may be enough for some proof-of-event needs, but it does not replace a certified court decree when a legal filing, remarriage issue, benefit claim, or foreign proceeding requires the court's order. Public Family Court entries may appear online when not restricted, but confidential references, juvenile-related material, adoption issues, and sealed domestic records are not public-index material.
The South Carolina Family Privacy Protection Act provisions are relevant when personal identifiers appear in official records.
That privacy law is one reason a divorce file may be searchable for basic case data while sensitive identifiers or protected documents remain withheld.
Certified Kershaw County Divorce Copies
Certified copies must come from the office that holds the original record. For a marriage license issued in Kershaw County, use Probate Court. For a divorce decree entered in Kershaw County, use the Family Court or Clerk copy process. For a state marriage certificate or divorce report, use SC DPH and its vital-record application. DPH requires valid government, school, or employer photo ID and accepts exact cash, money order, or cashier's check payable to S.C. DPH for its records.
The local court distinction matters. The Clerk is the court-records custodian for Family Court case files, while Probate Court issues marriage licenses. DPH is a separate state channel. A requester who asks DPH for a divorce decree will be redirected because DPH does not have decrees. A requester who asks the Clerk for a marriage certificate may need Probate Court or DPH, depending on the document required.
South Carolina Vital Records
South Carolina DPH handles statewide vital-record certificates and reports under its own rules. Marriage certificates are available through DPH for records from July 1, 1950 forward. Divorce reports are available for divorces within the DPH coverage period beginning July 1962, but the decree remains a court record. Processing for standard DPH requests is about four weeks, while expedited processing is listed as five business days or less.
South Carolina DPH Vital Records
Marriage certificates and divorce reports