DHEC's Office of Public Health Statistics and Information Services (PHSIS) offers a wide range of services to customers. The Division of Vital Records is the state's official records keeper for vital information pertaining to births, deaths, marriages, and divorces occurring in South Carolina. Demand for vital records services is high. For example, in 2004, approximately 300,000 requests were processed (110,000 at the state office and 190,000 requested were processed at the county level).
South Carolina law requiring the filing of birth and death certificates became effective January 01, 1915. Today a fireproof vault in Columbia at DHEC's state office at 2600 Bull Street houses more than9 million original birth and death certificates. State law also required DHEC to house copies of marriage records beginning July 1950 and divorce records beginning July 1962.
The state office of the Division of Vital Records in Columbia conducts searches for records of birth, death, marriage and divorce. Each of South Carolina's 46 counties has a vital records office in the county public health department. Branch vital records offices in the 46 county public health departments can search for birth and death records only.
DHEC is authorized by state statute to charge for the search of vital records and for other services, including the issuance of certified copies of birth, death, marriage, and divorce records.
The Division of Vital Records:
The division provides for the registration, correction and certification of all vital events, including births, deaths, marriages, divorces and annulments. By law, only certain persons are entitled to copies of vital records. The division also provides for the registration of induced terminations of pregnancy.
We are committed to meeting or exceeding our customers identified needs and expectations with quality service. The value we place on customer service is one of the most important guiding principles that helps us to successfully carry out the Agencys mission of promoting and protecting public health and the environment.
WARNING: FALSE APPLICATION IS PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
SECTION 44-63-161, 1976 S.C. Code of Laws, as amended.
It is unlawful for:
"...a person to willfully obtain, possess, use, sell, furnish to another, or attempt to obtain, possess, use, sell, or furnish to another, for the purpose of deception, a certificate, record, or report required to be filed by this chapter or a regulation, or a certified copy of these, including a certificate, record, or report or certified copy that been counterfeited, altered, amended or mutilated or a document purporting to be the certificate, record, or report."
For additional information, contact Vital Records.