Beaufort County Marriage Licenses
Beaufort County Probate Court issues marriage licenses. Both applicants must appear physically, and the application cannot be taken by mail, telephone, fax, one party only, or proxy. The Probate Court requires appointments for marriage-license applications, generally from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. South Carolina has a 24-hour waiting period from application to license issuance. Blood tests and physical exams are not required.
The Beaufort County Probate Court marriage license page is the county source for local license rules.
The county page is important because it states the in-person application rule, appointment requirement, waiting period, ID rules, and certified-copy request path.
Applicants must show valid government-issued ID, such as a driver's license, state ID, military ID, passport, or visa. Applicants must provide Social Security numbers, or alien identification numbers for resident aliens without Social Security numbers. Ages 16 through 18 require parental consent and a certified birth certificate or a hospital or baptismal certificate issued and dated within one year after birth. A license cannot be issued if either applicant is under 16.
Apply For Beaufort County Marriage Records
The application process is local and appointment based. The ceremony must occur in South Carolina, but it does not have to occur in Beaufort County. Authorized officiants include clergy, a chief or spiritual leader of a recognized Native American Indian entity, and officers authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina, including state or federal judges and South Carolina notaries public. Witnesses are not required.
- Contact Beaufort County Probate Court to schedule the marriage-license appointment.
- Both applicants appear in person with valid government-issued identification.
- Provide Social Security numbers or resident-alien identification numbers where required.
- Pay the license fee in exact cash based on applicant residency.
- Wait the required 24 hours before the license is issued.
- After the ceremony, use Probate Court for recorded certified copies.
Beaufort County License Search Fields
The Probate Court's online marriage license index lets users search recorded Beaufort County marriage license records by party role, name, or license number. The license number path is split into a four-digit license year and a six-digit license number. A name search may be broader, so checking the party role and spelling helps narrow results.
The Beaufort marriage license public index is the county online search for recorded licenses.
The index gives a direct search path for marriage license records before a person requests a certified copy from Probate Court.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search by | Dropdown/radio | Yes | All, Groom, Bride, or Spouse. |
| Last Name | Text | No | Party surname. |
| First Name | Text | No | Party given name. |
| License No. - LicenseYear | Text | Conditional | Four digits. |
| License No. - LicenseNo | Text | Conditional | Six digits. |
Beaufort County Marriage Fees
Marriage-license fees depend on residency. The county research says exact cash only for the license fee, and debit or credit cards are not accepted. Certified copy requests by mail require certified bank check or money order plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. Personal checks are not accepted for mail copy requests.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Beaufort County resident applicant | $50.00 |
| Neither applicant Beaufort County resident, but one South Carolina resident | $75.00 |
| Both applicants out of state | $95.00 |
| Certified recorded marriage-license copy | $5.00 |
| Correction, reforming, or duplicate before recording | $6.75 |
Note: Divorce copy fees were not published on the Beaufort County Family Court page found during research.
Certified Beaufort County Marriage Copies
Recorded marriage-license certified copies may be requested by mail to Beaufort County Probate Court, P.O. Box 1083, Beaufort, SC 29901, or in person at Beaufort or Hilton Head Probate offices. The required search facts are applicant names and date of marriage. Probate Court remains the local source for Beaufort County marriage license records, even though state vital records can provide some marriage certificates for vital-record purposes.
Beaufort County Probate Court
102 Ribaut Road
Beaufort, SC 29902
843-255-5850
Marriage licenses by appointment, generally 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Hilton Head Probate Satellite
539 William Hilton Parkway
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
843-255-5866
Closed to public at 4:30 p.m.; lunch closure 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
South Carolina Marriage Certificates
The South Carolina Department of Public Health provides certified marriage records from July 1950 through December 2023 through the Vital Records Office in Columbia. That state product may be useful when a certified vital-record certificate is needed, but it does not replace the local Probate Court file or the county's recorded marriage license copy. Use the county Probate Court for local license search and local certified copies.
The South Carolina DPH marriage certificates page explains the state marriage-certificate product.
DPH can help with state vital-record certificates, while Beaufort County Probate Court remains the local license office.
Find Beaufort County Divorce Records
Divorce records route to Family Court and the Clerk of Court, not Probate Court. Beaufort County Family Court hears divorce, child support, alimony, separation and maintenance, domestic abuse, custody and visitation, adoption and termination of parental rights, and juvenile matters. The Family Court contact in the research is 102 Ribaut Road, Room 119, Beaufort, SC 29902; mailing P.O. Drawer 1124, Beaufort, SC 29901; phone 843-255-5660; fax 843-255-9421; hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The South Carolina Family Court overview confirms Family Court jurisdiction over divorce and related domestic matters.
Family Court is the correct route for the divorce case file, while DPH divorce reports are a narrower vital-record product.
Access channels include the Public Index for a public case summary where available, the Clerk or Family Court for copies, and state DPH for vital-record divorce reports. County FOIA is not the main route for court case files. Adoption, termination, juvenile, domestic abuse, and minor-related materials may be restricted by law or court rule.
South Carolina Divorce Reports
The South Carolina Department of Public Health divorce-report product does not replace the Family Court case file. A divorce report or certificate can be enough for some vital-record uses, but motions, pleadings, orders, custody terms, support records, and sealed materials are court records. For the court file, contact Beaufort County Family Court or the Clerk of Court. For a state vital-record divorce report, use DPH.
The South Carolina DPH divorce reports page describes the state vital-record route.
Use DPH for the vital-record report and Family Court for the Beaufort County divorce case record.
Marriage And Divorce Law Limits
South Carolina domestic relations and marriage law sets the legal framework for marriage and divorce, while county offices carry out the filing and copy process. The South Carolina domestic relations and marriage statutes are the statutory source cited in the research. Court access is also limited by confidentiality rules for minors, adoption, abuse, and sealed matters.
The statutes explain the legal backdrop, but Beaufort County Probate Court and Family Court remain the practical filing and copy offices.