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The Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina

Genealogy Research Request Form Instructions

Genealogy Research Request Form Instructions

Please fill out the form on the next page as completely as possible. This will help our staff find the information more quickly and efficiently. Fields that are required are marked with an asterisk (*). When you finish completing the request form, please send it to us by clicking on the submit button.  Because of the volume of requests we receive and the limited number of staff that we have to answer queries, it may take two to four weeks for us to respond to your request.

If the information is found about the individual you seek, our staff will send you an order form for copies of the documents located. Indexes and records will be quoted as they appear. Our staff cannot verify identities, check the contents of records or attempt to determine parentage. Please send no money until you receive an order form listing the cost of copies located by our staff. When you return the order form with payment, we will process your order.

Please remember that the state of South Carolina began did not require birth and death certificates be recorded until 1915 and marriage licenses until 1911. In addition the following counties suffered major losses of their pre-Civil War records: Abbeville, Beaufort, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Georgetown, Lancaster, Lexington, Orangeburg, and Richland.

A list of researchers, who can provide more extensive help, is available upon request. Thank you for your interest in South Carolina history and best wishes on all your research projects.

Genealogy Research Request Form