Spartanburg County Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses in Spartanburg County are handled by Spartanburg County Probate Court, not the Clerk of Court. Applicants go to Probate Court at 180 Magnolia St, 4th Floor, Suite 4113, Spartanburg, SC 29306. The office phone is 864-596-2556. Applications are accepted during the Probate Court marriage application window, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, while regular court hours run 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Both applicants must appear together and in person. County instructions identify accepted proof of identity such as a driver's license, military ID, certified birth certificate, or passport. South Carolina requires a 24-hour waiting period after the application is filed, and Spartanburg County Probate Court states that there are no exceptions. Either party may pick up the license after the waiting period. The license may be used only for a South Carolina ceremony. Once issued, it does not expire, but the ceremony must still be performed by a person authorized under South Carolina law.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health marriage certificate page is a separate state channel. It can help with certified state marriage records for a defined date range, but it does not replace the county Probate Court license process. For a Spartanburg-issued license, Probate Court remains the local office for application, public viewing, and county-certified copies.
Apply for Spartanburg County Marriage Records
Prepare for a marriage license visit before going downtown. The Probate Court fee is cash only, both parties must be present, and the waiting period means the license will not be available the same moment the application is filed. If a later certified copy will be needed for a name change, insurance, immigration, or benefits matter, keep the county license location and marriage date with the couple's papers.
- Go to Spartanburg County Probate Court during the marriage application window, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Both applicants appear together and bring identification accepted by the county instructions.
- Complete the license application with the required personal and ceremony-related information.
- Pay the $80 nonrefundable license fee in cash.
- Wait the statutory 24 hours. County guidance says no exceptions are available.
- Either party may pick up the license after the waiting period.
- Use the license for a ceremony in South Carolina and keep the later certificate details for copy requests.
Note: Do not mail original identification to Probate Court unless the office gives a current instruction for a specific mail process.
Spartanburg County Marriage Form Fields
The county certified marriage certificate request form is useful for later copy requests because it shows the key search facts Probate Court expects. The form is not the same as the initial license application, but it reflects the identifiers needed to find a Spartanburg County marriage record in the local files.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant or requester name | Yes | Identifies the person asking for the certified copy. |
| Mailing address | Yes | Used to return the certificate when the request is mailed. |
| Phone | Likely | Gives Probate Court a contact for questions. |
| Party names | Yes | Names on the marriage license or certificate. |
| Date of marriage | If known | Helps locate the correct record. |
| Number of copies | Yes | Each certified county copy has a separate fee. |
| Signature | Yes | Certifies the request. |
| Payment | Yes by mail | Certified check or money order payable to Spartanburg County Probate Court. |
The Probate Court marriage certificate request form is the county copy route for Spartanburg-issued licenses. Mail requests go to Probate Court at 180 Magnolia St., Spartanburg, SC 29306, with payment by certified check or money order. Personal checks were not supported in the captured form notes.
Spartanburg County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Marriage and divorce costs depend on whether the request is a Probate Court service, a Family Court filing, or a DPH vital-record certificate. Probate Court marriage items are cash only for in-person license and ceremony services. DPH search fees are nonrefundable because the fee covers the search, even when no certificate is found.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Probate Court marriage license | $80 cash only |
| Certified county marriage license copy | $5 per copy |
| Courthouse ceremony during office hours | $85 cash |
| Courthouse ceremony after hours or weekends | $150 cash |
| Offsite ceremony | $200 cash |
| DPH standard marriage or divorce search | $12, includes one certified copy if found |
| DPH expedited search | $17 |
| DPH additional copies | $3 each |
| Family Court divorce or related domestic filing | $150 for listed case types |
Look Up Spartanburg County Marriage Records
Spartanburg County Probate Court states that marriage records are open to the public and that local records back to July 1911 are available for viewing. The documented viewing channel is in person at Probate Court, not a county online marriage search. A person searching historical marriage records should bring the names on the license and the marriage date if known.
The state route is South Carolina DPH marriage certificates. DPH has certified marriage records from July 1950 through December 2023. Earlier records, and records after December 2023, should be requested from the Probate Court that issued the license. DPH eligibility is narrower than public viewing at the county office: captured DPH notes include persons named, adult children, and a present or former spouse as eligible requesters.
The DPH fee schedule is published by the state vital-record office. The South Carolina vital records fee page shows how state certificate searches are priced.
Use the state fee page only for DPH certificates. Spartanburg County Probate Court fees still control local license, ceremony, and county certified-copy requests.
The South Carolina DPH marriage certificate page explains the state certificate channel for eligible requesters.
That state channel is useful for mid-century through 2023 certificates, while county Probate Court remains the broader local source for Spartanburg-issued licenses.
Find Spartanburg County Divorce Records
Divorce decrees and divorce case files are court records. In Spartanburg County, divorce matters are Family Court records handled through the Clerk of Court for the county where the divorce was filed. A decree is the court's order. It is different from a state divorce report, which is a vital-record summary.
Public Family Court access can be limited. Divorce, separate support and maintenance, custody, visitation, child support, alimony, marital property, name change, adoption, paternity, and related matters may involve sensitive filings. Juvenile and adoption matters are restricted, and court orders can seal specific material. For a certified decree, use the Spartanburg County Clerk of Court copy channel rather than DPH.
The South Carolina DPH divorce report page is the state route for certified Reports of Divorce for divorces decreed July 1962 through December 2023.
A DPH report may satisfy some proof-of-divorce needs, but a court decree or full case file must come from the county Clerk of Court where the divorce was filed.
Certified Spartanburg County Copy Channels
Certified marriage copies have three documented channels. For a Spartanburg-issued license, a person can request a $5 certified copy in person at Probate Court with cash. A mailed county request uses the Probate Court form and $5 per copy by certified check or money order payable to Spartanburg County Probate Court. DPH can issue eligible state marriage certificates for July 1950 through December 2023.
Certified divorce records require sharper wording. A divorce decree or case-file copy is requested from the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was filed. A DPH divorce report is not the decree. It is a vital-record report for divorces decreed July 1962 through December 2023. DPH mail payments go to S.C. Department of Public Health, Vital Records Section, P.O. Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171, by money order or cashier's check payable to S.C. DPH.
DPH Application Field Inventory
The DPH marriage and divorce application gathers enough detail to match a state vital-record certificate or report. Use county names carefully. For marriage, the key county is where the license was issued. For divorce, the key county is where the hearing or decree occurred.
| Field | Record Type | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Groom name and bride name | Marriage | Names used by the DPH marriage form. |
| Full marriage date | Marriage | Search date for the certificate. |
| County where license issued | Marriage | Use Spartanburg for a local license. |
| Full husband name and full wife name | Divorce | Names used to locate the divorce report. |
| Date of divorce | Divorce | Search date for the DPH report. |
| County where hearing held | Divorce | County of the decree or hearing. |
| Requester signature, relationship, and address | Both | Eligibility, authorization, and mailing information. |
| Daytime phone and payment | Both | Contact and fee processing. |
S.C. Department of Public Health Vital Records
Vital Records Section
P.O. Box 2046
West Columbia, SC 29171
Note: DPH online and phone orders through VitalChek averaged 5 to 7 business days in the captured research, but county copies follow Probate Court or Clerk procedures.