Marriage licenses in South Carolina are handled locally, and the details that matter — the fee, the wait, how long the license lasts — are set by a mix of state law and local practice. This page collects the statewide rules from South Carolina’s own official sources, then links every county guide we have verified so far.
The statewide rules
- Who issues the license: County Probate Court (clerk of court issues in Darlington and Georgetown counties)
- License fee: County-set
- Waiting period: 24 hours between application and issuance (S.C. Code 20-1-220)
- Minimum age: 16 with parent/guardian consent; no license under 16 (20-1-100 / 20-1-250)
- Residency / where to apply: No residency requirement; ceremony must be performed in South Carolina
- Who can officiate: Ministers of the Gospel, accepted Jewish rabbis, and officers authorized to administer oaths in SC (incl. notaries public) (20-1-20)
- Courthouse ceremonies: No – probate courts issue licenses and generally do not perform ceremonies (per official county probate pages)
South Carolina counties in this directory
We have published 24 verified county guides for South Carolina so far. License fees on the verified county pages currently run from $30 to $100. 4 of them publish a separate ceremony fee. Browse them all: Browse all South Carolina county guides — and use the search on the homepage to jump straight to your county.
Source for the statewide rules: https://www.sccourts.org/probatecourt/ (checked 2026-11-09). County figures are checked separately against each county’s own official page and carry their own verified dates. Always confirm with your county clerk before you go — this is not a government site.