Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church

South Carolina Outline

Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in South Carolina. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in South Carolina. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of South Carolina.

SC Wedding Officiant Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: Sometimes
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 1 Day
  • Marriage License Valid For: Never Expires
  • Marriage License Return Within: 15 Days
Regional Information

Local SC Wedding Guides

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of South Carolina, choose a location above. If your area isn't listed, don't worry - just continue scrolling to review the helpful general information on this page.

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in South Carolina

If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!

2 Officiating a Wedding in South Carolina

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.



Select a probate court

Choose the county you'd like to contact from the dropdown menu above to see their office’s information.

3 South Carolina Officiant Requirements

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in South Carolina to get an Ordination Package and to add a Letter of Good Standing to your order. While minister registration is not required in the state of South Carolina, it has been frequently reported to us by ULC ministers in the area that county clerks will ask for proof of your ordination before accepting any marriage you perform as having been legally solemnized. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.

4 How to get Married in South Carolina

South Carolina's Top Wedding Spot

South Carolina's Top Wedding Spot

White Point Gardens provides views of Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor

Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their South Carolina marriage license from the appropriate office. This license will never expires, and there is a mandatory 1-day waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in South Carolina and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 30 days of the ceremony.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in South Carolina, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new South Carolina wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.

5 Wedding Considerations in South Carolina

Aristocratic South Carolina, with its collection of stately plantations, boisterous barn venues, and elegant beaches, has something for every wedding couple. Here’s what you should keep in mind as you approach your big day (as an officiant!). Unlike most states, South Carolina’s most popular wedding seasons are spring and summer. Springs are cooler and dryer; temperatures typically range from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies. Summers are hot and humid. Temperatures often linger around ninety degrees Fahrenheit and refuse to drop until you are drenched in sweat. Dress appropriately! Climate aside, South Carolina is a wonderful state for a wedding. Beach weddings are very popular, and Saint Helena Island, Hilton Head Island, and Myrtle Beach all showcase the very best of South Carolina’s beaches. If your couple desires a more traditionally Southern wedding, you may find yourself at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, one of South Carolina’s most famous former plantations. So how much should you charge as an officiant? The amount you should charge depends on how much experience you have, the degree of difficulty or complexity of the ceremony, and whether you’ll be asked to travel.


South Carolina Marriage Code

South Carolina Flag

South Carolina Marriage Code

Marriage in South Carolina is governed by Chapter 1 of Title 20 of South Carolina's Code of Laws. Below, you will find that we have reproduced the relevant excerpts of this code.

SECTION 20-1-20. Persons who may perform marriage ceremony. Only ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths in this State, and the chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized by the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs pursuant to Section 1-31-40 are authorized to administer a marriage ceremony in this State. View the South Carolina Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in South Carolina

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Abbeville County

903 W. Greenwood St., Suite 2300
Abbeville, South Carolina
29620

Phone: (864) 366-5312 ext 62
Fax: (864) 366-4023
Abbeville County website »

Aiken County

109 Park Avenue SE, Room E126
Aiken, South Carolina
29801

Phone: (803) 642-2009
Fax: (803) 642-2007
Aiken County website »

Allendale County

526 Memorial Avenue
Allendale, South Carolina
29810

Phone: (803) 584-3157
Fax: (803) 584-7046
Allendale County website »

Anderson County

100 S. Main Street
Anderson, South Carolina
29624

Phone: (864) 260-4049
Fax: (864) 260-4715
Anderson County website »

Bamberg County

2959 Main Highway, Room 103
Bamberg, South Carolina
29003

Phone: (803) 245-5191
Fax: (803) 245-3027
Bamberg County website »

Barnwell County

141 Main St, Room 108
Barnwell, South Carolina
29812

Phone: (803) 541-1031
Fax: (803) 541-1012
Barnwell County website »

Beaufort County

102 Ribaut Road
Beaufort, South Carolina
29902

Phone: (843) 255-5850
Fax: (843) 255-9447
Beaufort County website »

Berkeley County

300-B California Avenue
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
29461

Phone: (843) 719-4519
Fax: (843) 719-4527
Berkeley County website »

Calhoun County

902 F R Huff Dr,
St Matthews, South Carolina
29135

Phone: (803) 874-3514
Calhoun County website »

Charleston County

100 Broad Street, Suite 469
Charleston, South Carolina

Phone: (843) 958-5183
Fax: (843) 958-5191
Charleston County Marriage Laws »

Cherokee County

110 Railroad Avenue
Gaffney, South Carolina

Phone: (864) 487-2583
Cherokee County website »

Chester County

1476 J.A. Cochran Bypass
Chester, South Carolina
29706

Phone: (803) 385-2604
Fax: (855) 932-9283
Chester County website »

Chesterfield County

Courthouse, 200 West Main Street
Chesterfield, South Carolina

Phone: (843) 623-2376
Fax: (843) 623-9886
Chesterfield County website »

Clarendon County

411 Sunset Dr, Suite 1304
Manning, South Carolina
29102

Phone: (803) 435-8774
Fax: (803) 435-8698
Clarendon County website »

Colleton County

239 N. Jefferies Blvd.
Walterboro, South Carolina
29488

Phone: (843) 549-7216
Fax: (843) 549-5571
Colleton County website »

Darlington County

1 Public Square, 2nd Floor, Room 208
Darlington, South Carolina
29532

Phone: (843) 398-4310
Fax: (843) 398-4076
Darlington County website »

Dillon County

401 W Main St Room 303
Dillon, South Carolina
29536

Phone: (843) 774-1423
Fax: (843) 841-3732
Dillon County website »

Dorchester County

5200 East Jim Bilton Boulevard
St. George, South Carolina
29477

Phone: (843) 851-5785
Dorchester County website »

Edgefield County

124 Courthouse Square
Edgefield, South Carolina
29824

Phone: (803) 637-4080
Edgefield County website »

Fairfield County

101 S. Congress St.
Winnsboro, South Carolina
29180

Phone: (803) 712-6519
Fax: (803) 712-6939
Fairfield County website »

Florence County

180 N Irby St # Msc-L
Florence, South Carolina

Phone: (843) 665-3085
Fax: (843) 665-3068
Florence County website »

Georgetown County

401 Cleland Street, Room 140
Georgetown, South Carolina
29440

Phone: (843) 545-3274
Fax: (843) 545-3512
Georgetown County website »

Greenville County

Greenville County Square, Suite 5600
Greenville, South Carolina

Phone: (864) 467-7571
Greenville County Marriage Laws »

Greenwood County

528 Monument Street, Room 205
Greenwood, South Carolina
29646

Phone: (864) 942-8625
Fax: (864) 942-8620
Greenwood County website »

Hampton County

1 Courthouse Square
Hampton, South Carolina

Phone: (803) 914-2172
Fax: (803) 914-2183
Hampton County website »

Horry County

1301 Second Avenue
Conway, South Carolina
29526

Phone: (843) 915-5370
Fax: (843) 915-6370
Horry County Marriage Laws »

Jasper County

265 Russell St.
Ridegland, South Carolina
29936

Phone: (843) 726-7718
Fax: (843) 726-5173
Jasper County website »

Kershaw County

1121 Broad Street, Room 225
Camden, South Carolina
29020

Phone: (803) 425-1503
Kershaw County website »

Lancaster County

104 North Main Street
Lancaster, South Carolina
29720

Phone: (803) 285-1565
Lancaster County website »

Laurens County

100 Hillcrest Square, Suite A
Laurens, South Carolina
29360

Phone: (864) 984-3538
Fax: (864) 984-7023
Laurens County website »

Lee County

123 South Main Street
Bishopville, South Carolina

Phone: (803) 484-5341
Fax: (803) 484-1632
Lee County website »

Lexington County

205 East Main Street, Suite 134
Lexington, South Carolina
29072

Phone: (803) 785-8324
Lexington County website »

Marion County

2523 East Highway 76
Marion, South Carolina
29571

Phone: (843) 423-8244
Fax: (843) 423-8242
Marion County website »

Marlboro County

105 Main Street
Bennettsville, South Carolina
29512

Phone: (843) 479-5613
Fax: (843) 479-5653
Marlboro County website »

McCormick County

133 S. Mine Street, Room 101
McCormick, South Carolina

Phone: (864) 852-2195
Fax: (864) 852-0071
McCormick County website »

Newberry County

1226 College Street
Newberry, South Carolina
29108

Phone: (803) 321-2118
Fax: (803) 321-2119
Newberry County website »

Oconee County

415 S. Pine St.
Walhalla, South Carolina
29691

Phone: (864) 638-4275
Oconee County website »

Orangeburg County

151 Docket Street Room 105, 1st Floor
Orangeburg, South Carolina
29115

Phone: (803) 533-6280
Orangeburg County website »

Pickens County

222 McDaniel Avenue, B-16
Pickens, South Carolina
29671

Phone: (864) 898-5903
Fax: (864) 898-5863
Pickens County website »

Richland County

1701 Main Street, Room 205
Columbia, South Carolina
29202

Phone: (803) 576-1950
Fax: (803) 576-1785
Richland County Marriage Laws »

Saluda County

100 East Church Street, Suite 4
Saluda, South Carolina
29138

Phone: (864) 445-4500
Fax: (864) 445-9726
Saluda County website »

Spartanburg County

180 Magnolia Street 1st Floor, Suite 302
Spartanburg, South Carolina
29306

Phone: (864) 596-2556
Spartanburg County Marriage Laws »

Sumter County

215 N. Harvin St
Sumter, South Carolina
29150

Phone: (803) 436-2166
Fax: (803) 436-2407
Sumter County website »

Union County

210 W. Main Street
Union, South Carolina
29379

Phone: (864) 429-1625
Fax: (864) 427-1198
Union County website »

Williamsburg County

201 West Main Street
Kingstree, South Carolina
29556

Phone: (843) 355-9321 Ext. 6200
Fax: (843) 213-6997
Williamsburg County website »

York County

2 S. Congress Street
York, South Carolina
29745

Phone: (803) 684-8513
Fax: (803) 684-8536
York County website »