Getting started with Marriage Information for South Carolina
Before you plan to perform a wedding in South Carolina, it is important to understand the state's legal requirements.
To get started, check out the information provided below for getting ordained and registering as a wedding officiant in South Carolina.
If you have questions, please go to our helpful FAQ. For more information or support, please visit our contact us page.
Step 1: Become Ordained for South Carolina
To get ordained and become a minister to perform ceremonies in South Carolina, start by completing our ordination application.
Once you have completed the application for ordination you will be sent an email that confirms your ordination. Our ordinations for South Carolina are completely free, granted to you for life and can be completed in less than a day. More than half a million people just like you, have registered and received their license to perform weddings.
If you have not completed the application, you can get ordained for free and start your journey as an authorized minister in South Carolina with Open Ministry by using the button below!
Step 2: Contact The South Carolina County Clerk
Next, contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk in South Carolina). Let them know that you are an ordained minister with Open Ministry in California, and ask them what information they require of you, to officiate a marriage in South Carolina.
Clerks and governing agencies may require you to present them with a physical copy of your ordination record to register we offer packages which include bundled items at a discount.
When speaking with the South Carolina county clerk it can be helpful to use the following phrases:
- I am an ordained minister with a church ministry in California.
- I would like to register as a wedding Officiant in your county to perform and solemnize weddings.
- What agency or department issues marriage licenses in your county and how may I contact them?
- I have my Letter of Good Standing and Ordination Credential as proof of my ministry and ordination for South Carolina.
- Do you require any additional documentation for me to register as a wedding officiant in South Carolina?
Step 3: Register with the South Carolina Clerk
After you've contacted the marriage authority in South Carolina, we recommend that you visit the bookstore to get your official credentials for your records, presentation or registration.
See South Carolina State Statutes for More specific Requirements
When registering as an officiant in South Carolina, you may be asked to display proof of your ordination to the South Carolina county clerk's office before they will accept the marriage license as having been solemnized. We generally advise ministers of South Carolina to get a Complete Membership Package for South Carolina which includes a Letter of Good Standing (the live signed and notarized physical copy of your good standing with our ministry) an Ordination Credential, Minister Wallet Card and much more.
Having physical copies of your credentials provides peace of mind for couples and others that you intend to marry. Additionally, we recommend you give yourself at least 4 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your credential request to ensure that you receive all of your materials to register in time.
Please note, that any state or county can impose different requirements;
this may include other nominal fees and additional paperwork that may need to
be completed before the ceremony can take place.
It is important to note that some county clerks in South Carolina may require wedding
officiants to attach a statement which asserts some of the elements in the
marriage license upon submission, including the following:
- The time and location at which the wedding took place
- The names and places of residence of all official witnesses
- The religious organization in which the officiant is ordained
- The printed name and address of the officiant
When filling out the South Carolina marriage license, South Carolina state or the clerk may
request you use the title "Minister" or "Reverend".
The clerk may also require you enter your denomination, you can use
"Non-Denominational" or your practicing denomination. Failing to
state a denomination may result in rejection and could require a duplicate
marriage license.
Step 4: Perform the Ceremony
Before you perform a wedding in South Carolina, be sure that the couple has picked up their South Carolina state issued marriage license from the appropriate office. Once you have completed the steps listed, you are ready to perform the wedding!
Officiating a wedding in South Carolina can be a great and wonderful experience. Work with the couple to determine the proper ceremony format and any details they wish to have. For ideas and inspiration check out our sample ceremony scripts.
We recommend that new ministers who are going to be performing a wedding in South Carolina, or who have questions about the ceremony read over our Officiant Guide.
Step 5: Submit the South Carolina Marriage License
South Carolina marriage licenses are valid for a set number of days, and there may be a waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in South Carolina and when the ceremony may be legally performed in South Carolina.
This information is generally written on the license and must be followed to ensure the ceremony is recorded properly by South Carolina.
Please note that the signed marriage license for South Carolina must be returned to the issuing office in South Carolina state, before the time limit is reached. You can check the marriage license for the exact dates.
After the ceremony, you will need to return the completed and signed marriage license to the South Carolina states issuing office. This is essential for the marriage to be legally recorded. In most cases there is an address listed on the marriage license, use that to mail it back to the governing agency so that it can be recorded by the South Carolina.
If you have any questions about the returning of the license, contact the South Carolina agency that issued it for more information.
South Carolina State Minister & Marriage Statutes
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.
Title 20: Domestic Relations - Chapter 1: Marriage - Article 1: General Provisions
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 20-2; 1952 Code Section 20-2; 1942 Code Section 8565; 1932 Code Section 8565; Civ. C. '22 Section 5530; Civ. C. '12 Section 3751; 1911 (27) 131; 2008 Act No. 322, Section 1, eff June 16, 2008.