South Carolina Apostille Services

Before you start

1. 1Identify the document type and the office that issued it.
2. 2Confirm the destination country's treaty relationship and the receiving authority's exact requirements.
3. 3Send us a scan for preparation review before committing originals.

Begin with the government-certified record

• Vital records must be certified by the issuing government agency; a personal photocopy is not sufficient.
• Marriage license copies may come from the county Probate Court or the state vital records office.
• Birth and death certificates come through the state vital records system.
• Use current Department of Public Health instructions when ordering, since some older pages still refer to DHEC.

A raised seal is not the test of validity

• South Carolina Public Health says the state stopped issuing traditional raised-seal vital certificates in March 1999.
• Do not reject an otherwise official certified record simply because it lacks an embossed seal.
• The apostille is a separate certification issued by the Secretary of State, rather than a service automatically included with a vital-record order.

Divorce reports and decrees are different documents

• The Department of Public Health holds certified Reports of Divorce for divorces decreed from July 1962 through December 2023.
• DPH does not hold the actual divorce decree.
• For a decree, contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was filed.
• Ask the overseas recipient whether it needs the complete court order or a report before ordering.
• Current DPH guidance says in-person divorce-report requests are unavailable; follow its current mail or approved online instructions.

Check county certifications

• County-certified documents must bear the original signature of the elected official or authorized deputy or staff member.
• The Secretary of State verifies signatures on file with its office.
• Where the county signer is not elected, appointed or authorized by such an official, notarization is required.
• Explain the overseas use when requesting the certified copy so the issuing office can address the signature requirements.

School records and South Carolina background checks

• School transcripts, report cards and letters require a school official's signature notarized by a South Carolina notary.
• Contact the school records office before placing an ordinary transcript order.
• SLED and local sheriff or police record checks also need the issuing official's signature notarized.
• The Secretary of State cannot authenticate an internet records check.
• A notary stamp alone is not enough: the document needs a complete notarial certificate describing the act performed.

Use the current authentication cover letter

• The July 2026 form asks for the destination country, document count and contact information.
• Applicants outside the United States must provide email.
• Mail return requires a self-addressed envelope with prepaid postage; pickup requires both a daytime phone number and email.
• Check the current fee per document, rather than per page.
• Foreign-language documents must include an English translation signed by the translator and notarized, even if that translation is not itself being authenticated.

Send the package to the authentication office

• Include the cover letter, eligible documents, payment and return arrangements.
• Recheck the state's current instructions before dispatch and allow time for document corrections and delivery as well as government processing.

Federal records and overseas acceptance

• FBI background checks follow the federal U.S. Department of State route. A South Carolina authentication does not replace that federal step.
• The document's issuer and destination determine the process: an applicable Apostille Convention relationship differs from a route requiring further authentication and consular legalization.
• Confirm the recipient's document, translation and timing requirements; an apostille does not guarantee acceptance for every purpose.

South Carolina document routing

Coordinate your documents with Miami Dade Apostille

• We assist with document review, state and federal processing coordination, and certified translations through qualified translators.
• We handle the required steps from start to finish, so you do not have to navigate each office on your own.
• Eligible private documents may qualify for remote online notarization, subject to identity, witness, document and recipient requirements. A Florida notarial act follows the Florida route and cannot replace South Carolina public-record certification.
• We are a private service, not a government agency or law firm, and do not provide legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

South Carolina locations served

Miami Dade Apostille serves clients throughout South Carolina by mail. Documents can be sent from anywhere in the state — no in-person visit to our office is required.

• Columbia
• Charleston
• North Charleston
• Mount Pleasant
• Rock Hill
• Greenville
• Summerville
• Goose Creek
• Hilton Head Island
• Spartanburg

Sources

• South Carolina SOS: certification of vital records ↗
• South Carolina DPH: raised seal and apostilles ↗
• South Carolina DPH: divorce reports ↗
• South Carolina SOS: certifications by elected or appointed officials ↗
• South Carolina SOS: certifications by commissioned notaries public ↗
• South Carolina SOS: authentication cover letter (July 2026, PDF) ↗
• South Carolina SOS: apostilles and authentications ↗