Hampton County Marriage License Rules
Marriage licenses in Hampton County are handled by the Hampton County Probate Court. The probate office accepts marriage license applications Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays. The local FAQ adds a more detailed visit rule: Tuesdays and Thursdays are walk-in appointment days, while Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are by appointment only. Because those two county notes do not line up cleanly, applicants should call Probate Court before traveling to the courthouse.
Both parties must appear in person. South Carolina has a 24-hour waiting period after the application is filed before the license can be picked up or made available, and Hampton County states that there are no exceptions. No blood test is required. Probate Court does not perform ceremonies. A South Carolina minister, preacher, notary, or another person authorized to administer oaths may perform the ceremony, and the ceremony must take place in South Carolina, though not necessarily in Hampton County.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health marriage certificate page is a useful state source when a certified certificate is needed from the state vital-record system.
That state channel matters when the request is for a certified certificate rather than the Hampton County license application file held by Probate Court.
Apply for Hampton County Marriage Records
Hampton County Probate Court sets the local marriage license intake rules. Applicants under age 16 cannot receive a license. Applicants ages 16 to 18 need a birth certificate, Social Security card, and a parent or legal guardian with photo ID. Applicants ages 18 to 21 need a birth certificate and Social Security card. Applicants ages 21 to 25 need military ID, picture ID, and Social Security card. Applicants over 25 are still tied to the Social Security card requirement in the county FAQ.
- Call Hampton County Probate Court to confirm whether the visit should be walk-in or appointment-based for the chosen day.
- Have both parties appear in person with the age-based identity and consent documents that apply.
- File the marriage license application during the posted application window and pay the local license fee.
- Wait the required 24 hours before picking up or using the license.
- After the ceremony, return the Probate Judge and Probate Judge/DHEC copies within 15 days as Hampton County requests.
Marriage licenses issued by Hampton County do not expire. That does not remove the need to return the proper copies after the ceremony. The returned copies are what let the local and state record systems reflect the completed marriage.
Hampton County Marriage Form Fields
Hampton County's local research identifies the documents applicants must bring, while the state DPH marriage and divorce application shows the data usually needed for a later certificate search. The DPH form is not the same as applying for a new Hampton County license, but its fields help show why complete names, dates, county information, and requestor identity matter when a certified copy is ordered later.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant contact | Yes | Name, daytime phone, address, city, state, ZIP, and email are listed on the DPH request form. |
| Mailing address | When different | DPH asks for a separate name and mailing address if records should be sent elsewhere. |
| Entitlement | Yes | Checkboxes include self, adult child, present or former spouse, and legal representative. |
| Marriage names | Yes | Bride/spouse and groom/spouse names, birth-certificate surnames if different, and other married surnames may be needed. |
| Marriage date and county | Yes | The form asks for date of marriage and the county where the license was obtained. |
| Divorce names and county | For divorce reports | Plaintiff and defendant names, surnames, date of divorce or annulment, and county where divorce was obtained are listed. |
The South Carolina DPH divorce reports page explains the state report path for divorces, but it does not replace the Family Court decree held through the county where the divorce case was filed.
For Hampton County divorce records, that distinction keeps a request from going to DPH when the court decree is the document actually needed.
Hampton County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Hampton County and South Carolina DPH publish different fees because they provide different records. The local Probate Court fee applies to the marriage license process and local certified copies. DPH fees apply when ordering a state marriage certificate search or state divorce report search. Family Court divorce filing uses the court filing fee unless a judge grants in forma pauperis status, which means the court allows the case to proceed without prepayment because of financial hardship.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hampton County marriage license application | $50.00 |
| Certified Hampton County marriage copy | $5.00 |
| DPH marriage certificate search | $12.00 |
| DPH divorce report search | $12.00 |
| DPH additional copies | $3.00 each |
| DPH expedite fee | $5.00, not available by mail |
| Family Court divorce, annulment, separate support and maintenance filing | $150.00 unless waived by order |
The DPH vital-record fee page is the state source for marriage and divorce search charges.
Fee checks should be tied to the exact record being requested, since a marriage license, a certified marriage copy, a divorce report, and a divorce decree are not interchangeable.
Search Hampton County Marriage Records
Certified marriage copies from Hampton County Probate Court require the year of marriage and both parties' names, including maiden names. Hampton Probate has only the licenses that were applied for in Hampton County. The court reports original marriage records onsite from 1911 to current, which makes the local probate office the direct source when the license was issued in Hampton County or when the record falls outside DPH's state coverage window.
DPH marriage records cover July 1950 through December 2023 through Vital Records in Columbia. For marriage records before July 1950 and after December 2023, the issuing Probate Court is the proper contact. DPH VitalChek phone ordering is listed at 1-877-284-1008, and the average VitalChek processing time for marriage certificates is listed as 5 to 7 business days. Mail requests to DPH require a photo ID copy and payment by money order or cashier's check, with usual mail turnaround of about four weeks.
Note: Hampton Probate Court asks callers to allow 24 hours for returned calls before calling again.
Find Hampton County Divorce Records
Divorce cases are filed in Family Court through the Clerk of Court, not Probate Court. South Carolina Judicial Branch lists Family Court jurisdiction over divorce, custody, support, alimony, property division, annulment, name changes, adoption, termination of parental rights, and many juvenile matters. Hampton County says Family Court is held about 12 to 14 times per year with rotating judges and a certified family court reporter.
DPH divorce reports are available from July 1, 1962 forward. They are reports, not decrees. A divorce decree comes from the Clerk of Court in the county where the divorce was filed or where the final hearing occurred. In Hampton County, that points to the Hampton County Clerk of Court for the Family Court file. Some Family Court material is confidential or available only with special permission, especially juvenile, adoption, termination of parental rights, abuse and neglect, and sealed material.
South Carolina's Family Court jurisdiction page explains why divorce is a court case rather than a probate matter.
That court path is the key route for a decree, case filing, final order, or other Hampton County divorce record from the court case.
Certified Hampton County Marriage Copies
A certified copy is the official copy used when a plain printout or informal search result is not enough. Hampton County Probate Court charges $5 for a certified marriage copy, and the request should identify the year of marriage and both parties' names, including maiden names. For DPH records, the requester must show entitlement, provide a photo ID copy, and use the state fee rules. Onsite state processing outside peak periods is listed at about 30 minutes, while mail processing is much longer.
The South Carolina marriage-license statutes provide the state framework for who may issue and solemnize a marriage license.
For Hampton County marriage records, the practical request still turns on where the license was issued and whether the needed record is local or state-held.