Simpsonville Death Records and Certificates
Simpsonville is one of the fastest-growing cities in Greenville County, and its residents have the same access to South Carolina's vital records system as any other city in the state. Death records for Simpsonville are held at the county and state level. This guide explains where to find certified death certificates, how the Greenville County Coroner's Office handles local death investigations, which online tools support searching from home, and where to find older records at the local library for family history research in Simpsonville.
Simpsonville Quick Facts
Simpsonville Death Certificates from DPH
The South Carolina Department of Public Health issues certified death certificates for all Simpsonville residents. The state DPH Vital Records office is located at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. Records go back to January 1, 1915. Complete ordering information is at dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/death-certificates. The Greenville County regional DPH office at 220 Oakland Avenue, Greenville, SC 29601, phone (864) 282-4100, also handles requests for Simpsonville deaths.
The image below is from the City of Simpsonville's official website, which provides municipal services and contact information for residents seeking help finding local offices for death records and vital records needs.
The City of Simpsonville at 118 NE Main Street, Simpsonville, SC 29681, phone (864) 967-9526, website simpsonville.com, does not issue death certificates. All vital records requests go to the county or state office. Bring a valid photo ID for any in-person request at the regional DPH office in Greenville.
Mail orders to the state cost $12 and take about four weeks. Online orders through VitalChek are $17 and process in five to seven business days. Orders through GoCertificates are also $17. Each additional certified copy on the same order is $3. Deaths from within the past 50 years are restricted to immediate family members under South Carolina law.
Greenville County Coroner and Simpsonville Investigations
The Greenville County Coroner, Parks Evans, investigates deaths in Simpsonville that are sudden, unexpected, violent, or occur outside of a medical facility. The Coroner's Office is at 301 University Ridge, Suite 1900, Greenville, SC 29601, phone (864) 467-7078. The coroner's determination of cause and manner of death is required before a death certificate can be filed with the state. When a physician cannot certify the death, the coroner takes over that role for Simpsonville cases.
Autopsy reports and coroner investigative case files are separate from the standard death certificate. Immediate family members and authorized legal representatives can request these records from the Greenville Coroner's Office. These files are often needed for insurance disputes, estate litigation, and medical history purposes. All Simpsonville deaths fall within the Greenville County Coroner's jurisdiction. The turnaround time for coroner records depends on the complexity of the case and current office workload.
Note: Coroner records must be requested from the Greenville County Coroner's Office directly and are not available through the state DPH vital records system.
Searching Simpsonville Vital Records Online
The Greenville County Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/greenville/publicindex/ provides free online access to probate filings and estate cases for Greenville County. Searching this index can confirm a date of death, identify surviving family members, and locate estate filings tied to Simpsonville deaths. Probate records are a reliable cross-reference when searching for older death information.
The statewide index at scprobate.net covers all 46 South Carolina counties and is useful when you are not sure which county a death occurred in. FamilySearch provides free South Carolina death collections. The SC Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov, phone (803) 896-6100, holds a death index from 1915 to 1960. The state library guide at guides.statelibrary.sc.gov/genealogy organizes these tools for new researchers. Greenville County government is at greenvillecounty.org.
Historical Simpsonville Death Records and Library Collections
The Hendricks Branch of the Greenville County Library at 626 NE Main Street, Simpsonville, SC 29681, phone (864) 963-9031, website greenvillelibrary.org, serves Simpsonville residents and connects them to the broader library system. The Greenville County Library SC Room holds historical materials for the county, including obituary files, local newspaper death notices, and genealogy reference collections that cover Simpsonville's history as part of the greater Greenville area.
Deaths in the Simpsonville area before 1915 were recorded through church registers, family records, and county probate court filings. Simpsonville grew significantly as a suburb of Greenville through the late 20th century, but its roots as a small upstate community go back much further. For 19th-century deaths, the SC Archives holds original probate court packets and microfilm of Greenville County records. These records often contain witness testimony, estate inventories, and family lists that help confirm death dates and relationships.
The SC DPH genealogy death index at dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/indexes-data/death-indexes-genealogy is a free online index covering South Carolina deaths from 1915 forward. Searching it by name and county can quickly identify whether a record exists before you place a formal request for a certified copy.
Vital Records Law and Simpsonville Death Records
South Carolina's vital records statute at Title 44, Chapter 63 governs how death records in Simpsonville are created and accessed. The full text is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t44c063.php. Statewide death registration has been required since January 1, 1915. Under Section 44-63-74, the attending physician or coroner must file the completed death certificate within five days of the death. South Carolina moved to electronic death registration statewide in 2022, which reduced filing delays for Simpsonville deaths.
Section 44-63-84 restricts access to death certificates filed within the last 50 years. Only the decedent's immediate family members may receive a full certified copy during the restricted window. Eligible requesters include spouses, parents, children, siblings, and grandparents. Anyone else may request a statement confirming that a death occurred, but they will not receive the full document until the 50-year period has passed. After 50 years, any requester may obtain the record. Submitting a false request for a Simpsonville death certificate is a felony under Section 44-63-161.
Greenville County Death Records
All death records for Simpsonville residents are part of the Greenville County vital records system. The county page below covers the full Greenville County office network, historical collections, and resources for all deaths that occurred within the county.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
These nearby cities are in Greenville County and share the same vital records and coroner resources as Simpsonville.