Find Death Records in Charleston County
Charleston County death records stretch back further than those of any other South Carolina county. The city of Charleston began recording deaths in 1821, nearly a century before statewide registration. Whether you need a recent certified death certificate or want to trace an ancestor through nineteenth-century records, this guide covers how to find and obtain Charleston County death records, which offices to contact, what fees and identification are required, and where the county's exceptional historical collections are held.
Charleston County Quick Facts
Charleston County Death Certificates
The South Carolina Department of Public Health Vital Records office issues certified death certificates for Charleston County. Statewide registration began January 1, 1915, and all deaths recorded in Charleston County since that date are on file with the state. The main SC DPH office is at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. The full details are at dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/death-certificates.
Charleston County has two regional vital records offices for in-person requests. The primary location is at 3685 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405, phone (843) 953-0032. A second location at 2091 Austin Avenue in North Charleston also serves residents. In-person requests are processed the same day. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID; school or employer-issued IDs also qualify under state law.
Mail requests cost $12 and take about four weeks. Online orders through VitalChek or GoCertificates cost $17 and process in five to seven business days. Each additional certified copy is $3. Certified copies for deaths within the last 50 years are restricted to immediate family and legal representatives under Section 44-63-84.
Note: Charleston County's high population means regional offices can be busy; scheduling an in-person visit in the morning generally reduces wait times.
Charleston County Coroner Death Records
The Charleston County Coroner, currently Bobbi Jo O'Neal, investigates deaths that are sudden, violent, suspicious, or occur without medical attendance. The office is located at 4050 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405, phone (843) 529-0400. Details are also available at charlestoncounty.org/departments/coroner. The coroner determines cause and manner of death for qualifying cases and submits findings to the state vital records system.
The image below comes from the Charleston County Coroner's Office webpage and shows the department's official identification.
When a death falls under coroner jurisdiction, the coroner's determination of manner of death is incorporated into the official death certificate on file with the state. Autopsy reports and full investigative case files are separate records. Immediate family members and legal representatives may request these files directly from the Coroner's Office. The office handles a large caseload given that Charleston County is home to over 400,000 residents.
Note: Coroner records may contain medical detail not present in the standard death certificate, which can be relevant for insurance claims and estate proceedings.
Searching Charleston County Death Records Online
Several online tools support searches for Charleston County death records. The SC Courts Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/charleston provides access to court and probate filings that may confirm a death date or name an estate. Probate records often include death information and beneficiary names. scprobate.net indexes South Carolina probate filings statewide and is searchable by county.
The image below is sourced from the Charleston County Public Index website and illustrates the search interface used to locate court records including probate filings related to Charleston County deaths.
The Charleston County government website at charlestoncounty.org lists all county departments and provides links to services that are useful for records research. The City of Charleston website at charleston-sc.gov covers city-specific resources and historical programs.
FamilySearch holds a large and growing collection of South Carolina death records, many of which are indexed and fully searchable online at no cost. The South Carolina State Library at statelibrary.sc.gov offers research guides and digital collections. The CDC guide at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/south_carolina.htm outlines how to locate vital records across the state and is a helpful starting point for new researchers.
Historical Charleston County Death Records
Charleston County holds a remarkable advantage for pre-1915 death records research. The city of Charleston began keeping an official Record of Deaths in 1821, decades before any other South Carolina municipality. These records run through 1926 and are preserved on 15 microfilm reels at the Charleston County Public Library. This collection is known as the Charleston Death Card File and is one of the most valuable pre-registration genealogical resources in the entire American South.
The photograph below is sourced from the Charleston County Public Library website and shows the library's main building, which houses the SC Room genealogy collection including Charleston County death records on microfilm.
The SC Room at the Charleston County Public Library holds the complete Charleston Record of Deaths for 1819 through 1926 on microfilm, plus death records in other formats and an extensive genealogy collection covering all of South Carolina. Librarians in the SC Room are experienced with death records research and can guide you to the right collection for your specific time period and family name.
For deaths between 1915 and 1963, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov, phone (803) 896-6100, holds microfilm copies. Deaths before 1821 in Charleston County must be traced through church registers, cemetery records, and probate documents, many of which survive and are indexed through FamilySearch.
Note: The Charleston County Public Library's SC Room is open to the public and does not require a library card for genealogy research visits.
South Carolina Vital Records Law and Charleston County Death Records
South Carolina's vital records statutes at Title 44, Chapter 63 govern how Charleston County death records are filed and accessed. Section 44-63-74 requires that the attending physician or, when no physician is present, the coroner or medical examiner file the death certificate within five days. South Carolina mandated electronic filing statewide in 2022. Penalties for late or incomplete filings range from $250 for a first violation to $1,000 for repeated non-compliance.
Section 44-63-84 limits access to certified copies of death records less than 50 years old. Only the decedent's spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent may receive a full certified copy. Others may obtain a statement confirming the death but not the full record. After 50 years, the record is open to anyone. Section 44-63-161 makes fraudulent use or alteration of a vital record a felony under South Carolina law. Section 44-63-150 provides the process for correcting errors on a filed death certificate, which requires documentary support for any proposed change. The full statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t44c063.php.
Cities in Charleston County
Charleston County includes the historic city of Charleston as well as fast-growing communities to the north and east. All death records originating in these cities flow through the same state vital records system and can be accessed through the regional offices in North Charleston.
Nearby Counties
Charleston County borders several South Carolina counties. Researchers tracing Lowcountry families often find relevant death records in adjacent jurisdictions, particularly Dorchester and Berkeley counties where many Charleston-area families lived.