Lee County Death Records Search Guide
Lee County death records are held at the state level and at several local offices in Bishopville, the county seat. South Carolina formed Lee County in 1902 from portions of Darlington, Sumter, and Kershaw counties, so researchers tracing families before that year will need to look in those parent counties. Statewide registration started on January 1, 1915, and all Lee County deaths from that date forward are on file with the South Carolina Department of Public Health. This guide explains where to search, who to contact, and how to access both recent certificates and older historical records.
Lee County Quick Facts
Lee County Death Certificates
The South Carolina Department of Public Health issues certified death certificates for all Lee County deaths recorded since 1915. The statewide Vital Records office is at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. Full details on ordering are available at dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/death-certificates. Mail requests cost $12 and typically take about four weeks to process. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when visiting in person.
Online orders placed through VitalChek or GoCertificates cost $17 and generally arrive in five to seven business days. Each additional certified copy ordered at the same time costs $3. For deaths that occurred within the last 50 years, access is limited to immediate family members and legal representatives under Section 44-63-84 of the South Carolina Code.
The Lee County Health Department at 810 Brown Street, Bishopville, SC 29010, phone (803) 484-6612, is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff there can assist with local questions about vital records and help direct you to the right state office for your request.
Note: Lee County is a small rural county, so local offices may have limited staff. Calling ahead before an in-person visit is recommended.
Lee County Coroner Death Records
The Lee County Coroner investigates deaths that are sudden, unexpected, violent, or occur without medical attendance. The current coroner is Larry J. Logan, whose office is at 114 S. Nettles Street, PO Box 1445, Bishopville, SC 29010, phone (803) 484-4653. You can also reach the office by email at llogan@leecountysc.org. The coroner's formal findings determine the cause and manner of death in qualifying cases, and that determination becomes part of the official death certificate held by the state.
Autopsy reports and full investigative case files are separate from the standard death certificate. Immediate family members and legal representatives may request those files directly from the coroner's office. A written request with proof of relationship is typically required. The coroner serves Lee County's entire population and coordinates with state forensic resources when specialized analysis is needed.
When a Lee County resident dies in a hospital or nursing facility without a reporting physician, the coroner may still be involved in certifying the cause of death. That certified cause then flows into the state registration system.
Note: Coroner investigative records can contain detailed medical findings that go beyond what appears in the standard death certificate.
Searching Lee County Death Records Online
Several online tools are useful for finding Lee County death records without a trip to Bishopville. The SC Courts Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/lee/publicindex gives access to probate and court filings that frequently reference death dates and surviving family members. Estate cases in particular can confirm when and where someone died. scprobate.net indexes probate filings statewide and is searchable by county name.
The Lee County government website provides department contacts and a starting point for records research in the county.
Bookmark the county site and use it to find current phone numbers and addresses for local departments before making a trip or sending a written request.
FamilySearch holds indexed collections covering Lee County, including the South Carolina Deaths database for 1915 to 1965 and Lee County Marriage Registers from 1911 to 1950. These records are free to search and many have been digitized. Genealogy Trails at genealogytrails.com/scar/lee provides a death index and cemetery records specific to Lee County that are worth checking for older families.
Lee County Probate Court Death Records
The Lee County Probate Court holds estate and will records dating from 1902, when the county was formed. The court is located at 123 S. Main Street, Bishopville, SC 29010, phone (803) 484-5341. Estate filings routinely contain death dates, names of heirs, and inventories of property, making them valuable supplements to formal death certificates. The Clerk of Court is Teresa A. Brown, reachable at extension 3168 at the same address and phone number.
Probate records filed since 1902 can also be searched through scprobate.net, which indexes South Carolina probate records statewide. The Public Index linked above provides another path to recent filings. For older estate records, contact the probate court directly, as some older files may not yet be digitized.
The Lee County Public Index allows free online searches of court and probate records that can help confirm death dates and identify surviving family members.
Probate filings are especially useful when the death certificate itself is restricted because the death occurred within the last 50 years.
Note: Lee County was formed in 1902, so any estate records for deaths before that year will be found in Darlington, Sumter, or Kershaw County instead.
Historical Lee County Death Records
Before statewide death registration began in 1915, deaths in what is now Lee County were recorded only in church registers, family Bibles, cemetery inscriptions, and informal local records. Lee County itself did not exist until 1902, so any deaths from before that year fall under Darlington, Sumter, or Kershaw County jurisdiction. Researchers should search those counties' historical records and probate files for pre-1902 ancestors.
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov, phone (803) 896-6100, holds microfilm copies of South Carolina death certificates for 1915 through 1965. These records are available for public research at the Archives reading room in Columbia. FamilySearch has digitized portions of this collection and offers free online access to indexed deaths from 1915 to 1965.
The South Carolina DPH death indexes and genealogy page provides guidance on searching historical death records statewide, including Lee County.
The death indexes available through DPH are a practical first stop before ordering a full certified copy from the state.
Genealogy Trails at genealogytrails.com/scar/lee maintains a death index and cemetery survey specifically for Lee County. These volunteer-compiled records include names, dates, and burial locations that can fill gaps where official registration is missing. The Lee County Public Library, phone (803) 484-5341, provides access to Ancestry Library Edition in-library and HeritageQuest remotely, both of which index South Carolina death records including the 1915 to 1965 state death index.
Note: FamilySearch's Lee County Marriage Registers from 1911 to 1950 can also help establish family relationships and approximate death dates for genealogical research.
Library and Genealogy Resources for Lee County Death Records
The Lee County Public Library at 123 S. Main Street, Bishopville, phone (803) 484-5341, is the primary local resource for genealogical research. The library provides in-library access to Ancestry Library Edition, which includes a wide range of South Carolina death records, obituaries, and vital records indexes. HeritageQuest is available remotely to library cardholders, allowing researchers to search from home. The South Carolina Death Index covering 1915 to 1965 is available at the library as well.
Obituaries from Lee County newspapers are a practical source for confirming death dates, identifying surviving family, and learning about a person's life. Local papers such as the Bishopville News have served the county for generations, and back issues may be available on microfilm at the library or through interlibrary loan. Historic South Carolina newspapers can also be searched at historicnewspapers.sc.edu.
For county-specific genealogy resources, Genealogy Trails at genealogytrails.com/scar/lee maintains a death index and cemetery records compiled by local volunteers. These records can point you to a burial location and provide a name confirmation before you order a formal document from the state.
South Carolina Vital Records Law and Lee County Death Records
Title 44, Chapter 63 of the South Carolina Code governs how Lee County death records are filed and who may access them. Section 44-63-74 requires the attending physician or the coroner to file a death certificate with the state within five days of a death. South Carolina moved to mandatory electronic filing in 2022. Delays or incomplete filings carry penalties ranging from $250 for a first violation up to $1,000 for repeated non-compliance.
Section 44-63-84 restricts access to certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred within the last 50 years. Only the spouse, parent, child, sibling, or grandparent of the decedent may receive a full certified copy during that period. Anyone else can obtain a statement confirming the fact of death but not the full document. After 50 years, Lee County death records become open to the public. Section 44-63-150 sets out the procedure for correcting a death certificate after it has been filed, which requires documentary support for any proposed change. Section 44-63-161 makes fraudulent alteration or misuse of a vital record a felony under South Carolina law. The full statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t44c063.php.
Nearby Counties
Lee County borders several South Carolina counties. Families often moved between these areas, and death records for Lee County residents may sometimes be found in adjacent jurisdictions, especially for those who died in Sumter or Darlington before Lee County was formed in 1902.