Lexington County Death Records
Lexington County is one of South Carolina's fastest-growing counties, sitting just west of Columbia. With roughly 330,000 residents spread across communities like Lexington, West Columbia, Cayce, and Irmo, the county generates a large volume of death records each year. This guide covers how to find and obtain Lexington County death records from the state vital records office, local health departments, the coroner, probate court, and online databases. Whether you need a recent certified certificate or are tracing a family line through historical documents, the resources below will direct your search.
Lexington County Quick Facts
Lexington County Death Certificates
Certified death certificates for Lexington County are issued by the South Carolina Department of Public Health Vital Records office at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. Statewide registration began January 1, 1915, and every death recorded in Lexington County from that date is on file with the state. Complete ordering instructions are available at dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/death-certificates. Mail requests cost $12 and take about four weeks. Each additional copy ordered at the same time is $3.
Online orders through VitalChek or GoCertificates cost $17 and typically arrive in five to seven business days. For in-person requests, bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Records for deaths within the last 50 years are restricted to immediate family and legal representatives under Section 44-63-84.
Two local health department offices serve Lexington County. The primary office is at 1070 S. Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29073, phone (803) 785-8444. A second location at 2401 August Road, West Columbia, SC 29169, phone (803) 794-4424, serves residents in the eastern part of the county closer to Columbia. Both offices can direct you to the appropriate state resources for your records request.
Note: Lexington County's population growth means the state vital records office handles a large volume of requests from this area. Online ordering tends to be faster than mail for recent certificates.
Lexington County Coroner Death Records
The Lexington County Coroner investigates deaths that are sudden, violent, unexplained, or occur outside of medical supervision. The current coroner is Margaret Fisher, whose office is at 212 South Lake Drive, Suite 305, Lexington, SC 29072, phone (803) 785-8368. The office employs eleven staff members and handles a substantial caseload given the county's size. Additional information is at lex-co.sc.gov/departments/coroner.
Lexington County saw roughly 2,500 deaths in 2019 and approximately 3,000 in 2020, reflecting both normal mortality for a county of this size and the elevated numbers during the pandemic year. Not all of those deaths fell under coroner jurisdiction, but the office managed a significant share. Deaths investigated by the coroner result in a formal determination of cause and manner, which is recorded on the official death certificate submitted to the state.
The Lexington County Coroner's Office website provides department information and details on how the office processes death investigations in the county.
Immediate family members and legal representatives can request coroner investigative records, autopsy reports, and case files directly from the office with written identification of the requestor's relationship to the decedent.
Note: Coroner records may include toxicology findings, autopsy results, and witness statements that are not part of the standard certified death certificate available from the state vital records office.
Searching Lexington County Death Records Online
Online searches are often the fastest first step for Lexington County death records research. The SC Courts Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/lexington/publicindex provides access to court and probate filings that frequently reference death dates, estate beneficiaries, and family relationships. scprobate.net indexes South Carolina probate records by county and is a fast way to check whether an estate was filed in Lexington County.
The Lexington County government website lists all county departments and links to services useful for records research. Department contacts, office hours, and forms are available there.
The Lexington County official government website is the central hub for county office contacts and department information related to death records.
Use the county site to confirm current office hours and contact details before submitting a records request by mail or in person.
FamilySearch holds South Carolina death records from 1915 to 1965 and has indexed a growing number of Lexington County documents. The South Carolina State Archives at scdah.sc.gov also holds microfilm copies of the state death index for that same period and is open to public researchers in Columbia, just east of Lexington County.
Lexington County Probate Court Death Records
The Lexington County Probate Court is presided over by Judge Daniel R. Eckstrom and is located at 205 East Main Street, Suite 134, Lexington, SC 29072, phone (803) 785-8324. The court website is at lex-co.sc.gov/departments/probate-court. Probate records in Lexington County date back to 1865, though researchers should be aware that many pre-1839 records were destroyed during the Civil War. Post-1865 estate files often confirm death dates, identify surviving heirs, and list property, making them useful when a death certificate is unavailable or restricted.
The Clerk of Court for Lexington County is at the Lexington County Judicial Center, 205 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072, phone (803) 785-8212, with additional information at lexingtoncountycourt.org. Court records can be searched in person at that address or through the SC Courts Public Index online.
The Lexington County Probate Court website provides details on estate filings, forms, and the process for accessing records related to Lexington County death records and estate proceedings.
Estate files filed after 1865 are an important supplement to official death certificates, particularly for researchers working on older Lexington County families.
Note: Lexington County probate records from 1839 and earlier are largely lost due to courthouse destruction. Researchers looking for that period should consult church records and the South Carolina Archives for surviving documents.
Historical Lexington County Death Records
Statewide death registration in South Carolina did not begin until January 1, 1915. For Lexington County deaths before that date, researchers must rely on church records, family Bible entries, cemetery inscriptions, newspaper obituaries, and probate estate files. Many of these sources survive and have been indexed by genealogical organizations and volunteers. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov holds microfilm of the statewide death index for 1915 to 1965, which covers Lexington County and is open to public researchers.
FamilySearch has digitized portions of the South Carolina death index and offers free searching online. For deaths before 1915, FamilySearch also holds digitized church registers and county records from across South Carolina that may include Lexington County entries. The Lexington County Museum at 231 Fox Street, Lexington, SC 29072, phone (803) 359-8369, holds local historical materials and may have obituary clippings or family files not available elsewhere.
Cemetery records are often the only documentation of a pre-1915 death. Lexington County has numerous historic cemeteries, many of which have been surveyed and indexed by local genealogical societies. Searching FindAGrave.com and BillionGraves can locate burial records with names, dates, and photos that supplement the official record set.
Library and Genealogy Resources for Lexington County Death Records
The Lexington County Library system serves researchers through nine branch locations across the county. The main branch is at 5440 Augusta Road, Lexington, SC 29072, phone (803) 785-2600, and the library website is at lexcolibrary.com. The library provides in-library access to Ancestry, which includes South Carolina death records, statewide indexes, obituary databases, and digitized newspapers. HeritageQuest and Newspapers.com access are also available, along with a local obituary database specific to Lexington County. These subscriptions make the library a practical first stop for death records research without the cost of a personal subscription.
The Lexington County Library website lists branch locations, hours, and details about the genealogy databases and resources available for researching Lexington County death records.
Library card holders can access HeritageQuest and certain other databases remotely from home, making it possible to search Lexington County death records without visiting a branch.
Local obituaries from Lexington County newspapers are searchable through the library's local database and through Newspapers.com. Obituaries typically identify surviving family members, funeral home, and burial location, all of which can support a death records search. The South Carolina State Library at guides.statelibrary.sc.gov/genealogy provides research guides for genealogists working with South Carolina records, including death records, and links to statewide digital collections.
Note: The nine-branch library system means a Lexington County library is accessible from most parts of this large county without a long drive.
South Carolina Vital Records Law and Lexington County Death Records
South Carolina's vital records law at Title 44, Chapter 63 of the South Carolina Code governs how Lexington County death records are created, maintained, and accessed. Section 44-63-74 requires the attending physician or the coroner to file the death certificate within five days of the death. South Carolina adopted mandatory electronic filing statewide in 2022. Failure to file on time or to complete required fields carries penalties of $250 for a first violation, rising to $1,000 for continued non-compliance.
Section 44-63-84 restricts full certified copies of death records for deaths within the last 50 years to the decedent's immediate family and legal representatives. Those outside that category can obtain a statement confirming the fact of death but not the full certificate. After 50 years, the record is open to anyone. Section 44-63-150 sets out how to correct an error on a filed death certificate, requiring documentary support for any proposed amendment. Section 44-63-161 makes fraudulent use or alteration of a vital record a felony. The complete statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t44c063.php.
Cities in Lexington County
Lexington County includes several incorporated cities and towns. Death records from all of these communities are filed with the state vital records system and can be accessed through the same ordering process as any other Lexington County death record.
Nearby Counties
Lexington County borders six South Carolina counties. Families in the greater Columbia area often have ties to multiple counties, and a complete search may require checking death records in adjacent jurisdictions.