Union County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses in Union County are issued by the Union County Probate Court marriage-license office, not by the Clerk of Court. The office is located at 210 West Main Street in Union and requires an appointment for the couple to apply. Both applicants must appear together and in person. The court asks couples to arrive no later than 4:45 p.m. because staff need time to enter the application information before the office closes.
The Probate Court requires picture identification and Social Security information. A non-U.S. citizen must bring a valid passport and visa. The court recommends downloading, printing, and completing the marriage worksheet before the appointment. After the application is accepted, South Carolina's waiting period controls pickup: the license is not available until 24 hours after the time of application. Only one person needs to return for pickup after the waiting period, and the Probate Court does not perform marriage ceremonies.
The official Probate Court license page is shown in the project image captured from Union County's marriage-license instructions.
The image matters because the Union County marriage record process starts with local Probate Court appointment rules before a certificate copy can exist.
Apply for Union County Marriage Records
Couples should treat the Probate Court appointment as the official filing event for a Union County marriage license. The license application is not a remote search form and is not a mail-only process. Bring the required identity documents, know the Social Security information that applies, and plan for the 24-hour waiting period before pickup. A couple that needs proof of a past marriage should use the certificate-copy process instead of filing a new license application.
- Call Union County Probate Court at 864-429-1625 to schedule the marriage-license appointment.
- Download and complete the worksheet if possible, then bring picture ID for each applicant.
- Appear together in person and provide Social Security information, or passport and visa documents for a non-U.S. citizen.
- Pay the $30 fee in cash only when the application is taken.
- Return after the 24-hour waiting period. One applicant may pick up the license.
Note: The Probate Court issues licenses and certificates, but applicants must arrange their own officiant for the ceremony.
Union County License Field Inventory
The marriage-license field inventory is practical because it shows what the Probate Court expects before staff can accept the application. Union County's research did not show an online application database. It did show appointment scheduling, in-person appearance, identification, citizenship document rules, the worksheet recommendation, cash payment, and the statutory waiting period that affects pickup.
| Field or Requirement | Type | Required | Union County Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment | Scheduling | Yes | Call 864-429-1625 before appearing. |
| Both applicants present | Appearance | Yes | The couple must apply together and in person. |
| Picture ID | Document | Yes | Each applicant must bring identification. |
| Social Security information | Information | Yes, if applicable | Applicants must know the information. |
| Passport and visa | Document | For non-U.S. citizen | The Probate Court says both must be valid. |
| Marriage worksheet | Form | Recommended | Download, print, and fill it before arrival. |
| Fee | Cash payment | Yes | The license fee is cash only. |
| Waiting period | Time rule | Yes | Pickup is 24 hours after application. |
Union County Marriage Divorce Fees
Union County publishes clear Probate Court charges for marriage licenses and marriage certificates. Divorce filing and copy charges were not located in the Probate marriage research because divorce records are not Probate Court records. A person seeking a divorce decree, certified Family Court order, or case-file copies should contact the Clerk of Court or Family Court channel before mailing payment.
| Item | Amount | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license | $30 cash only | Union County Probate Court |
| Certified marriage certificate | $5.00 | Union County Probate Court |
| Mailed marriage certificate postage | $0.50 if not sending SASE | Union County Probate Court |
| Divorce case filing or decree copy | Not found in official HTML research | Clerk of Court or Family Court |
| State divorce report | Check current DPH schedule | South Carolina DPH |
The Probate Court's certificate-copy process is shown in the image from Union County Probate Court marriage certificates.
That local page is the source for the $5 certificate fee and the mailed-copy postage option.
Look Up Union County Marriage Records
For a certified copy of a Union County marriage certificate, use the Probate Court certificate request form and either mail it or bring it to court in person. The mailing block is Union County Probate Court, In RE: Marriage Certificate, 210 West Main Street, Union, SC 29379. If the request is mailed, include a self-addressed stamped envelope or add the court's postage amount. The request should be tied to a marriage that took place in Union County because Probate Courts issue copies from the county where the original license was issued.
The South Carolina DPH marriage certificates page is a separate state vital-record channel. DPH points many older or county-issued marriage certificate needs back to the Probate Judge in the county where the original license was issued. Union County Probate also notes that South Carolina did not issue marriage licenses before 1911, so pre-1911 common-law marriages may not have an official public license record.
South Carolina's state marriage-certificate source is represented by the image from DPH marriage certificates.
Use the state page to understand DPH coverage, but use Union County Probate Court when the record belongs with the county license file.
Find Union County Divorce Records
Union County divorce records are not issued by Probate Court. The Probate Court expressly directs divorce-paper requests to the Union County Clerk of Court or Family Court. That distinction is important because a divorce case file may include pleadings, orders, financial affidavits, child-related material, and a final decree, while a state vital-record divorce report is not the same as the full Family Court case file. For case-file records, start with Clerk of Court channels and expect party restrictions for sensitive family information.
The South Carolina DPH divorce reports page is useful when a vital-record report is enough. It does not replace the Family Court file or the Clerk's copy workflow for decrees and filed pleadings. Sensitive material involving minors, support, financial account data, sealed filings, or domestic-family privacy may be restricted or redacted under the access limits described in the Union County research.
The state divorce-report source appears in the image from South Carolina DPH divorce reports.
The image supports the split between a state vital report and the Union County Family Court case file.
Restricted Union County Divorce Records
Family Court access is narrower than ordinary civil access. Divorce decrees may be available through Clerk or Family Court channels, but child-support records and sensitive family-file information may be limited to parties. The Union County Clerk page states that case-file information will not be discussed unless the requester is a party. For child-support or alimony printouts, the Clerk page directs clients to mail a self-addressed stamped envelope or come by the office.
South Carolina public-record law supports access to nonexempt public records, but it does not open sealed records, adoption records, juvenile material, mental-health records, or confidential personal data. For a broader court-file search after a divorce filing, the Union County court records workflow may help locate public case information before a copy request is made.
The local Probate contact page is shown in the image from Union County Probate Court contact information.
That contact source helps separate Probate marriage questions from Family Court divorce record requests.
South Carolina Vital Records
State vital-record systems can be useful, but they do not erase local filing rules. Marriage certificates often depend on the county Probate Court that issued the license. Divorce reports come from DPH when a vital report is the requested product, while full divorce pleadings and decrees remain with the court record custodian. South Carolina DMV transactions are separate from marriage and divorce filing, but a name change after marriage or divorce often causes people to check state identity and driver-record services after they obtain certified proof.
The state online transaction list appears in the image from SCDMV online transactions.
Use certified marriage or divorce documents first, then follow the separate state agency process for any post-record identity update.