Horry County Marriage and Divorce Records

Where Horry County Marriage and Divorce Records Live

Two offices share the work. Marriage licenses are issued and kept by the Horry County Probate Court. Divorce files are kept by the Clerk of Court, which serves Family Court. Both offices sit in the same building in Conway, but they are not the same desk. A marriage question goes to Probate. A divorce question goes to the Clerk.

Probate Court has sole authority over marriage licenses in the county. It records and indexes the marriage certificate, and it issues certified copies. The office is on the second floor of the Horry County Judicial Complex at 1301 Second Avenue. You can read more about that office on the Horry County Probate Court page, and on our probate records page.

Divorce works in a separate track. Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction over divorce, separation, custody, support, and marital property. The Horry County Clerk of Court keeps those case files. The same office issues a certified divorce decree once a judge signs it. For broader case lookups, see the Horry County court records page.

Getting a Horry County Marriage License

A marriage license in South Carolina must be issued before the ceremony. State law sets that rule, and Probate Court follows it. Both people who plan to marry must apply in person at the Probate Court office. Applications are taken Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm, except on county holidays. You do not need an appointment. The office takes applicants first come, first served.

Bring the right items. Each applicant needs a Social Security card and a government photo ID, such as a driver's license. The address on the ID sets your fee. If one applicant is under 25, the office may ask for proof of age. Both people sign the application at the counter. The marriage license requirement comes straight from state code, and you can read the text on the official South Carolina marriage statute page.

There is a wait. State law sets a 24-hour waiting period between the time you apply and the time the license can be issued. So you cannot apply and marry the same day. After the wait, the license is ready for pickup between 8:00am and 4:30pm. Only one applicant needs to pick it up if that person brings the receipt. Lose the receipt, and both applicants must return together.

How to Apply for a Horry County Marriage License

The steps are short, but each one matters. A missing card or the wrong payment type can send you home. Fill out the form first, gather your papers, then go to the office. Plan for the 24-hour wait when you set a wedding date. The walkthrough below follows the Probate Court process for a Horry County marriage license.

1. Fill out the Marriage License Application fully and correctly.
2. Bring both Social Security cards, the completed form, both driver's licenses, proof of age if under 25, and cash or a money order.
3. Apply in person at Probate Court between 8:00am and 4:00pm.
4. Wait at least 24 hours after you apply.
5. Pick up the license between 8:00am and 4:30pm; one applicant may pick it up with the receipt.
6. The officiant performs the ceremony after the license is issued, then the signed certificate is returned and recorded through Probate Court.

Full application details and the marriage license process are posted on the Horry County marriage license page. Read it before you go so you know which papers to bring.

Marriage License Application Fields

The application asks both people for the same core facts. You give your legal name, your address, and proof of who you are. The address matters most for the fee. The fields below appear on the Horry County application, whether you file in person or by mail.

Note: a mail packet uses the same fields but adds notarized signatures and a money order, since cash is taken only at the in-person counter.

Horry County Marriage License Fees

The fee for a marriage license depends on where you live. The address on your ID controls which rate you pay. Here is the key point: if even one applicant is a Horry County or South Carolina resident, that lower residency rate sets the fee for the couple. The table below lists the Probate Court fees.

The license fee includes one certified marriage certificate, so you get that first certified copy at no extra charge. Pay with cash at the counter or a money order made out to the Horry County Probate Court. The office does not take personal checks. The full fee list is on the Probate Court fee schedule page.

South Carolina Marriage Law and Records

State code, not local rule, drives most of the marriage process. The same code sets the license rule and the 24-hour wait. Reading the statute helps when a question comes up about timing or who may apply. The state posts the full chapter online.

For a look at the law that governs every Horry County marriage license, start with the South Carolina marriage statute on the state house site.

That page lays out the license requirement and the waiting period in plain code language, which is useful if you need to cite the rule for a court or an officiant.

Once a marriage is recorded, Probate Court keeps the official record and can issue a certified copy. A certified copy is the version courts, agencies, and banks accept. An uncertified printout is not the same thing. Order certified marriage copies from the Probate Court, not the Clerk.

Horry County Divorce Records

Divorce is not a Probate matter. It runs through Family Court, and the Clerk of Court holds the file. Family Court has sole authority over divorce, legal separation, custody, visitation, support, alimony, and the split of marital property. The state explains this on the South Carolina Family Court page.

To file, you use a divorce packet. The Horry Clerk posts a Divorce Packet and the individual state Self-Represented Litigant forms on its forms library. You can find them on the Clerk of Court forms page. The packet includes the pleadings, a Family Court cover sheet, and an In Forma Pauperis form for those who cannot pay the filing fee.

Need a copy of a finished divorce? A certified divorce decree comes from the Clerk of Court. That is the office that signs and releases the final order. A certified decree is what you show to change a name, settle benefits, or remarry. For other clerk services, see the Horry County Clerk of Court page.

How to File for Divorce in Horry County

A divorce case moves through set steps, and the order matters. You file, you serve the other party, and you go to a hearing or submit affidavits. Many people use the state self-help forms; others hire a lawyer. The high-level path below follows the Family Court process through the Clerk of Court.

1. Confirm your South Carolina residency and your grounds through court self-help or an attorney.
2. Use the Horry Clerk divorce packet or the SC Judicial Branch self-represented divorce forms.
3. Complete the Family Court cover sheet and the required pleadings.
4. File with the Clerk of Court at 1301 Second Avenue in Conway.
5. Pay the filing fee, or file In Forma Pauperis if you qualify.
6. Serve your spouse, then attend the hearings or submit the affidavits your case type needs.

The final step is to get the signed decree from the Clerk. That document closes the case and is what you keep for your records. Filing fees and packet rules can change, so confirm the current amount with the Clerk before you file.

Public Access to Horry County Divorce Records

Divorce case data is partly open. Basic case facts, like the docket and the parties, may show through the state Public Index or a Family Court roster. But the law shields the sensitive parts. Details about children, abuse, and finances are often closed, and full files are not posted online the way some civil cases are.

You can check for a case on the free Horry County Public Index. Select Horry County, accept the disclaimer, and enter the security code to search by name or case number. Family Court rosters are reached through the Horry County court rosters portal.

Some records stay sealed by law. Juvenile cases, adoption files, and abuse details do not appear in the public view. To see a sealed record, a person usually needs a court order. For the wider rules on what is open and what is not, see the Horry County public records page.

Common Marriage and Divorce Record Terms

The offices use words that may be new to you. A few quick meanings help you ask the right office for the right paper. These terms show up on forms, fee lists, and the records themselves.

Marriage license

The legal permission to marry, issued by Probate Court before the ceremony.

Marriage certificate

The recorded proof a marriage took place; the first certified copy is included in the license fee.

Certified copy

An official, stamped copy that courts and agencies accept; an online printout is not the same.

Divorce decree

The final, signed court order that ends a marriage, issued by the Clerk of Court.

In Forma Pauperis

A form that lets a person who cannot pay file a Family Court case without the fee.