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Death Records


Death certificates were required beginning 1 January 1915 and are restricted from the public for fifty years. The Archives has the certificates from 1915 to the year before the fifty year restriction. DHEC holds certificates after the fifty year restriction. DHEC provides on-line access to death indexes from 1915 to 1956.  Follow this link for information on how to access these indexes.


Federal records:

Federal Census. Mortality Schedules. South Carolina, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880. Indexes, 1850, 1860. These census schedules list those persons who died during the twelve months preceding 1 June of the census year. The census, arranged by county, lists the name of the decedent, age, sex, race, marital status, birth place, occupation, cause of death, and month of death.


State records:

  • Health and Environmental Control, Department of. City of Aiken. Board of Health. Register of Deaths, 1903-1915. 1 v.
  • Health and Environmental Control, Department of. City of Charleston. Board of Health. Death Certificates, 1821-1867, 1872-1886. 49 mfm. (Index is available at the Charleston Public Library, 404 King Street, Charleston, S.C. 29403, (803) 723-1645.)
  • Health and Environmental Control, Department of. Division of Biostatistics. Death Certificates, 1915 to year before the fifty year restriction. mfm. Indexes, 1915-1949 on fiche and 1950- on-line at http://www.scdhec.net/administration/vr/vrdi.htm 
  • Health and Environmental Control, Department of. Division of Biostatistics. Spartanburg City. Death Register, 1895-1915. 1 mfm.

County Records:

  • Barnwell County. Board of Health. Index to Deaths, 1915-1958. 1 mfm.
  • Union County Death Register, 1900-1914

Additional death records may be found in individual county estate papers, will books, and estate record books; usually, however, these records give only an approximate date of death.