How to Become a Wedding Officiant in South Carolina

How to Officiate a Wedding in South Carolina

Contact the office of the probate court in the county where the wedding will take place (unlike in most states, marriage licenses in South Carolina are issued by the probate courts). Introduce yourself as a minister officiating a wedding, and ask them what documents they will need from you. They may ask to see a number of things, and be aware that these requirements vary from county to county. Rest assured that any materials or documents you might need are available in the Church Supplies section of our website.

Select your county to view contact information for each office:

How to Get a South Carolina Marriage License

Licenses are issued by the probate court offices, and will be picked up by the couple. As a minister, it's your responsibility to know how marriage licenses work in South Carolina and its individual counties. For example, if the couple plans to get a Charleston County marriage license, you should double-check if there are any rules specific to Charleston County.

In South Carolina, the license never expires, and there is a mandatory 1-day waiting period between the time it is picked up, and when the ceremony can be legally performed. Lastly, the signed marriage license must be returned to the issuing office within 30 days of the ceremony.

How to Perform a Wedding

Congratulations, you're ready to officiate the wedding! If you need any assistance in this important task, we encourage you to utilize the tools below. Together these exclusive resources include everything you'll need to craft the perfect wedding ceremony for any couple. Created with our ministers in mind, they offer tips and helpful information for all aspects of performing a ceremony. Fun fact: many ULC ministers have become professional officiants using these tools as a guide!

Finalizing the Marriage

After you perform the ceremony, you will sign the marriage license along with the couple and their two witnesses. Your title is 'minister', the ceremony type is 'religious', and the denomination is 'non-denominational'. You will not be required to provide a license number. You may also wish to give the couple a commemorative gift, like a marriage certificate to mark their special day. Last thing: make sure the signed license gets resubmitted to the marriage office before the deadline!

Video Walkthrough: Performing a Wedding in South Carolina

With all this newfound information, performing a wedding in South Carolina should be a breeze! We get it – that was a lot of text to absorb. Did you know we have a full video series on how to get ordained to officiate a wedding in each state? Check out the video guide for performing a wedding in South Carolina below!