Horry County Marriage License Office
Horry County marriage license work belongs to Horry County Probate Court, not the Clerk of Court. The Probate Court is located on the second floor of the Horry County Judicial Complex at 1301 Second Avenue in Conway. In-person applications are accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and license pickup is available until 4:30 p.m. Certified marriage copies are handled during the 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. copy window.
Both applicants must appear together for an in-person Horry County marriage license. Each applicant must present a Social Security card, resident alien identification card, or passport, plus a valid driver's license or other photo identification. South Carolina has a 24-hour waiting period from application to issuance, and the license must be used within six months. After the ceremony, the Probate Judge copy and the Probate Judge/DHEC copy must be returned to Probate Court within 15 days.
The South Carolina Family Court jurisdiction page is a useful contrast because it shows why divorce records take a different route. Marriage licensing starts in Probate Court, while divorce, custody, support, legal separation, and related family matters are Family Court case records maintained through Clerk and Family Court access channels.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch page for Family Court jurisdiction shows where divorce case authority sits statewide.
That source helps keep Horry County marriage records separate from divorce case records when a user needs the correct office.
Apply for Horry County Marriage Records
The Horry County Probate Court application process is direct, but small details matter. The waiting period means a license is not issued the moment the application is filed. The six-month use rule means couples should not apply too early. The return rule matters after the ceremony because Probate Court needs the official copies back to complete the marriage record.
- Gather each applicant's Social Security card, resident alien identification card, or passport, plus photo identification.
- Appear together at Horry County Probate Court during the application window, or complete the notarized mail application route.
- Pay the correct license fee based on Horry County residency, South Carolina residency, out-of-state status, or active-duty military status.
- Wait 24 hours before the license is issued.
- Pick up the license during the published pickup window.
- Use the license within six months and have an authorized officiant perform the ceremony.
- Return both Probate copies within 15 days after the ceremony.
South Carolina law recognizes ministers of the Gospel, Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths, and South Carolina Notary Publics as authorized marriage officiants. Horry Probate also tells notaries to review the South Carolina Notary Public Reference Manual before performing a marriage.
Horry County Marriage Application Fields
The inspected Horry Probate material identifies the proof and application items that applicants should expect to provide. The court's mail process also shows that Probate Court needs legible identity documents and notarized signatures before it can process a license without both people standing at the counter.
| Field or Item | Required | Horry County Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant names | Yes | Both applicants complete the application. |
| Identity proof | Yes | Use valid driver's license or other photo ID. |
| Social Security or equivalent proof | Yes | Social Security card, resident alien identification card, or passport is listed. |
| Residency status | Yes | Residency controls the Horry County, South Carolina, or out-of-state fee tier. |
| Notarized signatures for mail | Mail only | The mail application must be signed before a notary. |
| Incarcerated applicant page | If applicable | The incarcerated applicant completes page 4 before jail staff, with notarization or identity verification by phone. |
The official Horry County marriage license service page is the source for local license windows, mail requirements, and certified-copy fees.
Those local Probate Court instructions control the Horry County marriage records application steps more than a generic state summary.
Horry County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Horry County Probate publishes marriage-license and certified marriage-copy amounts. The inspected Horry Clerk source did not publish ordinary divorce-copy or certification fees, so those amounts should be confirmed with the Clerk's Family Court division before ordering a decree or file copy. Do not treat an online case search result as a certified copy.
| Item | Amount or Caveat |
|---|---|
| Marriage license, Horry County residents | $50 |
| Marriage license, South Carolina residents | $75 |
| Marriage license, out-of-state residents and all others | $115 |
| Marriage license, active-duty military | $50 |
| Certified marriage copy, 1994 to current | $5 |
| Certified marriage copy before 1994 | $10 research fee plus $5 per copy |
| Credit or debit card use | Accepted in office and online; processing fee applies |
| Divorce decree or Family Court copy | Confirm current copy and certification cost with Clerk Family Court |
County administrative FOIA fees are separate from court-file fees. Horry County Public Information lists $25 per hour for staff time and $0.15 per standard page, but that office is a fallback for county administrative records, not the first path for certified divorce decrees.
Search Horry County Marriage Records
Certified Horry County marriage records are requested from Probate Court. Available channels include in-person service at Probate Court, mail request forms, the online process where available from the Probate page, and phone contact at 843-915-5370. People searching older Horry marriage records should plan for the pre-1994 research fee noted by Probate Court.
Mail applications and copy requests need more care than counter service because the Probate Court must be able to read the identification copies, match the fee, and verify notarized signatures. A mailed license application takes approximately five days from mailing date to receive, according to the local Probate instructions. The special incarcerated-applicant process should be followed exactly when one applicant cannot appear or sign outside custody.
For the marriage-law side of the process, South Carolina Title 20 Chapter 1 includes marriage provisions such as officiant authority.
The statute source supports the officiant and return instructions used by Horry County Probate Court.
Find Horry County Divorce Records
Horry County divorce records are Family Court records. The access chain starts with the South Carolina Family Court Public Portal and the Clerk of Court Family Court division at 843-915-5081. The Clerk forms page also provides a Divorce Packet and individual divorce documents through SCCourts. In-person and mail requests go through the Clerk rather than Probate Court.
Divorce files can include pleadings, orders, support issues, custody issues, alimony, division of marital property, and related family filings. Some of that material may be public, while adoption records, juvenile records, minor names, financial identifiers, sealed orders, and sensitive support or custody material may be restricted or redacted. South Carolina's personal-identifier redaction rule also affects online display of court and official records.
Divorce law is in South Carolina Title 20 Chapter 3, which is separate from the Probate Court marriage-license process.
The divorce statute source reinforces that Horry County divorce records are court case files rather than Probate Court certificate records.
Related estate issues after a death belong with Horry County Probate Court, but a divorce decree or Family Court order should be requested through the Clerk and Family Court channels.
Certified Horry County Family Copies
Certified copies are used when a person must prove the record outside the search portal, such as a marriage certificate for name change or a divorce decree for benefits, remarriage, or property matters. For marriage certificates, Horry Probate publishes the fee tiers and copy windows. For divorce decrees, contact Clerk Family Court because the inspected Clerk material did not locate a public copy-fee table.
South Carolina public access laws support inspection and copying of nonexempt records, but court files can still be limited by sealed orders, juvenile confidentiality, adoption restrictions, mental-health confidentiality, and redaction rules. A missing online result is not proof that no Horry County marriage or divorce record exists.
Note: Public Index and portal results are useful for lookup, but certified copies require the proper Horry County court office.