York County Marriage License Office
York County marriage licenses are issued by York County Probate Court, not by Family Court and not by the Circuit Court clerk counter. The elected probate judge is Carolyn E. Woodruff. The office is temporarily operating on the second floor of Moss Justice Center because the Historical Courthouse at 2 South Congress Street is closed for renovations for an indefinite period. The Probate Court mailing address remains P.O. Box 219, York, SC 29745, and the office phone is 803-684-8513.
Marriage license applications may be made from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but York County requires an appointment because the court has a high filing volume. A license issued in York County may be used only for a ceremony performed in South Carolina. The local application fee is $50, payable by cash, check, or money order. If the couple completes a qualifying premarital preparation course before applying and presents the certificate at the application, the county source notes a possible $50 non-refundable state income tax credit under South Carolina marriage law.
The South Carolina marriage-law source is one of the state references used with York County marriage records.
That state-law context matters because a York County license is a local probate record, but its use is limited to ceremonies performed within South Carolina.
Apply for York County Marriage Records
Applicants should treat the appointment rule as the first step, not as an optional courtesy. Probate Court also states that certified copy pickup or drop-off does not require an appointment, so the rules differ depending on whether the couple is applying for a new license or only requesting a copy of an existing York County marriage record.
- Call York County Probate Court at 803-684-8513 or use probate2@yorkcountygov.com to schedule the marriage license appointment.
- Go to the Probate Court temporary location on the second floor of Moss Justice Center at the appointed time.
- Apply between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on a weekday.
- Bring required identification and confirm any document details with Probate Court before the appointment, because the reviewed official source text did not expose a full ID checklist.
- Pay the $50 fee by cash, check, or money order.
- Bring a qualifying premarital preparation certificate if seeking the South Carolina tax-credit option.
- After recording, request copies online through South Carolina Probate Search or by mail with payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
York County Marriage Application Facts
The official York County Probate Court page did not expose a full web or PDF application field inventory in the reviewed sources, so the table below preserves only the facts that were confirmed. This avoids inventing application fields while still giving a practical checklist for a York County marriage records request.
| Application item | Confirmed? | York County note |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment | Yes | Required for marriage license applications due to high filing volume. |
| Application time | Yes | Applications may be made 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. |
| Identification | Not fully captured | Bring required ID, but confirm the exact list with Probate Court before arrival. |
| Payment | Yes | $50 by cash, check, or money order. |
| Premarital course certificate | Conditional | May support the state tax-credit option if completed before applying. |
| Use of license | Yes | The license may be used only for a South Carolina ceremony. |
Note: The official ID checklist was not located in the reviewed sources, so applicants should call Probate Court before the appointment.
York County Marriage and Divorce Fees
York County published specific fees for local marriage license work and online probate document printing, but the reviewed sources did not locate a York-specific divorce filing fee or certified divorce decree fee. Divorce copy users should call Family Court or the Clerk of Court before mailing payment.
| Item | Amount | Where handled |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license application | $50 | York County Probate Court |
| Marriage copy by mail | $5 per requested copy plus self-addressed stamped envelope | York County Probate Court |
| Online estate document printing | $2 per document | South Carolina Probate Search |
| Divorce filing fee | Not located in reviewed York sources | Family Court or Clerk of Court |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Not located in reviewed York sources | Family Court or Clerk of Court |
Look Up York County Marriage Records
Recorded York County marriage licenses can be searched through South Carolina Probate Search. Choose York Marriage from the county dropdown rather than York Probate. The same system also supports copy ordering for marriage records. A mail copy request must include $5 per requested copy and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Certified copy pickup or drop-off does not require an appointment, which is a different rule from the appointment required for a new marriage license application.
The probate search fields are useful when searching a marriage record by name. The form includes a county dropdown, case number, last or business name, first name, middle name, a checkbox to include surrounding counties, and search or clear buttons. The statewide probate search instructions allow a percent sign before search criteria as a wildcard. York Probate cautions that name spelling matters, so try the legal spelling first.
The South Carolina Family Court Public Index is relevant to divorce files, not marriage licenses.
This distinction keeps a York County marriage records search in Probate Court and a York County divorce records search in Family Court.
Find York County Divorce Records
Divorce cases are Family Court records in York County. They are not Probate Court records, even though Probate Court issues marriage licenses. York Family Court is at 1555 West Main Street, Rock Hill, SC 29732, phone 803-909-7100, fax 803-909-7140, with weekday hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Certified divorce decrees and orders should be requested from Family Court or the Clerk of Court, using the case number and party names when known.
Public divorce case status may appear through the South Carolina Family Court public portal when the matter is public and not sealed. Domestic cases can include support, custody, and minor-related details, so parts of a file may be confidential. Child support users may also need the Family Court support caseworker split by payor last name: A-D at 803-909-7108, E-J at 803-909-7104, K-P at 803-909-7106, and Q-Z at 803-909-7107.
| Need | First channel | Backup channel |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage license application | Probate Court appointment | Call 803-684-8513 |
| Marriage copy search | South Carolina Probate Search, York Marriage | Probate Court mail or counter copy |
| Divorce case status | Family Court public portal when public | York Family Court |
| Certified divorce order | Family Court or Clerk of Court | Call before mailing payment |
| Restricted domestic file | Direct Family Court access | Court order or party/legal access may be required |
Certified York County Copies
A certified marriage copy is a probate or vital record copy. A divorce decree is a court order from a Family Court case. That difference controls where the request goes. For marriage copies, use South Carolina Probate Search or mail York County Probate Court with $5 per requested copy and a self-addressed stamped envelope. For divorce decrees, contact York Family Court or the Clerk of Court because the official county sources reviewed did not confirm an online certified decree order path.
South Carolina DPH may issue certified marriage records for covered periods, but York Probate Court remains the local source for licenses issued in York County and for records outside the DPH coverage windows. Records before July 1950 and records after recent DPH coverage windows may need to be obtained from the county Probate Court where the license was issued.
State Vital Record Fallback
The state vital record fallback is useful when a certified marriage certificate falls within the South Carolina Department of Public Health coverage period. It is not the right path for a divorce decree. Divorce orders remain with Family Court and the Clerk of Court record system. If a name change, debt issue, or federal filing arose after a divorce, those documents may be in a separate court system rather than the York County divorce file.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina is a separate federal court source, not a York County marriage or divorce record office.
That separation helps when a divorce-related debt question points to federal bankruptcy records instead of a Family Court decree.
The PACER South Carolina Bankruptcy lookup is the federal electronic filing lookup for that separate bankruptcy court.
Use PACER only for federal bankruptcy case access, while York County divorce records remain with Family Court.