weddingA $40 to $120 license from the Probate Court, a 24 hour wait, and a license that does not expire. Here is every step, what a courthouse wedding costs, and how a $35,000 South Carolina wedding compares.
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The average South Carolina wedding costs about 875 times the license. Bars use a log scale so the small fees stay visible.
License fee from South Carolina official sources, see our South Carolina requirements page. State and US averages: The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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From the Probate Court counter to a recorded marriage, in the order you do it.
Both of you must be at least 18 (16 with parental consent). You do not need to live in South Carolina. No blood test.
Bring valid photo ID. If either of you was married before, have the date the last marriage ended. Your county may ask for more, so check its list before you go.
IllustrativeApply together at the Probate Court and pay the license fee ($40 to $120).
South Carolina has a waiting period: 24 hours.
IllustrativeOrdained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders. Witnesses: None. The license is valid for as long as you need, it does not expire.
The signed license goes back to the issuing office to be recorded. Order certified copies for name changes, insurance and benefits.
Need the document list and county fees? See South Carolina marriage license requirements or the national how to get a marriage license guide.
Any time, at least 24 hours before, it does not expire.
| Rule | South Carolina (2026) |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | Probate Court |
| License fee | $40 to $120, varies by county probate court (Colleton and Williamsburg counties $40; Charleston County $70; Horry County $55 resident to $120 out-of-state) |
| Waiting period | 24 hours |
| License valid for | No expiration |
| Minimum age | 18 (16 with parental consent) |
| Witnesses | None |
| Officiant | Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders. Officers authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina, including judges, magistrates, and notaries public. The chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized in South Carolina. |
| Common-law marriage | Not recognized |
Probate Court
$40 to $120, varies by county probate court (Colleton and Williamsburg counties $40; Charleston County $70; Horry County $55 resident to $120 out-of-state)
24 hours
No expiration
18 (16 with parental consent)
None
Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders. Officers authorized to administer oaths in South Carolina, including judges, magistrates, and notaries public. The chief or spiritual leader of a Native American Indian entity recognized in South Carolina.
Not recognized
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In Greenville County the clerk's office handles the paperwork but does not marry couples, so you bring the officiant. Here is how that works, checked against the official page, and how it compares with a full wedding.
Source: Greenville County Probate Court, Marriage Licenses, checked October 2026. Other counties set their own rules and fees.
Courthouse column from the county source above. Wedding cost from The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study; venue and officiant lead times from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist. See courthouse wedding costs explained.
A short news report on couples choosing courthouse ceremonies as wedding costs rise. Worth two minutes before you weigh a civil ceremony against a $35,000 South Carolina wedding.
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$40 to $120
is the license fee to marry in South Carolina. The average wedding there runs $35,000.
Illustrative image, not a specific South Carolina venue.South Carolina runs $800 over the US average. Rank 1 is the most expensive state.
State averages are the same figures as our wedding cost calculator. US average $34,200, per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study.
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The license is the easy part. It only fits a short window before the day, while venues and photographers book many months out. Here is the national advice next to the South Carolina license window.
Average engagement for couples who married in 2024
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Of couples began planning about 12 months ahead
The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study (via The Plumb Club)Bars show the advice range from Zola, 2026 wedding planning checklist (updated May 2026), dots the single figure from WeddingWire, vendor booking timeline (2018). These are planning advice, not survey data, and Zola gives two figures for some vendors (venue 11 months in its timeline, 12 to 18 in its FAQ). The license bar comes from South Carolina rules.
Any time, at least 24 hours before, it does not expire. The 24 hours wait runs from when the license is issued.
South Carolina license rules
IllustrativeClerk offices close on holidays and some only take appointments. Dodge County, Wisconsin, for one, tells couples to apply two to three weeks before the wedding.
Dodge County, Wisconsin, County Clerk
IllustrativeZola puts the venue 12 to 18 months out, photographers and caterers 9 to 12, and save the dates 6 to 8. The license comes last, inside the South Carolina window above. Zola's 2026 report also found a few couples now book a venue before they are even engaged (7%, up from 6%).
Zola First Look Report 2026
Illustrative photos: courthouse steps, regional settings and the guest shots couples collect afterwards.
of couples in The Knot 2025 Real Weddings Study married in October, the most popular month in the US. Your own state's peak can sit elsewhere, so check the strip.
The Knot Worldwide, 2025 Real Weddings Study releaseSouth Carolina weddings peak from March through May and again from October through early November. Charleston's spring weekends are the most competitive dates, so plan to book a year or more ahead. Summer humidity is hard on outdoor ceremonies, and coastal hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30.
Best month to get married
Waterfront ceremonies are a big part of the wedding scene here.
Illustrative image, not a specific South Carolina venue.
IllustrativeOne of the most beautiful cities in America with cobblestone streets, pastel row houses, and centuries of history.
IllustrativeBarrier island resorts, moss-draped oaks, and the relaxed elegance of the South Carolina coast.
IllustrativeBlue Ridge Mountain foothills, waterfalls, and Greenville's revitalized downtown along the Reedy River.
Late March through May is Charleston's busiest window, so plan to book a year or more ahead, especially for Saturdays. Camellias bloom in March and azaleas in early April. October is the second peak, with milder weather.
South Carolina law requires 24 hours between the application and the issuing of the license. The fee varies by county probate court ($40 to $120), the license does not expire, and no blood test is required. Apply Monday and you can usually pick up the license and marry Tuesday.
Charleston gives you historic architecture, a walkable district and a deep vendor pool. Hilton Head gives you resort infrastructure, golf course backdrops and beach ceremonies. Pick Charleston if the city is part of the experience, and Hilton Head if you want a self-contained resort weekend.
No. Once issued, a South Carolina license does not expire, so you can marry on any later date. The 24 hour wait runs from the application to the issuing of the license. The probate court is the issuing office, and no witnesses are required by state law.
IllustrativeSouth Carolina requires 24 hours between the license application and the issuing of the license (S.C. Code Title 20, Chapter 1). Fees vary by county probate court: $40 in Colleton and Williamsburg counties, $70 in Charleston County, and $55 to $120 in Horry County. The license does not expire once issued. No witnesses are required by state law, though some county forms include an optional witness line. South Carolina stopped recognizing new common-law marriages on July 24, 2019 (Stone v. Thompson) but still recognizes those formed before that date. Notaries public can officiate alongside clergy and judges.
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Short answers on cost, license, waiting period, courthouse and witnesses in South Carolina.
The legal minimum is the marriage license: $40 to $120 in South Carolina. The Greenville County office does not perform ceremonies, so any officiant you book is a separate cost. The average South Carolina wedding runs about $35,000 per The Knot 2026 Real Weddings Study, against a US average of $34,200. That ranks South Carolina #14 of 50 states by average cost.
1. Check you can marry. 2. Gather your documents. 3. Apply at the Probate Court. 4. Wait 24 hours. 5. Hold the ceremony. 6. Return the license, order copies. The full step list is above.
A South Carolina marriage license costs $40 to $120, varies by county probate court (Colleton and Williamsburg counties $40; Charleston County $70; Horry County $55 resident to $120 out-of-state). You apply at the Probate Court.
Yes: 24 hours. The license is valid for an unlimited time, it does not expire.
Not at the clerk's counter in Greenville County. The Probate Court does not perform weddings. Couples use a magistrate, notary or minister, and the county points to a list of notaries. A South Carolina license works anywhere in the state. Other counties in South Carolina may differ, so call the office where you plan to marry.
No witnesses are required by South Carolina law. Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders.
