Getting a Marriage License in Aiken County
Marriage license applications are filed with Aiken County Probate Court at 109 Park Avenue SE, Room E126, in the Aiken County Judicial Center. The Probate Court mailing address is P.O. Box 1576, Aiken, SC 29802-1576. The main probate phone is 803-642-2002, the fax is 803-642-2007, and the directory lists 803-642-2009 for marriage licenses. Application hours are Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The county's official Marriage Applications and Licenses page is the local source for the application rules.
That county page is important because Aiken Probate does not accept an application by mail, telephone, fax, one party only, or proxy. Both applicants must appear physically, and the license cannot be issued until the mandatory 24-hour waiting period has passed.
Applicants need valid government-issued identification, such as a driver's license, state ID, military ID, passport, or visa. Each applicant must also provide a Social Security card, or an alien identification card for a resident alien without a Social Security number. Copies of those documents are not retained. Blood tests and physical examinations are not required. If a prior divorce restored a maiden name, bring the divorce decree. If a court ordered a legal name change, bring that court order.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
The Aiken County process is office-based and timing matters. Plan the application around the 24-hour wait, the Probate Court's weekday application hours, and the rule that the ceremony must happen in South Carolina after the license has been issued.
- Both applicants appear at Aiken County Probate Court during marriage application hours, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Each applicant brings government-issued ID and a Social Security card, or an alien identification card for a resident alien without a Social Security number.
- Bring a divorce decree if a prior divorce restored a maiden name, or a court order if a legal name change was entered.
- Pay the $45 application fee. The county accepts cash and MasterCard or Visa, does not accept personal checks, and adds a 3% card service fee.
- Wait the mandatory 24 hours from application to issuance before using the license.
- Have the ceremony performed in South Carolina by an authorized officiant. Aiken County Probate Court does not perform marriage ceremonies, and witnesses are not required.
- After the ceremony and recording, request certified copies by mail or in person using the applicants' names and date of marriage.
Application Fields and Requirements
South Carolina law requires a written marriage-license application filed with the Probate Judge at least 24 hours before issuance. The research identifies the required identity and eligibility information rather than a separate Aiken-only online form. Use the table below as a field inventory for what the office must be able to verify.
| Field or Requirement | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Both applicants present | Yes | No mail, telephone, fax, proxy, or one-party application. |
| Government-issued ID | Yes | Driver's license, state ID, military ID, passport, or visa are listed examples. |
| Social Security or alien ID | Yes | Social Security card, or alien identification card for resident aliens without SSN. |
| Written signatures | Yes | State law requires the application to be signed by both parties. |
| Prior divorce name proof | If applicable | Bring the divorce decree if a maiden name was restored. |
| Court-ordered name change | If applicable | Bring the court order for the legal name change. |
| Underage applicant documentation | If applicable | Age 16 to 18 requires consenting parent or guardian, government ID, and certified long-form birth certificate or qualifying birth record. |
| Guardian or custody papers | If applicable | Legal guardians other than parents must provide guardianship or custody documentation and two IDs, one government-issued. |
No license is issued if either applicant is under 16. Parents or guardians who give consent for an under-18 applicant must provide two forms of ID, one government-issued. If parents are divorced, custody documentation is required.
Aiken County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Only fees located in the official research are listed as dollar amounts. The Probate Court fee sheet and marriage-license page give the marriage-related amounts; the Clerk research did not locate an official certified divorce decree copy fee.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage application fee | $45.00 |
| Card service fee | 3% for MasterCard or Visa payments |
| Personal checks | Not accepted for marriage application fee |
| Certified marriage copy | $5.00 each |
| Re-issue marriage license | $35.00 |
| Divorce forms | SC Judicial Branch provides self-represented simple divorce packets; no county form fee located in research |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Fee not located in the official Clerk source reviewed |
How to Look Up Aiken County Marriage Records
Aiken County Probate Court retains marriage license records from 1911 to present, with microfilm copies available for public viewing. Certified copies of recorded licenses may be requested by mail to Aiken County Probate Court, P.O. Box 1576, Aiken, SC 29802, or in person at the Probate Court office. The required request details are the applicants' names and the date of marriage.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health maintains statewide vital-record resources. Its official Vital Records page is the state-level starting point.
Use Probate Court for Aiken County license records and certified copies issued from the county record. Use state vital-record channels when the need is statewide proof or an eligible vital-record certificate rather than courthouse file review.
The state also publishes a dedicated marriage certificates page.
The county record remains important because Aiken Probate records licenses locally, indexes returned certificates, and may issue certified copies after the ceremony record is returned and recorded.
How to Find Aiken County Divorce Records
A completed divorce record is not a marriage license record. Aiken County's FAQ routes all ended or completed Aiken County divorce records to the Clerk of Court's office, Judgment Division. The divorce case itself belongs in Family Court, which handles divorce, legal separation, custody, visitation, support, alimony, marital property division, name changes, and related domestic matters.
SC Judicial Branch provides official self-represented simple divorce packets for eligible litigants.
Those packets are for filing or responding in eligible simple divorce situations. They are not a substitute for the Clerk of Court path when the need is a certified copy of a completed Aiken County divorce decree.
South Carolina divorce grounds are listed in S.C. Code Section 20-3-10 and include adultery, desertion for one year, physical cruelty, habitual drunkenness or drug use, and one-year continuous separation. Family Court case access can be limited where juvenile or confidential domestic information is involved, so a public search does not guarantee every document is open.
South Carolina Marriage and Divorce Law Sources
The South Carolina Code places the marriage-license requirement in Chapter 1 of Title 20. The official South Carolina marriage statutes include the requirement to obtain a license before the ceremony and to file a written application with the Probate Judge at least 24 hours before issuance.
Those statutes explain why Aiken County requires both applicants, written application information, and post-ceremony recording. Section 20-1-340 requires the returned certificate to be recorded and indexed and one copy sent to state vital statistics within 15 days.
The official South Carolina divorce statutes page contains the grounds and divorce provisions that support Family Court divorce filings.
For record access, the practical split remains local: Probate Court for marriage licenses and certified marriage copies, Clerk of Court and Family Court records for decrees and completed divorce case documents, and SC DPH for eligible statewide vital-record certificates or reports.
Getting Certified Copies
For a certified Aiken County marriage copy, request through Probate Court by mail or in person and provide both applicants' names and the date of marriage. The official fee located in the research is $5 per certified marriage copy. For a completed divorce decree, contact the Aiken County Clerk of Court and ask for the Judgment Division path because the county directs completed divorce records there.
For older marriage and probate-related historical research, Aiken Probate retains marriage-license records from 1911 to present. Estate record routing is different, but it shows the same courthouse-versus-archive pattern: some older original records are held by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, while Aiken Probate keeps microfilm copies available for public viewing for certain older probate materials.