Find Free Greenville County Divorce Records: Obtain Documents

Search free Greenville County divorce records today in no time via the lookup tools in this step-by-step resource.

A divorce is a dissolution of marriage, legally ending the matrimony. This is a court proceeding, and courts are one of the records custodians that maintain divorce records.

Courts and other government agencies may offer online databases that show divorce case information at no cost. Find out below how you can perform a Greenville County, South Carolina divorce records search.

How To Access Greenville County Divorce Records for Free

If you are looking for public divorce records in Greenville County, South Carolina, you are in luck. As mentioned above, divorces are court proceedings. Specifically, divorces are family court proceedings, and like most court records, they are made available unless the case has been sealed or expunged.

The Greenville County Family Court resolves all divorce cases in the area.¹ The court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear domestic disputes. The Greenville County Clerk of Court maintains all case files and is where interested researchers can check to obtain divorce-related information.

You can reach the court clerk using the information provided below.

Greenville County Clerk of Court
Greenville County Courthouse
305 East North St.
Greenville, South Carolina 29601

Phone: 864.467.8551
Email: [email protected]

The fastest and most reliable method is by using the free online Greenville County Family Court Search.² You can use this platform to search family court cases, including divorces, by case number or party name. It is unlikely that you will know by hand a divorce-specific case number, so the party search is probably the best method.

To conduct a party search, which is a name-based search, insert the last name followed by a comma and a space, then the first name. Results will offer all domestic relations cases that involve the name of the person entered into the search.

Under ‘Nature of Action’, you can identify which cases are divorces. Use the filed date and middle name or initial of the party name to locate the correct individual.

Click on the case number to view additional divorce case information. You will be able to view the names of both parties, addresses, and attorneys.

If you want to obtain a physical copy of a divorce record, only eligible persons are allowed. This includes the spouses themselves, prior or future spouses, adult children, parents, and legal representatives. An ineligible person may still be able to obtain a statement that a divorce occurred.

Copies of public records are $0.25 per page. The Clerk of Court’s Office can certify copies for $10 per document. Cash, money order, business check, or debit or credit card are acceptable forms of payment.

Divorce records from April 1996 to the present are located at:

Greenville County Family Court
350 Halton Rd.,
Greenville, South Carolina 29607

Divorce records between 1925 to April 1996 are located at:

Greenville County Clerk’s Circuit Court Office
305 East North Street
Greenville, South Carolina 29601

How To Search Statewide Divorce Records via the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control

When a Greenville search for divorce records on the county level is unsuccessful, a South Carolina state agency may be able to assist. The South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (SCDHEC) provides divorce-ordering services for eligible and interested persons.

Only eligible persons, spouses, prior and former spouses, adult children, parents, and legal representatives may order a divorce certificate. If you are not one of the eligible persons named, you may still obtain a statement of divorce that serves as proof that a dissolution occurred.

Certified copies of divorce and statements of disunion can be ordered in person, by drop off, by mail, or online through a third-party platform. If you wish to order a dissolution record in person, by drop off, or by mail, you must first complete a Vital Records Divorce Application.³

You must provide the full name of the husband and wife, the date of the separation, the county where the divorce occurred, your signature and mailing address, your relationship to the parties, and your phone number.

There is a non-refundable $12 search fee that includes one divorce record if it is located based on the information you provide in the application. Additional copies cost $3.

The general turnaround time is 10 business days, however, you may pay an additional $5 for expedited services unless the request is submitted by mail. The turnaround for mail orders is 4 weeks.

If the request is made in person, the fees may be paid by debit credit or cash. If the request is submitted by mail, you may only pay by money order or cashier’s check made payable to the South Carolina DHEC. Orders will not be processed unless they are accompanied by a valid and current government, school, or employer-issued ID or photocopy of the ID.

In-person, drop-off, and mailed applications may only be submitted at the Columbia office located at:

South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control
Vital Records
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Phone: 803.898.3630
Email: [email protected]

Divorce records may also be ordered online through VitalChek, a third-party platform endorsed by the South Carolina state government. Only persons named on the record, their adult children, and present or former spouses may order via this method. Moreover, there is an additional $12.85 charge when using this service.

The South Carolina Judicial Branch provides the public with a free Case Records Search, that allows anyone to look up divorce records information statewide.⁴ If you know the case number for the divorce, enter it to locate the case information. Otherwise, to use the service click on the county of interest to begin.

Because a divorce is a judgment issued by a court, select ‘Judgment’ in the ‘Case Type’ drop-down menu. Under the ‘Case Sub Type’ drop-down menu, select divorce.

Enter a party with the divorce’ last and first name. Including a middle name would also be helpful to narrow the results. Then click on search.

Results will show you divorce cases that involve a person with the same name as the individual you entered into the search bar.

Click on the case number to review the divorce case information. You will be able to learn the names and addresses of both parties, the race, sex, and date of birth, the attorney’s name, the filing date, and the judgment date.

The South Carolina Judicial Branch is located at the Supreme Court Building. Contact the Supreme Court for more information.

South Carolina Supreme Court
1231 Gervais St.
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Phone: 803.734.1080

The South Carolina Department of Social Services provides various services for families in the state. Researchers can use the Family Court Public Access portal to look up divorce case information.⁶

This is a name-based search that only requires a user to enter a person’s last name. You should also include the first, and middle name if known, to ensure the most accurate results.

Select ‘Domestic Relations’ under ‘Case Type’, and ‘Marital Dissolution’ under ‘Case Category’ to exclusively search divorce cases. You may also narrow it further by selecting a county jurisdiction.

When results are generated you will see cases that involve the same name as the person entered into the search bar. You can see the case description, which will include the other spouse, the county where it occurred, and the filing date. Click on the case number to view additional divorce case information, like the register of actions that show the important dates and events that occurred during the proceeding.

You can also view the attorneys and case status.

If you have general questions concerning this platform, call the South Carolina DSS:

South Carolina Department of Social Services
1535 Confederate Ave.
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Phone: 803.898.7601
Email: [email protected]

South Carolina does not offer a divorce index. The state also does not recognize common law divorce. If you want to obtain divorce records, you must use one of the methods described above.

The Availability of Divorce Records in Greenville County South Carolina

According to South Carolina Code 44-63-86, only certain persons may obtain certified copies of divorce records: the parties named on the dissolution record, their adult children, a former or present spouse of either party or a legal representative.⁷

However, the law carves out an exception that permits agencies to issue statements of divorce to other applicants. This exception is within the agency’s discretion.

Divorce decrees – final judgments may only be obtained from the county family court where the event took place. This is different from divorce papers, which are the initial filings that begin the event.

If the state or a county agency does not provide you with a divorce record, you may look to a third-party provider to assist. However, unless the third-party provider is endorsed by South Carolina or a county or local agency, any record you receive cannot be used for any official purpose.

Do not delay your Greenville County divorce records search; use the guidance throughout this streamlined resource to find out who has dissolved their marriage here.