Florence Death Index Records
Florence is the county seat of Florence County in the northeastern part of South Carolina. The city holds a rare distinction among South Carolina municipalities: Florence maintained ledger entries of births and deaths from 1895 to 1914, predating the statewide death registration system. For modern death records, the SC Department of Public Health manages the official death index for Florence residents. This guide covers how to search the Florence death index, access local resources, and find both modern and pre-1915 death records for this historic city.
Florence Quick Facts
Accessing Florence Death Index Records
The SC DPH Vital Records office handles all certified death certificates for Florence residents. The state office is at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. For Florence residents who want local in-person assistance, the SC DPH has a regional office at 1705 W Evans St, Florence, SC 29501, phone (843) 413-6440. This local Florence DPH office is the most convenient option for in-person requests without traveling to Columbia.
Death certificates are available for Florence deaths from January 1, 1915 forward through the state system. For the pre-1915 ledger records maintained by the City of Florence, contact the Florence County Health Department or the SC Archives. These early city ledger entries from 1895 to 1914 are one of the few pre-state registration vital record collections in South Carolina outside of Charleston.
| Local DPH Office | SC DPH Florence Regional |
|---|---|
| Address | 1705 W Evans St Florence, SC 29501 |
| Phone | (843) 413-6440 |
| State Office | 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201 |
| State Phone | (803) 898-3630 |
Note: Florence is one of the very few South Carolina cities that maintained city-level death records before 1915. The pre-1915 ledgers from 1895 to 1914 are on file at the Florence County Health Department.
Florence City Government and Records
The City of Florence provides local government services and is the county seat of Florence County. The city does not issue death certificates directly. All certified death records are obtained through the SC DPH. The city website provides information on city departments, including the Municipal Clerk and Municipal Court, which may hold records relevant to death-related legal matters.
The Florence city portal connects residents to city services, while death certificates are handled by the SC DPH system.
The Florence Municipal Court handles city-level legal matters and ordinance violations. If a death in Florence involved a municipal court case, those records may be available through the court office. Municipal court records are separate from death certificates and coroner records. For county-level criminal matters connected to a Florence death, the Florence County Clerk of Court is the appropriate contact.
Municipal court records and death certificates are separate systems that may both contain information relevant to a death research project in Florence.
Florence Municipal Clerk and Public Records
The Florence Municipal Clerk maintains official city records and handles public records requests under South Carolina FOIA law. The municipal clerk is not a source for death certificates, but holds city governance records, meeting minutes, and ordinance documents. For any death-related city records, the clerk's office is the right starting point within city government. Vital records remain a state function through the SC DPH.
The municipal clerk handles city-level public records, which are separate from the state vital records system that holds Florence death certificates.
Marriage licenses for Florence County residents are obtained through the Florence County Probate Court at 181 N Irby St, Florence, SC 29506, phone (843) 665-3096. Marriage records are separate from death records but are often researched together in genealogy work. For death records, always start with the SC DPH Florence regional office or the state office in Columbia.
Pre-1915 Florence Death Records
Florence City maintained ledger entries of births and deaths from 1895 to 1914. This makes Florence one of only a handful of South Carolina cities with a pre-statewide registration vital records collection. These ledger records are on file at the Florence County Health Department. They predate the January 1, 1915 start date for statewide registration and fill a gap that most South Carolina cities cannot fill.
For deaths before 1895, researchers must rely on church records, cemetery registers, and county historical collections. The SC Archives at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223 holds historical Florence County records and microfilmed vital data. Florence County was formed in 1888, so county-level records from before that date fall under older county structures. The SC Archives staff can help identify which collections are relevant for Florence family history research.
FamilySearch and Ancestry hold indexed South Carolina vital records including Florence County data from various periods. For the standard statewide registration era from 1915 forward, the free SC DPH death index is the primary search tool.
Searching Florence Death Records Online
The SC DPH free online death index covers 1915 through 1967 and includes Florence deaths filed under Florence County. Access it at dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/indexes-data/death-indexes-1915-1967. The index shows names, dates, and county. For deaths after 1967, submit a formal request to the SC DPH. Online orders go through gocertificates.com or VitalChek at 1-877-284-1008. Certified copies cost $12, with $3 for each additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.
Under Title 44, Chapter 63 of South Carolina law, death records are restricted for 50 years. After that they are public. The Ancestor Hunt blog lists free online South Carolina death record indexes, including sources covering Florence County. This is a helpful reference before committing to a paid records request.
The Florence County Coroner handles death investigations in Florence under Title 17, Chapter 5 of South Carolina law. Coroner records from Florence investigations are separate from the death certificate and require a direct request to the Florence County Coroner's Office. These records are available to next of kin and legal representatives.
Florence County Death Records
Florence is the county seat of Florence County. All death records for the city are part of the Florence County vital records system. Visit the Florence County death records page for county-level resources, coroner contact details, and additional research tools.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Select a nearby city to find death index resources for that area of South Carolina.