Find Sumter County Death Index Records

Sumter County is located in the heart of South Carolina, with the county seat also named Sumter. The death index for Sumter County begins with statewide registration in January 1915. The county coroner leads all death investigations and works with SLED, the Medical University of South Carolina, and state agencies on complex cases. This guide covers how to search the Sumter County death index and how to request death certificates through the local vital records office and the state system.

Sumter County Coroner and Death Investigations

Sumter County Coroner Robert M. Baker Jr., known as Robbie Baker, leads death investigations across the county. The coroner's office is located at 129 E. Hampton Ave., Sumter, SC 29150. The primary phone is (803) 436-2111 and the fax is (803) 436-2495. Email is coroner@sumtercountysc.gov. An alternate address is 141 North Main Street, Sumter, SC 29150. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

The coroner investigates all suspicious and violent deaths, deaths outside hospitals or nursing homes, and deaths occurring less than 24 hours after hospital admission. Autopsies are performed at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Coroner Baker has been active in cold case work and identifying unknown remains. In 2025, his office partnered with SLED's Forensic Art unit to identify skull remains of a man presumed dead for decades. The remains were found in December 2023 near St. Pauls Church Road. Coroner Baker has held 40 to 45 services for unidentified or unclaimed remains since taking office.

The coroner coordinates with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office and South Carolina Highway Patrol on all major death investigations. Under SC Code Title 17, Chapter 5, the coroner has authority to conduct inquests and determine cause of death for all cases under coroner jurisdiction. The coroner signs death certificates, issues burial removal permits, and authorizes cremations.

The Sumter County government portal at sumtercountysc.gov connects residents to all county departments and elected offices.

Sumter County Coroner Office Resources

The Sumter County Coroner's Office page provides contact details and outlines what the coroner's office handles. The county is notable for having strong ties to Shaw Air Force Base, and the coroner's office works with military branches on deaths involving military personnel stationed at the base.

Sumter County key community resources include the Court System, the Greater Sumter Chamber of Commerce, Sumter County Library, Sumter Museum, and Patriot Hall. The Sumter County Library holds local history materials and can be a resource for pre-1915 death research using obituaries, family histories, and church records.

Note: Sumter is described as "Right in the heart of South Carolina," and its central location means the county seat is within reasonable driving distance of the state vital records office in Columbia.

Sumter County Vital Records Office Location

The Sumter County Vital Records office has moved temporarily due to renovations. The temporary location as of July 2025 is 141 N. Main St., Sumter, SC 29150. The regular location is undergoing renovations that were expected to be complete by June 2026. The Sumter County Health Department has also moved temporarily to 407 N. Salem Ave., Sumter, phone (803) 773-5511. The local vital records office can issue death certificates for deaths occurring in Sumter County within the last five years.

For deaths older than five years, certified copies are issued by the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. Mail requests go to SC Department of Public Health, Vital Records Section, P.O. Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171. The standard fee is $12 per certificate. Under Title 44, Chapter 63, records less than 50 years old are restricted to immediate family and legal representatives. Records 50 years and older are public.

The SC DPH office locations page has the most current addresses and hours for all vital records offices in South Carolina, including any updates to the Sumter office during the renovation period.

Searching the Sumter County Death Index Online

The free SC DPH Death Indexes 1915-1967 cover all Sumter County deaths registered with the state during that period. The index includes name, sex, date of death, race, and age. It is the fastest starting point for Sumter County death research. Once you find an entry, you can order the full certificate from the state or local vital records office.

FamilySearch offers South Carolina Deaths 1915-1965 as a free index with images, and South Carolina Deaths and Burials 1816-1990 as a free index. Both collections include Sumter County entries. The Ancestry collection South Carolina Death Records 1821-1969 has index and images and requires a subscription, but it is accessible free at public libraries and FamilySearch centers. The Ancestor Hunt site lists all available free South Carolina death record databases.

For genealogists who do not need certified copies, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds microfilm of death certificates from 1915 to 1963, available at lower cost than certified copies from the state office.

Cities in Sumter County

Sumter County includes the city of Sumter, the county seat. Death records for all residents are filed through the county coroner and the state vital records system.

The city of Sumter shares its name with the county. All death records for city residents go through the Sumter County death index and the state system in Columbia.

Nearby County Death Records

Sumter County borders Richland, Kershaw, Lee, Clarendon, Calhoun, and Orangeburg counties. Check the right county if you are not sure where a death occurred.

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