Union County South Carolina Death Index

Union County is in the northwestern part of South Carolina and has a strong record-keeping history. The death index for Union County begins with statewide registration in January 1915, but the city of Union kept death records even before that date, making it one of a small group of South Carolina municipalities with pre-1915 death records. This guide covers how to search the Union County death index and how to access death records through county and state resources.

Union County Death Index History

Union County was created on March 12, 1785 from Ninety Six District and named for the "Union" church, a log meetinghouse shared by several denominations that could not yet afford separate buildings. The county courthouse is located at 2322 East Main Street, Union, SC 29379, phone 864-429-1630. There is no known history of courthouse disasters in Union County, which means records have been better preserved here than in many South Carolina counties that lost records to fires or war.

Union County is one of a small group of South Carolina municipalities with death records predating statewide registration. Union City kept death records before 1915, joining Charleston (records from 1821), Georgetown (records from 1883), and Spartanburg as exceptions to the general rule. This makes Union County an important research location for families tracing 19th-century deaths in the South Carolina Upstate. The Ancestry collection South Carolina Death Records, 1821-1955 includes Union City death records from 1900 and 1913-1914.

Statewide registration began January 1, 1915. From that date, all deaths in Union County were filed with the state. The full record structure for the county includes court records from 1785, land records from 1778, probate records from 1777, and census records from 1790, giving researchers extensive context to build around death record findings.

The Union County directory at sccounties.org lists current county officials including the coroner's office contact information.

Union County Coroner Office

The Union County Coroner is William Holcombe. The mailing address is PO Box 345, Union, SC 29379-0345. The phone number is (864) 427-3665. The coroner is an elected county official with jurisdiction over all deaths investigated by the office. Under SC Code Title 17, Chapter 5, the coroner investigates all suspicious and violent deaths, deaths outside hospitals or nursing homes, and deaths occurring less than 24 hours after hospital admission.

The coroner signs death certificates, issues burial removal permits, and authorizes cremations. Death certificates are not issued by the coroner directly. They are filed electronically with the South Carolina Department of Public Health. The coroner's investigations produce records that feed into the Union County death index dating back to 1915. For pre-1915 deaths, researchers should consult the early Union City records, probate files, church burial records, and cemetery inscriptions.

Online Death Index Sources for Union County

Several free and subscription databases include Union County death records. The free SC DPH Death Indexes 1915-1967 cover all Union County deaths registered with the state during that period. The index includes name, sex, age, race, and date of death. It is the best starting point before ordering a certified copy.

The Ancestor Hunt site lists all free South Carolina death record collections by county, including Union County. Key collections include South Carolina Deaths and Burials 1816-1990 on FamilySearch (free index), South Carolina Deaths 1915-1965 on FamilySearch (free index and images), South Carolina Deaths on MyHeritage 1915-1943 (index and images), and South Carolina Death Records 1821-1969 on Ancestry (subscription). The CSI: Dixie database holds 1,583 coroner reports from six South Carolina counties for the years 1800-1900, which may include early Union County entries.

Marriage records from July 1911 to December 1950 are held by the Union County Clerk at PO Box G, Union, SC 29379. Marriage records often accompany death research when tracking families across generations.

The Ancestor Hunt site at the URL above is a comprehensive guide to free online South Carolina death records, including all Union County collections and where to find them.

Note: Union County probate records date back to 1777, making them one of the oldest continuous probate record sets in the state. These records are a rich source of pre-1915 death information.

Requesting Union County Death Certificates

Certified copies of death certificates from 1915 forward are issued by the South Carolina Department of Public Health. The state office is at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, phone (803) 898-3630. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and Wednesday 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. 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. Additional copies cost $3 each. A valid photo ID is required. South Carolina law under Title 44, Chapter 63 restricts records less than 50 years old to immediate family and legal representatives. Records 50 years and older are open to any member of the public. For genealogical research, the SC Department of Archives and History holds microfilm copies of death certificates from 1915 to 1963 at lower cost than certified copies. The archives are at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223.

Nearby County Death Records

Union County borders Cherokee, Spartanburg, Laurens, Newberry, and Chester counties. Deaths are recorded in the county where they occurred, so check the neighboring county if needed.

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