County and State Records

Ready to take your research deeper? This learning pathway will guide you through using county and state records—like estate files, property deeds, and vital records—to uncover more about your ancestors' lives and connections.

 

Before You Begin

County and State Records is the third course in our genealogy training series. If you haven’t gone through Genealogy Basics or Genealogy Next Steps yet, we recommend starting there to get the most out of this course.

 

Vital records are one of the foundations of family history research because they document significant life events. These documents include birth, marriage, and death records.

Did you know you can request vital records online? Order records by filling out a Record Request Form. The Library offers up to five free record requests per month for Vital Records to Greenville County residents with a valid library card and non-residents who have purchased a library card. Others may request records for a nominal fee.

  • Birth Records

    State Level, 1915 to Present
    Birth records in South Carolina are held by the South Carolina Department of Public Health. In South Carolina, birth certificates become public records 100 years after the date of birth. Publicly available birth certificates are available to view online via the South Carolina Electronic Records Archive.

  • Marriage Records

    County Level, 1911 to Present
    For Greenville County, you can find an index to marriage licenses through the Greenville County Probate Court Marriage License Index available online. Copies of marriage licenses from (1911–1995) are available on microfilm in the SC Room.

    • Tip: Note the license number listed in the Marriage License Index for your ancestor. This will allow you to locate the marriage license on microfilm in the SC Room.
    • Tip: Are you unable to visit the SC Room in person to view the record on microfilm? No problem! You can order records from home by filling out a Record Request Form.
  • Death Records

    1990-present
    Death records, like birth records, are kept by the South Carolina Department of Public Health. South Carolina death certificates become public records 50 years after the date of death. The South Carolina Death Certificate Index is available online. Once you locate your ancestor in the Death Certificate Index, you can view the death certificate on microfilm in the SC Room.

    • Tip: Note the date of death and the death certificate number listed in the South Carolina Death Certificate Index for your ancestor. This will allow you to locate the death certificate on microfilm in the SC Room.
    • Tip: Are you unable to visit the SC Room in person to view the record on microfilm? No problem! You can order records from home by filling out a Record Request Form.
 

Probate records provide insight into how a person’s estate was managed after their death. These records can reveal family connections, names of heirs, and sometimes the assets of an individual.

 

Newspapers often contain valuable genealogical information such as marriage announcements and obituaries.

  • Marriage Announcement Index

    The Greenville County Library System offers an index to marriage announcements published in The Greenville News (1990-present) and TOWN Magazine (2011-2023).

    • Tip: Note the name of the newspaper, date the marriage announcement appeared in the paper, and the page number. This will allow you to locate the marriage announcement on microfilm in the SC Room.
    • Tip: Are you unable to visit the SC Room in person to view the marriage announcement on microfilm? No problem! You can order records from home by filling out Record Request Form.
  • Obituary Index

    Search an online index of obituaries published in The Greenville News (1901–Present). You can also view scans of The Greenville News on microfilm in the SC Room, and public domain records of The Greenville Piedmont (the evening edition of The Greenville News) are available in the Library’s digital collection.

    • Tip: Note the name of the newspaper, date the obituary appeared in the paper, and the page number. This will allow you to locate the obituary on microfilm in the SC Room.
    • Tip: Are you unable to visit the SC Room in person to view the obituary on microfilm? No problem! You can order records from home by filling out Record Request Form.
 

Land records are helpful for tracking the ownership of property over time.

 

To guide you through these resources and make your search easier, we’ve compiled several helpful tutorials:

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