How to Find a Cause of Death in South Carolina (2026)

In South Carolina, a person's cause of death is recorded in the medical certification section of the death certificate and, for investigated deaths, in the coroner's or medical examiner's autopsy report. It is not fully public for recent deaths. Eligible family members can obtain a certified copy, while everyone else can only confirm that the death occurred until the record opens after 50 years.

How Do You Find Someone's Cause of Death in South Carolina?

To find someone's cause of death in South Carolina, start with the death certificate, which lists the cause in its medical certification section. If you are an eligible requester, you can order a certified copy from the South Carolina Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records.

If a coroner or medical examiner investigated the death, an autopsy report may give a fuller explanation. Families and legal representatives can request that report from the county coroner's office that handled the case.

When you cannot obtain the certificate, the published obituary or a local newspaper notice often summarizes how the person died. For deaths more than 50 years ago, the record is public and anyone can order a copy.

Is the Cause of Death Public in South Carolina?

No, the cause of death is not fully public in South Carolina for recent deaths. The cause appears on the death certificate, and South Carolina is a closed-record state for the first 50 years after a death.

Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 44-63-84, certified copies of a death record are restricted during that window to the decedent's immediate family, a legal representative, or a person who can show a direct and tangible interest in a personal or property right.

People who do not qualify are not given the certificate. Instead, the Office of Vital Records may issue a statement confirming that the death occurred, including the date and county, but not the cause.

Once 50 years have passed, the death record becomes a public record. At that point any person may obtain a copy that shows the cause of death.

Where the Cause of Death Is Recorded

The cause of death is recorded in two main places in South Carolina: the death certificate and, when applicable, the autopsy report. Both are official documents, but they have different access rules.

The Death Certificate

The medical certification portion of the certificate states the immediate cause of death and any underlying conditions. A physician completes this for natural deaths under medical care.

For deaths that fall under official investigation, a coroner, deputy coroner, medical examiner, or deputy medical examiner must complete and sign the medical certification within 24 hours of being notified, under S.C. Code Section 17-5-560.

The Autopsy Report

When a death is sudden, violent, suspicious, or unexplained, the coroner or medical examiner makes an inquiry into the cause and manner of death under S.C. Code Section 17-5-530. They may order an autopsy to determine the cause.

The resulting autopsy report is more detailed than the certificate, and it is not a general public record. Access is not limited to relatives, though. S.C. Code Section 17-5-280 requires a county medical examiner's office to keep records of every death it investigates, expressly including all relevant information concerning the death and the autopsy report if one was made, and it provides that copies must be furnished on request to any party to whom the cause of death is a material issue. That standard reaches people beyond next of kin and legal representatives, such as an insurance beneficiary or a party to a civil claim arising from the death. Note that this section sits in the statute's medical examiner article, and most South Carolina counties are served by an elected coroner instead, so ask the office that handled the case how it applies the material issue standard.

How to Request Records That Show the Cause of Death

To request a record that shows the cause of death, decide which document you need and confirm you are eligible. The death certificate is handled by the Office of Vital Records; the autopsy report is handled by the county coroner.

For a certified death certificate, apply to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records in Columbia. Provide the decedent's information, proof of your identity, and proof of your relationship or interest. The standard search fee is $12 and includes one certified copy if the record is found, with additional copies at $3 each.

For an autopsy report, contact the coroner's office in the county where the death occurred or was investigated. Immediate family and legal representatives are the most common requesters, but under S.C. Code Section 17-5-280 a party to whom the cause of death is a material issue may also obtain copies from a medical examiner's office. Put the request in writing and explain the interest that makes the cause of death material to you, since that is the test the statute sets.

Because the cause of death is sensitive, both offices verify eligibility before releasing records. Always confirm current requirements and fees with the office directly before applying.

Finding the Cause of Death for Older or Historical Deaths

For older deaths, access becomes easier once the 50-year confidentiality window closes. After 50 years, a South Carolina death record is public, so any person may order a copy that shows the cause of death.

South Carolina death records held by the state date back to January 1915. For research into deaths before then, county-level records, church records, and cemetery records may help, though they rarely state a precise medical cause.

The Social Security Death Index is a useful starting point for confirming that a person died and when. It does not list the cause of death, so you will still need the certificate or an obituary for that detail.

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about South Carolina records and is not legal advice. Rules, fees, and eligibility can change, so verify the current requirements with the South Carolina Office of Vital Records or the county coroner before relying on this information.

Sources

This page is based on guidance from the South Carolina Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records, and South Carolina statutes governing vital records and coroners and medical examiners.

Related pages: South Carolina Death Records and Death Records by State. See also Are Cause of Death Records Public?.