Obtaining a Birth Certificate in Southern Pines, South Carolina

If you live in Southern Pines, South Carolina and are in need of a copy of your birth certificate, you may be confused by the process required. Unlike other states, South Carolina does not make birth certificates available at the county level. Instead, birth cards are offered at the county seat, and residents must apply to the state vital records office to acquire a full certificate. In return, you will receive a copy in the mail.

• 1

  Download a birth certificate application from South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (see Resources section).

• 2

  Complete the first two sections of the application. The first section requests information about the person applying for the certificate, and the second section requests information about the person whose birth certificate is requested. In your case, the two are one and the same.

  The Birth Certificate section requires you to supply information such as your name; the date, city, and county of your birth; your sex; your father's name; and your mother's maiden name. It also asks whether your parents were married at the time of your birth and your name at birth "if ever changed for any reason other than marriage."

• 3

  Photocopy your photo identification, such as a driver's license, state identification, passport or military card. Note that in South Carolina, acceptable identification includes out-of-state government identification, and that all identification submitted must be current and valid. A full list of acceptable identification is listed on the application.

• 4

  Include the required application fees, which in 2010 are a $12 non-refundable search fee plus $3 for each additional copy.

• 5

  Mail the application and fees to the following address. Your birth certificate should arrive in within three weeks.

  SDEC -- Vital Records

  2600 Bull St.

  Columbia, SC 29201