Dillon County Genealogy Records
Dillon County genealogy research requires understanding the county's formation in 1910 from Marion County. All records for the Dillon area before 1910 are held in Marion County. Dillon County sits in the northern Pee Dee region near the North Carolina border, and its genealogy research also involves North Carolina county records for families who crossed the state line. The Dillon County Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and public library are the primary local sources for genealogy records from 1910 forward. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds additional collections that cover Dillon County and the Marion County records that predate its formation.
Dillon County Quick Facts
Dillon County Probate Court Records
The Dillon County Probate Court holds marriage licenses issued from 1910 through June 30, 1950. When the county formed in 1910, it began maintaining its own marriage records separate from Marion County. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-1-20, every marriage in South Carolina requires a written application filed with the Probate Court before a license is issued. The court maintains a permanent record of all licenses as required by § 20-1-270. The Probate Court is at Dillon County Courthouse, 401 W Main Street, Dillon, SC 29536. Phone: (843) 774-1427.
Estate records at the Dillon County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1910 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships across generations. For Dillon County genealogy research, probate files from the early twentieth century document the agricultural and tobacco-growing families who dominated the county economy after its formation. Guardianship records from this era can also reveal the names of minor children and identify the family structure of Dillon County ancestors.
For Dillon County marriage records from July 1950 onward, contact the South Carolina Department of Public Health at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Phone: 803-898-3630.
Pre-1910 Dillon Genealogy: Marion County Records
All genealogy records for the Dillon County area before 1910 are located in Marion County. Marion County was formed in 1785 and holds records for the Dillon area spanning more than a century before Dillon County was created. The Marion County Probate Court and Register of Deeds hold the pre-1910 records. SCDAH in Columbia holds microfilm of Marion County records that cover the Dillon area going back to the eighteenth century.
The SCDAH Online Records Index at archivesindex.sc.gov allows name-based searches across all holdings and may return results connected to the Dillon area within the Marion County collections. State land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Dillon area are also indexed in the Online Records Index. Because Dillon County was formed from Marion County, researchers should plan to search both Dillon and Marion county collections when tracing ancestors from the region.
SCDAH staff can help researchers navigate the Marion County collections to locate pre-1910 records for ancestors who lived in the Dillon area before the county was formed.
Dillon County Vital Records for Genealogy
South Carolina required birth and death registration starting January 1, 1915. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 44-63-10, every birth must be registered within five days. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Dillon County birth records for 1915 to 1918 online and death records for 1915 to 1963. The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds vital records from 1915 to present at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia. Phone: 803-898-3630.
Death certificates become public records 50 years after death under § 44-63-84. The free South Carolina death index for genealogy covers Dillon County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Dillon County genealogy before 1915, church records and census data are the primary sources. Because Dillon County shares a border with North Carolina, researchers should also check North Carolina vital records for families who lived near the state line and may have registered births or deaths on either side.
Dillon County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Dillon County Register of Deeds maintains land records from 1910 forward. The office is at 401 W Main Street, Dillon, SC 29536. Phone: (843) 774-1435. Deeds, mortgages, and plats document property ownership since the county's formation. Under Title 30 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, counties are required to maintain and preserve these public land records.
For land transactions in the Dillon area before 1910, researchers must consult the Marion County Register of Deeds. Marion County land records date to 1785. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes early land grant plats that can help connect families in the Dillon area to the pre-1910 Marion County period. These plats document original land grants in the region and are useful for tracing families back to the earliest settlement of the area.
Dillon County Library and Local Resources
The Dillon County Library at 600 E Harrison Street, Dillon, SC 29536 provides local history resources and genealogical materials. Phone: (843) 774-8441. The library holds materials specific to Dillon County and the surrounding Pee Dee region. Census records, local newspapers, and family history materials available through the library can complement official county genealogy records held at the courthouse.
The Dillon County Historical Society preserves local history and genealogical materials specific to the county. Because Dillon County is small and formed relatively recently from Marion County, researchers may find that the Marion County Historical Society or the Dillon County Historical Society holds materials relevant to both the pre-1910 Marion County era and the post-1910 Dillon County period for the same families.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections and genealogy vertical files that may include materials relevant to Dillon County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Dillon County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The State Library guide is a practical reference for Dillon County genealogy because the county's 1910 formation date means researchers need to know when to search Dillon County records versus Marion County records for specific ancestors.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Dillon County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds records related to Dillon County and the Marion County collections that predate its formation. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room provides access to microfilm of county records and a research library covering all 46 counties. Staff answer queries by mail, email, and phone.
The SCDAH Digital Collections include Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938 and Will Transcripts from 1782 to 1855. Will Transcripts from the Marion County area before 1910 may include estates from families living in what became Dillon County. Confederate Pension Applications from 1919 to 1938 may include veterans from the Dillon area who applied after the county was formed.
The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides a curated directory of resources covering Dillon County and all other South Carolina counties. The South Carolina Genealogical Society publishes transcribed records and connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters across the state.
Cities in Dillon County
Dillon is the county seat of Dillon County. All county genealogy records are maintained at the Dillon County courthouse offices on W Main Street.
Nearby Counties
Dillon County was formed from Marion County in 1910. Marion County holds genealogy records for the Dillon area before that year. Dillon also borders North Carolina, so families near the state line may have records in both states.