Florence County Genealogy Records
Florence County genealogy research requires knowing that the county was formed in 1888 from Darlington County and Marion County. All records for the Florence area before 1888 are held in those two parent counties. Florence County developed around the railroad junction that made the city of Florence a regional hub for the Pee Dee area. The county Probate Court, Register of Deeds, and library are the primary local sources for genealogy records from 1888 forward. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia holds additional state and county collections. Researchers tracing Florence County families before 1888 should plan to search both Darlington and Marion county records depending on where their ancestor lived.
Florence County Quick Facts
Florence County Probate Court and Marriage Records
The Florence County Probate Court holds marriage licenses issued from July 1, 1911 through June 30, 1950. 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 Florence County Courthouse, 180 N Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501. Phone: (843) 665-3031.
Estate records at the Florence County Probate Court include wills, inventories, administration papers, and guardianship files from 1888 forward. These documents name heirs, list property, and define family relationships across generations. Probate inventories from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries document the farming, business, and professional families who shaped the development of Florence County after the railroad era. Guardianship records identify minor children and can help researchers trace the younger generation of a family that appears in wills and estate sales.
For Florence 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. For marriage records in the Florence area from 1911 to 1888, note that 1911 falls after the county's 1888 formation, so those records belong to the Florence County Probate Court starting from 1911.
Pre-1888 Florence Genealogy: Darlington and Marion Records
All genealogy records for the Florence County area before 1888 are located in Darlington County or Marion County. The northern and eastern portions of Florence County were carved from Darlington County, while the southern and western portions came from Marion County. Identifying which parent county holds records for a specific ancestor requires knowing their location within the current county boundaries.
Darlington County Probate Court is at 1 Public Square, Darlington, SC 29532. Marion County Probate Court and Register of Deeds are in Marion, SC. Both parent county collections are accessible through the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The SCDAH Online Records Index allows name-based searches that may return results from either parent county collection for ancestors in the Florence area before 1888.
The Online Records Index is the first place to search for Florence County ancestors before 1888, as it covers both Darlington and Marion county records that include the territory that became Florence County.
Florence 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 Florence 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 Florence County deaths from 1915 through 1967. For Florence County genealogy before 1915, census records, church records, and probate files are the primary sources. Florence County has numerous historic churches whose registers document baptisms, marriages, and burials in the county's communities.
Florence County Register of Deeds and Land Records
The Florence County Register of Deeds maintains land records from 1888 forward. The office is at 180 N Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501. Phone: (843) 665-3027. 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 Florence area before 1888, researchers must consult Darlington or Marion county Register of Deeds offices. The SCDAH Online Records Index includes state land grant plats from 1784 to 1868 that cover the Florence County area during the Darlington and Marion county eras. These plats help identify the earliest families in what became Florence County.
Florence County Library and Local Resources
The Florence County Library at 509 S Dargan Street, Florence, SC 29506 maintains local history and genealogy collections. Phone: (843) 413-7074. The library holds materials specific to Florence County and the surrounding Pee Dee region. Census records, local newspapers, and family history materials available through the library complement official county genealogy records.
The Florence County Museum maintains historical collections for the county. The museum may hold photographs, documents, and artifacts related to Florence County history that can add context to genealogy research. Because Florence developed as a railroad city in the late nineteenth century, the museum's collections may include materials related to the railroads and their workers, which is a significant dimension of Florence County family history.
The South Carolina Historical Society in Charleston at 100 Meeting Street holds statewide manuscript collections that may include materials relevant to Florence County families. Phone: (843) 723-3225. The SCGenWeb Archives for Florence County provides free volunteer-contributed cemetery transcriptions, census extracts, and family histories.
The State Library guide is a practical reference when you are not sure whether to contact the Florence County Probate Court, SCDAH, or DPH for a specific genealogy record from the Florence area.
South Carolina Archives Resources for Florence County Genealogy
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds Florence County records and the Darlington and Marion county records that predate the county's formation. SCDAH is at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Phone: (803) 896-6100. The Research Room provides access to microfilm 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 Darlington and Marion counties before 1888 may include estates from families living in what became Florence County. The Library of Congress South Carolina genealogy guide provides resources covering Florence County. The South Carolina Genealogical Society connects researchers to county-level genealogy resources through local chapters.
Cities in Florence County
Florence is the county seat of Florence County. Genealogy records for Florence city residents are maintained at the Florence County Probate Court and Register of Deeds.
Nearby Counties
Florence County was formed from Darlington and Marion counties in 1888. Those parent counties hold genealogy records for the Florence area before that year.