Passport Offices and Expedited Passports in South Carolina
South Carolina has a State Department passport office, the Charleston Passport Center, and acceptance facilities in post offices, clerk of court offices and probate courts across the state. Most residents apply for a first passport at a local facility. If you travel soon, you can book an appointment in Charleston or use a registered courier such as Allstate Passports & Visas. This page covers 28 South Carolina cities, explains each option, and shows how to get a South Carolina birth certificate, often the same day.
Choose your city
Charleston area: Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Goose Creek, Summerville, Moncks Corner
Columbia and the Midlands: Columbia, West Columbia, Camden
Upstate: Greenville, Greer, Spartanburg, Anderson, Clemson, Seneca, Greenwood
Rock Hill and the Charlotte border: Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster
Grand Strand and the Pee Dee: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Little River, Murrells Inlet, Florence
Lowcountry: Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island
Your options in South Carolina
Passport acceptance facilities
Acceptance facilities take applications for first passports, children's passports and lost or stolen replacements. Many work by appointment, so plan ahead. Your city page above lists the facilities nearby.
Bring Form DS-11 (leave it unsigned until the agent tells you to sign), proof of U.S. citizenship such as a certified birth certificate, a photo ID and a photocopy of it, and one passport photo. You pay the application fee to the U.S. Department of State and an execution fee to the facility.
The Charleston Passport Center
The Charleston Passport Center sees applicants by appointment only, and only if they travel internationally within 14 days or need a foreign visa within 28 days. From Greenville, Spartanburg and the rest of the Upstate, the Atlanta Passport Agency is closer. Bring proof of travel. How to book an agency appointment.
Allstate Passports & Visas
We are a private courier registered with the U.S. Department of State, not a government office. We review your documents and hand-carry your application to a passport agency, so you do not have to drive to Charleston or Atlanta on short notice. Call (800) 672-1015, text (206) 522-5995, or read about our passport services.
Birth certificates in South Carolina
The South Carolina Department of Public Health, Vital Records, issues birth certificates for births in the state since 1915. The standard search fee is $12, which includes one certified copy, and extra copies cost $3. An expedited search costs $17. Every Vital Records office in the state can issue certificates for births in any South Carolina county, and the state says most in-person requests are processed the same day.
Certified copies go to the person named on the certificate, a parent named on it, or a legal representative. Only the person named on the certificate may order online, through the state's approved vendors VitalChek and GoCertificates. Details are on the South Carolina Department of Public Health birth certificate page.
South Carolina passport questions
Is there a passport office in South Carolina?
Yes, the Charleston Passport Center. It sees people by appointment only, for travel within 14 days or a visa needed within 28 days. Everyone else applies at an acceptance facility or renews by mail or online.
I live in the Upstate. Is Charleston the closest passport office?
No. From Greenville and Spartanburg, the Atlanta Passport Agency is closer. Any agency will see you if you have an appointment.
Can I renew my passport online in South Carolina?
Yes, if you are eligible. The State Department's online renewal works the same in every state and is meant for adults renewing a regular passport who are not traveling soon. If your trip is close, an agency appointment or a registered courier is faster.
Can I get a South Carolina birth certificate the same day?
Often, yes. Any Vital Records office can issue a certificate for a birth anywhere in South Carolina, and most in-person requests are processed the same day. The search fee is $12, or $17 expedited.
Information checked October 2026. Related pages: passport renewal, new passport, passport for a child, lost or stolen passport.
