South Carolina Secretary of State: Notaries and Apostilles

Notaries

The Office of the Secretary of State is responsible for the commissioning of Notaries Public for South Carolina and keeping the original copies of the Oath of Office on file. For more information on Notaries and the Notary application process, please visit the Notaries page.

**NOTICE**

The handling of real estate closings by notaries public constitutes the unauthorized practice of law in South Carolina. Offering advice to clients, preparing deeds, notes mortgages, and any other documents related to the transfer of property do not fall within the duties of a notary public. (Exception: An attorney who is also a notary public.) Real estate and mortgage loan closings must be conducted by attorneys in South Carolina.

The South Carolina Notary Public Manual is now available online.

Apostilles

State Authentication is a certificate authenticating the acts of a Notary Public or an official whose signature is filed with this office. Countries that are parties to the Hague Convention allow a form of certification called an Apostille. For more information on apostilles, please visit the Apostilles page.

(803) 734-2512

Edgar Brown Building
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525
Columbia, SC 29201

Post Office Box 11350
Columbia, SC 29211

To obtain the forms for Notaries and Apostilles, follow the link below:
Notaries and Apostilles