South Carolina Document Translation Services

Apostille Authentications provides certified document translation to customers across South Carolina, with a signed certificate of accuracy on every job. Pricing starts at $65 per page and most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days. We work remotely from our office in Lake Oswego, in the Portland, Oregon area: you upload your document through the quote form and we return the translation electronically or by mail. We have no office in South Carolina.

Upload your document below as a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file, or call (971) 514-3743 for a quote.

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What South Carolina offices say about translated documents

Several South Carolina agencies publish their own rules for documents that are not in English. The table below gathers the ones we could confirm on official sites. Always check the receiving office’s current instructions, because each one decides what it accepts.

Secretary of State (apostilles)	Documents in a foreign language must be signed, notarized and accompanied by an English translation signed by the translator, with the translator’s signature notarized.
SCDMV (licenses and IDs)	Lawfully present non-US citizens apply at designated branches with the documents on checklist MV-94. Citizens of South Korea and Taiwan may submit a Consulate General certification letter, valid 30 days from its date, in place of a translation.
USCIS (federal)	Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), every foreign-language document needs a full English translation that the translator certifies as complete and accurate, plus the translator’s certification of competence.
State courts	Section 15-27-155 of the South Carolina Code covers interpreters for people who do not speak English in civil proceedings. It addresses spoken interpreting, so ask the clerk how a written translation should be filed.

Getting a South Carolina apostille on a translated document

Apostilles are issued by the South Carolina Secretary of State in Columbia. The office authenticates documents notarized by a commissioned South Carolina notary public and certified copies signed by elected or appointed officials whose signatures are on file.

For translations, the Secretary of State’s cover letter asks for an English translation that is signed by the translator and notarized. When a translation needs to be notarized for South Carolina, for example for a South Carolina apostille, we hire a notary commissioned in South Carolina to notarize the translator’s statement.

If the destination country is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, the Secretary of State says the document also needs authentication by the U.S. Department of State after the state step.

Fee	$5.00 per document, not per page
Payment	Cash, personal or business check, cashier’s check or money order payable to South Carolina Secretary of State
Form	South Carolina Authentication Cover Letter, naming the destination country
Address	SC Secretary of State’s Office, Attn: Authentications, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201
Walk-in hours	8:30 am to 4:30 pm
By mail	Include a self-addressed return envelope with prepaid postage
Phone	(803) 734-2512

Vital records: where the certified copy comes from

The Secretary of State does not accept photocopies of vital records. Each record must be certified by the agency that issued it. That matters if you plan to send a birth, death, marriage or divorce record abroad with a translation.

The state Department of Public Health charges a $12 search fee per record, which covers one certified copy if the record is found and is nonrefundable if it is not. Mail requests go to S.C. Department of Public Health, Vital Records Section, P.O. Box 2046, West Columbia, SC 29171, with a money order or cashier’s check.

Birth and death certificates. Issued only by the state vital records office, according to the Secretary of State.
Marriage licenses. Available from the county probate court or the state vital records office.
Divorce decrees. Available from the county clerk of court or the state vital records office.

What a South Carolina notary can and cannot do with a translation

The Secretary of State’s Notary Public Reference Manual sets limits that affect foreign-language paperwork. A notary’s role with a translation is to notarize the translator’s signed statement, not to vouch for the translation itself.

Certificate in English. A notary cannot execute a notarial certificate in a language other than English, although a translation of the certificate may accompany it (Section 26-1-90(I)).
No ‘notario publico’. Notaries may not use the term notario publico in advertising (Section 26-1-90(L)).
Required disclaimer. A notary who is not an attorney and advertises in another language must state that they are not an attorney licensed in South Carolina and may not give legal advice (Section 26-1-90(M)).
No legal advice. A non-attorney notary may not provide services that amount to the unauthorized practice of law.
Fee cap. Notaries may charge up to $5.00 per notarial act (Section 26-1-100(A)).

Driver's licenses and foreign documents at the SCDMV

Visitors from countries where English is not the main language are strongly advised by the SCDMV to carry an International Driving Permit from their home country. The agency explains that the permit is not a license: it translates the foreign license into English so officers can read it.

New residents who are not US citizens can apply only at the branches that serve international customers. The SCDMV lists reciprocity for driver’s licenses with Canada, France, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan and several US territories and freely associated states, and notes that reciprocity does not change the documents you must show. For a birth certificate that needs translating, the SCDMV refers to its own Translation Document, Form 4030, so confirm with the branch which format it wants before ordering.

Languages and immigration filings in South Carolina

Census Bureau ACS 2024 one-year estimates, as published by Census Reporter, put South Carolina’s population at 5,478,831. About 6.4 percent of residents were born outside the United States and about 9 percent speak a language other than English at home.

For immigration filings, the federal rule is the same in every state. A translation for USCIS must be complete, and the translator must certify both its accuracy and their own competence to translate into English. Our certificate of accuracy is written to that rule. We cannot promise that any agency will accept a particular document.

Our most requested languages are Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic and Czech. We work in 100 languages, so ask us about any language not named here.

How to order from anywhere in South Carolina

Ordering works the same from Greenville, Myrtle Beach or a rural county, because nothing has to be dropped off.

1. Upload. Send a PDF, JPEG, PNG or Word file through the quote form. A clear phone photo is usually enough.
2. Confirm. We reply with the price, starting at $65 per page, and the expected delivery date.
3. Tell us the purpose. Say whether the translation is for USCIS, a court, a school or an apostille, and whether the translator’s statement must be notarized.
4. Receive. Most translations are ready in 1 to 2 business days and are returned electronically or by mail.
Questions. Call (971) 514-3743 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., office hours in Oregon.

Translation pages for South Carolina cities

We have a page for each of these South Carolina cities, with the local offices, courts and schools that affect a translation there:

Columbia · Charleston · North Charleston · Greenville · Rock Hill · Mount Pleasant

South Carolina apostille service, when the original record needs an apostille too
All document translation services

South Carolina document translation questions

Who issues apostilles in South Carolina?

The South Carolina Secretary of State issues apostilles from its office at 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, in Columbia. The fee is $5.00 per document.

How much does a certified translation cost in South Carolina?

Apostille Authentications charges from $65 per page for certified translation ordered from South Carolina. Most orders are ready in 1 to 2 business days.

Does a translation need to be notarized for a South Carolina apostille?

Yes. The Secretary of State requires the English translation to be signed by the translator with the translator’s signature notarized, and it authenticates notarizations by South Carolina notaries.

Can a South Carolina notary certify a translation?

A South Carolina notary can notarize the translator’s signed statement, but the notarial certificate must be in English and a non-attorney notary may not give legal advice or advertise as a notario publico.

What does USCIS require for translated documents from South Carolina applicants?

Under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), a foreign-language document must come with a full English translation certified as complete and accurate by a translator who also certifies their competence. The rule is the same in every state.

Where do I get a certified South Carolina birth certificate to translate or apostille?

Certified birth certificates come from the S.C. Department of Public Health vital records office, which charges a $12 search fee that includes one certified copy. The Secretary of State will not apostille a photocopy.