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How is paternity established in South Carolina?
According to South Carolina law, paternity can be established through:
- DNA testing - This test can be requested by the child, the child’s biological mother, the person who’s in charge of the child’s care, someone who believes he is the father, or by an authorized agency.1
- Voluntary acknowledgment of paternity - A paternity acknowledgment affidavit can be signed in front of a hospital notary once the baby is born or later at any regional Vital Records office or at the state Vital Records office of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.2
Once paternity is established, the court will order that the birth certificate be updated to include the name of the father and will establish a child support order.3
1 S.C. Code § 63-17-10(C)
2 Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment form
3 S.C. Code § 63-17-70
