State guide
Advance Directive Forms in South Carolina
By Jason Su · Sources last confirmed September 14
We link to official sources only. We are not a law firm and we never write legal documents. The form you sign must come from an official or authorised source in your state.
What this document does
An advance directive is where you write down the healthcare treatment you would and would not want if you could not speak for yourself. In most states it also names a healthcare agent — the person who speaks for you when you cannot.
Where to get the South Carolina form
South Carolina Office on Aging (Lt. Governor's Office) publishes the current form here: https://aging.sc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Legal/SCHealthCarePowerOfAttorney.pdf
SC's living will is called a Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death.
South Carolina's living will has a name nobody would search for
South Carolina's living will is called a Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death. It is a striking name, and it is the one the state uses. If you have been searching for a "South Carolina living will" and finding nothing official, this is the document you were looking for.
The second document is the Health Care Power of Attorney, which names the person who makes decisions for you. The two are separate, and both are published through the South Carolina Office on Aging rather than a health department, which is another reason the address looks unfamiliar.
The name is not decoration. It tells you what the document is for: it speaks specifically to end-of-life treatment, to the point where you can no longer make your own decisions. It does not cover the everyday situations where you might simply need somebody to speak for you temporarily.
That is why the two documents work as a pair, and why completing only the Declaration leaves a real gap. The power of attorney covers everything the Declaration does not.
If you signed a South Carolina form years ago, check what it is actually called. The Declaration of a Desire for a Natural Death is the living will — a document with a different name may be something else entirely.
National resources
- USA.gov — Official U.S. government portal.
- Medicare.gov — Official Medicare information.
After you sign it
- Sign it the way South Carolina requires. Many states need witnesses or a notary. The form itself says which — follow the form, not a blog.
- Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor. A form nobody can find is a form that does not work.
- Keep the original somewhere reachable — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
- Add it to your checklist so your trusted contact knows it exists and where it lives.
Frequently asked
Is the South Carolina advance directive form free?
Yes. South Carolina Office on Aging (Lt. Governor's Office) publishes the current form free of charge, and we link to the official source only.
Do I need a lawyer to complete the South Carolina form?
No. You can complete the form yourself. It must be signed the way South Carolina law requires — usually with witnesses or a notary — so follow the instructions printed on the form itself.
Where should I keep my signed South Carolina advance directive?
Give copies to your healthcare agent and your doctor, and keep the original somewhere reachable at home — not locked in a safe deposit box that needs a bank visit during an emergency.
Next: build your checklist and record where this form is kept.