How to Write a South Carolina Address (With Examples)

Address basics  |  May 17, 2026  |  2 min read

Here is how to write a mailing address in South Carolina, with examples from Columbia and Columbia and the most common mistakes to avoid.

The standard format

The state is always written as SC, two capital letters with no periods. USPS prefers the city, state and ZIP on the same final line.

Example: Columbia

Example with an apartment in Columbia

Example with a PO Box

PO Boxes often have their own ZIP code, separate from street addresses in the same town. Check the ZIP with the post office that holds the box.

Common mistakes

• Mixing up SC with NC (North Carolina). These codes look similar and cause misrouted mail.
• Writing the full state name or an old abbreviation instead of SC.
• Putting the apartment number on a line below the street address.
• Using a ZIP code from a neighboring city. One city can have many codes, but each street belongs to a specific one.

Counties and local details

South Carolina is divided into 46 counties. The county does not appear in a mailing address, but it matters for sales tax, elections and some shipping rules, so many business systems store it separately.