Common Questions About Charleston County Court Records
Where do I search Charleston County court records?
Start with the Charleston County Public Index or the South Carolina Judicial Branch case search page. Use Common Pleas for civil cases and General Sessions for serious criminal cases. Family Court, Probate Court, Magistrate, and Municipal records sit in their own systems, so confirm the right court before you search. Not every court file appears in the same index. For a full walkthrough of the search process, see Charleston County court records.
Who is the Charleston County Clerk of Court?
Julie J. Armstrong is the Charleston County Clerk of Court. Her office serves both Circuit Court and Family Court. Responsibilities include keeping court records, collecting fees and fines, managing the docket, supporting jury operations, and reporting to state agencies. The Clerk first won the office in 1992. For office details and a full breakdown of duties, see the Clerk of Court page.
Where is the Clerk's office located?
Common Pleas and General Sessions records are at 100 Broad Street, Suite 106, Charleston, SC 29401, phone (843) 958-5000. Family Court is in the same building at Suite 143, phone (843) 958-4400. Both offices are open Monday through Friday. Going to the wrong suite is a common mistake, especially for divorce and custody matters, which belong in Family Court rather than the main Clerk counter. The Clerk of Court page has hours and a contact card.
Can the Clerk give me legal advice?
No. Clerk staff cannot give legal advice or help prepare filings. Self-represented litigants are held to the same standards as attorneys and must know the applicable rules, statutes, and case law on their own. Magistrate staff can explain court procedures but also cannot give legal opinions. If you need help, contact the Charleston County Public Defender at (843) 958-1850 for criminal matters, or the S.C. Lawyers Referral Service at (800) 868-2284 for civil referrals. See public records for more self-help links.
What is the filing fee for a Common Pleas civil case?
The Clerk fee schedule lists $150 for a Common Pleas or domestic relations filing. A lis pendens filed on its own is $10. A motion fee is $25. Copies run $0.11 per page, record retrieval is $4.00, and a certificate under the Clerk's seal is $10.00. Confirm current fees with the Clerk before filing, since fee schedules can change. More fee detail is on the court records page and the Clerk of Court page.
What is the difference between Small Claims and Common Pleas?
Small Claims covers money disputes of $7,500 or less and is heard in Magistrate Court. Disputes over that amount belong in the Court of Common Pleas. The rules, forms, and filing locations differ between the two. Magistrate Court is a summary court with simpler procedures. Common Pleas is a Circuit Court division with more formal rules. If you are not sure which court fits your case, the Circuit Court page explains how the courts divide their work.
Where do I pay or look up a lost traffic ticket?
Contact the court named on the ticket. If you do not have the ticket, contact Summary Court Administration or search the Charleston County Public Index by name or citation number. If a municipal police department wrote the ticket, contact the relevant Municipal Court rather than Summary Court Administration. Payment and lookup options vary by city and court. The traffic court records page covers the search process, payment steps, and the difference between court records and state driver records.
Where are bond hearings held?
Bond hearings are held at Centralized Bond Court, 3831 Leeds Avenue, Suite 200, North Charleston, SC 29405. Hearings run Monday through Friday at 10AM, 2PM, and 6PM, and on weekends and holidays at 10AM and 2PM. The Bond Court is not at 100 Broad Street; it shares a campus with the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center on Leeds Avenue. Going to the wrong building can cause you to miss a hearing. For related inmate information, see inmate records.
Does a bond hearing mean the defendant pleads guilty or not guilty?
No. At a bond hearing, a defendant is advised of the charges and rights and bond is set or denied, but no plea is entered at that point. The bond proceeding is about release conditions while the case is pending, not about guilt. A plea comes later in the process, usually at arraignment or through a plea agreement. The distinction matters because a bond record does not reflect the final outcome of a charge. See arrest records for more on how Charleston County criminal cases move from booking to disposition.
How do I search for a current inmate?
Use the county inmate search portal at inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov. Search fields include last name, first name, booking date range, arrest date range, inmate number, a Soundex option, and a Show Past Bookings checkbox. The form uses reCAPTCHA. Not all inmates listed have been convicted. The Sheriff's FAQ notes the detention center holds multiple classification types, including pretrial detainees. For full detail on the search fields and what each result shows, see inmate records.
How do I register for inmate release notifications?
Call VINE at (866) 727-2846 or register through the VINELink or SAVIN system online. You will provide a phone number and a four-digit PIN. VINE may continue calling up to 24 hours until you confirm with your PIN that you received the notice. This service is used by victims and others who need to know when a specific person leaves custody. For more on finding recently released individuals, see released inmates.
How do I find active warrants in Charleston County?
Use the Charleston County Warrants Search page on the Sheriff's website. Enter at least a last name, and optionally a first name. The page warns that results are not official confirmation and may not be current. Always verify with the Warrants Office before relying on the results. The Sheriff's office says violent or serious warrants are generally served as soon as possible; other warrants depend on known location, employment, and other factors. Full detail is on the warrant records page.
How do I turn myself in on a warrant?
For a VCL (voluntary compliance) warrant, call the Warrants Office to set an appointment with a deputy at Bond Court. The warrant is served there and a bond hearing follows. For serious warrants or after-hours situations, call (843) 202-1700. Do not just appear at a random courthouse; Bond Court at 3831 Leeds Avenue is the right location. The warrant records page covers the full process, including Crime Stoppers at (843) 554-1111 for tips on other people.
How do I clear or expunge a criminal record?
If you were arrested by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office and your charges were dropped, dismissed, or ended in a not-guilty verdict, get a disposition from Sheriff's Records at 3505 Pinehaven Drive, North Charleston. Then take it to the Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office at 101 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401. The Solicitor decides whether the case qualifies for an Order of Expungement. The process may also require a filing fee with the Clerk of Court. See arrest records for the step-by-step expungement path.
Where do I apply for a marriage license in Charleston County?
Apply through the Charleston County Probate Court's LOVE online application. The fee is $70 by credit card plus a transaction fee, and the fee is non-refundable. A 24-hour waiting period applies after the application is filed before the license is issued. The license is valid only for an in-person ceremony in South Carolina. Ordained ministers, accepted Jewish rabbis, officers authorized to administer oaths, and South Carolina notaries may perform the ceremony. See marriage and divorce records for requirements and the full application process.
Where do I get Charleston County divorce records?
Divorce is a Family Court matter. Contact Charleston County Family Court at 100 Broad Street, Suite 143, phone (843) 958-4400, or search permitted public records through the Public Index. Some family case information is restricted, particularly details involving children, support amounts, and protective orders. For the full process, including what is public and what is sealed, see marriage and divorce records.
How do I open an estate in Charleston County Probate Court?
File with the Charleston County Probate Court Estate Division. If there is a will, bring the original will, original death certificate, Probate Form 300ES, the filing fee, and a creditor publication selection sheet. If there is no will, bring the original death certificate and Form 300ES. For a small estate where the total probate value is $25,000 or less after liens and encumbrances, use Probate Form 420ES for the affidavit collection process. The probate records page covers Probate Court contact details, fees, and common terms.
Who is the Charleston County Probate Judge?
Irvin G. Condon is the Charleston County Probate Judge. The Probate Court handles wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, marriage licenses, and certain mental-health commitments. The court sits at the Judicial Center at 100 Broad Street. For a full overview of what Probate Court handles and how to search records, see the probate records page.
Can I use FOIA to get court records?
Usually, no. Ordinary court records are obtained through the Clerk of Court, the Public Index, Probate Court, Magistrate Court, or the court copy process rather than a formal FOIA request. South Carolina FOIA under S.C. Code § 30-4-30 is more useful for county administrative or law-enforcement records. It cannot override sealed or confidential court records. If a record is closed by court order or statute, a FOIA request will not open it. See public records for the full FOIA process in Charleston County.
Who prosecutes criminal cases in Charleston County?
The Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office prosecutes state criminal cases for Charleston and Berkeley Counties. Current Solicitor is Scarlett A. Wilson. The Solicitor's office also reviews expungement applications and runs the Pre-Trial Intervention program. The office is at 101 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401, phone (843) 958-1900. For information on how charges move from arrest to prosecution, see arrest records and court records.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office and contact details, see the Clerk of Court page. For broader access rules and how to file a public records request, see public records. Browse by topic: court records, court dockets, arrest records, inmate records, warrant records, released inmates, jail population, traffic court records, marriage and divorce, or probate records. For the court structure and circuit divisions, see Circuit Court.