Charleston Court Docket Records
Charleston court docket records are maintained by the Charleston Municipal Court and the Charleston County Clerk of Court. Charleston is the largest city in South Carolina and the seat of Charleston County, with roughly 150,000 residents within city limits. The Charleston Municipal Court handles traffic violations, city ordinance cases, and misdemeanor criminal matters filed within city limits. For circuit court filings, family court cases, and civil actions, residents access records through the Charleston County Clerk of Court. You can search the court docket for Charleston online through the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index.
Charleston Quick Facts
Charleston Municipal Court
The Charleston Municipal Court operates under the City of Charleston and handles cases arising within the city limits. Its mission is to provide an efficient, professional, and impartial court where alleged violations of criminal laws, traffic laws, and city ordinances are heard and resolved. The court protects the legal rights of individuals while safeguarding the public interest. Court docket records from this court are part of the public record under South Carolina law.
The City of Charleston Municipal Court is responsible for the management and proper administration of all facets of the city's municipal court operations. It supports the Chief Municipal Judge and other municipal judges who serve the court. Sessions begin promptly at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week. Guests enter via the CPD security scan for all court sessions. Payment of court fines is due on the day of court.
| Court | Charleston Municipal Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 180 B Lockwood Boulevard Charleston, SC 29403 |
| Phone | (843) 724-7460 |
| Fax | (843) 724-7171 |
| Court Sessions | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 3:30 p.m. |
| Website | charleston-sc.gov |
The Municipal Court handles alleged violations of criminal laws, traffic laws, and city ordinances. Online court records are available in PDF format through the city website. The court also provides parking ticket payment options online. The court falls within the Ninth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina.
Searching the Charleston Court Docket
The City of Charleston provides access to court docket information through several channels. The South Carolina Judicial Branch case records search is the primary online tool for looking up court filings. It covers circuit courts, family courts, and some municipal court records. You can search by county, court type, case number, party name, and filing date. Records from 1988 to the present are available for most municipal courts including Charleston.
To search Charleston Municipal Court docket records, go to the SC Public Index and select "Charleston County" as the county. Under court agency, choose "Municipal Court City of Charleston." You can then search by name or case number to find docket entries. The system requires a browser that supports cookies and JavaScript. Some browsers may need a pop-up exception enabled to view case detail. As of January 1, 2026, home address information is no longer displayed on the public index for both new and existing cases.
The system allows searching by court type, court agency, case number, case type and sub-type, name, party type, action type, and date. This makes it straightforward to pull up specific docket entries for Charleston cases. Records include circuit and magistrate courts along with municipal court filings.
Note: Online court docket records show basic case information. For certified copies of filed documents, contact the Clerk of Court directly or visit the courthouse in person.
Charleston County Circuit Court Records
Charleston residents who need court docket records for civil or felony criminal cases will look to the Charleston County Circuit Court. The Clerk of Court is the official records custodian for all civil, criminal, and family court proceedings in Charleston County. Julie J. Armstrong serves as Charleston County Clerk of Court, located at 100 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401, phone (843) 958-5000.
The Charleston County Circuit Court is located at 100 Broad Street, Suite 106, Charleston, SC 29401. The Family Court sits at 100 Broad Street, Suite 143, Charleston, SC 29401, with a direct line at (843) 958-4400. Multiple magistrate courts serve different areas of Charleston County as well. The Clerk manages jury proceedings, dockets, child support payments, fines, and fees. The Clerk also manages the grand jury process and provides support to solicitors and judges.
The Charleston County Clerk of Court provides a guide to all courts serving the Charleston area. Major civil and criminal cases go through the Circuit Court, while family law matters go through Family Court. The Municipal Court handles only misdemeanor and ordinance violations within city limits.
What Charleston Court Docket Records Contain
Court docket records in Charleston document the chronological history of a case. Each entry shows a date, a description of the action taken, and the parties involved. The docket is the official record of what happened in a case from filing through final disposition.
Charleston Municipal Court docket entries typically include the date of citation or arrest, the charge or ordinance violation cited, the court date assigned, any continuances or transfers, the disposition, and any fines or sentences imposed. For circuit court cases, the docket is more detailed and may include motions filed, hearings scheduled, orders entered, and jury selection dates. Both types of records are available through the SC Public Index at sccourts.org.
Common case types found on the Charleston court docket include:
- Traffic violations and speeding citations
- Parking violations
- City ordinance violations
- Misdemeanor criminal charges
- DUI and DUAC first offense
- Civil cases in Common Pleas Court
- Family Court matters
How Charleston Municipal Court Works
The Charleston Municipal Court is a court not of record under South Carolina law. This means the court does not maintain verbatim transcripts of proceedings. If you appeal a municipal court decision, the appeal goes to the Court of Common Pleas for Charleston County, where the case is heard fresh as a trial de novo. The Clerk of the Court keeps records as required by city ordinance.
The court handles traffic and criminal misdemeanor violations along with city ordinance and environmental code violations. Maximum penalties are fines not exceeding $500 and imprisonment not exceeding 30 days. Defendants are entitled to a jury trial at the municipal court level. To request a jury trial, a defendant must file a written request before the initial court date. Once a jury trial is requested, no further bench court dates are scheduled until a pretrial conference is set.
Court docket information for the Charleston Municipal Court is part of the integrated South Carolina Judicial Branch case management system. The SC Judicial Branch municipal court listing shows Charleston Municipal Court details, including the mailing address at 180 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29403-5152. The court's fax number is (843) 724-7171.
Note: DUI second offense or greater charges are heard in General Sessions Court, not in Municipal Court. These cases appear on the circuit court docket rather than the municipal docket.
Charleston County Court Docket Records
Charleston is located in Charleston County. All circuit court cases, felony criminal matters, and family court cases go through the Charleston County court system. For the full range of court docket records for the county, including circuit court filings, case records, and clerk of court information, visit the Charleston County court docket page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Residents of nearby cities have their own municipal courts and access county courts in their area. Select a city below to find court docket information for that location.