Charleston County Court Docket Records
Charleston County court docket records cover civil, criminal, family, and probate cases filed at the Charleston County Courthouse. The Clerk of Court, Julie J. Armstrong, manages the case filing system and provides public access to court dockets for Charleston County. You can search the Charleston County court docket online using the South Carolina Public Index or visit the courthouse at 100 Broad Street in person. This page covers how to find and access Charleston County court docket records, what they contain, and where to go for copies of filings.
Charleston County Quick Facts
Charleston County Clerk of Court
The Charleston County Clerk of Court is Julie J. Armstrong, first elected in 1992. She has held the office for over three decades and was named 2017 Clerk of Court of the Year in South Carolina. Charleston City Council proclaimed March 14th as "Julie Armstrong Day" in recognition of her outstanding public service. She is a member of the South Carolina Association of Clerks of Court and Registers of Deeds and served as President of the SC Association of Counties from 2016 to 2017.
The Clerk of Court office provides administrative support to all courts in Charleston County. Staff process legal actions of a civil and criminal nature, keep and maintain case records including records of judgments, and schedule civil jury and non-jury trials. The office also records transcripts of judgment from Small Claims courts and out-of-county judgments, collects and disburses money as ordered by the court, and maintains schedules for other types of hearings.
You can reach the Clerk of Court at charlestoncounty.org/departments/clerk-of-court or by email at clerkofcourt@charlestoncounty.org.
The South Carolina Courts website at sccourts.org provides the full directory listing for the Charleston County Courthouse with contact details for all court divisions.
| Courthouse |
Charleston County Courthouse 100 Broad Street, Suite 143 Charleston, SC 29401 Phone: (843) 958-5000 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | charlestoncounty.org/departments/clerk-of-court |
Search the Charleston County Court Docket
The South Carolina Public Index is the main tool for searching Charleston County court docket records online. You can search by party name, case number, or South Carolina Bar number. The system covers Circuit Court and Family Court case records for Charleston County. No registration is required for basic case lookups, and the search is free. Enhanced services are available for registered users. Visit publicindex.sccourts.org/charleston to begin your search.
The Charleston County Circuit Court Day Book is also searchable through the public index by filing type, date, and name. The Day Book includes judgments and lis pendens that have been filed but are still being processed by the Clerk of Court. Family Court case records are searchable by party type and party name. Additional Family Court search options include filing date and code, event date and code, and disposition date and code. Family Court judgments can be searched by case number, party type and name, filing date, or satisfaction date.
The Charleston County Clerk of Court website provides direct links to the case search system and information about all court divisions serving the county.
You can also use the statewide SC Courts case records search to look up Charleston County court docket entries alongside cases from other counties. The court roster search at sccourts.org/court-roster-search lists pending cases and scheduled motions, trials, and hearings for each judge. For case type code definitions, the CDR codes reference explains what the shorthand labels in the docket mean.
Note: The Public Index is optimized for mobile devices and works on phones and tablets as well as desktop computers.
Charleston County Court Divisions
Charleston County operates several court divisions. Each division handles specific types of cases and generates its own docket entries. Understanding which court handles your case type helps you search more efficiently in the Charleston County docket system.
The Circuit Court has two divisions: Common Pleas handles civil cases, and General Sessions handles criminal cases. The Family Court handles domestic matters including divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, and juvenile cases. The Probate Court handles estate administration, guardianship, and conservatorship. Magistrate Courts handle minor civil and criminal matters at the local level. The Master-in-Equity handles complex civil cases referred by Circuit Court judges. All of these courts generate docket entries that are part of the Charleston County public record.
The Charleston County Family Court page provides access to the Family Court roster, child support case information, and orders of protection records for cases filed in Charleston County.
What Charleston County Docket Records Show
A court docket is the official log of all activity in a case from the day it is filed until it is closed. Each entry in the Charleston County court docket records shows what happened and when. The docket is part of the public record under South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10.
Charleston County court docket records typically include:
- Case number and case type
- Names of all parties and their attorneys
- Date the case was filed
- All motions, orders, and hearings
- Scheduled trial dates
- Final disposition or judgment
- Any appeals filed in the case
Circuit Court civil dockets in Charleston County show the full history of lawsuits from the initial complaint through final judgment. General Sessions dockets cover criminal indictments, arraignments, guilty pleas, and verdicts. Family Court dockets record filings related to domestic relations and juvenile matters. To get copies of the actual documents referenced in a docket entry, you contact the Clerk of Court directly.
Note: Some Charleston County case records may be sealed or restricted by court order. Check with the Clerk of Court if a case you are looking for does not appear in the public search results.
Accessing Charleston County Court Filings
You can access Charleston County court docket records in person at the courthouse at 100 Broad Street or online through the Public Index. In-person visits let you review the full case file and request certified copies of documents.
South Carolina courts use CDR case disposition reporting codes to classify how cases are resolved. The full list is available at sccourts.org/cdr-codes. Knowing the codes helps when reading a Charleston County court docket for case outcomes in civil or criminal matters. Common Pleas civil cases in South Carolina must be filed within certain time frames to be placed on the non-jury or jury roster. Cases must be filed 120 days to be placed on the non-jury roster and 365 days for the jury roster.
For small claims matters in Charleston County, cases under the monetary threshold are filed in Magistrate Court. Larger civil claims go to the Court of Common Pleas and appear on the Circuit Court docket. The Clerk of Court office at charlestoncounty.org can direct you to the right court for the type of case you need to research.
Cities in Charleston County
Charleston County includes several cities and communities. Court docket records for residents and businesses in these cities are filed at the Charleston County Courthouse.
Charleston is the county seat and the largest city in the county. All Circuit Court and Family Court filings for Charleston County are processed through the courthouse at 100 Broad Street.
Nearby Counties
Charleston County borders several other South Carolina counties. If you need court docket records from a neighboring county, each county has its own Clerk of Court and its own section of the Public Index.