Florence County Court Docket and Case Records
Florence County court docket records are kept by the Clerk of Court at the courthouse located at 181 N. Irby Street in Florence. The office oversees General Sessions, Common Pleas, Family Court, and Register of Deeds divisions under the 12th Judicial Circuit. You can search Florence County court dockets online through the South Carolina Public Index or by visiting the Clerk's office in person. Court dockets cover criminal felony cases, civil filings, and family court matters.
Florence County Quick Facts
Florence County Clerk of Court
Doris Poulos O'Hara serves as Clerk of Court for Florence County. She was elected in 2016 and has deep roots in the office, having started her career there in August 1990 and serving as Chief Deputy Clerk before her election. Her office handles all court docket records for the 12th Judicial Circuit, covering General Sessions, Common Pleas, Family Court, and Register of Deeds.
The Florence County Clerk of Court office is at 181 N. Irby Street MSC-E, Florence, SC 29501. You can reach the office by phone at 843-665-3031. The office provides public access to Florence County court dockets and case records. Circuit Court and Family Court judges are assigned to Florence County, along with Magistrate judges and a Master-in-Equity for non-jury equity matters. An E-filing system is also available for attorney filings in Florence County.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch homepage provides statewide court information including Florence County resources.
The SC Judicial Branch at sccourts.org is the central portal for court information across all 46 South Carolina counties including Florence.
| Court |
Florence County Clerk of Court 181 N. Irby Street MSC-E Florence, SC 29501 Phone: (843) 665-3031 |
|---|---|
| Circuit | 12th Judicial Circuit |
| Online Search | publicindex.sccourts.org/florence |
Search Florence County Court Dockets Online
The SC courthouse search directory lists court locations, clerks, and contact details for every South Carolina county.
The courthouse search directory at sccourts.org is a reliable resource for locating the correct court and contact details for Florence County filings.
The Florence County Public Index is the main online search tool for court docket records. It covers the 12th Judicial Circuit and is free for public use. You can search by case number, party name, business name, filing date range, or case type. Results show the case status, parties, attorneys, and docket entries for each case filed in Florence County.
The Public Index covers Circuit Court records including General Sessions (criminal) and Common Pleas (civil), as well as Family Court matters. Docket entries show continuances and scheduled hearing dates for open Florence County cases. Home addresses have been redacted from public records to protect privacy. Full case files require an in-person request at the Florence County Clerk of Court office at 181 N. Irby Street.
The statewide SC case records search and court roster search at sccourts.org also apply to Florence County cases and judicial assignments. Municipal Court records may be included in the Public Index if the Florence Municipal Court participates in the state system.
Note: The Florence County Probate Court handles estates, marriage licenses, and guardianships separately from the Circuit Court docket.
Florence County Court Records and Public Access
Florence County fully complies with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 through § 30-4-165. Court records are public records. Anyone can inspect them during normal business hours at no charge. Written FOIA requests are accepted with a specific description of the records you need. The office has 10 business days to respond under state law.
Copy fees in Florence County follow the state schedule. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies carry an additional $5.00 fee per document. Electronic records on CD, DVD, or USB drive are $10.00. A $15.00 per hour search fee applies after the first hour for manual records searches. In-person inspection during normal business hours is always free.
Florence County court docket records are available through several channels. For routine case lookups, the Public Index online is the fastest option. For complete case files, exhibits, or older archived records, visit the Clerk's office in person. Bring a valid ID and the case number or party name to make your search faster.
Federal Court Records in Florence
Florence also serves as a staffed federal court office location for the U.S. District Court of South Carolina. Federal court records are separate from state court dockets maintained by the Florence County Clerk of Court. The federal party index is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. A $34.00 fee, payable in advance, applies to party name searches conducted by the Clerk's Office for federal cases.
Federal records prior to 1981 are housed at the Federal Records Center in East Point, Georgia. Microfiche party name searches are available for civil cases from 1981 to 1990 and criminal cases from 1981 to 1992. For more recent federal cases, PACER provides online access. Civil cases filed from November 1990 and criminal cases filed from September 1992 are available through PACER. Learn more at scd.uscourts.gov.
The Florence federal court division serves eastern South Carolina federal cases. If your case was filed in federal court, it will not appear in the Florence County Public Index, which only covers state court dockets.
What Florence County Docket Records Show
Florence County court docket records document every step of a case from filing to resolution. Each docket entry is stamped with the date and describes the action taken. Dockets are the official record of a case's progress through the court system. They are public for most civil and criminal matters in Florence County.
A typical Florence County court docket record includes:
- Case number and court division
- Parties' names and attorney information
- Date of each filing and document type
- Scheduled hearing dates and courtroom assignments
- Continuances and rescheduled dates
- Court orders and judgments with entry dates
- Current case status (open, closed, appealed)
General Sessions dockets in Florence County track criminal felony cases from indictment through sentencing. Common Pleas dockets cover civil suits, contract disputes, and foreclosures. Family Court dockets include divorce and custody proceedings, although some Family Court cases involving minors are confidential. The Master-in-Equity handles non-jury equity matters and those dockets are also maintained by the Clerk's office in Florence County.
Note: If a case was sealed by a judge or involves a confidential proceeding, it will not appear in the Florence County Public Index online search.
Cities in Florence County
Florence County includes the city of Florence, which is also the county seat. All state Circuit Court and Family Court docket filings for Florence County are processed through the Clerk of Court office in Florence.
Florence is the largest city in Florence County and the hub for all county court docket records and filings.
Nearby Counties
Florence County is surrounded by several other South Carolina counties in the Pee Dee region. If you are unsure which county handles your case, check where you live or where the incident took place. Court dockets in South Carolina are organized by county.