Search Charleston County Court Records Through the Right Court
Charleston County court records are divided among Circuit Court, Family Court, Magistrate/Summary Courts and Probate Court. The fastest route depends on the case type—not simply the person’s name.
Do not search every Charleston County case in the same portal. The Charleston County Clerk of Court handles Circuit Court and Family Court records, while Magistrate/Summary Courts and Probate Court have different responsibilities and access routes.
Charleston County is in South Carolina’s Ninth Judicial Circuit. For a statewide explanation of how South Carolina’s county-based court search works, see our South Carolina court records guide.
Which Charleston County court should you search?
Start by matching the record to the court that would normally handle the matter. This prevents one of the most common search failures: entering the correct name in the wrong court system.
Common Pleas and General Sessions
Common Pleas handles Circuit Court civil matters. General Sessions handles Circuit Court criminal matters. These are the primary records available through the Charleston County Public Index.
Official Circuit Court page ↗Divorce, custody and family matters
Family Court records use a separate Charleston County search route. Do not assume a divorce, custody, child-support or protection matter will appear through the same Circuit Court interface.
Official Family Court page ↗Small claims, evictions and lower-level matters
Charleston County Magistrate Courts handle civil claims within their jurisdiction, including small claims and landlord-tenant matters, plus certain criminal and traffic proceedings. The county describes Magistrate Courts as courts of summary jurisdiction rather than courts of record.
Official Magistrate Courts page ↗Estates, wills and probate matters
Use Probate Court resources for estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, marriage-related records and other matters assigned to the Charleston County Probate Court.
Official Probate Court page ↗City-level cases may be elsewhere
A traffic or municipal case may belong to the City of Charleston or another municipal court rather than the county Clerk of Court. For a ticket or citation, use the court identified on the document before searching county Circuit Court records.
Federal cases are not county cases
A federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy matter will not become a Charleston County Circuit Court record merely because the events occurred in Charleston. Federal cases generally require a federal judiciary search such as PACER.
How PACER court records workCharleston County court-record fast facts
The online Public Index is a research tool, not the official court record. Charleston County warns that online information may be incomplete, incorrect or not current. When an exact filing, certified copy or legally significant fact matters, confirm it with the court that maintains the file.
How to search Charleston County court records
Use this sequence instead of repeatedly changing names in one search box. It is designed to separate a genuine “no record found” situation from a wrong-court or incomplete-index problem.
Choose the correct court route
Decide whether you need Circuit Court, Family Court, Magistrate/Summary Court, Probate Court, a municipal court or federal court. If the case type is unknown, start with the court named on any summons, citation, pleading or prior court document you already have.
Open the official Charleston County search
For Common Pleas or General Sessions, use the Charleston County Public Index. For another court type, use the separate official route listed in this article.
Use the case number when available
A case number usually produces a cleaner result than a common name. Copy it exactly from a court document when possible and confirm that the returned court agency and parties correspond to the matter you need.
Search the party name carefully
If you only have a name, begin with the legal name and then try reasonable variations if the system allows them. A middle initial, suffix, hyphen, spacing difference or former name can change what appears.
Verify the case before relying on it
Compare the case number, court agency, filing date, case type, party role, status and disposition. A same-name result is not enough to establish that the record belongs to a particular person.
Check the docket and document availability
A docket entry tells you that an action or filing occurred; it does not guarantee that the underlying PDF is available online. Common Pleas has broader document-image availability than some other Charleston County case types.
Request the actual record when necessary
If the filing is not online—or you need an official or certified copy—contact the clerk or court that holds the file. Have the case number and party names ready so staff can identify the record accurately.
Searching by name: how to avoid a false match
A name search is useful for discovery, but it should be treated as the beginning of verification rather than the final answer. Charleston County can contain multiple people with similar or identical names, and a court index may show a party name without enough information to establish identity on its own.
Useful details to compare
- Court agency or court division
- Case number
- Filing date
- Case type and subtype
- Plaintiff, defendant or other party role
- Case status and disposition
- Chronology of docket actions
Do not infer too much
A criminal charge is not the same as a conviction. A civil complaint is not a finding of liability. A docket entry may also reflect an interim event rather than the final disposition.
For unfamiliar terms, use our court records glossary before drawing conclusions from an abbreviated docket label.
Privacy change: the Charleston County Public Index states that, beginning January 1, 2026, home-address information is no longer displayed for new or existing cases. A missing residential address therefore does not mean the case record itself is missing.
What Charleston County records are available online?
The Clerk of Court publishes different online coverage dates for different court divisions. These dates matter when a name search returns nothing: an older record may exist even though it is outside the current online range.
| Record type | Published online coverage | What to expect | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Pleas | 1989 to present | Civil case data; document images are listed for documents filed since 1999. | Public Index ↗ |
| General Sessions | 1992 to present | Criminal case information and docket activity; document availability can differ from Common Pleas. | Public Index ↗ |
| Family Court | 1992 to present | Case data through the Family Court route, subject to confidentiality and sealing rules. | Family Court ↗ |
| Magistrate | Varies by case and court | Many case searches are available electronically, while the underlying file may remain with the specific Magistrate Court. | Magistrate Courts ↗ |
| Probate | Depends on record category | Separate tools and office procedures for estates, wills, marriage records and other probate matters. | Probate Court ↗ |
If you are unsure whether you need a docket, filing, judgment, order or certified record, our court record types explanation can help you identify the document before contacting the clerk.
A docket entry is not always the document itself
Charleston County’s search systems can show party information, filing data, case events and document indexes. That does not mean every pleading, exhibit, order or attachment can be opened online.
This distinction is especially important in General Sessions and Family Court matters. If you can see the event but not the document image, note the case number, document description and filing date before contacting the responsible clerk.
Need the official version? An online screen or downloaded image is not necessarily the same thing as a certified court copy. Certification must come through the court or clerk that maintains the official record.
How to request Charleston County court-record copies
The Charleston County Clerk of Court says documents and exhibits in General Sessions, Common Pleas and Family Court are generally available for public inspection when the record is not restricted. Copies can be requested through the office that holds the file.
Fees can depend on what you request. Before mailing payment for a specialized or certified record, confirm the current total with the office. A request should identify the case number and party names whenever possible.
Common Pleas & General Sessions
Charleston County Clerk of Court
100 Broad Street, Suite 106
Charleston, SC 29401-2258
Phone: (843) 958-5000
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Family Court
Charleston County Family Court
100 Broad Street, Suite 143
Charleston, SC 29401-2265
Phone: (843) 958-4400
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Probate Court
Charleston County Probate Court
100 Broad Street, Suite 469
Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 958-5180
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Charleston County Family Court records
Use the Family Court route for matters such as divorce, custody, support and other domestic-relations proceedings. Searching only the Circuit Court Public Index can therefore miss a case even when the name and approximate date are correct.
The Clerk’s current FAQ says Family Court case records are available online from 1992 to the present. Access to the actual documents depends on the type of case and whether the record is public, confidential or sealed.
Requesting a divorce decree or Family Court copy
For a specific Family Court record, provide the parties’ names, case number if available, and an approximate month and year. The Clerk publishes separate instructions for certified Family Court records sent by mail, including a current $10 money-order instruction for that type of request.
Because this differs from the general copy-and-certification fee schedule, verify the current Family Court requirement before sending payment.
Check the Clerk’s current Family Court FAQ ↗Some Family Court matters are not publicly accessible. Charleston County identifies juvenile and abuse-and-neglect matters as confidential, while adoption and termination-of-parental-rights records are sealed and generally require appropriate court authorization for access.
Magistrate and Summary Court records
Do not overlook Magistrate Court when a Circuit Court name search produces nothing. Charleston County Magistrate Courts handle civil claims within their jurisdiction, evictions, landlord-tenant matters, claim-and-delivery proceedings and various criminal or traffic matters.
The county currently states that Magistrate civil jurisdiction includes claims up to $7,500. A civil dispute above that threshold generally points toward Common Pleas rather than the small-claims route.
Start online
The Magistrates/Summary Courts site provides public access and case-search information. Searches may be available using a party name or case number, depending on the matter.
Open Magistrate Court resources ↗Need the file itself?
A Magistrate case file is associated with the particular court where the case was filed. If an online result does not provide the document you need, identify the Magistrate Court from the case before requesting access.
For a traffic citation, use the court named on the ticket. A City of Charleston or other municipal matter should not automatically be treated as a Charleston County Circuit Court case.
Probate, estate, wills and marriage-record searches
Probate Court uses its own services rather than the Circuit Court Public Index for many of its records. Charleston County Probate Court handles estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, marriage licenses and several other probate-related proceedings.
Estate & wills search
Use Charleston County Probate resources when looking for an estate file, will or probate proceeding. If the electronic search does not provide the underlying document, contact the Probate Court or estate division identified by the county.
Marriage records
Marriage-license search and application resources are also offered separately through Charleston County. They are not part of the Common Pleas or General Sessions case index.
Other Charleston County Clerk search tools
The standard case index is not the only online records tool. Charleston County’s online-services directory also lists services such as the Clerk of Court Day Book Search, court rosters, expungement-case inquiry and other court-specific tools.
Need a hearing schedule?
A court roster serves a different purpose from the full case index. Use the roster when you are trying to confirm scheduled court activity, but return to the case record for filing history and case-specific details.
Need a Day Book entry?
Use the Clerk’s dedicated Day Book Search listed by Charleston County instead of assuming every indexed Clerk entry will appear through the ordinary case search.
Restricted, sealed and confidential court records
Public access is not the same for every Charleston County case. A case can exist even when details or documents are unavailable through the public search interface.
| Situation | What it can mean | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| Juvenile matter | The Clerk identifies juvenile records as confidential. | Contact Family Court only if you have a lawful reason and appropriate authority to request access. |
| Abuse or neglect case | Public access can be restricted because the record is confidential. | Do not assume the case does not exist because it is absent from public search. |
| Grand jury material | Charleston County identifies grand-jury information as confidential. | Use the Clerk’s official guidance instead of attempting to bypass access controls. |
| Adoption or termination of parental rights | These records are identified as sealed. | Access generally requires the appropriate court process or order. |
| Residential address missing | Home addresses were removed from public display beginning January 1, 2026. | Verify the case using non-address identifiers such as case number, agency and filing details. |
No Charleston County court record found? Check these possibilities
Use court-search results as leads, not automatic conclusions
A public index can help locate a case, but it does not establish identity simply because a name matches. Confirm the case number, court, dates, party role and final disposition, and obtain the official record when the distinction matters.
PublicCourtRecords.org is not a consumer reporting agency and its court-record guides are not intended for employment, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility screening. Review our FCRA and consumer-reporting notice before using public-record information for a decision about another person.
Do not automate the Charleston Public Index. The Public Index includes a notice prohibiting automated scraping. Use the official interface as intended and respect the court’s access controls and privacy limitations.
Charleston County court records FAQs
How far back do Charleston County court records go online?
The Charleston County Clerk of Court says Common Pleas case records are available online from 1989 to the present, while General Sessions and Family Court case records are available from 1992 to the present. Common Pleas document images are available online for documents filed since 1999.
Can I search Charleston County court records by name?
Yes. The official search systems support party-name searches, although the exact interface depends on the court. Verify a possible match with the court agency, case number, filing date, party role and disposition.
How much do Charleston County court-record copies cost?
The Clerk of Court currently lists ordinary copies at $0.10 per page and certification at $1. Some specialized requests have different published charges, so confirm the total with the clerk before mailing payment.
Where do I request a Circuit Court certified copy?
Common Pleas and General Sessions records are handled by the Charleston County Clerk of Court at 100 Broad Street, Suite 106, Charleston, South Carolina 29401-2258. Include the specific case number and party names when possible.
Where are Charleston County Family Court records handled?
Charleston County Family Court is at 100 Broad Street, Suite 143, Charleston, South Carolina 29401-2265. Family Court has a separate official search route from the Circuit Court Public Index.
Why can’t I see a home address in the Charleston County Public Index?
The Charleston County Public Index states that home-address information is no longer displayed for new or existing cases as of January 1, 2026.
What should I do if a Charleston County case does not appear online?
First verify that you are searching the correct court. A missing Circuit Court result may instead belong to Family Court, Magistrate/Summary Court, Probate Court, a municipal court or federal court. Older, sealed, confidential or not-yet-indexed material may also require direct clerk contact.
Are all Charleston County court records public?
No. The Clerk of Court identifies categories such as juvenile, abuse and neglect, grand jury, adoption and termination-of-parental-rights matters as confidential or sealed. Access depends on the record type and applicable court rules or orders.
Official source verification
Use these primary government and judiciary sources to confirm current search availability, fees, office details and access restrictions before relying on time-sensitive information.