Civil Court Records for the City of Charleston
Civil court records for Charleston are maintained by the Charleston County Clerk of Court. Charleston is the largest city in South Carolina and is located in Charleston County. All civil cases involving Charleston residents or businesses are filed in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas, not in a city court. This includes contract disputes, personal injury claims, property matters, and commercial litigation. You can search Charleston civil court records online through the South Carolina Public Index.
Charleston Quick Facts
Court of Common Pleas in Charleston
Civil cases in Charleston are filed in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas, which is part of South Carolina's 9th Judicial Circuit. The 9th Circuit also includes Berkeley County, and judges rotate between these counties on assignment from the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. The Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over all civil actions where the amount in controversy exceeds $7,500.
Civil matters in Charleston include contract disputes, personal injury actions, real property claims, commercial litigation, and foreclosure proceedings. Charleston County has a Master-in-Equity Court that handles complex equity matters and foreclosure actions referred by the Circuit Court. Under Title 14 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, circuit court judges are elected by the General Assembly for six-year terms.
The Charleston County Clerk of Court maintains all civil case records for cases involving Charleston residents. The Charleston County Clerk of Court files and processes civil complaints, maintains judgment rolls, issues subpoenas, and manages all court documents generated in civil cases. The office is located at 100 Broad Street in Charleston.
How to Search Charleston Civil Court Records Online
The South Carolina Public Index provides free online access to civil court records for Charleston cases. Go to publicindex.sccourts.org/charleston and accept the terms of service to begin searching. You can search by case number, party name, or attorney name to find cases involving Charleston residents or businesses.
The index displays case captions, filing dates, party information, docket entries, and scheduled hearings. It does not include images of every document in the file. For certified copies of pleadings, judgments, or other court documents, contact the Charleston County Clerk of Court directly or visit the courthouse. Recent filings may take time to appear in the index.
The appellate record for Charleston civil cases is maintained through the C-Track Public Access system for cases filed on or after May 1, 2012. For civil disputes under $7,500, Charleston County Magistrate Courts hold jurisdiction at the local level.
Charleston Municipal Court
The City of Charleston operates a Municipal Court at charleston-sc.gov that handles city ordinance violations and minor criminal offenses occurring within city limits. The Charleston Municipal Court has no civil jurisdiction. It does not handle contract disputes, personal injury claims, property matters, or any other civil cases. All civil matters must be filed at the county level in the Court of Common Pleas.
If you received a citation or have a matter involving a city ordinance, that goes to Municipal Court. If you have a civil dispute of any kind, you need to file in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas. These are entirely separate court systems with separate records, separate clerks, and separate processes. Do not confuse Municipal Court filings with civil court records in Charleston.
Civil Record Access Rights in Charleston
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. §30-4-10 makes civil court records available to the public. Anyone can view or copy civil court records for Charleston cases without being a party to the case.
Privacy protections apply to certain personal information. Under S.C. Code Ann. §30-2-330, documents on publicly accessible websites must not include social security numbers, financial account numbers, driver's license numbers, or similar identifiers. This applies to all civil court records involving Charleston parties.
Appellate civil records for Charleston cases can be searched through the C-Track Public Access system at sccourts.org. Self-help resources for civil cases in Charleston are available at the South Carolina Judicial Branch website.
Note: All civil procedures for Charleston cases are governed by Title 15 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which sets venue rules, statutes of limitations, and judgment enforcement procedures.
Charleston County Civil Court Records
Charleston is located in Charleston County. All civil court filings for Charleston go through the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas. For complete information about the county court, clerk contact details, and additional resources, visit the Charleston County civil court records page.
Nearby Cities
Residents of nearby cities file civil cases at their respective county courthouses. Select a city to learn about civil court records in that area.