Find Civil Court Records in Horry County
Horry County civil court records are filed and maintained by the Clerk of Court at the Horry County Courthouse in Conway. The Court of Common Pleas handles all civil cases in Horry County, including contract disputes, personal injury claims, real property matters, commercial litigation, and foreclosure proceedings. Horry County is a high-volume civil court jurisdiction due to its large population and active coastal economy. You can search Horry County civil court records online through the South Carolina Public Index or visit the Clerk of Court office in Conway.
Horry County Quick Facts
Horry County Court of Common Pleas
Horry County is part of South Carolina's 15th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Georgetown County. The 15th Circuit Court rotates judges between these counties throughout the year. The Court of Common Pleas handles all civil actions where the amount in controversy exceeds $7,500.
Civil cases in Horry County include the full range of matters: contract disputes, personal injury actions, real property claims, commercial litigation, foreclosure proceedings, and other civil suits. Under Title 14 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, circuit court judges are elected by the General Assembly for six-year terms and rotate on assignment by the Chief Justice.
Horry County has a Master-in-Equity Court. The Master-in-Equity handles complex equity matters and foreclosure proceedings referred by the Circuit Court. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 14-11-20, counties with a population of at least 130,000 qualify for this court, and Horry County exceeds that threshold.
Horry County Clerk of Court
The Horry County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all civil case records for the county. The office files and processes civil complaints, maintains judgment rolls, issues subpoenas, manages the jury system, and keeps all court documents generated by civil cases in Horry County. The courthouse is located in Conway, the county seat.
Visit the Horry County Clerk of Court in person at the courthouse in Conway to search civil case files, request document copies, or locate a case by party name or case number. Contact the courthouse through the statewide courthouse search tool for current hours and contact details. Staff can show you records in the public file and explain filing procedures. The office cannot provide legal advice.
How to Search Horry County Civil Court Records Online
The South Carolina Public Index provides free online access to Horry County civil court records. Go to publicindex.sccourts.org/horry and accept the terms of service to begin. You can search by case number, party name, or attorney name.
The index shows case captions, filing dates, party information, docket entries, and hearing schedules. It does not display every document in the file. For copies of actual pleadings, orders, or other documents, contact the Clerk of Court or visit the courthouse. Recent entries may lag behind actual filings due to processing time.
For civil disputes under $7,500, Horry County Magistrate Courts hold jurisdiction. These smaller civil cases are filed at the magistrate level and have separate records from the Court of Common Pleas system.
Civil Record Access Rights in Horry County
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 Horry County civil case records. You do not have to be a party to the case to access it.
Privacy protections apply to sensitive personal information. Under S.C. Code Ann. §30-2-330, documents placed on publicly accessible websites must not include social security numbers, financial account numbers, driver's license numbers, or similar identifiers. This applies to all Horry County civil court records. If you find such information in a public record online, you can ask that it be removed.
Civil case appeals from Horry County go to the South Carolina Court of Appeals or Supreme Court. Those appellate records are searchable through C-Track Public Access, the South Carolina appellate court case management system, for cases filed on or after May 1, 2012. Self-help resources for Horry County civil cases are available at the South Carolina Judicial Branch website.
Note: For legal aid assistance in Horry County, visit scaccesstojustice.org/get-help.
Nearby Counties
Horry County is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit. Neighboring counties in this region of South Carolina share circuit court resources. Civil cases must be filed in the county where the dispute arose or where the parties reside.