Find Civil Court Records in Lexington County
Lexington County civil court records are filed and maintained by the Clerk of Court at the Lexington County Courthouse. The Court of Common Pleas handles all civil cases in Lexington County, including contract disputes, personal injury claims, real property matters, commercial litigation, and foreclosure proceedings. Lexington County is a large and active civil court jurisdiction in the Midlands region. You can search Lexington County civil court records online through the South Carolina Public Index or visit the courthouse in Lexington.
Lexington County Quick Facts
Lexington County Court of Common Pleas
Lexington County is part of South Carolina's 11th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Calhoun and Saluda Counties. The 11th Circuit Court rotates judges among 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 Lexington County include the full range of matters: contract disputes, personal injury actions, real property claims, commercial litigation, foreclosure proceedings, and declaratory judgment actions. 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.
Lexington 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 a Master-in-Equity, and Lexington County meets that threshold.
Lexington County Clerk of Court
The Lexington 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 Lexington County.
Visit the Lexington County Clerk of Court in person at the courthouse in Lexington 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 Lexington County Civil Court Records Online
The South Carolina Public Index provides free online access to Lexington County civil court records. Go to publicindex.sccourts.org/lexington 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, Lexington 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 Lexington 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 Lexington 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 Lexington County civil court records. If you find such information in a public record online, you can ask that it be removed.
Federal civil cases arising in Lexington County are handled by the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Federal records are separate from state Court of Common Pleas records and are searchable through PACER. Self-help resources for Lexington County civil cases are available at the South Carolina Judicial Branch website.
Note: For legal aid assistance in Lexington County, visit scaccesstojustice.org/get-help.
Nearby Counties
Lexington County is part of the 11th 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.