| Clerk of Court | Berkeley County Clerk of Court |
|---|---|
| Probate Court | Berkeley County Probate Court |
| Clerk address | Berkeley County Courthouse, 300-B California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 (Clerk of Court mail: P.O. Box 219, Moncks Corner, SC 29461; Probate Court in the same building) |
| Phone | Clerk of Court — Common Pleas and General Sessions (843) 719-4400; Family Court (843) 719-4500; Probate Court (843) 719-4519; Magistrate Courts (843) 719-4050 |
| Hours | Clerk of Court and Probate Court: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Probate drop box available 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Berkeley County, the fast-growing northern half of the Charleston metro area (Goose Creek, Hanahan, Summerville's east side, and Daniel Island), shares the Ninth Judicial Circuit with Charleston County. Its Clerk of Court keeps Court of Common Pleas civil files, Court of General Sessions criminal files, and Family Court records at the county courthouse at 300-B California Avenue in Moncks Corner. Case information for all three is searchable free through the county's page on the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index.
The Berkeley County Probate Court is a separate office in the same building. It handles estates, marriage licenses, guardianships and conservatorships, minor settlements, and involuntary commitments, and it keeps a drop box at the front of the courthouse for filings.
Civil disputes up to $7,500, evictions, and minor criminal charges go to the county's Magistrate Courts, which sit in several locations around the county and are reached through a court-finder map on the county site. Tickets written by Goose Creek, Hanahan, or Moncks Corner police go to that city's municipal court. None of those cases appear in the clerk's Public Index.
Search Berkeley County court records online
Clerk of Court
Berkeley County Clerk of Court
- Cost
- Free index search; copy fees set by the office
- Coverage
- Court of Common Pleas, Court of General Sessions, and Family Court cases for Berkeley County, Ninth Judicial Circuit
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
The office lists separate lines for Circuit Court, (843) 719-4400, and Family Court, (843) 719-4500, plus Charleston and St. Stephen local numbers. It provides copies of divorce decrees and links to the statewide Circuit and Family Court fee schedules rather than publishing its own copy fees.
Probate Court
Berkeley County Probate Court
- Cost
- Free case information; fees for filings and certified copies set by statute and the office
- Coverage
- Estates, marriage licenses, guardianships and conservatorships, minor settlements, and involuntary commitments
- Records
- Probate
A drop box at the front of the courthouse accepts filings between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Marriage License Division prepares certified copies of Berkeley County marriage licenses.
Other courts
Berkeley County Public Index (SC Judicial Branch)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Circuit Court and Family Court case records for the Ninth Judicial Circuit's Berkeley County docket
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Accept the disclaimer, then search by party name or case number. Traffic tickets can be paid through the companion online-payments site.
Other courts
Berkeley County Court Documents portal
- Coverage
- Document search and document-request system run by the Clerk of Court, linked from the clerk's page
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
Requires an account (login or registration) to search or request documents; developed by the county IT department. Intended mainly for attorneys and frequent requesters.
Other courts
Berkeley County Magistrate Courts
- Coverage
- Small claims up to $7,500, landlord-tenant, minor criminal offenses (fines generally up to $500 or 30 days), traffic tickets, and restraining orders
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Traffic
Several magistrate offices around the county, each keeping its own files; the county site has a court-finder map and a locations-and-judges list. Main line (843) 719-4050.
What is available online
The Berkeley County Public Index covers Common Pleas, General Sessions, and Family Court case information and status, with document images for some case types. Family Court dockets and case records are also in the statewide Family Court public portal. The clerk's separate Court Documents portal lets registered users search and request documents. Probate Court records are not online; contact the office. Magistrate and municipal court cases are not on any county portal.
Which clerk has your record
In South Carolina, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the South Carolina page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court — Common Pleas (civil) and General Sessions (criminal) | Felony criminal cases; Civil suits above the magistrate-court limit; Appeals from Magistrate, Municipal, and Probate Court | Clerk of Court of the county |
| Family Court | Divorce, custody, and child support; Adoption; Juvenile delinquency and abuse/neglect cases | Clerk of Court of the county (Family Court division) |
| Probate Court | Estate administration and wills; Guardianships and conservatorships; Marriage licenses | Probate Judge of the county |
| Magistrate Court (Summary Court) | Small claims up to the magistrate limit; Minor criminal offenses; Bond hearings | Magistrate Court clerk for the individual magistrate's office |
| Municipal Court | City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued within city limits | Municipal court clerk for that city |
Request records in person or by mail
Berkeley County clerk offices
Berkeley County Courthouse, 300-B California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 (Clerk of Court mail: P.O. Box 219, Moncks Corner, SC 29461; Probate Court in the same building)
Phone: Clerk of Court — Common Pleas and General Sessions (843) 719-4400; Family Court (843) 719-4500; Probate Court (843) 719-4519; Magistrate Courts (843) 719-4050
Hours: Clerk of Court and Probate Court: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Probate drop box available 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Circuit and Family Court records. Search the Public Index to find the case number, then contact the Clerk of Court at 300-B California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, or by mail at P.O. Box 219. Say whether you need plain or certified copies. The clerk's site does not list a per-page copy fee, so call (843) 719-4400 (Circuit Court) or (843) 719-4500 (Family Court) to confirm the amount before mailing payment. Divorce decrees are issued by the Family Court division.
Probate records. Contact the Probate Court at (843) 719-4519 or visit the courthouse; filings can be left in the front drop box between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Certified marriage-license copies come from the Marriage License Division.
Magistrate and municipal cases. Use the county's court-finder map to identify the magistrate office for the area where the case was filed, or contact the municipal court for Goose Creek, Hanahan, or Moncks Corner for city tickets.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Copy and certification fees are set by each clerk of court and probate judge under the general fee authority in Title 8, Chapter 21 of the South Carolina Code, so amounts differ by county (for example, Greenville County charges $0.25 per page for plain copies and $10.00 per document for certified copies). Confirm the current fee with the specific office before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
South Carolina court records are presumed open, but the state treats sealing and expungement as two different things. Sealing removes a record from public view while keeping it on file for law enforcement or licensing purposes in narrow circumstances; expungement, governed by the Uniform Expungement of Criminal Records Act (S.C. Code Ann. Title 17, Chapter 22, Article 9), results in destruction of the record so that, legally, the charge no longer exists for background-check purposes.
The South Carolina guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I search Berkeley County court records online?
Use the Berkeley County Public Index, part of the South Carolina Judicial Branch system, to search Common Pleas, General Sessions, and Family Court cases free by name or case number. Probate and magistrate cases are not included.
Is Berkeley County in the same judicial circuit as Charleston?
Yes. Berkeley and Charleston counties make up the Ninth Judicial Circuit and share the same solicitor, but each county's Clerk of Court keeps its own records. A case filed in Charleston County will not appear in Berkeley County's Public Index.
What is the small-claims limit in Berkeley County Magistrate Court?
$7,500. Civil claims above that amount are filed with the Clerk of Court in the Court of Common Pleas. Magistrates also handle evictions, minor criminal charges, and traffic tickets.
Where do I get a copy of a Berkeley County divorce decree?
From the Clerk of Court's Family Court division at 300-B California Avenue in Moncks Corner, (843) 719-4500. Marriage licenses, by contrast, are kept by the Probate Court, (843) 719-4519.
Sources
- Berkeley County Clerk of Court — https://berkeleycountysc.gov/dept/coc/
- Berkeley County Probate Court — https://berkeleycountysc.gov/dept/probate/
- Berkeley County Magistrate Court — https://berkeleycountysc.gov/dept/magistrates/
- Berkeley County Court Documents portal — https://courtdocs.berkeleycountysc.gov/
- Berkeley County Public Index (SC Judicial Branch) — https://publicindex.sccourts.org/berkeley/publicindex/
- South Carolina Judicial Branch — Berkeley County Courthouse Search — https://www.sccourts.org/courts/courthouse-search/berkeley/
- South Carolina Judicial Branch — Circuit Court — https://www.sccourts.org/courts/trial-courts/circuit-court/
- South Carolina Judicial Branch — Supreme Court — https://www.sccourts.org/courts/supreme-court/
- South Carolina Judicial Branch — Case Records Search — https://www.sccourts.org/case-records-search/
- South Carolina Judicial Branch — C-Track Public Access (appellate) — https://www.sccourts.org/c-track-public-access/
- SLED CATCH (Citizen's Access To Criminal Histories) — https://catch.sled.sc.gov/
- South Carolina Code, Title 17, Chapter 22 — Intervention Programs (Article 9, Uniform Expungement of Criminal Records) — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t17c022.php
- South Carolina Code, Title 30, Chapter 4 — Freedom of Information Act — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t30c004.php
- South Carolina Code, Title 8, Chapter 21 — Fees and Costs Generally — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t08c021.php
- United States District Court for the District of South Carolina — https://www.scd.uscourts.gov/
See also: all South Carolina counties.