| Clerk of Court | Spartanburg County Clerk of Court |
|---|---|
| Probate Court | Spartanburg County Probate Court |
| Clerk address | 180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306 (Clerk of Court: 2nd Floor, Suite 2100; Probate Court: 4th Floor, Suite 4113). Clerk of Court mail: PO Box 3483, Spartanburg, SC 29304 |
| Phone | Clerk of Court (864) 596-2591; Probate Court (864) 596-2556 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 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 |
Spartanburg County's Clerk of Court keeps Circuit Court (General Sessions criminal, Common Pleas civil) and Family Court records at the county's Magnolia Street judicial complex, searchable through the county's page on the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index.
The Spartanburg County Probate Court, a few floors up in the same building, handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, mental-health commitments, and marriage licenses. A 2023 ransomware attack corrupted the Probate Court's computer database, so some historical records are available only in person by appointment rather than online.
Spartanburg County has several Magistrate Court offices for small claims and minor criminal matters, and the City of Spartanburg and other municipalities run their own municipal courts for local citations, none of which appear in the county's online systems.
Search Spartanburg County court records online
Clerk of Court
Spartanburg County Clerk of Court
- Cost
- Free index search; fees for copies set by the office
- Coverage
- Circuit Court (Common Pleas and General Sessions) and Family Court cases for Spartanburg County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
For copies of records, the office directs requests to its Records division; the website does not publish a per-page fee schedule online.
Probate Court
Spartanburg County Probate Court
- Cost
- Free case information; certified marriage-license copies $5.00 by mail
- Coverage
- Estates, guardianships and conservatorships, mental-health commitments, and marriage licenses
- Records
- Probate
A 2023 ransomware attack corrupted the office's computer database; some records are available only in person by appointment. Certified marriage-license copies by mail cost $5.00, payable by certified check or money order.
Other courts
Spartanburg County Public Index (SC Judicial Branch)
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Circuit Court and Family Court case records for Spartanburg County
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
What is available online
The Public Index covers Circuit and Family Court filings, party names, and case status; document availability depends on case type and filing date. Probate Court records are further limited following a 2023 ransomware attack that corrupted the office's database, so some files require an in-person appointment rather than an online or phone lookup. Magistrate and municipal court records are not on the Public Index.
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
Spartanburg County clerk offices
180 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306 (Clerk of Court: 2nd Floor, Suite 2100; Probate Court: 4th Floor, Suite 4113). Clerk of Court mail: PO Box 3483, Spartanburg, SC 29304
Phone: Clerk of Court (864) 596-2591; Probate Court (864) 596-2556
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
Circuit and Family Court records. Search the Public Index online, or contact the Clerk of Court's Records division at 180 Magnolia Street, Suite 2100, or by mail to PO Box 3483, Spartanburg, SC 29304. Call ahead to confirm current copy fees, since the office does not publish a fee schedule online.
Probate records. Contact the Spartanburg County Probate Court at 180 Magnolia Street, Suite 4113. Certified marriage-license copies requested by mail cost $5.00, payable by certified check or money order. Because of the 2023 database outage, some older estate files may require an in-person appointment.
Magistrate and municipal court records. Contact the specific magistrate's office or the relevant city's municipal court directly.
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
Can I search Spartanburg County probate records online?
Not fully. A 2023 ransomware attack corrupted the Probate Court's database, so while some information is available by phone, complete historical estate records may require an in-person appointment.
How do I search Spartanburg County Circuit and Family Court cases?
Use the Spartanburg County Public Index, part of the statewide South Carolina Judicial Branch system, to search by name or case number for free.
How much is a certified marriage license copy in Spartanburg County?
$5.00 by mail, payable by certified check or money order, according to the Probate Court.
Where is the Spartanburg County Clerk of Court's office?
180 Magnolia Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 2100, Spartanburg, SC 29306. Mail requests go to PO Box 3483, Spartanburg, SC 29304.
Sources
- Spartanburg County Clerk of Court — https://www.spartanburgcounty.gov/174/Clerk-of-Court
- Spartanburg County Probate Court — https://www.spartanburgcounty.gov/153/Probate-Court
- Spartanburg County Public Index (SC Judicial Branch) — https://publicindex.sccourts.org/spartanburg/publicindex/
- 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.