Berkeley County Court Records

Berkeley County court records are official documents that contain information about legal proceedings adjudicated within the county. They detail all actions and decisions taken by courts during civil and criminal case proceedings. A court clerk is responsible for maintaining these records and making them available for public inspection.

In Berkeley County, South Carolina, court records include transcripts, judgments, motions, pleadings, orders, indictments, verdicts, petitions, and related documents.

Are Court Records Public in Berkeley County?

Yes. Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), court records are classified as public records. Hence, interested members of the public, including the press, case parties, and third parties, may inspect and copy record documents. Public access to court records, including about juveniles, adoption, abuse and neglect, and sealed/dismissed cases, is restricted. Similarly, portions of records that contain sensitive information, such as security and confidential financial details, are redacted from publicly available record copies. Public court records may be obtained at the courthouse where a case was filed or through websites provided by the clerk of the presiding court.

Berkeley County Court Records Search

Members of the public may search for Berkeley County court records through any of the following means:

• At the court clerk's office, where a court was filed
• Searchable online databases provided by court clerks
• Aggregate databases provided by third parties for court case searches.

Berkeley County Court Records Search by Name

A person's name is the primary criterion for finding court records on them. To perform a Berkeley County court record search by name, the record seeker must possess the full name of the person in the sought-after record. They must then fill out the name, along with other required case details on a FOIA request, and submit it to the clerk of the court that adjudicated the case of interest. Berkeley County also processes these requests online.

Online searchable databases provided by courts and third parties may also be used to perform a name-based court record search. Record seekers may enter the first and last name (and the court case number, depending on the website) in the appropriate fields and run the search. Searches on the Berkeley County online tool are free.

Berkeley County Courts

The Berkeley County judicial system consists of various courts. The county's apex court is the Circuit Court of South Carolina, located in Berkeley County. The circuit court is divided into the Court of Common Pleas (which handles civil cases) and the Court of General Sessions (which handles criminal cases). Other courts within the county's court system include probate courts, magistrates courts, municipal courts, and a family court. Their addresses and contact information are as follows:

Berkeley County Circuit Court
300-B California Avenue
P.O. Box 219
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4400
Fax: (843) 719-4509

Berkeley County Family Court
300-B California Avenue
P.O. Box 219
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4500
Fax: (843) 719-4509

Berkeley County Probate Court
300-B California Avenue
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4519
Fax: (843) 719-4527

Berkeley County Magistrate Court - Bond Court
300 California Avenue
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4549

Berkeley County Magistrate Court - Central Traffic and Criminal Domestic
223 N Live Oak Drive
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4050
Fax: (843) 719-4534

Berkeley County Magistrate Court - Goose Creek
303-B North Goose Creek Boulevard
Goose Creek, SC 29445
Phone: (843) 553-7080
Fax: (843) 553-7074
Phone: (843) 553-6099 (Small Claims)
Fax: (843) 553-7074 (Small Claims).

Berkeley County Magistrate Court - Moncks Corner
223 N Live Oak Drive
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4535 (Preliminary Hearings)
Fax: (843) 719-4528 (Preliminary Hearings)
Phone: (843) 719-4264 (Small Claims)
Fax: (843) 719-4528 (Small Claims).

Berkeley County Magistrates Court - St. Stephen
113 Ravenell Drive
St. Stephen, SC 29479
Phone: (843) 567-7400
Fax: (843) 567-3102

Bonneau Municipal Court
P.O. Box 70
Bonneau, SC 29431
Phone: (843) 825-3385
Fax: (843) 825-2577

Goose Creek Municipal Court
519 N Goose Creek Boulevard
P.O. Drawer 1768
Goose Creek, SC 29445
Phone: (843) 569-4230
Fax: (843) 569-4206

Hanahan Municipal Court
1255 Yeamans Hall Road
Hanahan, SC 29410
Phone: (843) 576-5262
Fax: (843) 885-5053

Jamestown Municipal Court
7604 Highway 41
P.O. Box 145
Jamestown, SC 29453
Phone: (843) 257-2233
Fax: (843) 257-2233

Moncks Corner Municipal Court
118 Carolina Avenue
P.O. Box 700
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-7918
Fax: (843) 719-7980

Saint Stephen Municipal Court
124 Hood Street
St. Stephen, SC 29479
Phone: (843) 567-3116
Fax: (843) 567-7235

Berkeley County Family Court
300-B California Avenue
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Office: (843) 719-4500
Fax: (843) 719-4509

Berkeley County Circuit Court Case Search

The Berkeley County Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases. Criminal cases are handled by the Court of General Sessions, while civil cases are handled by the Court of Common Pleas. Both are subdivisions of the Circuit Court.

Court records for cases handled at the Berkeley County Circuit Court are available online and for physical inspection at the courthouse. For physical inspection of court records, submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request containing the name of a record's subject and other case specifics that might aid the identification and retrieval of the needed record, such as a docket number, case file number, or a filing date range. Record seekers may submit requests online or in person at:

Berkeley County Circuit Court
300-B California Avenue
P.O. Box 219
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4400
Fax: (843) 719-4509

Berkeley County Magistrate Court Records

Generally, magistrate courts have jurisdiction over criminal cases subject to a fine of less than $500 or a jail term of less than 30 days. Civil cases handled by this court are limited to amounts less than $7500. Interested persons may obtain magistrate court records by visiting the Berkeley County clerk's office or the courthouse where the case was adjudicated.

Berkeley County Criminal Records

Berkeley County criminal records are maintained by several government agencies, including the county sheriff, local police departments, courthouses, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Criminal records in Berkeley County are public. As such, interested parties should query the records division or other appropriate units of any of the entities mentioned earlier to inspect criminal records.

Interested parties can find incarceration details on any person held in the county jail on the Inmate Lookup website provided by the County Sheriff. Searches on this website are name-based. To obtain Berkeley County Arrest Records or access criminal records remotely, use the SLED's Citizens Access to Criminal History (CATCH) tool. The access fee is $25 per subject plus a $1 convenience fee if ordering online.

SLED also accepts mail requests for criminal records. To use the mail-in option, fill out the downloadable Criminal Records Check Form and submit it along with the applicable fee and a stamped envelope and submit it to:

SLED Records Department
P.O. Box 21398
Columbia, SC 29221-1398.

Berkeley County Criminal Court Case Lookup

The Berkeley County Circuit Court clerk's office is responsible for generating and maintaining records on criminal cases adjudicated in the court of general sessions. There are various means by which members of the public can obtain public criminal records, including:

• Physical inspection at the circuit court clerk's office
• Local law enforcement agencies involved in the case
• The circuit court's online searchable tool
• Third-party websites.

To access records via any of the above methods, an inquirer must possess the full name of the record's subject. Other details needed to find a case record are its case number and filing date.

Get Berkeley County Civil Court Records

Berkeley County civil court records are generated in courts of common pleas and are otherwise known as common plea court records. Other courts in the county's judicial system, such as the probate, magistrate's, and family courts, also have jurisdiction over civil cases. Civil cases include family, probate, juvenile, divorce, and personal injury matters.

Interested residents of Berkeley County should visit the clerk's office of the courthouse that presided over a particular case for physical inspection of associated records. For remote access, interested persons should visit the county's searchable public index for court records. Sealed records are only available to parties with special authorization.

Berkeley County Family Court Records

The Berkeley County Family Court handles cases related to family matters and domestic relations, such as child custody, divorce, adoption, child support, etc. Under South Carolina law, most family court records are confidential and may only be viewed by parties with special authorization. Non-public family records include terminated parental rights, juvenile delinquency, adoption, abuse and neglect, and adoption records.

Members of the public can view details of marriage records and divorce records. Family records are typically accessible to record subjects and their attorneys. Authorized parties who intend to make copies of records must pay certain fees according to the number of pages copied. Visit the family court at the County Courthouse or contact the clerk's office for further inquiries before a visit:

300-B California Avenue
P.O. Box 219
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4500
Fax: (843) 719-4509

The South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) provides an online database for interested parties to find family case records. This online tool has state-wide coverage and can be searched using the case number.

Berkeley Dissolution of Marriage Records

Berkeley County dissolution of marriage proceedings fall under the jurisdiction of the county's family court. Dissolution of marriage proceedings includes the different methods by which marriages can be terminated, including divorces, annulments, and legal separations.

Contact the Berkeley County Clerk of Court for information on how to access the needed records. Obtaining a record typically involves submitting a formal record request application containing the full names of the parties involved and a date range within which the marriage dissolution occurred.

Berkeley County Marriage and Divorce Records

Berkeley County marriage records are available at the county probate court, the Clerk's Office, and the Vital Records Office. Divorce records in Berkeley County are available at the Clerk's Office. In any case, requestors must know the full names of the record subjects as well as the approximate marriage date to facilitate a record search.

To view Berkeley County marriage certificates from the Vital Records Office, a $17 records search fee (excluding other charges) will be charged to the inquirer. The acceptable record request methods are drop-off, mail, in-person, online, and phone. The online search option is only available to the persons named on a record or their adult children. Certified copies of marriage records are only available to record parties, their legal representative, and their adult children.

While actual copies of marriage certificates are not available to the public, interested third parties may be provided with a statement that a marriage took place, including the marriage date and the county in which it occurred. Mail-in requests should be sent to:

DHEC Vital Records
2600 Bull St.
Columbia, SC 29201.

Berkeley County Birth and Death Records

Berkeley County birth records and death records are classified as the county's vital records and are not considered public. The Vital Records division of the SCDHEC maintains birth and death records for all counties in South Carolina. Berkeley County birth certificates held by this office only become public after 100 years. Until then, they can only be accessed by the person named on the certificate, their parents, their offspring, or their legal representative.

Death certificates can only be accessed by immediate family members and legal representatives of the person named on the certificate. Other than these, death certificates are only accessible to other parties who present proof of a tangible interest in a personal or property right of a deceased person and that the death certificate is necessary to claim such rights.

Third parties are only provided a statement that confirms that a death occurred, including the county and date of death, but not the actual certificate. Death certificates become public after 50 years.

Berkeley County Probate Court Records

The Berkeley County Probate Court has jurisdiction over several case types, including mental health, estates, drug and alcohol addiction, minor settlements, guardianship, conservatorship, and marriage licenses. This court has four distinct divisions with jurisdiction over specific cases:

• Estate Division
• Guardian/Conservator Division
• Marriage License Division
• Therapeutic Division

The probate court clerk is responsible for maintaining all records generated for proceedings handled in the probate court and also grants public access to publicly available case records/information. Most probate court records are unavailable online. To inspect probate court records, call the court for inquiries or visit the court clerk's office during office hours (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

Berkeley County Probate Court
300-B California Avenue
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: (843) 719-4519
Fax: (843) 719-4527

Berkeley County Property Records

The Berkeley County Register of Deeds is responsible for recording, maintaining, and ensuring the public availability of all records about real properties located in Berkeley County. Property records that can be accessed from the register's office include deeds, plats, tax liens, mortgages, and property sales documents. Members of the public may visit the Recorder of Deeds office to inspect and make copies of records.

A $10 fee is required for the inspection of certified copies of property records, and the fees for photocopying record documents vary depending on the number of pages made. Interested parties can find images and indexed property information from July 1, 1983, to the present. Online access is free, whereas a fee is required for record inspection at the office of the Register of Deeds.

Records available on this website include property documents for various counties and deed images beginning in January 1974. Searches are done using a grantor's or grantee's name. Users can further narrow down their search to specific results by specifying a date range. For inquiries and in-person record requests, contact the Berkeley County Recorder of Deeds at:

Berkeley County Register of Deeds
1003 North Highway 52
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6122
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Fax: (843) 719-4851
Phone: (843) 723-3800, (843) 719-4084.

Berkeley County Court Records Online

Aside from official state-operated websites, individuals can look up court records through aggregate websites. These websites are provided and managed by third-party information service providers. Records available on these websites are gathered from various official sources, including courthouses and court websites.

Third-party websites like Southcarolinacourtrecords.us usually cover multiple courts and jurisdictions, making them ideal for use when a record seeker does not know the exact courthouse that handled a case. Since court proceedings are held daily, records on an active court case get updated regularly. As such, users of third-party websites should confirm information obtained against official sources for accuracy.