Berkeley County SC Court Records Search: Public Index, Clerk, Magistrate, Probate & PACER Routes
Use this guide to search Berkeley County court records through the correct official source: South Carolina Public Index, Berkeley County Clerk of Court, Magistrate Court, Probate Court, appellate C-Track, or PACER for federal cases.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not the South Carolina Judicial Branch, Berkeley County Clerk of Court, Berkeley County Magistrate Court, Berkeley County Probate Court, a law firm, a government agency, PACER, or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This page is general public-record guidance only and is not legal advice.
Responsible-use warning: a name match does not prove identity. A complaint, warrant, arrest, charge, indictment, lawsuit, petition, traffic citation, or docket entry does not prove guilt or liability. Do not use this page for employment, tenant, credit, insurance, licensing, or other FCRA-regulated screening decisions.
Berkeley County court records are split by court and record custodian
The most useful starting point for many Berkeley County court records is the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search or the direct Berkeley County Public Index. These tools can help locate public trial-court case information, but they do not replace every local office or restricted-record process.
Berkeley County’s Clerk of Court maintains records for Common Pleas, General Sessions, and Family Court functions. Magistrate Court handles magistrate-level civil, traffic, criminal, bond, preliminary-hearing, and small-claims matters. Probate Court handles estates, marriage licenses, guardianships, conservatorships, minor settlements, and certain therapeutic matters.
Berkeley County is county number 08 in the South Carolina Judicial Branch county listing.
Berkeley County is part of South Carolina’s 9th Judicial Circuit.
Berkeley County states Magistrate civil jurisdiction applies when the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500.
The South Carolina public index disclaimer states home address information is no longer displayed beginning January 1, 2026.
Berkeley County court record route finder
Select the record type. This helper runs in your browser and does not ask for names, case numbers, birth dates, addresses, or other identifiers.
Common Pleas covers civil disputes and judgments handled by the circuit court. Use case number when available, then contact the Clerk for official copies, corrections, or certification.
Choose the correct Berkeley County court record system
Most search problems happen when users search the wrong court. Use this table before opening the public index or contacting a clerk.
| Need | Correct source | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Civil lawsuit over the magistrate limit, judgment, or Common Pleas case | Berkeley County Clerk of Court / Court of Common Pleas | Use the Berkeley Public Index. Civil cases are indexed by plaintiff and defendant. Save the case number before requesting copies. |
| Felony or serious criminal prosecution | Berkeley County Clerk of Court / Court of General Sessions | Use the Public Index and search by defendant or case number. For trial scheduling, Berkeley County directs users to the 9th Circuit Solicitor. |
| Divorce, child support, custody, abuse and neglect, domestic relations, or order of protection record | Berkeley County Family Court / Clerk of Court | Understand that Family Court records are confidential and may require special permission. Contact Family Court for access and copy rules. |
| Small claims, landlord-tenant, magistrate civil, claim and delivery, preliminary hearing, county traffic, or magistrate-level criminal case | Berkeley County Magistrate Court | Use the Public Index for searchable civil, traffic, and criminal magistrate cases, then contact the correct Magistrate location if you need case-specific help. |
| Estate, will, guardianship, conservatorship, minor settlement, mental-health or alcohol/drug commitment, or marriage license | Berkeley County Probate Court | Use Probate Court and Probate Online Services. Estates and marriage-license copies follow Probate Court procedures, not ordinary Public Index searching. |
| Deed, mortgage, lien, plat, land transaction, or recorded real-estate document | Berkeley County Register of Deeds | Use the Register of Deeds, not the court case search. Berkeley County states the Clerk does not record land transactions. |
| Municipal traffic or ordinance case | The municipal court named on the ticket or notice | Check the city or town listed on the citation. Municipal cases may not be handled the same way as county Magistrate cases. |
| State appeal | South Carolina C-Track Public Access | Use C-Track for Supreme Court of South Carolina and South Carolina Court of Appeals records. Confirm the lower-court case number. |
| Federal civil, federal criminal, or bankruptcy case | PACER, District of South Carolina, or U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of South Carolina | Use PACER Find a Case or the specific federal court. Berkeley County’s public index does not contain federal cases. |
| Current custody, booking, inmate information, or jail status | Berkeley County Sheriff / detention resources | Do not use a court docket as a custody search. Jail and court records are separate systems and may update at different times. |
How to use the Berkeley County Public Index without misreading a result
The Berkeley County Public Index is part of the South Carolina Judicial Branch trial-court public access system. It can help you locate public case information, but the public index itself warns that information may be delayed, incomplete, non-official, or restricted.
Start from the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search page or the direct Berkeley County Public Index link. Confirm the domain is sccourts.org before searching.
The public index requires users to accept terms. Read the warnings about accuracy, delays, privacy, redaction, and automated scraping before using the system.
A complete case number is more precise than a name search. If you only have a name, search broadly first and then narrow carefully.
Berkeley County explains that civil cases are indexed by plaintiff and defendant. Criminal cases are indexed by defendant.
Check the court, case number, filing date, party role, case type, docket entries, and status before assuming a result belongs to the person or business you intended to find.
For hearing or trial scheduling, use South Carolina Court Roster Search and verify with the Clerk or court when the date is important.
Online viewing is not the same as a certified copy. Contact the Clerk, Magistrate Court, Probate Court, appellate clerk, or federal court that maintains the record.
What Berkeley County case records can and cannot prove
A court docket is a timeline of case activity. It may show filings, hearings, motions, orders, judgments, warrants, pleas, or disposition information depending on the case type. It does not always explain legal meaning, and it may not include restricted or sealed documents.
Plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent, appellant, appellee, debtor, creditor, decedent, personal representative, guardian, and ward are roles. A role does not always mean wrongdoing.
Open, active, pending, closed, dismissed, disposed, satisfied, appealed, or reopened should be read in context. Confirm final outcomes with the official custodian.
A complaint, indictment, citation, warrant, petition, or motion is not proof that the allegation is true. Use neutral wording and verify the final court action.
Official Berkeley County court-record links and what to do after opening each one
Every important official link below includes practical next steps. This prevents the page from becoming a low-value link list and helps users reach the correct custodian.
Use this statewide starting point to find the Berkeley County trial-court public index.
- Search or select Berkeley County.
- Choose the option to view case records.
- Read and accept the disclaimer.
- Search by case number, party name, or available filters.
Use this for many public Circuit and Magistrate Court case records.
- Confirm the page is hosted by sccourts.org.
- Read the public-index disclaimer.
- Use case number when possible.
- Compare case type, filing date, party role, and docket activity before relying on a match.
Use this for Clerk functions, contact details, forms, court dockets, Family Court routing, and copy questions.
- Review department functions to confirm the Clerk holds the record.
- Use Case Records Search for online lookup.
- Call 843-719-4400 for Common Pleas or General Sessions records.
- Call 843-719-4500 for Family Court-related contact.
Use this for copy, indexing, and confidentiality explanations.
- Read the “How do I get a copy of my court records?” section.
- Note how civil and criminal cases are indexed.
- Review Family Court confidentiality language.
- Confirm current copy charges with the Clerk before ordering.
Use this for hearing calendars, rosters, and court dates.
- Type Berkeley or Moncks Corner in the county, city, or ZIP search field.
- Open the Berkeley County roster option.
- Compare the case number and party name.
- Verify important dates with the Clerk or court before appearing.
Use this county-hosted document request route when you already know what court document you need.
- Prepare the case number if available.
- List the exact document title or docket entry.
- State whether a plain or certified copy is needed.
- Wait for the Clerk’s current fee and processing instructions.
Use this for magistrate-level civil, traffic, criminal, bond, preliminary-hearing, and small-claims matters.
- Confirm the matter belongs in Magistrate Court.
- Use the Public Index for searchable civil, traffic, and criminal magistrate cases.
- Check the correct location for North, South, Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, or St. Stephen matters.
- Call before visiting or mailing a request.
Use this to route small claims, traffic, bond, and preliminary-hearing questions to the correct office.
- Identify whether the case is North, South, Goose Creek, Moncks Corner, St. Stephen, Bond Court, or Preliminary Hearing.
- Save the phone, fax, and address.
- Ask whether the record is online, paper, or requires an in-person request.
- Confirm current hours and payment rules.
Use this for estate, guardianship, conservatorship, therapeutic, minor-settlement, and marriage-license matters.
- Choose Estates, Guardianship / Conservatorship, Therapeutic, or Marriage License.
- Review current document and fee instructions.
- Use Probate Online Services when appropriate.
- Contact Probate Court at 843-719-4519 for access or copy questions.
Use this for marriage-license applications, marriage-license lookup, certified-copy requests, and application status checks.
- Choose the service that matches your request.
- For certified marriage copies, prepare both names, approximate issue date, mailing address, and card payment.
- Review processing-time language before submitting.
- Save the confirmation after submission.
Use this for deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and recorded land transactions.
- Do not search the court docket for ordinary deed copies.
- Use the Register of Deeds search route for recorded documents.
- Remember the office cannot interpret records for you.
- Be cautious of private deed-copy solicitation letters.
Use this for South Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals case records.
- Read the appellate public-access terms.
- Note that many appellate records are available for cases filed or pending on or after May 1, 2012.
- Search by appellate case number, case title, or other supported fields.
- Contact the appellate clerk if official verification is needed.
Berkeley County offices for court-record help
Before visiting, call the relevant office to confirm the correct location, case type, record availability, public access, copy fees, certification fees, payment methods, and whether the record is confidential or off-site.
300-B California Avenue
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Clerk of Court: 843-719-4400
Family Court: 843-719-4500
Probate Court: 843-719-4519
Departments/courts at this location include Clerk of Courts, Master in Equity, Probate Court, and Solicitor.
223 North Live Oak Drive
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Magistrate Court: 843-719-4050
Fax: 843-719-4528
Office hours listed by the county: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday
This location includes Bond Court, Central Criminal/Traffic Court, Preliminary Hearings, and Small Claims North.
653 Red Bank Road
Goose Creek, SC 29445
Goose Creek Magistrate: 843-553-7080
Small Claims South: 843-553-6099
Fax: 843-553-7074
Use this location when the magistrate case or small-claims matter is assigned to the Goose Creek / South office.
137 Hood Street
St. Stephen, SC 29479
Phone: 843-567-7400
Fax: 843-567-3102
Berkeley County and South Carolina Judicial Branch listings identify this as a magistrate location for St. Stephen matters.
Berkeley County Probate Court records are not ordinary Public Index searches
Probate Court handles estates, guardianships, conservatorships, minor settlements, marriage licenses, and certain therapeutic matters. These records follow Probate Court procedures rather than the same path as Common Pleas or General Sessions cases.
| Need | Official route | Important details |
|---|---|---|
| Estate case or will information | Berkeley Probate Court Estates Division | The Estates Division lists documents needed to open an estate, including original death certificate, valid picture ID, payment, and heir contact information. |
| Small estate inquiry | Probate Court Estates Division | Berkeley County explains that a small estate may qualify after 30 days if the estate value, minus liens and encumbrances, is less than $45,000 and the decedent owned no real estate. |
| Marriage license application | Probate Online Services | Berkeley Probate Court states the marriage application process is fully online and that South Carolina has a 24-hour waiting period after receipt of the application. |
| Certified marriage-license copy | Probate Online Services certified-copy request | The online service lists certified copies at $5.00 each and asks for both parties’ names, approximate issue date, mailing address, and card payment. |
| Guardianship, conservatorship, or therapeutic matter | Berkeley Probate Court | These records can involve sensitive personal, medical, or capacity issues. Ask Probate Court what is public before requesting or publishing information. |
How to request copies or certified Berkeley County court records
The public index can help identify the case, but a screenshot or online docket view is not the same as a certified court record. Berkeley County states there is a charge for copies, but you should confirm current copy and certification fees with the office that maintains the file.
Use the Public Index, court roster, Probate Online Services, or the specific court’s route to identify the case number or file type.
Common Pleas, General Sessions, and Family Court records route to the Clerk. Magistrate, Probate, municipal, appellate, and federal records route elsewhere.
Ask for the judgment, disposition, divorce decree, order, probate order, certified marriage-license copy, docket sheet, or other specific document.
Tell the office whether you need an ordinary copy or a certified copy for official use. Certification can change the fee and processing method.
Ask whether payment is accepted by cash, check, money order, card, online portal, mail, or in person. Do not mail payment until the office confirms the amount.
Berkeley County appeals, federal court records, and bankruptcy records
State trial-court dockets, South Carolina appellate dockets, and federal PACER records are separate systems. If a Berkeley County trial case was appealed, use C-Track. If the matter is federal or bankruptcy, use PACER and the federal court.
C-Track Public Access covers public Supreme Court of South Carolina and South Carolina Court of Appeals case information. The site says many cases are available if filed or pending on or after May 1, 2012.
Federal civil and criminal records use PACER and the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The PACER court lookup lists a Charleston federal court location at 85 Broad Street.
Bankruptcy is federal. Use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina and PACER, not the Berkeley Public Index.
What to do if a Berkeley County court-record search returns no result
- Wrong court: Common Pleas, General Sessions, Family, Magistrate, Probate, municipal, appellate, or federal.
- Wrong party spelling, business suffix, first name, middle name, or case-number format.
- Searching a magistrate or municipal ticket in the wrong division.
- Searching a probate, marriage, deed, jail, or federal record in the trial-court index.
- Assuming an old hearing date is still current without checking rosters.
- Family Court confidentiality.
- Juvenile delinquency restriction.
- Adoption, termination of parental rights, abuse and neglect confidentiality.
- Sealed or expunged records.
- Delayed public-index updates or records not available online.
Use Berkeley County court records carefully
- Do not identify a person from a common name alone.
- Compare the court, case number, filing date, party role, docket entries, and lawful identifying details.
- Do not assume a charge, warrant, or indictment is a conviction.
- Do not assume a civil judgment shows current payment or satisfaction status.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame, or retaliate against anyone.
- Do not publish children’s names, home addresses, health details, financial identifiers, or unnecessary sensitive information.
- Do not bypass sealed, expunged, juvenile, or confidential restrictions.
- Contact the official custodian for corrections, redactions, sealing, expungement, and certified copies.
Frequently asked questions about Berkeley County SC court records
Where do I search Berkeley County SC court records online?
Start with the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search or the direct Berkeley County Public Index for public trial-court records. The Berkeley County Clerk of Court also links to Case Records Search from its official page.
What courts are covered by the Berkeley County Public Index?
The Public Index is the main online route for many Berkeley County Circuit and Magistrate case records. It does not replace Probate Court, municipal court, appellate, federal, bankruptcy, land-record, jail, or confidential Family Court routes.
Can I search Berkeley County court records by name?
Yes, when the public index supports the search field for that case type. Berkeley County states that civil cases are indexed by plaintiff and defendant and criminal cases are indexed by defendant. A name match alone does not prove identity, so compare court, case number, filing date, party role, and docket details.
Are Berkeley County Family Court records public online?
Family Court records are treated differently. Berkeley County states that Family Court records are confidential and may be inspected only with special permission. Juvenile delinquency, adoption, termination of parental rights, abuse and neglect, sealed records, and similar matters are confidential.
How do I get copies of Berkeley County court records?
Use the public index to identify the case, then contact the official custodian. For Common Pleas, General Sessions, and Family Court records, contact the Berkeley County Clerk of Court. Berkeley County states there is a charge for copies, so confirm current copy and certification fees before ordering.
Which Berkeley County court handles small claims and traffic cases?
Berkeley County Magistrate Court handles magistrate-level civil, traffic, and criminal matters, including civil cases where the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500. The county also notes that traffic-ticket payment questions go through Magistrate Courts.
Where do I search Berkeley County Probate Court records?
Use Berkeley County Probate Court for estates, marriage licenses, guardianships, conservatorships, minor settlements, and certain therapeutic matters. Probate Court provides estate information, Probate Online Services, and marriage-license certified-copy options.
Are Berkeley County land records the same as court records?
No. Land transactions, deeds, and recorded real-estate instruments are handled by the Berkeley County Register of Deeds, not by the ordinary court case index. The Clerk of Court page directs land-transaction questions to the Register of Deeds.
Where do I search appeals from Berkeley County cases?
Use South Carolina C-Track Public Access for Supreme Court of South Carolina and South Carolina Court of Appeals case information. Appellate records are separate from the Berkeley County trial-court public index.
Where do I search federal or bankruptcy cases from Berkeley County?
Use PACER for federal district and bankruptcy records. South Carolina federal district and bankruptcy cases are not searched through the Berkeley County Public Index or the county Clerk of Court.
Official-source review checklist
This guide was reviewed against official South Carolina Judicial Branch resources, Berkeley County Clerk of Court pages, Berkeley County Clerk FAQ, Berkeley County Magistrate Court pages, magistrate location pages, Berkeley County Probate Court pages, Probate Online Services, Berkeley County Register of Deeds, South Carolina C-Track appellate access, PACER, District of South Carolina, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of South Carolina resources. Review date: September 19, 2026.