Clarendon County Public Records /Clarendon County Court Records

Clarendon County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Clarendon County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Clarendon County may access publicly available case information through several official channels. ClarendonRecords.us aggregates publicly available data related to court proceedings, which may assist individuals in locating case-related information. Court records maintained by Clarendon County and the South Carolina judicial system may include, depending on case type and applicable access rules:

Civil case filings and judgments
Criminal case dockets and disposition records
Family court orders and decrees
Probate filings and estate records
Traffic and magistrate court records
Small claims case information

Court records in Clarendon County may be searched through five primary methods:

Clerk of Court office — The Clerk of Court maintains official records for the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions Court. Staff may assist members of the public in locating case files by party name, case number, or filing date. In-person requests are accepted during regular business hours.
Courthouse public access terminals — Public computer terminals are available at the Clarendon County Courthouse, allowing members of the public to search case indexes without charge during courthouse hours.
Online court search — The South Carolina Judicial Department Public Index provides name-based case searches for civil and criminal matters statewide, including cases filed in Clarendon County courts.
State-level judicial search tools — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division operates SLED CATCH (Citizens Access to Criminal Histories), which allows name-based searches of South Carolina criminal history records. Fees apply for certain search types.
Written or mail requests — Members of the public may submit written requests to the Clerk of Court specifying the case number, party name, and type of record sought. Fees for copies apply under the South Carolina schedule for clerk services.

Clarendon County Clerk of Court
411 Sunset Drive
Manning, SC 29102
Phone: (803) 435-4443
Clerk of Court – Clarendon County SC

Are Court Records Public In Clarendon County

Court records in Clarendon County are public under current South Carolina law, subject to specific statutory and judicial exceptions. § 30-4-20 of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act establishes that public records are open for inspection by any person, and as the statute provides, "This provision must not be interpreted to restrict access by the public and press to information contained in public records."

Records that are public under current law include:

Case docket entries and hearing schedules
Party names and case numbers
Filed pleadings, motions, and orders in civil matters
Criminal case dispositions and sentencing entries
Judgments and final orders
Probate filings and estate inventories

Records that may be confidential, sealed, or restricted include:

Juvenile delinquency and status offense records
Adoption proceedings and related filings
Certain mental health commitment records
Sealed filings ordered by a judge
Expunged criminal records
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and minor children's names in family court matters

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect most court records in person at the Clerk of Court's office, not all records are available through online portals. Sealed, expunged, or restricted filings are excluded from both in-person and electronic access.

What Are Court Records in Clarendon County?

Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court or its clerk in connection with a judicial proceeding. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything filed with or generated by the court from the initiation of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.

A distinction exists between a docket entry and a full case file. A docket entry is a chronological log notation recording an event in a case, such as a filing, hearing, or order. A full case file contains the actual documents underlying those entries, including pleadings, motions, exhibits, and orders.

Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, property disputes, and tort actions. Criminal court records document the prosecution of individuals charged with violations of state law, from arrest through sentencing or acquittal.

Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents that frame the legal dispute. Final judgments are the court's conclusive rulings resolving the case. Public filings are accessible to any member of the public; sealed or restricted filings are withheld from public inspection by court order or statute.

Trial court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court at the county level. Appellate records are maintained by the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court at the state level.

Court records are created when a party files an initiating document, such as a complaint or indictment, and are updated continuously as the case progresses through hearings, motions, and rulings until a final disposition is entered. The Clarendon County Clerk of Court is the official custodian of trial court records for the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions Court.

What's Included in a Clarendon County Court Record?

A court record in Clarendon County may include the following information, depending on case type and applicable public-access rules:

Case identification: case number, court name and division, filing date, and case type
Party information: names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and counsel of record
Case status: open, closed, pending appeal, or transferred
Docket entries: chronological log of all filings, hearings, continuances, and orders
Hearing dates: scheduled and completed court appearances
Filed documents: complaints, petitions, answers, motions, notices, affidavits, and supporting exhibits where not restricted
Court orders and judgments: interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Outcome information: dismissals, verdicts, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and post-judgment entries
Administrative and financial data: filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Records that are excluded or restricted from a court file include sealed filings, expunged criminal matters, juvenile delinquency files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits containing sensitive information. The presence or absence of specific documents within a file depends on the case type, the court's orders, and applicable provisions of South Carolina law.

Types of Courts in Clarendon County

Clarendon County is served by several courts operating within the South Carolina unified judicial system. Each court maintains its own official record through the appropriate clerk or administrative office.

Court of Common Pleas — The general civil jurisdiction trial court, hearing civil disputes involving amounts exceeding the magistrate court threshold. The Clarendon County Clerk of Court maintains official records.
General Sessions Court — The felony criminal trial court for Clarendon County. Records are maintained by the Clerk of Court.
Family Court — Hears matters involving divorce, child custody, child support, adoption, and juvenile proceedings. Family court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court and are subject to additional confidentiality protections for juvenile and adoption matters.
Probate Court — Handles estate administration, guardianship, conservatorship, and involuntary commitment proceedings. The Clarendon County Probate Court maintains its own records.
Magistrate Court — Exercises limited jurisdiction over civil claims up to $7,500, misdemeanor criminal matters, and traffic offenses. Each magistrate maintains records for cases heard in that court.
Municipal Court — The City of Manning operates a municipal court with jurisdiction over municipal ordinance violations and certain traffic matters.
South Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court — Hear appeals from trial courts statewide. Appellate records are maintained at the state level.

Clarendon County Probate Court
411 Sunset Drive
Manning, SC 29102
Phone: (803) 435-4444

Clarendon County Magistrate Court
411 Sunset Drive
Manning, SC 29102
Phone: (803) 435-4443

How to Search Clarendon County Court Records for Free?

Several methods for searching Clarendon County court records are available at no cost, while others involve fees for copies or certified documents.

Method	Cost
In-person inspection at Clerk of Court	Free
Courthouse public access terminals	Free
South Carolina Public Index online search	Free
Standard copy of a document	Per-page fee applies
Certified copy of a court document	Fee applies per document
SLED CATCH criminal history search	Fee applies

Members of the public may inspect court records in person at the Clarendon County Clerk of Court's office without charge. The South Carolina Judicial Department Public Index provides free name-based case searches online. Courthouse public terminals are available during business hours at no cost.

Fees apply when copies are requested. Under South Carolina law, clerks of court are authorized to charge per-page fees for paper copies and additional fees for certified copies. The applicable fee schedule is maintained by the Clerk of Court's office. § 8-21-310 of the South Carolina Code of Laws governs fees charged by clerks of court for various services, including document copies and certifications.

How Long Does Clarendon County Keep Court Records?

Clarendon County court records are retained according to schedules established by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and applicable judicial retention rules. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.

Permanent retention applies to judgment rolls, docket books, minute books, and final orders in civil and criminal matters. These records are considered part of the permanent judicial record of the state.
Criminal case files for felony matters are retained for extended periods, with records involving capital offenses retained permanently.
Civil case files are retained according to schedules that vary based on the nature of the claim and the amount in controversy.
Family court records involving minor children, including custody and support matters, are subject to extended retention requirements.
Probate records are retained permanently as part of the official record of estate administration and guardianship proceedings.
Traffic and magistrate court records are subject to shorter retention schedules, though docket books may be retained permanently.
Expunged records are destroyed or sealed pursuant to court order under § 17-22-950 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, which governs expungement procedures and the obligations of record-holding agencies.

Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county archives. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History maintains historical judicial records transferred from county courthouses. Destruction of a paper file after imaging or archival transfer does not constitute expungement; the record remains accessible in its archived form unless separately sealed or expunged by court order.

How To Find a Court Docket in Clarendon County

A court docket is the official chronological log of all proceedings, filings, and orders entered in a specific case. It differs from a full case file in that it records events and entries rather than containing the full text of filed documents. A docket serves as the index and timeline of a case from initiation through final disposition.

Dockets for Clarendon County cases may be accessed through the following methods:

South Carolina Public Index — The South Carolina Judicial Department Public Index allows members of the public to search for cases by party name or case number and view docket entries for civil and criminal matters. To locate a docket, a user enters the party's last name or case number, selects the appropriate county, and reviews the case summary and docket entries returned.
Clerk of Court in person — Members of the public may request docket information directly from the Clarendon County Clerk of Court. Staff can provide docket printouts for specific cases upon request, with applicable copy fees.
Courthouse public terminals — Public access terminals at the courthouse allow docket searches without charge during business hours.

A court docket entry records the date of an event, a description of the filing or action taken, and the name of the party or court initiating the entry. Docket entries include hearing dates, continuances, motions filed, orders entered, and status updates. A docket does not include the full text of filed documents, sealed entries, confidential attachments, or exhibits that have been restricted from public access.

Hearing calendars and motion calendars for Clarendon County courts may be available through the Clerk of Court's office or posted at the courthouse. The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina maintains separate federal dockets for cases filed in federal court, which are accessible through the PACER system for federal court records.