Colleton County
Located along the South Carolina coast, Colleton County has a land area of 1,056.5 square miles and 76.78 square miles of water bodies. It was created in 1800 and had a population of 38,604 inhabitants as of the 2020 census. The seat of government and largest community in the county is Walterboro.
The Colleton County court system consists of the Circuit Court, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Probate Court, and Municipal Courts. The Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction. It is divided into two divisions: the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions. The Court of Common Pleas hears civil cases, while the General Sessions division handles criminal cases. Additionally, the Circuit Court may share jurisdiction with the Magistrate Court over civil cases with counterclaims.
The Colleton County Magistrate Court, also called a Summary Court, resolves certain civil and criminal cases. This court deals with criminal offenses that may result in a fine of up to $500 or a maximum jail term of 30 days. In terms of civil cases, the court handles the sale of abandoned property, landlord/tenant actions for evictions, and general claims in which the amount in dispute is less than $7,500. Furthermore, it shares jurisdiction with the Family Court regarding requests for domestic abuse protection orders.
Probate matters such as conservatorships of the estate of minors and incapacitated persons, and minor settlements of $25,000 or less are handled by the Probate Court. The Colleton County municipal courts have no jurisdiction over civil cases. However, they handle traffic and municipal code violations and first-offense domestic violence cases.
The Colleton County Clerk of Court is the custodian of all court records in the county. Publicly accessible case files in the county include criminal, probate, traffic, business, domestic relations, and civil case records. Members of the public can view these records by visiting the clerk's office during regular business hours from Monday to Friday. The Office of the Clerk is located at the following address:
101 Hampton Street, P.O. Box 620
Walterboro, SC 29488
For remote access, you can visit the website of the South Carolina Judicial Department and select “Colleton County†to view the cases available on the public index. Colleton County domestic relations case records and family court dockets are available on a public portal provided separately by the South Carolina Judicial Branch.
