Darlington County Magistrate Court cases in Darlington County, Hartsville, SC
Darlington County Magistrates Court in Hartsville is a South Carolina magistrate (summary) court of limited jurisdiction. It serves as a first-instance trial court for lower-level matters in Darlington County, conducting jury and nonjury trials, setting bonds, issuing warrants, and holding criminal preliminary hearings. Common case types include traffic violations; county ordinance violations; misdemeanor criminal offenses generally punishable by up to 30 days in jail or fines up to $500 (unless a statute provides otherwise); and civil cases up to $7,500, such as small claims, landlord-tenant evictions (summary ejectment), and claim-and-delivery actions. Family-law matters (divorce, custody, support) are handled by the Family Court, not the Magistrates Court.
Darlington County Magistrate Court Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Magistrate Court |
| County: | Darlington |
| Street Address: | 404 S. 4th St. |
| City: | Hartsville |
| Zip Code: | 29550 |
| Phone: | 843-332-9661 |
| Fax: | 843-332-7212 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Website URL: | https://www.darcosc.com/government/magistrate/index.php |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.sccourts.org/forms/searchType.cfm |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://publicindex.sccourts.org/Darlington/PublicIndex/PISearch.aspx |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| Facebook: | https://m.facebook.com/people/Scott-B-Suggs/100002911532279 |
| Linkedin: | https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-b-suggs-1842a443/ |
| ADA: | Darlington County Offices |
| ADA Phone: | 843-398-4100 |
| ADA Fax / Email: | 843-393-8539 |
| About / Additional Info: | There are two Magistrate Court offices in Darlington County. The Darlington and Hartsville offices.Magistrates mainly handle traffic violations and criminal misdemeanors with a maximum fine of $500 or 30 days in jail. They also issue arrest warrants. Magistrates hear civil cases involving money up to $7,500. These cases can be over money owed others, defaulted credit payments and landlord-tenant disagreements. |
Services and Case Types Handled in Darlington County Magistrate Court
Darlington County Magistrates Court provides front-line judicial services for minor criminal, traffic, and small civil matters.
Key functions:
- Case filings: small claims (money/property disputes up to $7,500), landlord-tenant actions (including evictions), claim and delivery, and civil warrants/summons.
- Criminal/traffic: process citations, conduct arraignments, accept guilty/not-guilty pleas, set bonds, issue arrest/search/bench warrants, and hold bench and jury trials for eligible offenses.
- Protective relief: issue restraining orders for harassment or stalking (non-domestic); refer domestic Orders of Protection to Family Court.
- Preliminary proceedings: conduct preliminary hearings for cases bound to General Sessions and hold bond/first-appearance courts.
- Jury services: summon and qualify jurors, manage deferrals/excusals, and conduct six-person jury trials in criminal and civil cases.
- Public access: calendars and hearings, payments of fines/fees, records requests, and forms/instructions for self-represented litigants.