Florence County Magistrate Court cases in Florence County, Florence, SC
Florence County Magistrate Court in Florence, South Carolina, is a county magistrate (summary) court within the state's Unified Judicial System. It functions as a first-tier trial court for lower-level matters: criminal misdemeanors punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or fines, county/municipal ordinance violations, and most traffic offenses. It also issues arrest and search warrants, sets bonds, and conducts preliminary hearings in cases bound for General Sessions (circuit) court. On the civil side, it hears small-claims cases up to $7,500, including contract and property disputes, landlord-tenant/eviction actions, and claim and delivery. It does not handle family or probate matters.
Florence County Magistrate Court Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Magistrate Court |
| County: | Florence |
| Street Address: | 180 N. Irby St. |
| City: | Florence |
| Zip Code: | 29501 |
| Phone: | 843-665-0031 |
| Fax: | 843-661-7800 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 4:30PM |
| Website URL: | http://florenceco.org/offices/magistrate/ |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.sccourts.org/forms/searchType.cfm |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://publicindex.sccourts.org/Florence/PublicIndex/PISearch.aspx |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| ADA: | Anita Taylor, Title VI/ADA Coordinator |
| ADA Fax / Email: | ataylor@florenceco.org |
| About / Additional Info: | Florence County is the hub of business, medical and travel activity in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina. Along with this, comes increased crime, traffic violations and civil actions. To handle these cases, Florence County has ten Magistrates located in seven offices about the county. Since the greatest case load is in Florence, there are two full-time and two part-time Magistrates who work in this office along with a large support staff and constables. Lake City and the jail at Effingham also have full-time Magistrates while Olanta, Pamplico, Timmonsville and Johnsonville have part-time Magistrates and two Magistrates only work weekend bond duty at the jail. |
Services and Case Types Handled in Florence County Magistrate Court
Florence County Magistrate Court serves the public by handling lower-level criminal, traffic, and limited civil matters and by providing accessible case processing.
- Criminal/traffic: processes citations and misdemeanors (typically up to 30 days jail/$500 fine), issues arrest/search warrants, sets bond, holds bond and preliminary hearings, and conducts bench or jury trials.
- Civil: small claims up to $7,500, including contract disputes, property damage, landlord-tenant evictions/ejectments, trespass, and claim-and-delivery (recovery of personal property). Accepts complaints, answers, motions, subpoenas, and continuance requests.
- Protective orders: issues restraining orders for harassment/stalking; domestic orders of protection are filed in Family Court.
- Jury services: summons and qualifies jurors, manages deferrals/excuses, and administers jury trials.
- Court administration: schedules hearings, provides calendars, collects fines/fees and payment plans, coordinates interpreters and ADA accommodations, and facilitates service of process and records access.