Lancaster County Magistrate Court cases in Lancaster County, Lancaster, SC
Lancaster County Magistrates Court in Lancaster, South Carolina is a county magistrate (summary) court within the South Carolina Unified Judicial System. It exercises limited jurisdiction over minor criminal offenses, county ordinance violations, most traffic violations, and civil cases up to $7,500, including small claims, landlord-tenant/evictions, and claim-and-delivery actions. The court issues arrest and search warrants, sets bonds, and conducts preliminary hearings in cases bound for the Court of General Sessions. It does not adjudicate family law matters such as divorce, custody, or child support, which are handled by the Family Court, and it does not conduct felony trials or probate proceedings.
Lancaster County Magistrate Court Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Magistrate Court |
| County: | Lancaster |
| Street Address: | 761 Lancaster Bypass E. |
| City: | Lancaster |
| Zip Code: | 29720 |
| Phone: | 803-283-3983 |
| Fax: | 877-636-7977 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Website URL: | https://www.mylancastersc.org/?SEC=A72818F5-77F1-4B4A-814B-6C073CB00FA6 |
| Restrictions: | No shorts, hats, tank tops, offensive t-shirts, flip flops or sweatsuits.No Cellphones allowed. No talking or disruptive behavior. |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.sccourts.org/forms/searchType.cfm |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://publicindex.sccourts.org/Lancaster/PublicIndex/PISearch.aspx |
| Jury Service: | https://www.mylancastersc.org/departments/departments__a_to_d/clerk_of_court/jury_service.php |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| About / Additional Info: | The mission of the Magistrate Court is to provide the citizens of Lancaster County with a fair and impartial Summary Court. The four magistrates perform the following: Issue criminal arrest and search warrants,Conduct bail bond hearings,Conduct preliminary hearings for General Sessions level cases,Conduct jury trials for all magistrate level cases,Conduct criminal bench trials,Conduct traffic bench trials,Conduct civil bench trials,A magistrate may impose a fine of $ 500.00 plus assessments and/or a jail sentence of up to a 30 days. The civil jurisdiction is $7500.00. |
| Wikipedia: | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster_County_Courthouse_(South_Carolina) |
Services and Case Types Handled in Lancaster County Magistrate Court
Lancaster County Magistrate Court serves the public by handling front-line criminal and civil matters and providing access to the justice system.
Core services and case types:
- Criminal/traffic: processes citations; hears minor misdemeanors; sets bonds; issues arrest/search warrants; conducts first appearances and preliminary hearings.
- Civil: accepts small-claims lawsuits (monetary disputes), landlord-tenant/evictions, and property/contract claims within the court's jurisdictional limit.
- Protective orders: issues restraining/protective orders as authorized by law (e.g., harassment/stalking); provides guidance/referrals for matters outside its authority.
- Case filings and records: receives filings, issues summons, schedules hearings, maintains dockets, and accepts fine/fee payments.
- Jury services: summons jurors, manages selection (voir dire), and conducts jury trials where applicable.
- Court hearings: conducts bench and jury trials, eviction hearings, bond court, and compliance/review proceedings.