Charleston County Magistrate Records
Magistrate Courts are South Carolina summary courts. In Charleston County, they handle traffic violations, misdemeanors punishable by a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, preliminary hearings, bond settings, small claims, landlord-tenant cases, warrants, and related lower-court matters. The county court-info directory links Magistrate Court Charges, Magistrate Records Search, Summary Court Dockets, and Traffic Violations/Tickets.
Magistrate records are not always Circuit Court records. A traffic citation, bond hearing, bench warrant, or small claim may stay at the Magistrate level unless it is appealed, indicted, transferred, or otherwise connected to Common Pleas or General Sessions. For a felony case, Magistrate Court activity may appear early in the path before the General Sessions case opens.
Charleston County Magistrate Courts
Magistrate Courts are distributed across Charleston County. The research captured several county offices and hours. Check the issuing ticket, warrant, notice, or docket entry before visiting because the right court may depend on where the event happened.
| Court | Address | Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Cooper Magistrate Court | 1189 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway, Suite 500, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466 | (843) 856-1205 | Address from research note should be verified before use for travel. |
| McClellanville Magistrate Court | 10009 Highway 17 North, McClellanville, SC 29458 | (843) 887-3334 | Monday and Thursday 9AM-4PM, lunch noon-1PM. |
| North Area Magistrate Court 1 | 4045 Bridge View Drive, Suite B-125, North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 202-6610 | M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM; Magistrate Amy J. Mikell. |
| North Area Magistrate Court 2 | 2145 Melbourne Avenue, Suite 100, North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 745-2215 | M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM, lunch 1PM-2PM. |
| North Area Magistrate Court 3 | 6185 Rivers Avenue, Suite E, North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 553-4003 | M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM, lunch noon-1PM. |
| North Area Small Claims Court | 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405 | (843) 202-6650 | M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM. |
| Ravenel/Adams Run Area Magistrate Court | 5962 Highway 165, Suite 200, Ravenel, SC 29470 | (843) 889-8332 | M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM, lunch 12:30PM-1:30PM. |
Charleston Magistrate Traffic Warrants
Traffic matters in Charleston County may be handled in Magistrate Court or Municipal Court, depending on issuing agency and location. The online payment portal accepts full credit-card payments for eligible citations, but mandatory appearances still require court attendance. Online payments must be made at least 48 hours before the scheduled court date, and payments post within 72 hours excluding weekends and holidays.
Bench warrants can arise when a person misses court, fails to comply, or has an unpaid court matter. The Sheriff's warrant FAQ says warrant status must be confirmed through the Sheriff's Office because warrants can be recalled, removed, or added throughout the day. If a bench warrant is paid online, the person must also contact the trial court during business hours so detention center discharge and sheriff correspondence can be processed.
- Read the citation or notice for the issuing Magistrate Court.
- Use Magistrate Records Search, Summary Court Dockets, or Online Payments when the county tool applies.
- Call the issuing Magistrate Court before missing a hearing or deadline.
- Confirm any warrant with the Sheriff's Office, not only a website result.
- For dismissed or eligible lower-court matters, review the South Carolina Judicial Branch expungement process for Magistrate and Municipal Courts.
Charleston Magistrate Record Fields
A Magistrate Court record can show the defendant or party name, citation or warrant number, charge, hearing date, bond setting, issuing court, disposition, payment status, or bench-warrant status. Civil summary records can show plaintiff, defendant, filing date, claim type, hearing entry, judgment, and appeal details.
| Field | What it may show |
|---|---|
| Citation or warrant number | Identifier for traffic, criminal, or warrant-linked records. |
| Case party | Defendant, plaintiff, landlord, tenant, or other party name. |
| Charge or claim | Traffic violation, misdemeanor, small claim, or landlord-tenant issue. |
| Hearing or docket date | Scheduled appearance, bond hearing, preliminary hearing, or trial date. |
| Disposition | Outcome, payment, dismissal, judgment, or appeal status when available. |
Charleston Magistrate Civil Records
Magistrate Court is also important for civil records. Charleston County research identifies small claims and landlord-tenant matters as summary court functions. These records may include a plaintiff, defendant, claim amount, hearing setting, judgment, appeal notice, or payment entry. They are different from Common Pleas civil cases, which are Circuit Court records maintained by the Clerk of Court.
An appeal from a Magistrate Court matter can move the record path toward Common Pleas. That is one reason a complete Charleston County court-record search may need both the issuing Magistrate Court and the Circuit Court Public Index. If the case began as a lower-court claim and later appears in Common Pleas, use both case numbers when asking for records.
| Matter | Magistrate role | Possible next route |
|---|---|---|
| Small claim | Filing, hearing, judgment | Common Pleas appeal if filed |
| Landlord-tenant | Summary hearing and order | Appeal or enforcement process |
| Preliminary hearing | Early criminal probable-cause proceeding | General Sessions prosecution |
| Bond setting | Release conditions after arrest | General Sessions or lower-court case |
Request Charleston Magistrate Records
The best request path is the court named on the ticket, summons, warrant, docket notice, or payment record. Charleston County has multiple Magistrate Court locations, so the issuing court matters. For online access, use county court-info links such as Magistrate Records Search, Summary Court Dockets, Magistrate Court Charges, and Traffic Violations/Tickets when they match the case type.
- Identify the issuing Magistrate Court from the citation, warrant, summons, or docket.
- Search the county online tools for public entries and scheduled dockets.
- Call the issuing court for copy, payment, continuance, or appearance instructions.
- Use the Sheriff's warrant channels only to confirm warrant status, not to replace court follow-up.
- Use the Solicitor or South Carolina Judicial Branch expungement route for eligible dismissed lower-court criminal matters.
Note: Do not assume a traffic payment clears a bench warrant unless the trial court confirms discharge and sheriff correspondence processing.