Who Handles What in South Carolina’s Courts and How to File Without Getting Bounced Between Counters

Staring at a ticket, a stack of estate papers, or a DIY divorce packet and wondering which window at the courthouse is yours? The state runs a unified system, which mostly helps, but you still need to match your problem to the right bench or you’ll spend a morning in the wrong line. Here’s how the pieces fit together in practice, with real fees, hours, and where to show up in Columbia and Charleston when it’s time to file.

The two appeal courts at the top: what they take and why you might hear from them

At the top sits the South Carolina Supreme Court. It is the administrative head of the judicial branch and the final stop for state-law questions. It handles specific categories of cases directly, regulates lawyers, and issues the rules that bind the rest of the courts. Below it, the South Carolina Court of Appeals is the workhorse intermediate court that hears most appeals from trial courts. If you lose a civil jury trial in Circuit Court or a custody ruling in Family Court, your appeal typically starts here.

Appeals follow the record made below. If your case began in Magistrate or Municipal Court and you’re challenging a criminal conviction, you may first land in Circuit Court for an “appeal on the record.” Civil appeals from Probate Court or an administrative agency ruling commonly go to Circuit Court too. For filings tied to these appeal routes, note the Circuit Court’s posted fee schedule: a new civil case costs $150 to file statewide, while some appeals and special items carry their own set fees published by the Judicial Branch. In Charleston, the Clerk of Court counter for these filings is at 100 Broad Street, open Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Trial-level backbone: Circuit Court for general disputes, Family Court for domestic issues

Circuit Court: civil lawsuits and felony criminal matters

Circuit Court is the state’s court of general jurisdiction. If your contract claim is above small-claims limits or you want a jury trial, this is your forum. The statewide filing fee for opening a new civil case is $150. A handful of events have different prices, such as a $100 fee to file a foreign judgment and $35 for recording a transcript of a magistrate judgment in Circuit Court. Appeals from agencies and Probate Court filed into Circuit Court also carry the $150 fee.

In Charleston County, civil and criminal filings go through the Clerk’s office at the Hugo L. Black Judicial Center, 100 Broad Street, Suite 106, with public counter hours of 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. In Richland County, the Judicial Center at 1701 Main Street, Columbia, keeps the same 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekday schedule for over-the-counter filings and records requests.

Family Court: divorces, custody, support, adoptions

Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction over domestic relations. To start a case such as a divorce, custody, or separate support action, the standard statewide filing fee is $150. Richland County’s Family Court states this plainly and gives its filing location as 1701 Main Street, 1st Floor West Wing, Columbia, with a public counter open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. Charleston County’s Family Court counter is at 100 Broad Street, Suite 143, also open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Two fee breaks matter if money is tight. First, you can ask the court to waive filing fees by submitting a Motion and Affidavit to Proceed In Forma Pauperis. Second, if you are represented by a legal-aid attorney or another qualifying nonprofit, the Judicial Branch’s policy provides that your new-case filing can be accepted without a fee when the lawyer certifies that status in writing.

Summary courts on the ground: Magistrate and Municipal handle small claims, tickets, and minor offenses

Magistrate Court: small claims and county-level criminal

Magistrate Court is where most South Carolinians have their first courthouse experience. On the civil side, it handles small claims up to $7,500. On the criminal side, it hears lower-level offenses and preliminary matters in larger cases. If you are suing a contractor for $6,000, your path is a Magistrate filing, not Circuit Court. As of today’s date, the fee for issuing a civil summons and entering judgment in Magistrate Court is $45 under the current statute. The General Assembly has enacted a 2026 law that will raise certain Magistrate civil fees beginning January 1, 2027, so if you are reading this after that date, expect higher figures at the counter.

Richland County’s Central Magistrate Court, 2500 Decker Boulevard, Columbia, takes filings on regular business days from 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The same county runs a dedicated Bond Court at 201 John Mark Dial Drive that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for first appearances and bond settings. For payments, Richland’s Central Court cashier window accepts cash, cashier’s checks, money orders, and major credit cards and does not accept personal checks.

Municipal Court: city ordinances and city-issued tickets

Municipal Courts handle violations of city ordinances and tickets written by city police. Think parking and many moving violations inside the city limits. Hours follow city hall schedules. If you are a juror or witness in Charleston’s downtown courts, the Clerk advises that the judicial day generally runs from about 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and jurors get free parking at the Cumberland Street Garage, 90 Cumberland Street, two blocks north of Broad Street. Many traffic tickets tied to Magistrate or Municipal Courts can be paid online statewide through the court system’s official payment portal, which saves you a trip if your case is eligible.

Where estates and property disputes live: Probate Court and the Master-in-Equity

Probate Court: estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses

Every county has a Probate Court for estates, adult and minor guardianships, and related matters. Estate-opening fees aren’t a flat sticker price. They follow a schedule set in state law that scales with the value of probate assets. As an example used by Charleston County’s Probate Court, an estate valued at $20,000 but less than $60,000 carries a base court cost of $67.50, while estates under $5,000 pay $25. Filing a formal petition in Probate Court that must be served like a lawsuit uses the same new-case filing price you see in Circuit Court, which is $150. In Charleston, Probate Court operates inside the Judicial Center at 100 Broad Street on the same public schedule of 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday.

For adult protective matters, Charleston County’s Guardianship Division notes a $150 filing to start a guardianship, with other costs assessed later depending on the orders you seek. If you are only lodging an original will for record when no estate needs to be opened, Probate Court charges a modest fee for that recording service as well.

Master-in-Equity: non-jury civil cases like foreclosures and complex title disputes

Some counties use a Master-in-Equity to hear non-jury civil matters referred from Circuit Court, most commonly mortgage foreclosures and complicated real property disputes. You still file and pay through the Circuit Court system, which means the new-case filing stays at $150 for those lawsuits. The Master runs a courtroom with a bench trial format and issues orders that carry the same force as other trial-court rulings. Appeals follow the same upward path through the Court of Appeals and potentially the Supreme Court.

Filing mechanics that save you a trip: hours, counters, payments, and basic forms

The Judicial Branch has e-filing for lawyers, but self-represented litigants mostly file in person or by mail, depending on the county and case type. For in-person filings, plan around real counters and their hours. In Columbia, the Richland County Judicial Center, 1701 Main Street, runs 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, for public service in Circuit and Family Courts. In Charleston, the Clerk of Court at 100 Broad Street holds the same 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekday hours for both Circuit and Family counters.

Magistrate and Municipal windows may be in separate buildings from the main courthouse. Richland County’s Central Magistrate Court at 2500 Decker Boulevard keeps a straight 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. schedule, while the county’s separate Bond Court at 201 John Mark Dial Drive operates 24/7. For jurors in Charleston’s downtown courts, plan your day around a typical courtroom schedule of 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and use the Cumberland Street Garage at 90 Cumberland Street for free juror parking when summoned there.

If you need a starter packet, the state posts Self-Represented Litigant Simple Divorce and related Family Court packets you can complete before heading to the counter. For civil small-claims filings, Magistrate Court clerks have the statement-of-claim form and will direct you to the correct magistrate district if your dispute happened across the county line. Payments for tickets and some fines can be made online through the official statewide portal, but document filing for nonlawyers is still an in-person or mail task in most places.

Key things to know before you go

• $150 opens most new civil cases in Circuit and Family Court statewide. If you cannot afford it, file an In Forma Pauperis motion. If you are represented by a legal-aid or qualifying nonprofit lawyer, new-case filing can be accepted without a fee when certified in writing.
• Small-claims belong in Magistrate Court up to $7,500. The current civil summons-and-judgment fee is $45 through 2026, with a legislated increase starting January 1, 2027.
• Charleston’s public counters at 100 Broad Street run 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. Richland’s Judicial Center at 1701 Main Street follows the same schedule. Richland Bond Court at 201 John Mark Dial Drive runs 24/7.
• Probate Court fees scale with estate value. Expect figures like $25 for very small estates, $67.50 for midrange estates, and $150 when you file a formal petition that needs service.
• Jurors in downtown Charleston get free parking at the Cumberland Street Garage, 90 Cumberland Street. Courtrooms typically run about 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. once you are checked in.
• Many traffic tickets tied to Magistrate or Municipal Courts can be paid online through the statewide portal, but nonlawyers should plan to file documents in person at the appropriate counter.

Reader Q&A

Where do I file a $6,000 contractor dispute, and what will I pay to start?

That is a Magistrate Court case because the amount is under $7,500. As of September 9, 2026, the statutory fee to issue the civil summons and enter judgment is $45. File in the county where the work happened. In Richland County, Central Magistrate Court at 2500 Decker Boulevard takes filings 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Is the $150 filing fee the same for both Circuit and Family Court everywhere?

Yes for opening most new cases statewide. Some items differ, like $100 to file a foreign judgment in Circuit Court. If cost is a barrier, ask the court to waive fees with an In Forma Pauperis motion. Cases handled by approved legal-aid or other qualifying nonprofit attorneys can be opened without the new-case fee when the attorney certifies it.

What time should I plan for jury service in Charleston, and where do I park?

The Clerk advises that court generally runs about 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on trial days. Jurors summoned downtown may park for free at the Cumberland Street Garage, 90 Cumberland Street, which is about two blocks from the Judicial Center at 100 Broad Street.

Can I e-file as a nonlawyer?

The statewide e-filing system is built for attorneys. If you are representing yourself, expect to file over the counter or by mail depending on the court and county. In Columbia, head to 1701 Main Street during the 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekday window; in Charleston, use 100 Broad Street on the same schedule.

If you are torn between two counters, use the money amount and subject-matter test: small civil disputes up to $7,500 start at a magistrate office; domestic cases start at Family Court; everything larger or more complex lands in Circuit Court. For estates and guardianships, walk to Probate on Broad or Main.

Published: September 9, 2026