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Richland County Magistrate Court - Central Court
2500 Decker Boulevard, PO Box 192
Columbia, SC 29202
Columbia, SC 29202
Phone: 803-576-2300
Fax: 803-576-2325
Fax: 803-576-2325
Central Traffic Court, Criminal Domestic Violence Court, and Preliminary Hearing Court are also held at this location.
Online Court Resources
Resources for the Richland County Magistrate Court - Central Court as well as online resources applicable to courts generally in Richland County, South Carolina, and resources applicable to all courts in South Carolina.
Search court case records
South Carolina Case Records
Search South Carolina Circuit Court, Magistrates Court, and some Municipal Court case records by county, court type, court agency, case number, case type and sub-type, name, party type, action type, and date.
South Carolina Criminal History Check
Search South Carolina criminal history records by first and last name, date of birth, and gender. Maiden name and social security number are additional search options. A fee applies.
Dockets, calendars, and other information about court cases
Richland County Summary Court Dockets
View Richland County Magistrate Court and Columbia Municipal Court dockets by agency, docket type. and date. Search pending dockets by attorney bar number or case number.
Published opinions and orders
South Carolina Attorney General Legal Opinions
Search South Carolina Attorney General legal opinions by topic, by keyword, or view opinions by year.
South Carolina Court Orders
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Forms and related information
Richland County Magistrate Court Forms and Instructions
View and download Richland County Magistrate Court forms and instructions including civil, small claims, landlord/tenant, abandoned vehicle, restraining orders, claim and delivery, and bad check.
South Carolina Court Forms
Search South Carolina court forms by court type, form title, or form ID number.
Online fine payments
Pay South Carolina Traffic Tickets
Pay South Carolina traffic tickets online by county, case number, and last name. Online payment available for most counties and for some Municipal Courts.
Self help, legal research, general information
Richland County Mental Health Court
View information about Richland County Mental Health Court, which can set up treatment in lieu of incarceration for some misdemeanor or non-violent felony offenders with mental health problems. Links to referral forms are included.
5th Judicial Circuit Diversion and Treatment Court Programs
View information about diversion programs in Kershaw and Richland Counties, including Pretrial Intervention, Alcohol Education, and Traffic Education; and treatment court programs including Drug Court, Veterans Court, and DUI Treatment Court.
5th Judicial Circuit Expungement
View information about expungement of criminal and juvenile records in Kershaw and Richland Counties, including types of records that can be expunged and procedure.
South Carolina Magistrate's Court Information
View and download a guide to South Carolina Magistrate's Courts, including answers to frequently asked questions, definitions, forms, and rules.
South Carolina Alternative Dispute Resolution
The South Carolina Bar provides information about alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, which can help parties resolve disputes without going to court.
South Carolina Domestic Abuse Protection Order Information
View information about domestic abuse protection orders, including information about types of orders, filing instructions, court procedure, and a directory of resources.
South Carolina Expungement and Pardons
The South Carolina Bar offers information about criminal record expungements and pardons, including eligible cases, how to apply, effects of an expungement, and the differences between expungement and pardon.
South Carolina Record Expungement Process
View instructions for applying for an expungement of criminal records in Circuit Court General Sessions, Magistrates Court, and Municipal Court; juvenile records including a link to the required form; and destruction of arrest records.
South Carolina Victim Help
The South Carolina Victim Assistance Network provides crime victims with information, educational resources, referrals, advocacy, and financial assistance. A directory of Victim Advocates by county is included under the "Resources" menu tab.
South Carolina Victims' Compensation
The South Carolina Office of Victim Assistance provides crime victims with compensation for physical and emotional injuries. Information about victims' rights, types of compensation available, eligibility criteria, answers to frequently asked questions, and application forms are included.
South Carolina Consumer Protection
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs offers information about consumer issues, including business complaints, scams, identity theft and privacy, credit and debt relief. Instructions and forms for filing a consumer complaint and a search of the complaint database are also provided.
South Carolina Court Rules
Search South Carolina court rules by keyword, or browse Civil, Criminal, Family Probate, Magistrate, ADR, and Evidence rules by table of contents.
South Carolina Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services
View a directory of South Carolina domestic violence and sexual assault shelters and organizations, in alphabetical order by county.
South Carolina Laws
Search the South Carolina Code of Laws with a keyword quick search, or browse by subject title and chapter.
South Carolina Legal Information
The South Carolina Bar offers information about many common legal topics.
South Carolina Legal Information and Legal Resources
View information about legal issues organized by category, including consumer, housing, family and juvenile, elder law, health care, taxes, public benefits, education, and disaster relief.
South Carolina Legal Publications
The South Carolina Bar offers downloadable brochures and forms on various legal topics, including financial issues, end of life directives, senior issues, guardians ad litem, children and the law, and more.
South Carolina Legal Resources
The South Carolina Judicial Department offers links to online legal resources, including government agencies, laws, legal services, the South Carolina Bar, and law schools.
South Carolina Self-Help Information
View South Carolina Judicial Department self-help resources, including answers to frequently asked questions in English and Spanish; links to divorce, child support, and firearm restriction relief form packets; self help videos by topic; and additional online research resources.
South Carolina Traffic and Motor Vehicle Information
The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles offers information about drivers' licenses, driving records, vehicle titles and registration, and insurance requirements.
Legal aid, free services, lawyer referral
Richland County Lawyers
Search a directory of Richland County Bar Association members by last name or law firm name, or view the directory by first letter of last name. Contact information is included.
5th Judicial Circuit Victim/Witness Help
The 5th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program provides crime victims and witnesses in Kershaw and Richland Counties with information about their rights and the criminal justice process, court accompaniment, case status notification, crisis intervention, referrals, and assistance with victim impact statements.
5th Judicial Circuit Worthless Check Collection and Prosecution
The 5th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office offers information about its Worthless Check Program, which collects restitution for worthless check victims and prosecutes worthless check writers in Kershaw and Richland Counties. Information about procedure, payments, and guidelines is included.
South Carolina Free Legal Assistance
South Carolina Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to income-eligible parties. Select the "Resources" and "Calendar" menu tabs for links to income guidelines, answers to frequently asked questions, services for migrants, language services, and a schedule of free legal clinics. Links to legal information, self-help brochures, and forms are also provided.
South Carolina Public Defender Services
The South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense offers contact information for Public Defenders in each circuit and county; select the "About Us" menu tab to link to contact information. Public Defenders provide legal representation for indigent defendants facing possible incarceration. Answers to frequently asked questions about Public Defenders, indigent defendants, and eligibility criteria are included; use the "Resources" menu tab to view frequently asked questions and answers.
South Carolina Volunteer Lawyers
The South Carolina Bar offers information about free ("pro bono") civil legal services available to indigent parties, including types of cases, how to qualify, and procedure.
South Carolina Attorney and Judge Discipline Records
View South Carolina Judicial Department disciplinary orders against lawyers and judges by year, order number, and topic.
South Carolina Attorney or Judge Complaints
The South Carolina Office of Disciplinary Counsel provides information about judge and lawyer misconduct, and instructions for making a complaint about a lawyer or judge.
South Carolina Free and Low-Cost Legal Assistance
Search a directory of organizations offering free and low-cost legal services to eligible clients by location and legal issue, or by
organization name alphabetically.
South Carolina Free Legal Advice
The South Carolina Bar offers free legal answers from a lawyer by online form, telephone, or web chat.
South Carolina Free Legal Clinics
The South Carolina Bar offers free legal clinics on various topics throughout the state. Upcoming events are listed by date and include time and location.
South Carolina Lawyer Disputes
The South Carolina Bar offers information about fee disputes with lawyers, including rules, forms, and answers to frequently asked questions; a Client Assistance Program for low-level disputes, and instructions for filing a grievance against a lawyer.
South Carolina Lawyer Referral and Mediator Search
The South Carolina Bar offers a lawyer referral service by telephone or online request form, including an initial consultation with a lawyer for a nominal fee. A mediator search is also provided.
South Carolina Lawyers
Search the South Carolina Judicial Department list of lawyers by name. Search results include law firm name, contact information, law school, graduating year, and South Carolina Bar admission date, membership class, and membership status.
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