More than four million people live in the state of South Carolina, all of which are served by a diverse and extensive judiciary system. The court system of South Carolina consists of a number of trial courts, which include some that have general jurisdiction and others that have a more specific jurisdiction. This state's court system also includes an intermediate appellate court, as well as a Supreme Court, which is the last resort of the South Carolina legal system.

South Carolina has established laws of its own regarding which court records should be made open to the public and which records should be sealed.

Information within South Carolina Court Records

A great deal of information is included in South Carolina court records, including some personal information. In fact, if you were to search your own public records, you would be astounded at the information that is available for anyone taking the time to look. However, the state government in South Carolina goes to great lengths to ensure that some information contained in certain court records remains closed to the public.

For example, you will not be able to view South Carolina court records for law enforcement, which may include autopsy photos. You also will not be granted access to personal information that may be abused, such as tax records or medical records. Adoption records in the state of South Carolina are also closed to the public.

The different states in this country have varying laws defining which information is considered public, and which information should be kept private. In some cases, the South Carolina court records containing the information that you need may not be available.

On the contrary, most of the records accumulated by the courts of South Carolina are deemed valuable to the greater good of the public. Therefore, if you need to find information on a specific business or individual, you will most likely find that which you seek contained within public South Carolina court records. All you have to do is take the time to search for the specific records that you need and make a request to the court.

Accessing South Carolina Court Records

All administrative activities associated with the South Carolina Judicial Department are handled by the South Carolina Court Administration. Some of the information collected and managed by this office includes juror information, court forms, self-help resources, court rules, statistical trends, annual reports and educational resources.

You can gain access to South Carolina court records by going through the courts in the different counties in the state. In addition, you can also search for court records by visiting the official website of the state's judicial department and clicking on the map. You should be able to access most of the counties of South Carolina by using this online tool; however, Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee and Saluda counties are not available.

The South Carolina Court Administration Office maintains court records from the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court, as well as the numerous trial courts that include family courts, circuit courts, probate courts, municipal courts and magistrate courts. When you know the specific court where the case was heard, your search should be quick and easy.

• South Carolina State Court Districts

• South Carolina State Legislature