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Greenwood County, South Carolina State Court Records

Distinguishable as the contents of a court file, Greenwood County court records present detailed information about cases brought to the county's justice system. The creation and custody of these records in Greenwood falls to the clerk of the court where a particular case was filed or heard, such as the Greenwood County Clerk of Court for Circuit Court records.

Clerks' offices maintain official case records tailored to their specific dockets. Occasionally, these records feature documentation generated by external agencies and filed by the case parties to defend or argue a legal claim or action. One common example pertains to vital records-certificates of birth, death, marriage, and divorce are frequently introduced into family, probate, and civil cases to verify critical life events.

Are Greenwood County Court Records Public?

Yes. Greenwood County court records are largely accessible to members of the public under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The FOIA permits residents, citizens, and other interested parties to review or replicate records maintained by the state's public agencies, including local judicial branches.

Certain restrictions exist, however, for information, documents, or files that have been made private or confidential by order of the court, operation of law, or rule of court. Exempt records include trade secrets, information whose release would deprive a person of a fair trial, juvenile records, sealed/expunged case files, and personal identifying information (PII), such as private contact information.

What Information is Available in Greenwood County Court Records?

The information available in Greenwood County court records is largely dependent on the type of proceeding. Specific information and documents only appear in certain case types. For example, plea agreements are commonplace in criminal cases, whereas estate inventories and financial accountings are unique to probate proceedings, and so on.

Nevertheless, certain data points are widely found within a Greenwood County court record, helping researchers track legal proceedings and answer crucial questions, such as

  • Who the litigating parties are and who is representing them as legal counsel
  • Which judicial official was assigned to oversee and resolve the case
  • When the case was filed, and in what specific jurisdiction
  • Whether a hearing or trial has been scheduled and where it will take place
  • What documents or other filings were submitted by the claimants or defendants
  • What type of ruling the court made to resolve the asserted claims or actions

Greenwood County Court Records Search

Here's how to search for and retrieve court records maintained within Greenwood County's judicial system:

Online Access

Courts in Greenwood County utilize independent case management systems to accurately track and document their proceedings. There is no unified, statewide case search engine like that seen in states such as North Carolina. Consequently, the electronic court records search application accessible to the public varies heavily by case type and court. Below are the available online case search systems:

Online court case searches generally require a party name or case number to generate matching cases or documents.

In-Person Access

Members of the public can visit the physical courthouse facility where a case occurred to inspect or copy the corresponding court files. The clerk's office at that courthouse is the central point of contact. Visitors may request assistance at a public counter/window or utilize dedicated public access computer terminals to research cases for free. Copy requests incur standardized per-page or per-document fees.

Mail and Phone Requests

To verify the availability of a mail-in application for archived or physical court records in Greenwood County, individuals must contact the specific clerk's office of the court where an action was filed or heard.

For instance, for the Greenwood County Circuit, Family, and Juvenile Courts, the primary records custodian is the Greenwood County Clerk of Court. The clerk will be able to inform any caller or requester of the applicable mailing procedures and fees.

Fees for Court Records in Greenwood County

Fees incurred for court record requests in Greenwood County vary by the specific court managing the record. Mostly, these charges cover document duplication, official certification, and record exemplification/authentication requests. Physical or remote digital inspection of non-confidential court records remains free of charge to the public.

The relevant clerk's office can be reached by phone to confirm the fee schedule. For example, it costs 50 cents per page for photocopies and $1 for certification in the Greenwood County Circuit and Family Courts.

Greenwood County Courthouse Locations

Greenwood County consists of several court levels, which, together, handle all cases filed within the region. These courts include the

An Overview of the Judicial System is published on the South Carolina Legislature's website.

Below are the courthouse facilities in Greenwood County.

Greenwood County Circuit Court

Greenwood County Courthouse

528 Monument Street

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: (864) 942-8575

Greenwood County Family Court

Greenwood County Courthouse

528 Monument Street

Room 114

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: (864) 942-8611 or (864) 943-8081

Greenwood County Probate Court

Greenwood County Courthouse

528 Monument Street

Room 205

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: (864) 942-8625

Fax: (864) 942-8620

Magistrate Courts:

Greenwood County Magistrate Court

Greenwood County Courthouse

528 Monument Street

Room 100

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: (864) 942-8655

Fax: (864) 942-8663

Greenwood County Bond Court

528 Edgefield Street

Greenwood, SC 29646

Phone: (864) 942-8655

Fax: (864) 942-8663

Municipal Courts:

City of Greenwood Municipal Court

Municipal Building

520 Monument Street

Room 201

PO Box 40

Greenwood, SC 29648

Phone: (864) 942-8474

Ninety-Six Municipal Court

100 North Church Street

Ninety-Six, SC 29666

Phone: (864) 543-3122 or (864) 543-2200 (Select Option 2 for the Court Clerk)

Fax: (864) 543-2527

Ware Shoals Municipal Court

8 Mill Street

PO Box 510

Ware Shoals, SC 29692

Phone: (864) 456-7478

Fax: (864) 456-7528

Criminal Records Access in Greenwood County

To access criminal records in Greenwood County, individuals have the following options:

SLED maintains South Carolina's official centralized criminal history database, which comprises fingerprinted arrests and court dispositions reported to the agency by law. A name-based record search can be conducted online via the CATCH (Citizens Access to Criminal Histories) portal for a fee of $25 per search. SLED also provides certified fingerprint-based background checks as mandated by law.

On the other hand, courts possessing criminal jurisdiction in Greenwood County store comprehensive case files on every criminal prosecution. Individuals will need to locate the appropriate venue of filing (such as the General Sessions Court for felony cases and a Summary Court for minor offenses) and submit a request to that court clerk's office. Remote access to the presiding court's case management system may also be available.

Greenwood County Probate Records

Probate is a judicial process initiated after a person's demise to transfer their assets to rightful heirs or beneficiaries and settle outstanding debts with creditors. Probate proceedings are heard in the Greenwood County Probate Court, which is presided over by an elected Probate Judge. Matters handled by the court include

  • Administration of decedents' estates
  • Disputes involving estates and trusts
  • Involuntary commitment for mental illness or drug/alcohol abuse
  • Marriage license approvals
  • Guardianships/conservatorships for minors and incapacitated adults
  • Minor and wrongful death settlements

Probate records are the official accounts of the probate court proceedings. To access these records, individuals can navigate to the Greenwood County Probate Search portal. Searches can be conducted by decedent, case number, or personal representative.

Alternatively, individuals can stop by the courthouse during standard business hours to make a request for probate records.

Greenwood County Family Court Records

The Greenwood County Family Court presides over family law cases in the locality. These cases cover domestic relationships and disputes, including divorce, support, alimony, visitation rights, adoption, termination of parental rights, name change, legal separation, custody, and marital property division.

To view family court records in Greenwood County, individuals can utilize the online South Carolina FCCMS Public Portal (or FCCMS Attorney Portal). Document copies (plain or certified hard copies) can also be requested in person at the courthouse. Note that sensitive filings in family cases and protected categories, such as adoption records and minors' identifying information, remain entirely confidential.

Federal Court Records in Greenwood County

The federal court possessing jurisdiction over federal litigation emanating from Greenwood County is the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. This federal district court resolves matters involving federal law, including lawsuits arising directly under the federal statutes and U.S. Constitution, diversity jurisdiction cases (e.g., high-stakes personal injury lawsuits where damages exceed $75,000), and civil cases filed by the United States government. Cases from Greenwood County may be heard in one of four specific courthouse locations across Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg.

The PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) system is a web-based federal case information retrieval system available to persons seeking federal court records in Greenwood County. User registration is required, and a 10-cent-per-page fee applies. However, certain portal users are exempt from paying fees (such as those whose usage accrues less than $30 in a billing quarter).

Record seekers can also look up federal court records at public terminals located in any courthouse (a 10-cent-per-page fee applies) or access records via the federal clerk's public counter at no cost. Copies of records can also be requested from the clerk's office for a statutory fee.

Greenwood County Court