Lexington County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Lexington County was created in 1785 in South Carolina. It is the sixth most populous county in South Carolina, with more than 295,934 residents as of 2022. The county occupies approximately 700 square miles of land in its home state. The Town of Lexington is the county's largest community and government seat. Lexington County has five Trial Courts: Circuit, Probate, Family, Municipal, and Magistrates Courts.

The Circuit Court in Lexington County has original jurisdiction over all legal matters beyond lower courts. It has two Divisions: the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of General Sessions. The General Sessions Court presides over misdemeanor and felony trials, while the Common Pleas Division handles civil lawsuits. Appeals from the Magistrate, Probate, and Municipal Courts can be heard at the Circuit Court. Legal matters involving divorce, visitation rights, custody, adoption, and termination of parental rights are exclusive to Lexington County Family Court. Residents can also resolve juvenile offenses at the Family Court. The Probate Court in Lexington handles marriage licenses, guardianship/conservatorship issues, and other probate matters. Lexington County has Magistrates Courts divided into six Districts: Lexington, Irmo, Batesburg-Leesville, Swansea, Oak Grove, and Cayce/West Columbia. Magistrates preside over criminal pretrial hearings, traffic crimes, and lesser misdemeanors. They also handle small claims involving less than $7,500 financial disputes and eviction cases. Cities and Towns in Lexington County have Municipal Courts tasked with ordinance violations. Municipal Courts are located in:

• Batesburg-Leesville
• Cayce
• Chapin
• Irmo
• Lexington
• Pine Ridge
• South Congaree
• Springdale
• Swansea

According to the State Law Enforcement Division statistics, more than 10,000 offenses occur in Lexington in 2019 and 2020. Over 50% of the crimes are larceny, theft, and burglary. Circuit Court judges typically handle over 10,000 cases while finalizing about 90% yearly. The Clerk of Court in Lexington County normally allows anyone to view and obtain court records filed in Circuit and Family Court. Record searchers can contact the Clerk of Court to obtain public case files. They can also use Case Records Search to access public court records online. Court records filed in the county's lower courts are accessible by visiting the court clerks. In Lexington County, not all court records are open to the public. Only record-holders can obtain sealed or confidential documents.

In summary, the Lexington County court system comprises a Circuit, Probate, Family, Municipal, and Magistrates Courts. These courts ensure the fair and equitable handling of criminal and civil cases. Public case files and court proceedings are available online to ensure the court system remains open and accountable to the county residents.