Kershaw County Warrant Records and Court Case Search
Kershaw County warrant records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office in Lugoff and the Clerk of Court in Camden. The Sheriff's Office is at 821 Ridgeway Rd, Lugoff, SC 29078, and can be reached at (803) 425-1512. The Clerk of Court sits at 1121 Broad St, Camden, SC 29020, with a phone number of (803) 425-1500. Kershaw County belongs to the 5th Judicial Circuit. Both offices handle public records requests under South Carolina's open records law and serve the full county from their respective locations.
Kershaw County Sheriff's Office
The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office carries out all warrant service in the unincorporated parts of the county. Deputies serve arrest warrants, execute search warrants, and process bench warrants issued by local courts. The office is on Ridgeway Rd in Lugoff, just north of Camden. Call (803) 425-1512 for general inquiries.
You can visit the Sheriff's Office in person to ask about warrant records. Staff can look up cases by name and tell you if a case is on file. For copies of documents, you may need to file a written request. The office follows the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act for all records releases. Searches cost $5, and copies run $1 per page. Certified copies carry an added $5 fee. Keep these costs in mind if you plan to request multiple records.
The Kershaw County Sheriff's website provides information about divisions, contact numbers, and services offered by the department.
Visit the Kershaw County government website for office hours, contact details, and links to online services.
How Warrants Work in Kershaw County
A warrant in Kershaw County begins with probable cause. Someone brings a sworn complaint to a magistrate judge, or a law enforcement officer presents evidence of a crime. The judge reviews the facts. If they find enough reason to believe a crime was committed, the judge signs the warrant under S.C. Code 22-3-710. This is true for most criminal cases that start at the magistrate level in Kershaw County.
For search warrants, the rules are tighter. An officer must prepare a written affidavit under oath that names the exact place to be searched and lists the items they expect to find. Under S.C. Code 17-13-140, the judge reads the affidavit and signs the warrant only if the facts justify the search. After the search is done, the officer files a return with the court. That return, along with the warrant itself, becomes a public record in Kershaw County.
Arrest warrants in South Carolina do not expire. Under S.C. Code 17-13-40, a warrant remains active until the person is taken into custody or a judge recalls the warrant. Old warrants from years past can still result in an arrest during a traffic stop or other contact with law enforcement in Kershaw County.
Kershaw County Clerk of Court
The Clerk of Court at 1121 Broad St in Camden handles all General Sessions filings for Kershaw County. When a warrant leads to an arrest and formal charges, the case file goes to the Clerk's office. The Clerk stores warrants, indictments, bonds, and all other documents tied to criminal cases. You can reach the office at (803) 425-1500.
Staff at the Clerk of Court can search for cases by name or case number. Walk-in visits are welcome during business hours. If you need copies, the fee is $1 per page, with an extra $5 for certified copies. The Clerk also handles bond paperwork and can tell you the status of a case. For questions about the court schedule or docket, call the Central Court line at (803) 425-1520.
The Camden Police Department also handles cases within its city limits. Warrants from Camden PD go through the same court system as those from the Sheriff. All records end up at the Clerk of Court in Kershaw County.
Searching Kershaw County Warrant Records Online
Several online tools give you access to Kershaw County warrant records. The best place to start is the South Carolina Courts Public Index. This free tool lets you search General Sessions cases by name or case number. It covers all counties in the state, so Kershaw County cases appear alongside results from other jurisdictions.
SLED operates the CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov. This is a paid background check tool that may show active warrants, arrest history, and convictions. It pulls data from law enforcement agencies statewide, including Kershaw County. A single check costs a fee, and results come back quickly. This is useful if you want a broad criminal history view rather than details on one specific warrant.
The Clerk of Court in Camden holds the full official files for Kershaw County and can provide copies upon request.
Records Requests and Fees in Kershaw County
Under S.C. Code 30-4-10, warrant records in Kershaw County are public once the warrant has been served or returned to the court. You can request copies through a formal FOIA request to either the Sheriff's Office or the Clerk of Court. Both offices must respond within the time frames set by state law.
Kershaw County charges the following fees for records:
- Record searches cost $5 per name or case
- Standard copies are $1 per page
- Certified copies add $5 to the base copy cost
When you submit a request, include the full legal name of the person, any known case numbers, and a date range if possible. This helps staff find the right records faster and keeps costs down. Requests for records created within the past 24 months must get a response within 10 business days. Older records allow up to 20 business days for a response.
Kershaw County and the 5th Judicial Circuit
Kershaw County sits in the 5th Judicial Circuit along with Richland County. The 5th Circuit Solicitor handles the prosecution of felony cases that begin with a warrant in Kershaw County. Once an arrest is made and charges are filed, the solicitor reviews the case and decides whether to move forward. Serious charges go to the General Sessions Court docket.
Grand jury proceedings for Kershaw County take place within the 5th Circuit. If a grand jury returns an indictment, the case moves to trial. All of these documents become part of the public court file maintained by the Clerk of Court. You can track case progress through the SC Courts Public Index or by contacting the Clerk's office directly in Camden.
Magistrate-level cases stay in Kershaw County and do not go to the circuit solicitor. These include minor criminal matters and preliminary hearings on warrants.
Cities in Kershaw County
Camden is the county seat of Kershaw County. It is one of the oldest cities in the state. Lugoff, Elgin, and Bethune are also in Kershaw County. The Camden Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits, while the Sheriff covers the rest of the county. All warrant records flow through the same court system.
No matter which part of Kershaw County a case starts in, the Clerk of Court in Camden stores the official records.
Nearby Counties
Kershaw County borders several counties in the central part of South Carolina. If you need to find which county handles a case, check the address where the alleged offense took place.