Aiken County Court Records Search

Aiken County belongs to South Carolina's Second Judicial Circuit, and nearly all courthouse activity is centered at the Judicial Center on Park Avenue in Aiken. Records are spread across different offices depending on the case type. The Aiken County Clerk of Court handles filings for the Circuit Court (civil), General Sessions (criminal), and Family Court. The Aiken County Probate Court maintains its own files covering estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses. Magistrate courts at various locations around the county deal with summary criminal matters, traffic offenses, bond hearings, and smaller civil claims. Keep in mind that not every document in a case file will appear in an online search, and some case types have legal restrictions on who can view them—so the office you contact and the tool you choose both matter.

The South Carolina Judicial Branch runs several online tools that include Aiken County filings. SouthCarolinaCourts.us is one place to start looking for publicly available case information and links to official court resources. The state judiciary's own website, sccourts.org, provides a statewide case search along with court forms and a directory of county contacts. For Aiken County in particular, the Aiken County Public Index and the statewide case records search page are the most useful online starting points. You can also visit the courthouse in person during business hours, and the Clerk's office handles certified copy requests that aren't available through online tools.

How to Look Up a Court Case in Aiken County?

Your approach will vary depending on whether you're looking for a civil, criminal, family, probate, or marriage record—and whether you just need to check a case status or actually obtain copies of filed documents.

Aiken County court offices at a glance:

Court or Office	Address	Phone	Primary Function
Clerk of Court	109 Park Avenue SE, First–Third Floors, Aiken, SC 29801	(803) 642-1715	Circuit Court, General Sessions, Family Court filings and copies
Family Court & Child Support	109 Park Avenue SE, First Floor, Aiken, SC 29801	(803) 642-1715	Domestic relations and juvenile filings
Probate Court	109 Park Avenue SE, Room E126, Aiken, SC 29801	(803) 642-2002	Estates, marriage licenses, guardianships, conservatorships
Magistrates Department	Multiple locations across Aiken County	Varies by court	Warrants, summary criminal, traffic, civil claims, bond hearings

Step-by-step approach:

Start with the Aiken County Public Index or the statewide South Carolina case search page to pull up docket-level details like case numbers, party names, and hearing dates.
Look at the court rosters page for upcoming hearings and scheduling details.
Call or visit the Clerk of Court if you need certified copies, judgment records, or documents that aren't posted online.
For probate estates, marriage licenses, and older estate files, reach out to the Probate Court records section directly.
Estate files dated 1873 through 1903 are held in their original form by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The Probate Court does keep microfilm copies you can view on-site.

The Judicial Center at 109 Park Avenue SE in Aiken has accessible parking near the main entrance. Offices are generally open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mailing address for the Clerk of Court:
P.O. Box 583, Aiken, SC 29802
Fax: (803) 642-1718

Are Court Records Public in Aiken County?

Many court records in Aiken County are open to the public, though access isn't automatic in every situation. What you can see depends on the court division, the nature of the case, whether the file includes protected personal information, and whether a judge has sealed any portion of the record. South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act (S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq.) broadly supports the public's right to inspect government records. Court-specific access is administered through the Clerk's office, the Probate Court, and the state judiciary's online platforms.

The Aiken County Public Index is the most convenient online tool for reviewing case data. One thing to keep in mind: the site itself warns that online information is not the official record. The official files remain at the responsible offices, and relying solely on online data carries some risk. Also, as of January 1, 2026, home addresses no longer appear on the public index for either new or existing cases.

There's also a built-in redaction process. If you find a Social Security number, driver's license number, state ID number, passport number, bank-account number, credit or debit card number, PIN, or password visible in an online court-record image, you can submit a written request to have it scrubbed. Send it by mail, fax, email, or drop it off in person—there's no charge for the redaction.

Categories of records that are generally restricted include:

Juvenile case filings and proceedings
Adoption records
Certain child-custody and child-protection files
Records or portions of records sealed by court order
Documents containing protected personal identifiers
Mental health and some conservatorship materials
Law enforcement records that would reveal confidential informants or protected investigative details

Family Court cases deserve special mention. They frequently involve sensitive details about children, household finances, and domestic allegations. Even when a family case shows up in the public index, specific documents inside the file may still be restricted from unrestricted copying.

Aiken County Criminal Court Records

Criminal cases in Aiken County go through the Second Judicial Circuit's General Sessions Court, located at the Judicial Center. The Clerk of Court keeps the official criminal case files. Arrest data and statewide criminal histories, on the other hand, are managed through state law enforcement channels rather than the Clerk's office.

General Sessions / Clerk of Court
Address: 109 Park Avenue SE, Third Floor, Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 583, Aiken, SC 29802
Phone: (803) 642-1715
Fax: (803) 642-1718

Traffic Court
Address: 223 Park Avenue SW, Aiken, SC
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Payment: Money orders, certified checks, or cash only. Personal checks are not accepted. Do not mail cash.

Bond Court / Detention Center
Address: 435 Wire Road, Aiken, SC 29801
Weekday bond hearings: 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Weekend and holiday bond hearings: 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

How to search criminal records:

Check the Aiken County Public Index or the state's case records search for court-level information—charges filed, hearing dates, docket entries, and how a case was resolved.
Go to the Clerk's office in person if you need copies of criminal filings, judgment records, or anything that doesn't show up online.
Magistrate-level criminal matters, traffic violations, and warrant details are handled by the relevant Magistrate Court. There are nine summary courts in Aiken County, with locations in Aiken, Midland Valley, New Ellenton/Jackson, North Augusta, and Wagener/Monetta.

Statewide criminal background checks. Looking up individual case dockets is different from pulling a formal criminal history. If you need a comprehensive, statewide criminal record check, use the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) CATCH system. It costs $25 per check, plus a $1 convenience fee for online submissions. If you prefer to submit by mail, fill out the official Criminal Record Check Form and send it to:

SLED Records Department
P.O. Box 21398
Columbia, SC 29221-1398

Aiken County Civil Court Records

Larger civil disputes—contract claims, foreclosures, personal injury suits, and similar actions—go through the Circuit Court. Smaller civil matters land in the Magistrate Court. The Clerk of Court is responsible for the official Circuit Court civil files, including complaints, answers, motions, orders, judgments, liens, and foreclosure documents.

Civil Division, Clerk of Court
Address: 109 Park Avenue SE, Second Floor, Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 583, Aiken, SC 29801
Phone: (803) 642-1715
Fax: (803) 642-1718

Filing fees for the Circuit Court are set statewide. Here are the most common amounts, drawn from the Circuit Court filing fee schedule:

Case Type	Filing Fee
New civil case (never previously filed)	$150.00
Foreign judgment	$100.00
Transcript of judgment (Federal/Magistrate Court)	$35.00
Lis pendens (without Summons and Complaint)	$10.00
Reinstatement of permanently revoked driver's license	$200.00

No filing fee applies to criminal appeals from Magistrate or Municipal Court, post-conviction relief cases, or cases accompanied by an approved in forma pauperis order, along with several other statutory exceptions.

How to find civil records:

Search the Aiken County Public Index for case numbers, party names, and scheduling information.
Review the court rosters for hearing schedules.
Contact the Clerk for copies of pleadings, orders, or certified documents.
If you're representing yourself, standardized court forms are available on the South Carolina court forms page.

The online public index sometimes runs behind the physical file, so if a record matters for title research, active litigation, or certified-copy purposes, request it directly from the Clerk's office rather than relying on what appears online.

Aiken County Family Court Records

The South Carolina Family Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over divorce, legal separation, custody, visitation, child support, alimony, adoption, termination of parental rights, and name changes. In Aiken County, all of these cases are filed and maintained through the Clerk of Court's office on the first floor of the Judicial Center.

Family Court & Child Support
Address: 109 Park Avenue SE, First Floor, Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3047, Aiken, SC 29802-3047
Phone: (803) 642-1715
General Fax: (803) 642-1718
Child Support Fax: (803) 502-1823

Finding family court records:

Search the Aiken County Public Index for entries that appear publicly.
Try the state's Family Court public portal for additional family-court case access.
For certified copies or finalized divorce records, go to the Clerk's office. Completed divorce records are kept in the Clerk of Court's Judgments Division—a different counter from where pending family filings are handled.

Child support. You have three basic paths for starting a child support case in Aiken County: file on your own, hire an attorney, or apply through the South Carolina Department of Social Services child-support process. The Clerk's office has links to child-support applications, support worksheets, and self-represented litigant divorce packets.

Marriage licenses. In Aiken County, the Probate Court issues marriage licenses—not the Clerk of Court. Both applicants must show up in person at the Probate Court marriage license office. No applications by mail, phone, or proxy.

Application hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Application fee: $45 (personal checks not accepted; Visa and Mastercard accepted with a 3% service fee)
Mandatory 24-hour waiting period before the license is issued
Required documents: valid government-issued ID and Social Security card (or alien identification card)
Parental consent required for applicants aged 16–17; no license issued to anyone under 16
The Probate Court does not perform marriage ceremonies
Certified copies of recorded marriage licenses: $5 each (available by mail to Aiken County Probate Court, P.O. Box 1576, Aiken, SC 29802, or in person)

Marriage and divorce certificates from the state. The South Carolina Department of Public Health issues certified marriage certificates for marriages that took place between July 1950 and December 2023, and certified divorce reports for divorces decreed between July 1962 and December 2023. For records outside those date ranges, contact the Probate Court or the county court that originally issued the record.

Birth and death certificates aren't court records, but they come up regularly in both family and probate matters. The Department of Public Health's vital records fee schedule lists the standard mail search fee at $12 (which covers one certified copy if the record is found—nonrefundable if it's not), with additional copies at $3 each. Expedited searches cost $17. You can submit requests through DPH's birth certificate page or death certificate page.

Aiken County Probate Court Records

Estate administration, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, minor settlements, wrongful-death settlements, marriage licenses, and certain mental-health commitment proceedings all fall under the Aiken County Probate Court. If you're searching for estate files, older marriage-license records, or guardianship orders, this is where to go.

Aiken County Probate Court
Address: 109 Park Avenue SE, Room E126, Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1576, Aiken, SC 29802-1576
Main Phone: (803) 642-2002
Fax: (803) 642-2007

Direct phone lines for specific divisions:

Conservatorships / Guardianships: (803) 642-2008
Marriage Licenses: (803) 642-2009
Mental Health: (803) 642-2105
Probate Records: (803) 642-2149

What records are available and for which periods:

Original estate records: 1904 to the present (on file at the Probate Court)
Estate records from 1873 through 1903: originals held by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History; microfilm copies are available for public viewing at the Probate Court
Marriage license records: 1911 to the present, with microfilm available for viewing
Online probate case searches: use the South Carolina probate search site to look up estate file names and case numbers

Key probate fees from the Aiken County Probate Court fee schedule:

Service	Fee
Filing Application 300ES (Informal)	$0
Filing Formal Petition 300ES	$150.00
Admitting Will to Probate	$25.00
Petition for Sale of Real Estate	$150.00
Petition for Guardianship/Conservatorship	$150.00
Filing Conservatorship Accountings	$10.00
Hearing Fee	$10.00
Notice to Creditors	$65.00
Certified Copies	$5.00
Copies	$0.25 each
Research Fee	$10.00
Exemplified Copies (Out-of-State Estates)	$20.00
Filing Will for Record	$10.00

If you need certified copies of probate documents—letters testamentary, appointment orders, estate inventories, and the like—call the Probate Records line at (803) 642-2149 or visit Room E126 at the Judicial Center during business hours. Staff can help you locate files, but they can't give legal advice about how to administer an estate or carry out guardianship responsibilities. If you're uncertain about how to handle a probate matter, the South Carolina Bar offers lawyer referral resources, or you can consult a licensed South Carolina attorney directly.