Hampton County Circuit Court Overview
South Carolina's primary general-jurisdiction trial court is the Circuit Court. Hampton County is in the 14th Judicial Circuit with Allendale, Beaufort, Colleton, and Jasper counties. Circuit Court has two main sides: the Court of Common Pleas for civil matters and the Court of General Sessions for criminal matters. It also has limited appellate jurisdiction over appeals from Probate Court, Magistrate Court, and Municipal Court.
The Hampton County Courthouse is listed by the South Carolina Judicial Branch at 1 Elm Street, Courthouse Square, Hampton, SC 29924. Hampton County's own Clerk and juror pages use 1 Courthouse Square Elm Street, Hampton, SC 29924, and the Clerk page tells GPS users to use 80 Elm Street, Hampton, SC 29924. The courthouse houses Clerk of Court functions for Circuit Court records and related courthouse services.
The U.S. District Court for South Carolina is a federal court, not the Hampton County Circuit Court.
That distinction matters because state Circuit Court cases use South Carolina Judicial Branch and Clerk routes, while federal cases use federal clerk and PACER routes.
Hampton County Circuit Court List
Hampton County does not have separate numbered Circuit Courts like some states use. The local Circuit Court record structure is organized by division and case type. The Clerk of Court supports Common Pleas and General Sessions records at the courthouse, while Family Court and Probate Court are separate trial courts with specialized jurisdiction. The table uses "not numbered" because the research did not identify numbered Hampton County Circuit Court benches.
| Court # | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not numbered | Circuit Court, Court of Common Pleas civil division | 1 Elm Street / Courthouse Square, Hampton, SC 29924 | 803-914-2250 |
| Not numbered | Circuit Court, Court of General Sessions criminal division | 1 Elm Street / Courthouse Square, Hampton, SC 29924 | 803-914-2250 |
| Not numbered | Family Court, separate trial court for divorce and family matters | 1 Elm Street / Courthouse Square, Hampton, SC 29924 | 803-914-2250 |
| Not numbered | Probate Court, separate trial court for estates and marriage licenses | 1 Courthouse Square Elm St., Hampton, SC 29924 | 803-914-2172 |
Hampton Circuit Court vs Lower Courts
Circuit Court is not the only court that can create Hampton County records. Magistrate Court handles lower-level criminal and traffic offenses, bond, preliminary hearings, warrants, and civil claims within its monetary limit. Municipal Courts handle town ordinance cases and qualifying offenses inside town limits. Family Court and Probate Court are specialized trial courts, not lower courts of Circuit Court, but Circuit Court may hear certain appeals from Probate, Magistrate, and Municipal Court.
| Circuit Court | Magistrate Court | Municipal Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil role | Common Pleas civil actions and appeals from lower court | Civil claims generally $7,500 or less | Local ordinance and qualifying town matters |
| Criminal role | General Sessions criminal cases, warrants after clerk intake, indictments, dispositions | Offenses generally within $500 fine or 30-day jail limit, bond, preliminary hearings, warrants | Municipal ordinance cases and qualifying offenses in town limits |
| Traffic role | Not the routine traffic-ticket court | Traffic offenses within magistrate jurisdiction | Municipal traffic citations inside town limits |
| Record office | Clerk of Court / Public Index | Magistrate Court location | Issuing municipal court |
Hampton County Circuit Case Flow
Civil and criminal cases move through Hampton County Circuit Court in different ways. Civil cases start with pleadings in Common Pleas, may involve motions and calendar placement, and end with an order, judgment, dismissal, settlement, or appeal. Criminal cases often begin outside Circuit Court, then move through warrant intake, solicitor review, indictment, General Sessions scheduling, plea or trial, disposition, fines, fees, sentence, or appeal.
Criminal flow: Arrest or warrant › Magistrate or bond stage › Clerk receives warrant › Solicitor prepares indictment › General Sessions roster › Plea or trial › Disposition and sentence › Appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint filed › Answer › Motions › Roster or calendar placement › Hearing or trial › Order or judgment › Appeal.
The Charleston federal courthouse page is relevant only when a Hampton County matter is in federal court.
Federal courthouse contacts should not be used for a Hampton County Circuit Court indictment, divorce, civil complaint, or state court roster.
Hampton Circuit Court Divisions
The Court of Common Pleas is the civil side of South Carolina Circuit Court. Hampton County examples include automobile accidents, defective products, personal injury, and appeals from lower court. Civil files may be jury or non-jury. Hampton County states that civil records are public unless sealed by court order. The Clerk collects the filing fee and places cases on the proper calendar or roster.
The Court of General Sessions is the criminal side of South Carolina Circuit Court. Hampton County General Sessions files may contain criminal warrants received by the Clerk, solicitor transmission records, indictment numbers, bail or bond money, public defender application records, dispositions, fines, and fees. After disposition, the Clerk updates the appropriate court file.
Federal case information and PACER guidance come from the District of South Carolina, not Hampton County Circuit Court.
Use the federal records path only when the case is actually in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Hampton County Judicial Circuit
Hampton County is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit. The South Carolina Judicial Branch resident circuit judges listed in the research include Robert J. Bonds, Marvin H. Dukes III, and Carmen T. Mullen. Family Court judges listed for the circuit include Douglas L. Novak, Gerald C. Smoak Jr., and Larry W. Weidner II. Hampton County research also notes that the county does not have a resident Circuit Judge at this time, but has an Administrative Judge for the 14th Circuit.
General Sessions scheduling is often tied to circuit-level terms. The 14th Circuit Solicitor posted Hampton County potential jury trial lists for January 20-23, 2026 with Hon. Robert Bonds presiding, March 16-20, 2026 with Hon. Carmen T. Mullen presiding, and May 18-22, 2026 with Hon. Carmen T. Mullen presiding. These lists are subject to change and should be checked against the current roster.
Hampton County Lower Courts
Hampton County Magistrate Court has locations in Estill and Varnville. Estill Magistrate Court is at 259 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Estill, SC 29918, phone 803-625-3232. Varnville Magistrate and Bond Court are at the Law Enforcement Center, 411 Cemetery Road, Varnville, SC 29944, phone 803-914-2230. Bond Court is held twice daily at the Hampton County Detention Center under the schedule captured in the research.
Municipal Courts also affect Hampton County court routing. Brunson Municipal Court, Estill Municipal Court, Gifford Municipal Court, Hampton Municipal Court, Varnville Municipal Court, and Yemassee Municipal Court each handle local ordinance or qualifying offenses within town limits. A missed town citation or municipal bench warrant should be checked with the specific municipal court rather than assuming it is a Circuit Court matter.
Hampton County Federal Court Distinction
Federal court is separate from Hampton County Circuit Court. Hampton County federal matters fall under the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The Charleston federal court page lists the U.S. District Courthouse at 85 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401, and the J. Waties Waring Judicial Center at 83 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The Charleston jury residence list includes Hampton County.
Federal records are filed and retrieved by case number. Party index searches are available at staffed federal offices in Charleston, Columbia, Florence, and Greenville, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The federal clerk search fee is $34 per name, payable in advance. PACER coverage noted by the court includes civil cases from November 1990 to present and criminal cases from September 1992 to present.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina is another separate federal court system.
Bankruptcy records should not be requested from the Hampton County Clerk of Court unless a related state court filing exists.
The bankruptcy divisions page shows Hampton County in the Charleston Division.
That division detail is useful for bankruptcy cases, but it does not change the state Circuit Court route for Common Pleas or General Sessions records.
Hampton County Circuit Appeals
State appeals from Circuit Court are part of the South Carolina appellate system, while federal appeals from South Carolina go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The federal appellate court is located in Richmond, Virginia, and hears appeals from federal district courts in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. That federal path is different from South Carolina Court of Appeals or Supreme Court review of a state Circuit Court case.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is the federal appellate source for federal South Carolina cases.
For Hampton County Circuit Court records, start with the state Public Index, court rosters, and Hampton County Clerk of Court before moving to appellate or federal systems.