Greenville County Magistrate Courts

What Greenville County Magistrate Courts Do

A magistrate court is a summary court. That means it handles cases quickly and with simpler rules than the main trial court. In South Carolina, magistrates have both civil and criminal duties. On the civil side, a magistrate can hear claims when the amount in dispute is not more than $7,500. On the criminal side, magistrates handle lower-level offenses, generally those with a penalty of no more than a $500 fine or 30 days in jail. The reach is broad for small matters but capped for serious ones.

Magistrates do more than hold trials. They issue arrest warrants and search warrants. They set bond for people who have just been arrested. They hold preliminary hearings to test whether a felony case should move up to the Circuit Court. They hear evictions, restraining orders, and claim and delivery actions. They also hear county traffic cases written by sheriff's deputies and the highway patrol. The county explains these duties on its Magistrate Courts page.

Greenville County magistrates have countywide jurisdiction. The county lists 21 magistrates serving in seven courts. The state describes the role on its Magistrate Court overview.

Greenville County Magistrate Court Case Types

The mix of cases in a summary court is wide. Civil and criminal work sit side by side. The list below covers the main matters a Greenville County magistrate court handles. It is a quick map, not a full rule book. If your matter is bigger than the $7,500 civil cap, or it is a felony, it belongs in the Circuit Court instead.

• Small civil claims up to $7,500.
• Evictions and notice to quit, filed by the tenant's residence.
• Restraining orders against a person.
• Claim and delivery, to recover property.
• Minor criminal charges and county traffic tickets.
• Bond hearings, arrest and search warrants.
• Preliminary hearings for felony cases.

Note: A magistrate court cannot hear a felony trial or award more than $7,500 in a civil case, so larger matters move to the Circuit Court.

Greenville County Summary Court Locations

The county runs four summary courts plus a downtown bond court. Each one serves a part of the county. The contact cards below give the address and phone for each. Use them to reach a court directly, but confirm the right court for your matter first, since the wrong location can mean a wasted trip. The bond court handles people just arrested, while the four summary courts handle filings and county traffic.

The South Greenville Summary Court shares the 445 East Curtis Street address with the Simpsonville Municipal Court, so check whether your case is county magistrate or city municipal before you go.

Greenville County Magistrate Court List

The table below lines up the summary and bond courts with their address and phone in one view. It is handy when you have a notice in hand and need to match it to a court. Some addresses are shared with a city court, so read the court name on your paperwork, not just the street.

For an overview of how these courts fit below the trial court, see the Greenville County Circuit Court page.

Finding the Right Greenville County Magistrate Court

Picking the correct summary court is the first real step in a civil filing. The county does not assign you a court by guesswork. It uses an address. The Magistrate Courts page has a Magistrate Court Information GIS tool. You enter a street address and the tool tells you the right court. The address you enter depends on the type of case.

For an eviction or notice to quit, use the tenant's residence. For a summons and complaint, use the defendant or business address, or the place where most of the cause of action happened. For a restraining order, use the address of the person to be restrained. For claim and delivery, use the spot where the property sits. Get the address right and the GIS tool sends you to the correct court.

Note: A filing taken to the wrong summary court may be refused, so run the address through the county GIS tool before you file or pay in person.

Greenville County Township Traffic Courts

County traffic tickets are heard in the summary court system, not the downtown courthouse. The county Magistrate page says traffic cases written by South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers and Greenville County Sheriff's deputies are heard in the township courts. The county names East Greenville, North Greenville, Fairview Austin, and West Greenville townships for these cases.

A ticket written inside a city is different. That goes to the city's municipal court, such as Greenville, Greer, Mauldin, Fountain Inn, Simpsonville, or Travelers Rest, not to a county magistrate. Online payment of a county traffic ticket needs the citation number and the last name. Magistrate traffic payments accept money orders, certified checks, or cash, but not personal checks. For the full traffic picture, including how a court file differs from a state driver record, see the Greenville County traffic court records page.

Bonds, Warrants, and Preliminary Hearings

Magistrates do the early work in a criminal case. After an arrest, a person sees a magistrate for a bond hearing. The bond court downtown on McGee Street handles bond hearings, warrants, and first appearances. A temporary bond means the person has not yet been before a judge and no bond is set. A magistrate can also issue the arrest warrant or search warrant that started the case.

For a felony, the magistrate may hold a preliminary hearing. This is not a trial. It is a check on whether there is enough cause to send the case up to the Circuit Court for prosecution. To look up an active warrant tied to a case, see the Greenville County warrant records page. For booking and custody status after an arrest, the court records page explains where case files live.

Greenville County Magistrate Court Jury Rules

Summary court juries are smaller than the juries you see on television. They are also drawn locally. Jurors for a magistrate court are picked at random from the voter registration list within their own voting district. A magistrate jury is usually six jurors, with two alternates. Jurors are paid for showing up, at $10 per required appearance day, plus mileage at the current rate.

There are rules about what you can wear and bring. No hats, tank tops, shorts, or flip-flops. Do not bring phones, pagers, other noise-making electronics, or weapons into a magistrate court building. Visitors may be subject to a search or scanning device at the entrance. Plan extra time for that screening on a court day.

Greenville County Magistrate Court Questions

A few questions come up again and again about the summary courts. The short answers below pull from the county Magistrate page and state rules. They cover the civil cap, venue, and what kind of matter belongs in a magistrate court at all.

How much can I sue for in Magistrate Court?

Magistrates have civil power when the amount in dispute is not more than $7,500. A summons and complaint can be filed there as long as the sum sought stays at or below that limit.

How do I find the right court for a civil filing?

Enter the relevant street address in the county Magistrate Court Information GIS tool. The address you use changes with the case type, such as the tenant's home for an eviction.

Where do bond hearings happen?

Bond hearings, warrants, and first appearances are handled at the bond court on McGee Street in downtown Greenville.

Is a magistrate court the same as a city court?

No. Magistrate courts are county courts with civil power. Municipal courts are city courts with no civil power, hearing only offenses inside city limits.