DUI Records in Kershaw County
Kershaw County DUI records are held by the Clerk of Court, Magistrate Court, and the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office. The county is part of the Fifth Judicial Circuit and processes DUI cases from Camden and surrounding communities. Records are available in person at the courthouse on Broad Street in Camden, or online through the South Carolina Public Index. This guide explains how to locate and access DUI records in Kershaw County, South Carolina.
Kershaw County Quick Facts
Kershaw County DUI Records at the Clerk of Court
The Kershaw County Clerk of Court is located at 1121 Broad Street, Camden, SC 29020. The office can be reached by phone at (803) 425-1503. The Clerk maintains official court records for the Court of General Sessions and the Court of Common Pleas. These include DUI case dockets, sentencing orders, plea agreements, and final dispositions. Both felony and circuit-level DUI cases are tracked here.
Felony DUI charges under S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2945 are filed in General Sessions after indictment. These cases involve DUI with great bodily injury or death. The penalties are severe, ranging from years to decades in prison. The Clerk of Court office in Camden is the official keeper of these records, and certified copies are available by request.
For general access, the Kershaw County Government website at kershaw.sc.gov lists department contacts and courthouse information. Checking this site before your visit helps confirm current hours and any access changes at the courthouse.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch provides the framework that Kershaw County courts operate within. Understanding the court structure helps when searching for DUI records across different court levels in Camden.
Searching Kershaw County DUI Cases Online
The South Carolina Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/kershaw/ is the primary tool for online DUI case searches in Kershaw County. Search by defendant name, case number, or date range. Results include the charge, court dates, attorney information, and case disposition. Access is free and available at any time through the SC Judicial Branch website.
The Public Index covers General Sessions and Common Pleas cases. First-offense misdemeanor DUI cases that go through Magistrate Court may not always be listed. For those, contact the Kershaw County Magistrate Court at (803) 425-1515. The Magistrate office is also located at 1121 Broad Street in Camden.
Online records provide case summaries, not full documents. To get certified copies of Kershaw County DUI case files, orders, or transcripts, submit a request to the Clerk of Court. The Public Index is updated regularly but may not reflect activity from the same day it occurred.
Note: Using a case number from a citation or charging document gives the most accurate Public Index results for Kershaw County DUI cases.
Kershaw County DUI Arrest Records
The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office is located at 821 Campbell Street, Camden, SC 29020, and can be reached at (803) 425-1512. The Sheriff handles DUI enforcement in unincorporated areas of Kershaw County. Arrest reports and booking records from DUI stops are held by the Sheriff's Records Division. These records include the stop details, field sobriety results, chemical test information, and booking data.
Arrest records and court records are separate. An arrest record shows what happened during the stop and booking. The court case file shows how the charge was resolved. Both are public records in South Carolina, but they are stored and requested through different offices. The Clerk of Court holds court records. The Sheriff holds arrest records for incidents in unincorporated Kershaw County.
DUI stops within the city limits of Camden are typically handled by the Camden Police Department. Those arrest records would be held by the City of Camden rather than the county Sheriff. Municipal court records for Camden may differ from county court records depending on how the case was charged and processed.
Fifth Circuit Solicitor and Kershaw County DUI Prosecutions
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office prosecutes felony DUI cases in Kershaw County. This office handles all matters under § 56-5-2945 that involve serious injury or death. Convictions under this statute can result in lengthy prison sentences. Once a felony DUI is indicted, the Solicitor's Office takes over prosecution and the case appears on the General Sessions docket maintained by the Clerk of Court.
The Solicitor also reviews repeat DUI cases. A fourth or subsequent DUI offense in South Carolina can be charged as a felony. If the Solicitor presents the case to a grand jury and an indictment is returned, it moves to General Sessions. This adds a court record at the circuit level that is separate from any earlier misdemeanor DUI records in Magistrate Court.
Note: Indictment records and grand jury proceedings are part of the General Sessions file held by the Kershaw County Clerk of Court.
South Carolina DUI Law and Kershaw County Cases
Kershaw County DUI cases are prosecuted under state law. The base DUI offense is defined in § 56-5-2930 as driving while materially and appreciably impaired. The DUAC statute under § 56-5-2933 applies when a driver tests at 0.08% blood alcohol or above. Both charge types show up in Kershaw County DUI case records. Each follows its own sentencing structure, but both appear on a person's criminal history.
Ignition interlock requirements under § 56-5-2941 apply to most DUI convictions in Kershaw County. A first offense requires six months of interlock use. Second offenses require two years, and a third offense requires three years. The South Carolina DMV at dmv.sc.gov oversees the interlock program and tracks compliance. A fourth or later conviction can result in a lifetime interlock requirement.
License suspension after a DUI conviction in Kershaw County falls under § 56-5-2990. The ADSAP program is required before license reinstatement following any DUI suspension. DMV records and court case records exist in separate systems. Checking both gives a complete view of a Kershaw County DUI case outcome.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at sled.sc.gov maintains the statewide criminal history database. A SLED background check includes Kershaw County DUI convictions along with records from across the state. This is the most complete option when you need a full criminal history rather than a single county search.
Cities in Kershaw County
Kershaw County is anchored by Camden, the county seat. DUI cases from across the county are processed through the Kershaw County court system and the Magistrate Court in Camden.
Nearby Counties
Kershaw County borders several other South Carolina counties. The location of a DUI arrest determines which county court holds the case records.