Marlboro County DUI Records
Marlboro County DUI records are held by the Clerk of Court, the Magistrate Court, and the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office. The county is in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina and is part of the Fourth Judicial Circuit. DUI cases from Bennettsville and surrounding communities are handled through this court system. Records can be accessed at the courthouse in Bennettsville or online through the South Carolina Public Index. This guide explains how to find and access DUI records in Marlboro County.
Marlboro County Quick Facts
Marlboro County DUI Records at the Clerk of Court
The Marlboro County Clerk of Court is located at 105 Main Street, Bennettsville, SC 29512, and can be reached at (843) 479-5611. The Clerk maintains case records for the Court of General Sessions and Court of Common Pleas. This includes DUI dockets, sentencing documents, plea records, and final dispositions. All felony DUI cases and circuit-level proceedings in Marlboro County are part of this record set.
Felony DUI charges under § 56-5-2945 are handled in General Sessions after indictment. These cases involve DUI resulting in great bodily injury or death. The penalties are significant. Great bodily injury carries up to 15 years in prison. DUI causing death can result in a sentence of up to 25 years. The Clerk of Court keeps the full record for these cases in Bennettsville.
The Marlboro County Government website at marlborocounty.sc.gov provides department contacts and courthouse access information. Check there for current hours and directory listings before visiting the Clerk of Court in person.
The Marlboro County Government site is the primary entry point for locating county departments, including the Clerk of Court, Sheriff's Office, and Magistrate Court. All of these offices hold parts of the DUI record system in Marlboro County.
Searching Marlboro County DUI Records Online
The South Carolina Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/marlboro/ provides free online access to Marlboro County DUI case records. Search by defendant name, case number, or date range. Results include the charges filed, court hearing dates, attorney information, and the final case disposition. No fee or account is required. The system is maintained by the SC Judicial Branch.
The Public Index covers circuit court cases in General Sessions and Common Pleas. First-offense misdemeanor DUI cases that are resolved at the Magistrate Court level may not appear. For those cases, contact the Marlboro County Magistrate Court directly at (843) 479-2951. The Magistrate Court is also at 105 Main Street in Bennettsville.
The Public Index shows case-level information only. To get certified copies of orders, transcripts, or actual court documents from Marlboro County DUI cases, contact the Clerk of Court and submit a copy request. The index is updated regularly but may not show same-day court activity.
Marlboro County DUI Arrest Records
The Marlboro County Sheriff's Office is also located at 105 Main Street, Bennettsville, SC 29512, and can be reached at (843) 479-5605. The Sheriff handles DUI enforcement in unincorporated parts of Marlboro County. Arrest reports and booking records for DUI stops in those areas are held by the Sheriff's Records Division. These documents cover the stop circumstances, any field sobriety test results, chemical test data, and booking details.
Arrest records and court case files are different things. An arrest record documents the encounter between law enforcement and the driver. A court case file documents the judicial process that followed. The arrest record comes from the Sheriff or municipal police. The court case file comes from the Clerk of Court. Both are public, but they must be requested from separate offices.
For DUI arrests within the city of Bennettsville, contact the Bennettsville Police Department directly. Those arrest records would be held by the city. Once the case goes to court, however, it flows through the Marlboro County court system regardless of which law enforcement agency made the arrest.
Note: The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division maintains a statewide criminal history database at sled.sc.gov that includes Marlboro County DUI convictions.
Fourth Circuit Solicitor and Felony DUI in Marlboro County
The Fourth Circuit Solicitor's Office handles felony DUI prosecutions in Marlboro County. The Solicitor brings charges under § 56-5-2945 when a DUI results in great bodily injury or death. The office also evaluates repeat offenders for potential felony indictment. A fourth or subsequent DUI in South Carolina can be elevated to a felony charge regardless of whether anyone was hurt. After a grand jury returns an indictment, the case moves to the General Sessions docket.
The Fourth Circuit includes Marlboro County along with Chesterfield and Dillon Counties. The Solicitor's Office serves all three counties. Once a felony DUI case is indicted in Marlboro County, the Clerk of Court at 105 Main Street in Bennettsville becomes the official keeper of that case file. The SC Public Index reflects these cases in the General Sessions docket.
South Carolina DUI Law and Marlboro County Cases
All DUI cases in Marlboro County are prosecuted under South Carolina state law. The main DUI offense is defined in § 56-5-2930 as driving while materially and appreciably impaired. The DUAC statute under § 56-5-2933 applies when chemical testing shows a blood alcohol level at or above 0.08%. Both appear frequently in Marlboro County DUI records and carry distinct but related penalties.
The ignition interlock requirement under § 56-5-2941 applies after most DUI convictions in Marlboro County. First offenses require six months of interlock use. Second offenses require two years. Third convictions require three years on the device. A fourth or subsequent conviction may lead to a lifetime interlock requirement. Compliance is tracked and enforced by the South Carolina DMV at dmv.sc.gov.
License suspension under § 56-5-2990 follows most DUI convictions in Marlboro County. License reinstatement requires completion of the ADSAP program. Court records and DMV records live in separate databases. A complete picture of any Marlboro County DUI case requires checking both.
Common DUI-related charges found in Marlboro County records include:
- DUI under § 56-5-2930 (impaired driving)
- DUAC under § 56-5-2933 (BAC of 0.08% or above)
- Felony DUI with great bodily injury under § 56-5-2945
- Felony DUI causing death under § 56-5-2945
- Implied consent refusal under § 56-5-2950
Cities in Marlboro County
Marlboro County is anchored by Bennettsville, the county seat. DUI cases from throughout the county are handled through the Marlboro County court system and the Magistrate Court in Bennettsville.
Nearby Counties
Marlboro County borders several other South Carolina counties. The county where a DUI occurred determines which court system holds the records.