Kershaw County Clerk of Court
The official county and SC Judicial Branch sources list Hon. Ginger Farmer as Kershaw County Clerk of Court. The Clerk's office is in Room 313 of the Kershaw County Courthouse, 1121 Broad Street, Camden, SC 29020. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1557, Camden, SC 29021. The office phone is 803-425-7223, fax is 803-425-1505, and published hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.
Kershaw County uses South Carolina's unified court structure. The Clerk supports Circuit Court and Family Court records, while Probate Court keeps probate and marriage-license records. The Register of Deeds records land documents but does not check Clerk records, Probate records, delinquent taxes, or other offices' records. That distinction matters because a person searching for a judgment, divorce decree, criminal disposition, estate file, or deed may need a different counter.
Kershaw County Clerk of Court
Clerk: Hon. Ginger Farmer
1121 Broad Street, Room 313
Camden, SC 29020
Mailing: P.O. Box 1557, Camden, SC 29021
803-425-7223
Fax: 803-425-1505
Hours: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM Monday-Friday
Kershaw County Clerk Duties
The Clerk's page says county clerks provide necessary staff support for the judicial system. In Kershaw County, that includes maintaining all court records, providing docket management, receiving fees, fines, and costs, reporting caseload statistics to Court Administration, and drawing jurors for Civil Court, Criminal Court, and the Grand Jury. The Clerk does not give legal advice and does not perform broad civil or criminal record searches for the public.
- Maintains Circuit Court and Family Court records.
- Supports docket management and court administration reporting.
- Receives fees, fines, and costs tied to clerk matters.
- Draws jurors for Civil Court, Criminal Court, and the Grand Jury.
- Provides public copy access for records that are not restricted.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Circuit Court overview explains the statewide court that produces many Clerk records.
Circuit Court is the source for Common Pleas civil records and General Sessions criminal records that the Kershaw County Clerk supports locally.
Kershaw County Clerk Record Search
The main online search channel is the Kershaw County Public Index linked by the Clerk and SC Judicial Branch. The statewide case-records directory identifies Kershaw County as Circuit Number 5 and County Number 28. Searches can use case number, name, case type, court type, action type, date type, date range, tax map number, party type, and judgment filters. Cookies and JavaScript must be enabled, and some browsers may need a pop-up exception to open case details.
Public Index data is not the same as a certified file. It may show the case number, parties, case type, action entries, dates, financial information, and document icons where images are available, but images are not guaranteed for every case. Home addresses no longer display on the public index for new and existing cases as of January 1, 2026. Confidential reference lists, sealed documents, juvenile matters, and other restricted records are excluded.
The Clerk also links Kershaw County Court Rosters for scheduled appearances. Rosters are useful for hearing-date questions. They should not be treated as a full case-history search.
Request Kershaw County Certified Copies
Certified copies are requested from the Clerk when the record is a Clerk-held Circuit Court or Family Court file. Public records may be copied in person at the Clerk's office. For cases that are not online, the Clerk page says a two-day notice is required. Written requests require a non-refundable search fee. After the Clerk determines the number of pages, the office mails an invoice, and the invoice must be paid before copies are mailed.
- Search the Kershaw Public Index first if a case number is not already known.
- Confirm the file is a Circuit Court or Family Court record, not Probate, Magistrate, Municipal, jail, sheriff, or land-record material.
- For an in-person request, visit the Clerk of Court in Room 313 during office hours.
- For a written request, include the party names, case number if known, record type, and a clear copy description.
- Pay the required search, copy, and certification fees by an accepted method before mailed copies are released.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Family Court overview explains the separate statewide court that produces divorce, custody, support, and juvenile records.
Family Court records can be Clerk records, but some domestic, juvenile, adoption, and protected files have privacy limits.
Kershaw County Copy Request Fields
No separate downloadable Clerk court-records request form was located in the Kershaw County materials reviewed. The county gives written-request instructions instead. A good written request should be specific enough for the Clerk to locate the file without performing a broad civil or criminal search.
| Information to Include | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | If known | The cleanest way to locate the file. |
| Party names | Yes | Use full names and business names where possible. |
| Case type | Helpful | Common Pleas, General Sessions, Family Court, or appeal from lower court. |
| Document type | Yes | Order, decree, disposition, judgment, filing, or complete file if allowed. |
| Certified copy request | If needed | State clearly whether certification is required. |
| Return mailing information | Yes for mail | The Clerk invoices before mailing copies. |
Kershaw County Clerk Fees
The Kershaw County Court Records page and the Clerk main page conflict on copy and certification fees. The more specific Court Records page lists $1.00 per page, $2.00 for certification if required, a $20.00 non-refundable written-request search fee, and accepted payment by cash, cashier's check, or money order. The Clerk main page lists a different $0.50 per page plus $1.00 certification figure. Because both are official county pages, exact fee totals should be confirmed with the Clerk before mailing payment.
| Item | Published Rule |
|---|---|
| In-person or written record copy | $1.00 per page on Court Records page |
| Certification | $2.00 if required on Court Records page |
| Written request search fee | $20.00 non-refundable |
| Accepted payment | Cash, cashier's check, or money order |
| Personal checks | Not accepted |
| Conflicting Clerk main-page copy figure | $0.50 per page plus $1.00 certification |
Note: Use the Clerk's current instruction before sending payment because two official county pages list different copy fees.
Kershaw County Clerk Boundaries
The Clerk of Court is not the clearinghouse for every record in Kershaw County. Municipal Court records from Bethune, Camden, or Elgin may need the city court. Some municipal records may appear in statewide systems, but the city court remains the practical point of contact for city tickets and ordinance cases. The South Carolina municipal court directory lists municipal courts across the state.
That directory helps separate county Clerk files from municipal court cases that start in Bethune, Camden, or Elgin.
Elgin Municipal Court publishes its own court rules and payment details. The Elgin Municipal Court page identifies the local city court for Elgin matters.
Elgin tickets, municipal bench warrants, and city court dates should be checked with Elgin Municipal Court instead of assuming a Clerk-held Circuit Court file exists.
Camden Municipal Court likewise has a separate city court contact. The Camden Municipal Court page lists its address, clerk, hours, and phone.
Camden municipal records remain a city court channel unless a case is appealed or otherwise routed into a higher court record.
Kershaw County Jury and Payment Notes
Circuit Court jurors report to the third-floor main courtroom, Room 300. The Clerk's jury hotline is 803-425-7224. Jurors may park in available spaces around the courthouse that are not designated, and juror pay is $20 per required appearance day through a PayCard issued when scanned in and loaded after service. The Clerk does not handle Summary, Traffic, or Magistrate Court jury questions; those go to 803-425-7226.
Payment routing depends on the case type. The Clerk FAQ points users to online fine and fee payment through GovPayNow or AllPaid with the Kershaw Clerk agency code. Family Court purge payments are cash only at the local payment window, while regular child-support payments are mailed to the South Carolina State Disbursement Unit. Magistrate traffic payments are not taken by phone.
The SC Judicial Branch public defender overview is relevant for criminal defendants who cannot afford counsel.
Public defender appointment is handled through the court process, while the Clerk maintains the related court file and docket entries.