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Small claims in Charleston County covers money disputes up to $7,500 and runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Charleston County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
Charleston County runs several hub courthouses for these cases. Assignment follows the ZIP code of the defendant or of the dispute itself.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Not sure which courthouse? Use the court's official court locator to match your ZIP code to the correct location, or let Squabble identify it for you automatically. Hub courthouses can change; confirm before you file.
Charleston County covers 35 ZIP codes, including the Adams Run, Awendaw and Charleston areas. 2 courthouses serve Charleston County, Charleston County Magistrate Court among them.
This court accepts electronic filing for small claims, so a case can be started without a courthouse trip.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Two sets of evidence are needed, one for the judge and one for the other side, and some courts also take it electronically in advance.
Small claims cases in Charleston County, South Carolina are heard in the South Carolina Magistrates Court, which handles claims up to $7,500. The Charleston County Magistrate Court sits in North Charleston at 4045 Bridge View Drive, Suite B143, 29405, and can be reached at (843) 202-6650. A second location, the Charleston County Magistrate Court, East Cooper, is in Mount Pleasant at 1189 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway, 29464. The county has a population of 431,001 and covers communities including Charleston, Folly Beach, Isle Of Palms, Johns Island, Ravenel, Sullivans Island, Awendaw, Hollywood, Edisto Island, and Wadmalaw Island, along with ZIP codes such as 29401, 29403, 29407, 29412, 29414, 29418, and 29449. Charleston County lies near Berkeley County, Dorchester County, and Colleton County. Electronic filing is not available for these cases, so filings are handled in paper form at the court. Information about a particular filing can be obtained from the magistrate court office by telephone or in person.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 15 communities:
Adams Run, Awendaw, Charleston, Charleston Afb, Edisto Island, Folly Beach, Hollywood, Isle Of Palms, Johns Island, Mc Clellanville, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Ravenel, Sullivans Island, Wadmalaw Island.
Charleston County is the 2nd most populous of South Carolina's 46 counties, with about 431,001 residents. Charleston County Magistrate Court sits about 20 miles from the Berkeley County courthouse in St. Stephen and 9 miles from the Dorchester County courthouse in Summerville.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
This is the part of the court built for ordinary money arguments. The procedure is stripped back, and there is a ceiling on the amount at stake.
Maximum claim
You generally file where the other party lives, not where the dispute happened.
Courts do not allow one dispute to be filed as several in order to beat the maximum.
What this court awards is a sum of money, not an instruction to act or to hand something back.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in South Carolina, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
This state requires notarized filing documents. Squabble prepares them notarization-ready.
This state expects your supporting evidence to be submitted with the filing, not just brought to the hearing.
Over the limit? A claim above the ceiling can be trimmed to fit, or filed in full in the ordinary civil court. Trimming generally means writing off the remainder.
They are the same across all 35 Charleston County ZIP codes, from 29401 onward. These are the limits for Charleston County, population about 431,001.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $7,500, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Charleston County takes in Adams Run, Awendaw and Charleston and the rest of the county. Charleston County has about 431,001 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Complete the claim form, choose the right court, and pay the filing fee.
Service puts the papers in the defendant's hands and starts their time to answer or settle.
A short hearing, held in the courtroom or remotely where that is offered. A decision follows on the day or shortly afterwards.
Charleston County Magistrate Court lists (843) 202-6650 as its number. This is the route a Charleston County case takes, whether it starts in 29401 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself. the sheriff or constable, email service where the court allows it, delivery arranged by the court, personal delivery by an approved server or certified mail is what courts in South Carolina normally accept.
Who may serve depends on the court: law enforcement, a paid process server, the clerk by certified mail, or a disinterested adult. Costs and rules are local.
There is a deadline, counted backwards from the hearing, by which the defendant must have the papers. Ask the clerk for it when the date is assigned. Service within 10 days. Proof of service before hearing.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Charleston County address carries one of its 35 ZIP codes, 29401, 29402 and 29403 among them. Addresses in Charleston County include places such as Adams Run, Awendaw and Charleston.
Filing is only possible for a set time after the events. Beyond it, the other side can have the claim thrown out.
| Claim type | Time limit to file |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 3 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Charleston County as in nearby Berkeley County and Dorchester County, which are in the same state. Charleston County, population about 431,001, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in South Carolina generally accrues interest at 8.75% per year before judgment (S.C. Code §34-31-20).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
The rate above is the one for Charleston County, population about 431,001. Charleston County is under the same state rate as nearby Berkeley County and Dorchester County.
Confirm the sum sits under the cap and that the time limit for this kind of claim has not run out.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File at the Charleston County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $45 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Attend, in the courtroom or by video where the court allows it, put your case, and hear the ruling.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Adams Run, Awendaw and Charleston are among the places in Charleston County that filings come from. A Charleston County filing goes to one of 2 courthouses, Charleston County Magistrate Court among them.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Adams Run, Awendaw and Charleston are among the Charleston County places a hearing can draw parties from. Charleston County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed.
A judgment says what is owed. Getting hold of the money is the next stage, and the enforcement options open to you depend on the state.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Money in the debtor's bank account can be seized under a levy the court orders.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
You may also apply for an order compelling the debtor to attend and disclose income and assets on oath. Interest generally continues at the rate the state sets until the debt is met.
A Charleston County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses. Berkeley County and Dorchester County are the counties nearest to Charleston County.
Last reviewed August 2026. Court fees, limits, and procedures change. Verify current details with the court before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Charleston County case for you.
