squabbleapp.com is now squabble.ai. Your account and any active cases are unchanged.
The small-claims court in Richland County handles money disputes up to $7,500, with simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Richland 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.
Richland County hears small claims at several hub courthouses. The right one depends on where the defendant lives or where your dispute happened. The court matches your ZIP code to a courthouse.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Picking the right building matters. A ZIP code lookup on the court's official locator will name it, or Squabble pinpoints it automatically. Assignments do change, so confirm it first.
Richland County covers 41 ZIP codes, including the Ballentine, Blythewood and Columbia areas. 2 courthouses serve Richland County, Columbia Magistrate Court among them.
This court takes small-claims filings electronically, so the case can be started from home.
Hearings in small claims are attended in person at the courthouse.
Evidence is copied for the judge and for the opposing side; electronic submission ahead of time is accepted at some courts.
Richland County, South Carolina, home to about 430,651 residents, handles small claims cases through the South Carolina Magistrates Court, which hears civil claims up to $7,500. Two magistrate courthouses serve the county. The Columbia Magistrate Court sits at 3875 Lucius Road in Columbia, 29201, and can be reached at (803) 576-2510. The Blythewood Magistrate Court is located at 118-A McNulty Street in Blythewood, 29016, with the phone number (803) 576-1580. Both locations are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and are closed Saturday and Sunday. The county covers communities including Columbia, Blythewood, Irmo, Eastover, Gadsden, Hopkins, Ballentine, State Park, and White Rock, along with ZIP codes such as 29203, 29205, 29209, and 29063. Richland County lies near Lexington County, Calhoun County, and Fairfield County. Electronic filing is not available for these cases, and additional information about the magistrates is posted at http://www.richlandcountysc.gov/Government/Courts-and-Judicial-System/Magistrates.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
Richland County covers these 9 towns and cities:
Ballentine, Blythewood, Columbia, Eastover, Gadsden, Hopkins, Irmo, State Park, White Rock.
Richland County is the 3rd most populous of South Carolina's 46 counties, with about 430,651 residents. Columbia Magistrate Court in Columbia lies around 5 miles from the Lexington County courthouse in Columbia.
Neighbouring counties and the courts that serve them:
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
This state ties venue to the defendant's residence rather than to the events.
You can't divide one dispute into several smaller cases to get around the limit.
A small-claims judge generally orders one side to pay money; other kinds of orders belong in higher courts.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in South Carolina, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Under-18s are represented by a guardian the court appoints.
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? Either bring the figure down to the maximum and remain in small claims, or file the whole amount in the regular civil court. The amount given up is usually gone for good.
Richland County is under the same limits as nearby Lexington County and Calhoun County. These are the limits for Richland County, population about 430,651.
This court handles money claims to a ceiling of $7,500. Below are the kinds of case filed most often.
Richland County takes in Ballentine, Blythewood and Columbia and the rest of the county. Richland County has about 430,651 residents.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing fee.
Papers are delivered to the defendant, who may answer them or settle the matter first.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
Columbia Magistrate Court publishes its counter hours; they are listed on this page. Columbia Magistrate Court lists (803) 576-2510 as its number.
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.
A sheriff, a constable, a professional server, the court clerk using certified mail, or an uninvolved adult can all serve papers, depending on local rules. Fees and permitted methods vary.
Each court sets how far before the hearing the defendant must be served. The clerk confirms your deadline when the hearing date is set. Service within 10 days. Proof of service before hearing.
A completed proof of service records who delivered the papers and when, and it is filed with the court beforehand.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
A Richland County address carries one of its 41 ZIP codes, 29002, 29016 and 29044 among them. Lexington County and Calhoun County are the counties nearest to Richland County.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Claim type | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 3 years |
| Oral contract | 3 years |
| Property damage | 3 years |
| Personal injury | 3 years |
The same periods apply in Richland County as in nearby Lexington County and Calhoun County, which are in the same state. Richland County, population about 430,651, 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).
The Squabble interest calculator shows what the accrued figure comes to on top of the principal.
Richland County is under the same state rate as nearby Lexington County and Calhoun County. It is the same rate across all 41 Richland County ZIP codes.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File at the Richland County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $45 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Attend the hearing, in person or by video if that is offered, make your case, and receive the outcome.
Go through the events with Eleanor. The documents are prepared, Triple-Checked™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and filed for you.
Start for FREE →Claim form starts the case · Proof of service shows the defendant was notified · Fee waiver if you qualify. Exact form names vary by court; Squabble prepares the right ones for your courthouse.
A Richland County filing goes to one of 2 courthouses, Columbia Magistrate Court among them. Richland County has a population of about 430,651.
Hearings are short and plainly run. Questions come from the judge, and most parties appear without help.
Richland County has about 430,651 residents. Richland County hearings are held at one of its 2 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed.
The ruling establishes the debt. Recovery is a further step, supported by enforcement measures that are set by each state.
Where state law allows it, a portion of the debtor's earnings can be redirected to pay what the court ordered.
Funds can be collected directly from the debtor's bank account through a court-ordered levy.
Registering the judgment at county level can fix a lien on real estate the debtor holds.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
Lexington County and Calhoun County are the counties nearest to Richland County. A Richland County judgment comes from one of its 2 listed courthouses.
Checked August 2026. Because courts revise fees, limits and procedures, confirm the current position 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 Richland County case for you.
