Berkeley County Clerk of Court
The Berkeley County Clerk of Court page names Leah Guerry Dupree as Clerk of Court and describes the office as serving the public, the judicial system, county government, and other agencies. In South Carolina, the Clerk of Court is the main local office for Circuit Court case files. Berkeley County does not use a Texas-style split between a district clerk and county clerk for court records.
The office supports the Court of Common Pleas for civil Circuit Court matters and the Court of General Sessions for criminal Circuit Court matters. The Clerk FAQ says civil cases are indexed by plaintiff and defendant, while criminal cases are indexed by defendant. Family Court administration also uses the clerk's contact system, but Family Court records are confidential and may be inspected only with special permission.
Berkeley County Clerk of Court
Clerk: Leah Guerry Dupree
300-B California Avenue
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Mail: PO Box 219, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
(843) 719-4400
Charleston: (843) 723-3800 ext. 4400
St. Stephen: (843) 567-3136 ext. 4400
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday
The Clerk contact details are shown on the official contact page.
That source confirms the courthouse address, mailing address, regional phone access, and regular office hours.
Berkeley County Clerk Duties
The Clerk maintains civil and criminal case indices, receives filings, supports court administration, and directs users to the correct court or agency when a request belongs elsewhere. Civil court records are placed online through Public Index SC Courts. Criminal trial scheduling is referred to the Ninth Circuit Solicitor's Office. Marriage licenses and marriage records are referred to Probate Court, land records and general partnership forms to the Register of Deeds, and restraining orders to Magistrate Court.
- Maintain Circuit Court civil and criminal case indices.
- Support Court of Common Pleas and Court of General Sessions records.
- Handle Family Court administration while observing confidentiality limits.
- Provide court-copy guidance where public access is allowed.
- Route non-clerk records to Probate Court, Register of Deeds, Magistrate Court, or the Solicitor.
Family Court has its own phone line at (843) 719-4500. The Clerk FAQ also names juvenile delinquency, adoptions, terminated parental rights, abuse and neglect, and sealed records as confidential categories.
Search Berkeley County Clerk Records
The online path for many Clerk-held Circuit Court records starts with the South Carolina Judicial Branch case-records selector, then moves to the Berkeley County Public Index. Berkeley County is Circuit Number 9 and County Number 08. The Judicial Branch warns that cookies and JavaScript are required, and that some browsers may need a pop-up exception to view case details.
- Open the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search page.
- Select Berkeley County and confirm Circuit Number 9, County Number 08.
- Open the Berkeley County Public Index link.
- Search civil cases by plaintiff or defendant and criminal cases by defendant.
- Contact the Clerk of Court for official copies or certified records.
| Search Detail | Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best exact match | Use if known from a notice, summons, citation, or prior record. |
| Party name | Common public search | Civil cases use plaintiff or defendant; criminal cases use defendant. |
| Court division | Narrows context | Common Pleas is civil; General Sessions is criminal. |
| Family Court | Limited public access | Records are confidential and need special permission. |
Request Berkeley County Certified Copies
An online index entry is not the same as a certified court copy. Certified copies must come from the record custodian with the proper seal or certification. For Berkeley County Circuit Court records, that means contacting the Clerk of Court after identifying the case number, party names, court division, and document type. If the record is a Family Court file, expect extra permission requirements before inspection or copying.
- Search the Public Index or gather the case number from a court notice.
- Identify the document needed, such as an order, judgment, filing, or disposition.
- Call, visit, or mail the Clerk of Court with party names, case number, and copy type.
- Confirm copy and certification charges because the Clerk FAQ states a charge applies but does not publish a complete copy-fee table.
- Use the mailing address only after confirming the exact amount and payable party.
Note: For county administrative records outside court case files, Berkeley County requires FOIA requests through its online portal rather than by email or fax.
Berkeley County Copy Request Fields
No Berkeley Clerk-specific copy-request form was located in the official pages reviewed. A useful request still needs enough detail for staff to find the file and determine whether public access is allowed. For court records, the court route is usually more direct than the county FOIA process.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Strongly recommended | Best way to avoid matching the wrong party or case. |
| Party names | Yes | Use plaintiff/defendant for civil and defendant for criminal. |
| Court division | Yes if known | Common Pleas, General Sessions, or Family Court. |
| Document type | Yes | Examples include judgment, order, disposition, motion, or filing. |
| Copy type | Yes | Plain copy or certified copy. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Include phone, mailing address, and email if requested by staff. |
Berkeley County Clerk Fees
The Clerk FAQ says there is a charge for copies, but the exact plain-copy and certification amounts were not located in the official Berkeley Clerk pages reviewed. State court filing fees are published separately by the South Carolina Judicial Branch. The fee table below keeps local and state sources distinct so users do not confuse filing fees with copy fees.
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Court-record copies | Charge applies; confirm amount with Clerk |
| Notary enrollment | $10, payable by cash, money order, or credit card |
| Circuit Court new case filing | $150 |
| Circuit Court no-fee categories | $0 for listed categories such as criminal appeals from summary court and some PCR or IFP matters |
| Lis pendens, confession, automobile arbitration | $10 |
| Transcript of judgment from federal or Magistrate Court | $35 |
| Foreign judgment | $100 |
| Reinstatement of permanently revoked driver's license | $200 |
Berkeley Clerk Forms and Links
The Clerk page links to frequently used court resources rather than listing every form in one static table. Useful links include forms and documents, FAQ, juror information, e-filing for attorneys, jury duty scam alerts, case records search, Family Court fees, Family Court Public Portal, Family Court dockets, Circuit Court dockets, Circuit Court fees, name change, divorce packets, child support modification packets, protection-order materials, court emails, SC Courts, the Ninth Circuit Solicitor, and court documents.
For federal matters, Berkeley County users leave the county Clerk system. PACER and CM/ECF are federal court tools, not Berkeley County Clerk portals.
The PACER CM/ECF court lookup identifies federal e-filing and case-access systems.
Use PACER for federal case records only. Berkeley County Circuit and Family Court records remain with South Carolina court systems and local court offices.
Federal Records Are Separate
Federal bankruptcy, district court, and appellate records do not come from the Berkeley County Clerk of Court. Bankruptcy cases for South Carolina are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina, and federal case information is accessed through federal CM/ECF and PACER systems. This matters when a name search finds both a state court case and a federal filing.
The PACER South Carolina Bankruptcy Court lookup points to the federal bankruptcy system.
That federal lookup does not replace a Berkeley County Clerk search for Circuit Court, General Sessions, Common Pleas, or Family Court records.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina publishes its own court site.
Bankruptcy filings, creditor notices, and bankruptcy case documents should be checked through that federal court system.
The federal bankruptcy court also maintains a case information page.
For state and county court copies, return to the Berkeley County Clerk of Court contact channels.