Magistrates
Mission
- The mission of the Magistrate Court is to provide the citizens of Richland County with a fair and impartial Summary Court. The fourteen full time and three part-time magistrates perform the following:
- Issue criminal arrest and search warrants
- Conduct bail bond hearings four times daily to determine how a defendant should be released from detention
- Conduct preliminary hearings for General Sessions level cases
- Conduct jury trials for all magistrate level cases
- Conduct criminal hearings to include such offenses such as Criminal Domestic Violence, Malicious Injury to Personal Property, Trespassing, County Ordinance Violations, etc.
- Conduct traffic hearings to include Driving Under the Influence, Driving Under Suspension, Failure to Pay Property Tax, etc.
- Conduct civil hearings including landlord/tenant hearings, summons and complaint cases (to claim disputed funds), claim and delivery cases (to reclaim property), and public sales of abandoned vehicles
- A magistrate may impose a fine with court assessments of up to $5242.50 and/or a penalty of up to a 180 day sentence. The civil jurisdiction is $7500.00.
Magistrate's Court Guide
For your convenience, you may click on the link below to view a guide which contains detailed information concerning Magistrate's Court.
Your Guide to Magistrate's Court
Online Services
Summary Court Dockets
Public Court Records Search
Recommended Fine List
Central Traffic Court Payments
Central Traffic Court Online Payments
For your convenience, for traffic tickets in Central Court at 2500 Decker Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29206, you may pay online to pay the full amount on the citation via credit card. No partial payments are accepted online. Your mandatory court appearance is still required for certain charges (see blue copy of ticket). All online payments should be made no less than twenty-four hours before your scheduled court date and time.
Listing of Magistrate Courts
Bond Court
Mailing Address
201 John Mark Dial Drive (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29209
Hours of Operation
24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Fax: (803) 576-3303
Central Court
Judge Benjamin Byrd
Magistrate for Richland County Central Court / Bond Court
Physical Address
2500 Decker Blvd, Columbia, SC 29206 (Click for Map)
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2300
Judge Michelle Howard
Magistrate for Richland County Central Court / Bond Court
Physical Address
2500 Decker Blvd, Columbia, SC 29206 (Click for Map)
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2300
Judge Deirdre L Simmons
Magistrate for Richland County Part-Time / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 (Click for Map)
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Judge Ethel Brewer
Magistrate for Richland County Part-Time / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 (Click for Map)
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Judge Rita Metts
Magistrate for Richland County Part-Time / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 (Click for Map)
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Central Court:
2500 Decker Boulevard, Columbia SC, 29206 Phone: 803-576-2300
Telephone Extensions:
| Cashier Division |
Ext. 1 |
| Time Payments and Show Cause Hearings |
Ext. 2 |
| Jury Duty |
Ext. 3 |
| Setoff Debt |
Ext. 4 |
| Traffic Court |
Ext. 5 |
| Jury Trial Scheduling |
Ext. 6 |
| Civil Mediation and Civil Jury Trials |
Ext 7 |
| Criminal Domestic Violence |
Ext. 7 |
| Preliminary Hearings |
Ext. 8 |
| Expungement and DMV Orders |
Press * |
Accepted forms of payment: Cash, cashier checks, money orders, credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover)
No personal checks are accepted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Columbia Magistrate
Judge Patrick Barber
Mailing Address (Click for map)
3875 Lucius Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2510
Fax: (803) 576-2519
Blythewood Magistrate
Judge Josef Robinson
Mailing Address(Click here for map)
118A McNulty Street
Blythewood, South Carolina 29016
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-1580
Fax: (803) 576-1583
Dentsville Magistrate
Judge Phil Newsom
Temporary Mailing Address (Click for map)
2500 Decker Blvd
Columbia, South Carolina 29206
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2560
Fax: (803) 576-2569
Dutch Fork Magistrate
Judge Mel Maurer
Mailing Address
1019 Beatty Road (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29210-4630
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2540
Fax: (803) 576-2545
Eastover Magistrate
Judge Donald Simons
Physical Address: 501 Main Street, Eastover, SC 29044 (Click for Map)
Mailing Address
PO Box 762, Eastover, SC 29044
Columbia, South Carolina 29202
Hours of Operation 8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2580 Fax: (803) 576-2589
Hopkins Magistrate
Judge Valerie Stroman
Temporary Physical Address 2500 Decker Blvd, Columbia, SC 29206(Click for Map)
Mailing Address
PO Box 192
Columbia, South Carolina 29202
Hours of Operation 8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2530 Fax: (803) 576-2535
Lykesland Magistrate
Judge Barbara Wofford-Kanwat
Mailing Address 1403 Caroline Road (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29209
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2500
Fax: (803) 576-2504
Olympia Magistrate
Judge Harold Cuff
Mailing Address
1601 Shop Road STE B (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29201-4858
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone:(803) 576-2550
Fax: (803) 576-2555
Pontiac Magistrate
Judge Andy Surles
Mailing Address
10509 Two Notch Road, Suite D (Click for Map)
Elgin, South Carolina 29045
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2520/576-2521
Fax: (803) 576-2522
Upper Township Magistrate
Judge Tomothy Edmond - Chief Judge
Mailing Address
4919 Rhett Avenue (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29203
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2570
Fax: (803) 576-2579
Waverly Magistrate
Judge Caroline Streater
Mailing Address
2712 Middleburg Drive, Ste. 106 (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29204
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2590
Fax: (803) 576-2599