Magistrates
Dear Richland County Citizens,
The Richland County Magistrate Offices are operating on a normal schedule.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, all persons employed in, conducting business in, or otherwise visiting or present for any reason in county and municipal courthouses statewide are required to wear a protective mask or other facial covering while inside the courthouse.
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
Richland County Magistrate Court Online Payments
Central Traffic Court and Richland County Magistrate Court Online Payments
For your convenience, 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 copy of ticket for case number). 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 Franklin 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 Branch-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 Louise Simmons
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 Mildred Rita Metts
Magistrate for Richland County Central Court / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 (Click for Map)
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Judge Christina Ann Pope
Magistrate for Richland County Central Court / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209 (Click for Map)
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Judge Patience Orbriel Van Ellis
Magistrate for Richland County Central Court / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209-9481 (Click for Map)
Telephone: (803) 576-3281
Judge Paulette Edwards
Magistrate for Richland County Central Court / Bond Court
Physical Address
Richland County Bond Court
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209-9481 (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 Stephanie Denise Bess
Mailing Address (Click for map)
3875 Lucius Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29201-1120
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2510
Fax: (803) 576-2519
Blythewood Magistrate
Judge Diedra Wilson Hightower
Mailing Address (Click for map)
118-A McNulty Street
Blythewood, South Carolina 29016
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-1580
Fax: (803) 576-1583
Dentsville Magistrate
Judge Phillip Fredric Newsom
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 Michael David Scott
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 Jeffrey 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 R. Stroman - Associate Chief Magistrate
Physical Address
5425 Lower Richland Blvd. Hopkins, SC 29061 (Click for Map)
Hours of Operation 8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2530 Fax: (803) 766-5183
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 A. Cuff
Mailing Address
1601 Shop Road (Suite 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 Kela Evans Thomas
Mailing Address
2500 Decker Blvd (Click for map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29006
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2520/576-2521
Fax: (803) 576-2522
Upper Township Magistrate
Judge Tomothy Clinton Edmond
Mailing Address
7615 A Wilson Boulevard (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 Sandra Ann Sutton - Chief Magistrate
Mailing Address
2712 Middleburg Drive, Ste. 106 (Click for Map)
Columbia, South Carolina 29204-2415
Hours of Operation
8:30am – 5:00pm
Telephone: (803) 576-2590
Fax: (803) 576-2599