Magistrate Courts

York County South Carolina

Contact Information for the Magistrate Offices

Magistrate Phone Number
Bond Court 803-628-3095
Clover/Bethel/Kings Mountain 803-675-6040
DUI 803-909-7650
Fort Mill 803-547-5572
Hickory Grove/Broad River/Bullock Creek 803-925-2815
Rock Hill/Catawba/Ebenezer




803-909-7600
York/Bethesda 803-628-3029

About Magistrates

Magistrates are county judges that are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor upon the advice and consent of the South Carolina Senate.  Magistrates serve the county in which they are appointed and exercise county wide jurisdiction.


Townships

York County is divided into five geographical areas called townships. There is one Judge for each of the townships. The Townships are: (office location in parenthesis): Bethel-Kings Mountain (Clover), Broad River-Bullocks Creek (Hickory Grove), Catawba-Ebenezer (Rock Hill), Fort Mill (Fort Mill), York-Bethesda (York).

Cases Types

Magistrates preside over:
  • Civil, criminal and traffic cases
  • Consider petitions for restraining orders
  • Issue search and arrest warrants and conduct bond hearings
  • Preliminary hearings
  • Bench trials
  • Jury trials

Jurisdiction

Magistrate Courts exercise jurisdiction in civil cases when the amount in controversy does not exceed $7,500 per side. Civil lawsuits may be filed in the Township in which the Defendant or Business is located.
 

Bond Court

In addition to the Magistrate Court's located in the Townships, there is also a Bond Court located at the Moss Justice Center inside of the York County Detention Center. The Bond Court is open for business 365 days a year for 24 hours a day and a Judge is on duty at all times.

Driving Under the Influence

The York County Centralized DUI Court handles all 1st offense Driving Under the Influence (DUI) / Driving With an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration (DUAC) tickets and companion charges.