Chester County Clerk of Court
Chester County Clerk of Court Betty Jo Lawson is the elected court-record custodian for the local Circuit Court and Family Court record systems. The South Carolina Judicial Branch biography states that Lawson came to the Clerk's office in 2018, cross-trained in Register of Deeds in 2019, was elected Clerk of Court on November 6, 2024, and began service on January 2, 2025.
The Clerk records criminal cases heard in General Sessions, civil cases heard in Common Pleas, and Family Court files such as domestic relations, child support, juvenile, abuse and neglect, adoption, and name-change matters. The office also selects and notifies jurors, processes fines and fees, maintains judgment records, collects court-ordered money, and keeps bond-issuance records.
Chester County Clerk of Court
Clerk: Betty Jo Lawson
140 Main Street
Chester, SC 29706
Mailing: PO Box 580, Chester, SC 29706
(803) 385-2605
Criminal fax: (855) 935-3708
Civil fax: (855) 946-0423
8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday
The manifest image from the official Clerk page shows the local office page used for contacts, services, fees, and FAQ items.
That page is the county source for copy fees, civil filing fees, jury parking notes, and Clerk office responsibilities.
Chester County Clerk Duties
The Clerk's duties are broader than a single online case portal. General Sessions records track criminal cases heard in Circuit Court. Common Pleas records cover civil cases where the value of property exceeds $7,500 and include judgment records. Family Court records include domestic and juvenile categories, though public access varies by case type and confidentiality law.
- Maintain Circuit Court and Family Court case records.
- Process court fines, fees, filing payments, and court-ordered money.
- Select, notify, and assist jurors for court service.
- Keep judgment records, bond records, notary enrollments, powers of attorney, deeds, mortgages, and land records.
- Appoint attorneys for indigent citizens after public defender screening and qualification.
Request Chester Clerk Copies
For ordinary file review, the state Public Index can show case details and document icons where available. For a certified copy, older hard-copy file, or a document image that is not published online, the Chester County Clerk of Court is the local fallback. The Clerk states that the office has authentic hard-copy records back to 1776 and provides copies at the counter.
- Search the Public Index first if a case number, party name, or filing date is known.
- Write down the case number, party names, court type, document name, and whether a certified copy is needed.
- Contact or visit the Clerk at 140 Main Street, or mail the request to PO Box 580 with the copy details.
- Include the required copy payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope for mailed or dropped-off filings when return mail is needed.
- Confirm whether any document is sealed, confidential, not imaged online, or only available for courthouse review.
Chester Clerk Request Details
No separate Chester Clerk court-record request form PDF was found in the research. A practical written request should still include enough fields for staff to identify the case and document. The Public Index and Clerk office details together support the following request inventory.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | No, but best if known | Use the Public Index case number when available. |
| Party Names | Yes | Include all known names and party roles. |
| Court Type | Helpful | Common Pleas, General Sessions, Family Court, Magistrate, or municipal if known. |
| Document Type | Yes | Order, judgment, disposition, decree, filing, or full file request. |
| Copy Type | Yes | Plain copy or certified copy. |
| Return Contact | Yes | Mailing address and phone number help staff resolve missing details. |
Chester County Clerk Fees
The Clerk fee details in the research come from the county Clerk page and FAQ. The page does not list a separate certified-copy surcharge for every court record, so do not assume one beyond the fees shown. Ask the Clerk before mailing payment when the number of pages or certification need is uncertain.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Civil Court filing fee | $150 |
| Plain court-record copies | $0.50 per page |
| Public copier use | $0.50 per page; ledger size $1.00 per page |
| Public Defender application fee | $40 cash paid at Clerk's Office |
| Notary enrollment | $5 |
| General Sessions fines by mail | Money order for the correct amount |
The image from South Carolina court-cost and probate fee statutes provides state fee-law context for Chester County Clerk payments.
Local page fees should still be confirmed with the Clerk because page counts and copy type affect the final payment.
Chester Clerk Family Records
Family Court is located at 126 Wylie Street and keeps files and case status for child support, alimony, adoption, child custody, divorce, guardian ad litem, juvenile, legal separation, orders of protection, domestic violence, visitation, and SCDSS abuse or neglect matters. Family Court does not give child-support information over the phone; the automated child-support line requires the case number provided by Family Court.
Public access to Family Court records is narrower than access to ordinary civil records. Divorce decrees may be requested from the Clerk in the county where the divorce was filed or granted, but juvenile, adoption, abuse or neglect, and protected child information are restricted by South Carolina law and court rules.
The manifest entry for Chester County Family Court was blocked during capture, but the county source documents the office categories and child-support limitations.
Clerk Redactions and Limits
South Carolina court records must be handled with privacy limits. S.C. Code Section 30-2-330 addresses personal identifiers in clerk and register records. Rule 41.2 requires redaction of Social Security numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, driver's license numbers, passport numbers, financial account numbers, PINs, minor names in certain cases, protected addresses, and birth dates beyond the year.
The image from the South Carolina Family Privacy Protection Act source supports those limits for Clerk records.
These rules explain why online records may omit details that are still part of the courthouse file.
Chester Clerk Filings Online
The Clerk page describes e-filing as filing completed electronically, while statewide e-filing resources are handled through the South Carolina Judicial Branch. Mail or drop-off filings should include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Child support payments are limited to cash, money order, certified check, or wage garnishment, and the Clerk FAQ says personal checks and credit cards are not accepted for those payments.
The Clerk also notes what the office does not do. It does not perform criminal background checks and does not perform title searches. For criminal-history requests, use the proper state or law-enforcement process. For land title research, the Clerk/Register context is different from a court case record request.
Chester Clerk Jury Access
Jury parking is available at the front, side, and rear entrances of the building. Main Street parking is limited to two hours. Jurors must enter through the front door. A person who needs the elevator should use the rear entrance and call the Clerk's main number so staff can meet them.
The image from Chester County Circuit Judges and Solicitor connects the Clerk's jury and courtroom work to the Sixth Judicial Circuit court offices.
Jury logistics are practical access details, especially because downtown parking and elevator entry are not the same for every visitor.
The image from South Carolina estate administration statutes reflects one area where Clerk and Probate records can overlap in user intent, even though Probate Court is the direct estate office.
For estate filings, start with Probate Court; for Circuit and Family Court files, start with the Clerk of Court.