Clarendon County Clerk of Court
The Clarendon County Clerk of Court is Hon. Shanita Brangman. The South Carolina Judicial Branch and county sources identify her as the current Clerk, with service beginning January 6, 2025 after election on November 5, 2024. Her county biography ties the office to Clarendon County's record systems: she began public service in the Register of Deeds office in 2006, moved into Common Pleas and alternative dispute resolution work, served as Deputy Clerk and Office Administrator, and helped launch Clarendon County as South Carolina's test county for the e-filing pilot program in 2016.
The Clarendon County Clerk of Court page gives the clearest local copy policy. Criminal and civil records can be copied in person, by mail, or by fax. The office states a 24-hour turnaround for those methods, with extra time possible when the file is not located in the courthouse. The same page warns that the office does not provide research, legal advice, or help filling out court documents.
The South Carolina Judicial Branch Clarendon County Courthouse profile places the county in the Third Judicial Circuit and links the court profile to case records, rosters, public defender, solicitor, and county resources. The main Clarendon County Courthouse listing uses 102 South Mill Street in Manning. Law-enforcement records tied to Sheriff Tim Baxley and the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office remain outside the Clerk's copy-request process.
Clarendon County Clerk of Court
Clerk: Hon. Shanita Brangman
P.O. Box 136
Manning, SC 29102-0136
803-435-4443
Fax: 803-435-4844
Email: clerkofcourt@clarendoncountygov.org
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed major holidays
The official county Clerk manifest source, Clarendon County Clerk of Court, documents local copy fees, request channels, Family Court contacts, and office limits.
That source matters because it separates local copy requests from online case lookup. Online search can help locate a case, while the Clerk's Office controls local copy procedures for eligible criminal and civil records.
Clarendon County Clerk Duties
The Clerk of Court is the county's court-record hub for Court of Common Pleas records, Common Pleas jury and non-jury rosters, Common Pleas judgments, and General Sessions fine payments. In South Carolina, Circuit Court has civil and criminal sides. Common Pleas is the civil side, and General Sessions is the criminal side. The Clarendon County Clerk of Court office also has a Family Court division for child support, divorce proceedings, and juvenile matters.
- Maintains Court of Common Pleas records for Clarendon County civil cases.
- Schedules jury and non-jury rosters for Common Pleas matters.
- Maintains Common Pleas judgments that may affect civil record and lien searches.
- Collects fine payments for General Sessions Court criminal cases.
- Routes Family Court questions for divorce, child support, and juvenile filings.
The Clerk is not the Probate Court, Register of Deeds, Sheriff's Office, or jail. Probate Court handles local probate and marriage-license work. The Clarendon County Register of Deeds handles deeds, plats, mortgages, federal tax liens, and other property records. The Sheriff's Office handles law-enforcement records and FOIA requests. Knowing the office split helps a user avoid asking the Clerk for a record the Clerk does not keep.
Search Clarendon County Clerk Records
Online searching begins with the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search page and the Clarendon County Public Index. The state case-records page links users to trial court records, Family Court records, traffic ticket search, and court rosters. For trial cases, the Clarendon County Public Index is the official county-level lookup point where publicly available case information can be searched.
The Judicial Branch warns that cookies and JavaScript must be enabled for public case-record searches and that some browsers may need a pop-up exception to view case detail. As of January 1, 2026, home address information no longer displays on the Public Index for both new and existing cases. That redaction can make a current case view look different from an older printout without meaning the whole record has disappeared.
| Channel | Use | Access note |
|---|---|---|
| Clarendon Public Index | Trial court case lookup | Requires browser features and security validation |
| Family Court public portal | Family Court records | Official state portal, but field labels were not exposed in research |
| Court rosters | Scheduled hearings and roster data | Useful for hearing dates, not a certified copy source |
| Clerk copy request | Criminal or civil copies | In person, mail, or fax through the local office |
Note: A Public Index entry can help locate a case, but certified or official copies still require the proper office procedure.
Request Clarendon County Copies
A certified copy is a copy issued by the record office in a form accepted for official use. The Clarendon County Clerk page does not publish a separate online order system for criminal or civil copies. It names three channels: in person, mail, and fax. Because the Clerk does not perform research, a strong request should include enough detail to identify the file before staff begin the copy process.
- Find the case number if possible through the Public Index or prior court paperwork.
- Identify the court type, party names, approximate filing date, and document type needed.
- Choose the request channel listed by the Clerk's Office: in person, mail, or fax.
- Confirm the copy fee, certification need, and payment method with the office before sending the request.
- Allow the stated 24-hour turnaround, with more time when the file is not located in the courthouse.
Federal court records follow a different system. The manifest source from PACER shows the federal public-access system. PACER is relevant only for federal civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and appellate records, not Clarendon County Magistrate, Family, Probate, or Circuit Court files.
For county court records, stay with the South Carolina Judicial Branch portals and the Clarendon County Clerk of Court. PACER can help only when the case is in federal court.
Clarendon County Request Details
The local Clerk page does not publish a formal copy-request field list, but its no-research rule makes the needed details clear. A request should narrow the file enough that staff are not being asked to investigate every possible match. That means the case number is best, but party names and the approximate date range can also help when the number is not known.
| Detail | Required | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Best if known | Points staff to the exact case file |
| Party names | Yes when no case number | Helps identify civil, criminal, or Family Court records |
| Court type | Recommended | Separates Common Pleas, General Sessions, Family Court, and other records |
| Document type | Yes | Shows whether the request is for an order, judgment, disposition, decree, or other filing |
| Copy type | Yes | Clarifies plain copy, certified copy, or multiple copies |
| Contact information | Yes | Lets the office respond if a file is outside the courthouse or payment is unclear |
Do not ask the Clerk to choose forms, draft filings, decide whether a record should be sealed, or give legal strategy. The county states that the office cannot provide legal advice and cannot help fill out court documents.
Clarendon County Clerk Fees
Clarendon County publishes a specific copy fee for criminal and civil records requested through the Clerk's Office. The fee is not written as a per-page price from the first page. Instead, it starts with a flat amount for the first group of pages and then adds a smaller page charge after that. If a request needs certification, mailing, or a nonstandard record, confirm the total before sending payment.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Criminal or civil copies | $10.00 for the first 4 pages |
| Additional pages | $0.25 per page after the first 4 pages |
| Turnaround | 24 hours for in-person, mail, and fax requests, unless the file is not in the courthouse |
| Public Defender application | $40.00 non-refundable fee |
| Public Defender application payment | Cash or money order only; no personal checks or credit cards |
The Public Defender application fee is not a general court filing fee. The county Clerk page mentions it because applications are part of the courthouse process, but questions about appointed counsel should be directed to the Public Defender's office during normal business hours.
Clarendon County Family Court
The Family Court division of the Clerk's Office handles filings tied to child support, divorce proceedings, and juvenile matters. These records do not all follow the same public access rules. Divorce case files and decrees route through Family Court and the Clerk, while juvenile matters are restricted. Child support account questions may not be solved through a standard copy request.
Family Court phone questions route to 803-435-4210. Child support payment questions route to the State Disbursement Unit at 800-768-5858. Child support printouts are handled Thursdays only from 1 to 3 p.m. Those narrow contact rules are important because the Clerk's general record-copy channel is not the same as child support payment support.
Federal registration is separate from county Family Court access. The PACER registration manifest source shows the federal account path, while Clarendon County Family Court users must follow South Carolina and county procedures.
The distinction is simple: PACER registration does not grant access to sealed county Family Court material or replace a local Clerk of Court copy request.
Limits on Clerk Records
Public court records may be redacted, sealed, confidential, or outside the Clerk's custody. South Carolina court rules and public-record laws protect Social Security numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, driver's license numbers, passport numbers, personal identification card numbers, financial account numbers, passwords, some home addresses, dates of birth except year, and minor names. A person may see a docket or case event without seeing every protected detail.
The Clerk's Office can provide access to filed records and copies within its role, but it cannot research a person, search every spelling, tell a user which claim to file, complete a form, or predict a judge's ruling. For probate matters, use Clarendon County Probate Court. For federal cases, use PACER and the federal courts. For law-enforcement records, use the Sheriff's Office request channels.