Kershaw County Bankruptcy Records
Kershaw County bankruptcy records are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina and are searchable through PACER and the SC Judicial Public Index. Kershaw County, seated in the historic city of Camden, is part of the 5th Judicial Circuit and maintains an appointed Register of Deeds separate from the Clerk of Court. With archived land records dating to 1791 and court records held at the South Carolina Archives reaching back to the same period, Kershaw County offers one of the deeper historical research bases among South Carolina's 46 counties.
Kershaw County Quick Facts
Kershaw County Clerk of Court
The Kershaw County Clerk of Court is Joyce McDonald, whose office is located at 1121 Broad Street, Room 313, Camden, SC 29020. The office can be reached at (803) 425-1500 x5623 and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Clerk manages circuit court and family court records for the 5th Judicial Circuit, including civil filings, criminal case records, domestic matters, and jury administration. The Clerk's office is the point of contact for obtaining certified copies of state court documents and verifying case status for matters in Kershaw County.
Online access to Kershaw County court records is available through the Kershaw Records portal at https://kershawrecords.us/ and through the SC Judicial Public Index at http://publicindex.sccourts.org/kershaw/publicindex/. The image below shows the Kershaw County Clerk of Court records interface, which provides online access to case dockets for circuit and family court matters in the county.
The Kershaw County Clerk of Court records site shown above allows searches of state court dockets, providing case status, party names, filing dates, and hearing information for matters in the 5th Judicial Circuit that may run parallel to a federal bankruptcy proceeding.
Cross-referencing Kershaw County state court records with federal bankruptcy filings through PACER is standard practice for researchers trying to build a complete picture of a debtor's legal history, since state civil judgments, foreclosure actions, and domestic orders often intersect with a pending or past bankruptcy case.
Note: The Kershaw Clerk website and certain county URLs returned HTTP 403 errors during research; links are provided but researchers should contact the office directly at (803) 425-1500 x5623 if online access is unavailable.
Kershaw County Register of Deeds and Property Records
Kershaw County maintains an appointed Register of Deeds office at 515 Walnut Street, Room 180, Camden, SC 29020, reachable at (803) 425-1500, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Register of Deeds handles recording and indexing of deeds, mortgages, plats, and other land instruments. More information is available at https://www.kershaw.sc.gov/government/departments-r-z/register-of-deeds. Recording fees are $10 for the first page and $1 for each additional page; certified copies cost $10; plain copies are $0.50 per page.
The Kershaw County Register of Deeds does not perform title searches, give legal advice, or prepare deeds. Researchers who need a full title chain or legal opinion on a Kershaw County property involved in a bankruptcy estate should engage a licensed South Carolina attorney for those services. The Register of Deeds can provide certified copies of recorded instruments but cannot advise on their legal effect or completeness.
State tax liens in South Carolina no longer appear in county deed records. Since November 1, 2019, all state tax liens have been recorded at the SC Department of Revenue Lien Registry, searchable at https://dor.sc.gov/LienRegistry. Researchers investigating a Kershaw County debtor's property should check the DOR registry separately from the county ROD records to get a complete picture of encumbrances. The SC Land Records portal at https://www.sclandrecords.com/ may also provide online deed access for Kershaw County.
PACER and Federal Bankruptcy Court Access for Kershaw County
Bankruptcy cases filed by Kershaw County residents and businesses are processed through the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina. The primary online research tool is PACER at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case. PACER is free to register and charges $0.10 per page for document access, with a complete fee waiver applied when quarterly charges stay under $30.00. Search filters include debtor name, business name, case number, and, where authorized, Social Security number.
PACER results include case chapter, filing date, case status, trustee assignment, and a full docket of filed documents. South Carolina Chapter 7 cases typically discharge within 90 to 120 days of filing; Chapter 13 plans run 36 to 60 months. The SC Bankruptcy Court Case Information Portal at https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/case-information provides a direct alternative search gateway. The court's main website at https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/ provides local rules, filing guides, and division contact information.
For a fast no-cost check, the VCIS phone line at 1-866-222-8029 operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing basic case status for cases filed after November 30, 1988. The SC Bankruptcy Court maintains offices at three divisions: Charleston (145 King Street), Columbia (1100 Laurel Street), and Greenville (300 East Washington Street). Kershaw County cases are geographically closest to the Columbia Division.
Historical and Archived Records for Kershaw County
Kershaw County has an exceptionally deep archival record set. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History at https://scdah.sc.gov/ holds Kershaw County deed records from 1791 to 1866, Equity Court records from 1791 to 1892, Plat Books from 1785 to 1841, and Sheriff's records from 1794 to 1858. These materials are available through SCDAH and represent some of the oldest surviving local government records in South Carolina, dating to the county's earliest years following its establishment.
Researchers working on historical Kershaw County title chains, estate settlements, or bankruptcy-related asset investigations that involve older property histories will find SCDAH an indispensable resource. SCDAH staff can assist in identifying specific record series, explaining access procedures, and locating materials that may not be available through the county courthouse or online portals.
Archived federal bankruptcy cases from Kershaw County that have been removed from PACER due to age may be retrievable through the National Archives and Records Administration's Atlanta regional facility at https://www.archives.gov/atlanta. NARA Atlanta is the designated repository for older South Carolina federal court records, and researchers should contact that office directly for retrieval assistance.
Public Records Access and FOIA in Kershaw County
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Title 30, Chapter 4 governs public access to Kershaw County government records. Agencies must acknowledge FOIA requests within 10 business days and fulfill them within 30 days. Court records that are part of the public docket and not sealed or expunged are generally accessible through the Clerk of Court. The Kershaw County Register of Deeds provides access to recorded property instruments during regular business hours and can produce certified copies for a fee.
Federal bankruptcy records held by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court are governed by federal rules rather than the state FOIA statute, and access is primarily provided through PACER. Sealed records in bankruptcy cases require a court order and are not accessible through standard PACER searches. Researchers with questions about what records are available and how to request them may contact the Clerk's office at (803) 425-1500 x5623.
Legal Resources for Kershaw County Bankruptcy Matters
Kershaw County residents facing bankruptcy or needing help with records research have access to statewide legal assistance. SC Legal Services at https://sclegal.org/ offers free civil legal help to income-qualifying residents; call 1-888-346-5592. The South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service at https://www.scbar.com/ provides attorney referrals at 803-799-7100 or 1-800-868-2284. The SC Bar website lists attorneys by county and practice area and can help identify a bankruptcy specialist familiar with the 5th Judicial Circuit.
South Carolina bankruptcy filings increased 12% from 2024 to 2025. Kershaw County residents considering bankruptcy should understand the difference between Chapter 7 liquidation, which discharges most unsecured debt within 90 to 120 days, and Chapter 13 repayment, which restructures debt over 36 to 60 months and may allow retention of property. The SC Bankruptcy Court FAQ at https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/court-info/faq provides useful background before an attorney consultation.
Cities in Kershaw County
Kershaw County's communities are all served by the Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds offices in Camden for state court and property records, and by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for all federal filings.
Nearby Counties with Bankruptcy Records
Counties surrounding Kershaw share access to the same federal bankruptcy court and similar record systems across the Midlands and Pee Dee regions of South Carolina.