Lexington County Bankruptcy Records
Lexington County bankruptcy records are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina and are accessible through PACER, the SC Judicial Public Index, and local county offices in Lexington. As one of South Carolina's fastest-growing counties, located in the heart of the Columbia metropolitan area, Lexington County sees substantial volume in both bankruptcy filings and property transactions. This guide covers every tool, office, and database relevant to researching Lexington County bankruptcy cases and related court and deed records in the 11th Judicial Circuit.
Lexington County Quick Facts
Lexington County Clerk of Court and Court Records
The Lexington County Clerk of Court is Lisa M. Comer, whose office is located at 205 East Main Street Suite 128, Lexington, SC 29072. The office can be reached at (803) 785-8212 and manages circuit court and family court records for the 11th Judicial Circuit, including civil filings, criminal case records, domestic matters, and jury administration. The Clerk's website at https://www.lexingtoncountycourt.org/ provides court-specific information including office hours, contact details, and forms. Online public records are also accessible at https://lexingtoncountycourts.org/public-records/.
The Lexington County Clerk of Court website shown at the link above provides access to online case information for circuit and family court matters, which can reveal state-level civil judgments, foreclosure proceedings, and domestic orders that frequently accompany or precede a federal bankruptcy filing. The image below shows the Lexington County Clerk of Court website, which serves as the official starting point for state court research in the 11th Judicial Circuit.
The Clerk of Court website shown above provides contact information, office hours, and links to online case access tools for Lexington County circuit and family court records in the 11th Judicial Circuit.
Note: Union troops destroyed pre-1839 Lexington County records in February 1865 during the Civil War. Records from 1839 to 1865 were also partially destroyed. Surviving records from 1839 forward are maintained at the courthouse, but researchers investigating pre-1839 matters will find limited local sources available.
Lexington County Public Court Records Online
The Lexington County public records portal at https://lexingtoncountycourts.org/public-records/ provides online access to case information for circuit and family court matters. The image below shows the Lexington County public records page, which is the online gateway to state court case data, docket information, and filing histories for the 11th Judicial Circuit.
The public records portal shown above connects researchers to Lexington County court case data, allowing cross-referencing of state civil filings with federal bankruptcy records from PACER to build a complete legal history for any debtor active in Lexington County courts.
The SC Judicial Public Index for Lexington County at http://publicindex.sccourts.org/ provides an additional free search interface for state circuit and family court records. Certified copies of state court records can be requested from the Clerk of Court at (803) 785-8212. Neither the Public Index nor the county portal contains federal bankruptcy case data; that information requires a PACER search.
Lexington County Register of Deeds and Property Records
Lexington County has an elected Register of Deeds, currently Tina Guerry, whose office is located at 212 South Lake Drive Suite 301, Lexington, SC 29072. The office is reachable at (803) 785-8168 or (803) 785-8190, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a daily recording cutoff of 4:00 PM. County information for this office is available at https://www.lex-co.com/. The image below shows the Lexington County ROD information page on the county government website, which outlines recording fees, e-recording options, and online property record access.
The Lexington County Register of Deeds page shown above provides current fee schedules, recording cutoff times, and access information for the county's online property records, which are essential for bankruptcy researchers evaluating a Lexington County debtor's real estate holdings.
Online property records are available from August 1984 forward, and document downloads are accessible from October 2003 forward. Recording fees are $10 for the first page and $5 for each additional page for deeds; certified copies cost $5; plain copies are $0.50 per page. E-recording is accepted. State tax liens have not been filed at the county level since November 1, 2019; they are now held at the SC Department of Revenue Lien Registry at https://dor.sc.gov/LienRegistry. The SC Land Records portal at https://www.sclandrecords.com/ may provide additional online access to Lexington County deeds.
Searching PACER for Lexington County Bankruptcy Cases
All Lexington County bankruptcy filings are processed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina. PACER at https://pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case is the primary online research tool. Registration is free, and document access is $0.10 per page with a complete waiver when quarterly fees remain under $30.00. Searches can be conducted by debtor name, business name, or case number.
PACER dockets list the case chapter, filing date, assigned trustee, case status, and all docketed documents. Chapter 7 liquidation cases in South Carolina typically discharge within 90 to 120 days of filing. Chapter 13 repayment plans run 36 to 60 months. The SC Bankruptcy Court Case Information Portal at https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/case-information provides a direct case search alternative. The court's main website at https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/ lists local rules, division contact details, and a FAQ at https://www.scb.uscourts.gov/court-info/faq. Court divisions are in Charleston (145 King Street), Columbia (1100 Laurel Street), and Greenville (300 East Washington Street). Lexington County's location adjacent to Columbia puts it in close proximity to the Columbia Division.
The VCIS phone line at 1-866-222-8029 provides free 24/7 case status information for cases filed after November 30, 1988. This is a useful quick-reference tool for confirming whether a Lexington County debtor has a current or past bankruptcy filing without pulling a full PACER search.
Historical Records and Civil War Record Losses
Lexington County's record history carries a significant gap caused by the destruction of courthouse records by Union troops in February 1865 during the Civil War. Records created before 1839 were destroyed entirely, and documents from 1839 to 1865 were partially destroyed. Researchers working on historical Lexington County property chains or estate matters that involve the antebellum period should be aware that the surviving record base begins in 1839 and is incomplete through 1865.
For historical materials that survived or were captured by state archivists before or after the courthouse destruction, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History at https://scdah.sc.gov/ is the appropriate research destination. SCDAH holds statewide archival materials and can advise on what Lexington County records exist from the pre-1865 period. Archived federal bankruptcy cases no longer accessible through PACER may be obtained through NARA Atlanta at https://www.archives.gov/atlanta.
Legal Assistance for Lexington County Residents
Lexington County residents who need legal help with bankruptcy proceedings or records research can access SC Legal Services at https://sclegal.org/ at 1-888-346-5592 for free civil legal assistance to qualifying residents. The South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service at https://www.scbar.com/ provides attorney referrals at 803-799-7100 or 1-800-868-2284. South Carolina bankruptcy filings increased 12% from 2024 to 2025. Lexington County residents considering a bankruptcy filing should consult a licensed attorney familiar with the 11th Judicial Circuit to evaluate which chapter provides the best outcome for their circumstances.
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Title 30, Chapter 4 governs public access to Lexington County government records. FOIA requests must be acknowledged within 10 business days and fulfilled within 30 days. Court records not sealed or expunged are generally accessible through the Clerk of Court at (803) 785-8212, and deed records are available through the Register of Deeds at (803) 785-8168.
Cities in Lexington County
Lexington County's communities all fall under the jurisdiction of the 11th Judicial Circuit and access bankruptcy records through the federal court system and local county offices.
Nearby Counties with Bankruptcy Records
Counties surrounding Lexington share access to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for South Carolina and similar record systems across the greater Columbia metro and Midlands region.