duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- Bond hearings run at 9am and 2pm on weekdays and 8:30am and 10:30am on weekends and holidays.
- The court says each defendant is entitled to a personal recognizance bond unless release will not assure appearance or poses an unreasonable danger.
- A surety bond may not exceed the maximum fine for the charge, the court says.
- The City Prosecutor, at 180A Lockwood Boulevard, prosecutes criminal cases in the Municipal Court.
- State law gives municipal courts magistrates’ criminal jurisdiction, and a first DUI may be tried in magistrates court.
- 30 days to request the hearing after a refusal or a reading of 0.15 or more.
from the date you were served with the notice to demand a hearing from the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings. The request goes to the OMVH, not to the court, and no judge in Charleston County will make it for you. S.C. Code § 56-5-2951(B)(1).
Charleston’s Municipal Court describes its work as hearing alleged violations of criminal laws, traffic laws and city ordinances. Two state statutes explain why a first DUI can be one of them: section 14-25-45 gives every municipal court the powers and jurisdiction in criminal cases that state law confers on magistrates, and section 56-5-2930(A)(1) says a first-offense DUI may be tried in magistrates court, notwithstanding the sections that otherwise limit a magistrate’s sentences. One caution: section 14-25-65 separately caps what a municipal judge may impose at a $500 fine or 30 days, and the higher first-offense tiers go past that. This page does not say which court hears those cases; the city’s pages do not either.
This page covers what the city publishes about its court — above all, how bond works. The reading tiers, the video law and the expungement bar are on the South Carolina DUI law page.
The same diagram as a table
| Step | Criminal case — decided by a court | License case — decided by a state agency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrest and booking, hour 0 | Notice of suspension served, day 0 |
| 2 | Charge filed by the prosecutor | Deadline to demand a hearing: 7 to 30 days in the eight states on this site that use an agency hearing |
| 3 | First court setting, on a date the court picks | Hearing held if the request was filed — whether the suspension waits for the ruling is set by each state's statute |
| 4 | One or more pretrial settings | Suspension takes effect automatically with no hearing |
| 5 | Trial, plea or dismissal | — |
| Clock | Weeks to months. No filing deadline runs against the driver. | Counted in days from the notice, and fixed by statute. |
Where a Charleston DUI is heard
The city’s traffic, criminal and jury trial pages place the Municipal Court at 180 Lockwood Boulevard (its main page gives 180 B Lockwood Boulevard), and the City Prosecutor’s Office is at 180A Lockwood Boulevard. The court lists sessions Monday to Friday: jury pretrials and jury trials, traffic court and criminal court on Mondays; criminal court on Tuesdays; traffic and criminal court on Wednesdays and Thursdays; and criminal court and domestic violence court on Fridays. Its criminal trials page lists criminal court sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30am.
City of Charleston Municipal Court
- Hears
- Criminal laws, traffic laws and city ordinances
- Building
- Municipal Court, Lockwood Boulevard
- Address
- 180 Lockwood Blvd. (180 B on the court's main page), Charleston, SC 29403
- Detail
- Bond court sits twice a day: 9am and 2pm on weekdays, 8:30am and 10:30am on weekends and holidays
- Hours
- Cashier window Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
- Phone
- 843-724-7460
- Why it matters
- Video incarceration cases are heard Monday to Thursday at 3pm and Friday at 8:30am.
City of Charleston Prosecutor’s Office
- Role
- Prosecutes criminal cases in the Municipal Court and represents the city on appeals in the Circuit Court
- Building
- Prosecutor’s Office
- Address
- 180A Lockwood Blvd., Charleston, SC 29403
- Phone
- 843-965-4148
The cashier’s window at the Municipal Court is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and takes cash, certified checks, money orders and cards but not personal checks; payment by mail must be a cashier’s check or money order. A ticket marked “Appearance Required” must be answered in court, the city says, or a bench warrant may be issued, and failing to appear in criminal court may also bring a bench warrant.
The City Prosecutor’s Office says it prosecutes criminal cases in the Municipal Court, represents the city in appeals to the Circuit Court and in forfeiture actions, and sits on the city’s Code Enforcement Board.
Not sure which court your case is in?
Enter the ZIP code where the arrest happened and the full form opens with it filled in.
Bond court, then the license
Bond court. The Municipal Court sets bonds for the criminal charges prosecuted in it, and holds bond proceedings twice a day: at 9am and 2pm Monday to Friday, and at 8:30am and 10:30am on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. At the hearing the defendant is told their rights, the nature of the charges and the possible penalties, and may have a lawyer present; victims may attend and raise concerns about release. The court says each defendant is entitled to a personal recognizance bond unless it finds that release will not assure appearance or that the person poses an unreasonable danger, and that any surety bond it sets may not exceed the maximum fine for the charge. Questions go to bondcourt@charleston-sc.gov or 843-724-7460.
The license. If the test was refused, or read 0.15 or more, the officer issued a notice of suspension effective from the day of the arrest. The request for a contested case hearing must be made within 30 days, and a $100 temporary alcohol license lets you drive until it is decided. For a driver 21 or older, a reading below 0.15 brings no suspension under this section; drivers under 21 fall under a separate rule.
| What happened | First time | With a prior in 10 years (second offense) | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test at 0.15 or more | 1 month | 2 months | S.C. Code § 56-5-2951(I) |
| Refused the test | 6 months | 9 months | S.C. Code § 56-5-2951(I) |
Jury trial or bench, and the video
The court lists jury pretrials and jury trials on Mondays and says to call it on 843-724-7460 for more information. Video incarceration cases — defendants appearing from custody — are heard Monday to Thursday at 3pm and Friday at 8:30am.
For a DUI, the evidence that most often decides the case is set by state law: section 56-5-2953 requires the stop, from the moment the blue lights come on, the field sobriety tests, the arrest and the whole breath test to be video recorded, and a missing recording has to be explained by the officer under oath. The penalty tiers for a first offense — and why the fine cannot be suspended — are on the South Carolina page.
The Municipal Court’s week
From the court’s own schedule and its bond court page.
| When | County | What the court holds |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | Charleston | Bond hearings at 9am and 2pm |
| Saturdays, Sundays and holidays | Charleston | Bond hearings at 8:30am and 10:30am |
| Video incarceration cases | Charleston | Monday to Thursday at 3pm; Friday at 8:30am |
| Jury pretrials and jury trials | Charleston | Mondays |
The court says each defendant is entitled to a personal recognizance bond unless release will not assure appearance or poses an unreasonable danger, and that any surety bond may not exceed the maximum fine for the charge.
Traffic court sessions are on Monday afternoons, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the court says a defendant who does not want to appear for an ordinary ticket may post the bond amount instead.
Common questions about Charleston DUI cases
When is bond court in Charleston?
The City of Charleston Municipal Court holds bond proceedings at 9am and 2pm Monday to Friday, and at 8:30am and 10:30am on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Questions: 843-724-7460 or bondcourt@charleston-sc.gov.
Will I get a personal recognizance bond in Charleston?
The court says each defendant is entitled to one unless it finds that release will not assure appearance in court or poses an unreasonable danger to the community. A surety bond may not exceed the maximum fine for the charge.
Where is Charleston Municipal Court?
180 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29403. The City Prosecutor's Office is at 180A Lockwood Boulevard.
Can a DUI be tried in Charleston Municipal Court?
State law gives municipal courts the criminal jurisdiction of magistrates (S.C. Code 14-25-45), and S.C. Code 56-5-2930 says a first-offense DUI may be tried in magistrates court.
Does South Carolina suspend my license at the arrest?
For a driver 21 or older, only after a refusal or a reading of 0.15 or more. You then have 30 days to request a contested case hearing, and can drive on a $100 temporary alcohol license while it is pending.
Does the DUI arrest have to be on video?
Yes. S.C. Code 56-5-2953 requires the incident site and the breath test to be video recorded, and the officer must explain any missing recording in a sworn affidavit.
Request a review of your Charleston case
Free, no obligation, and you decide who, if anyone, you speak with.
Your request is ready to send
Here is what happens after you submit:
- We pass your answers only to attorneys licensed in the state where the arrest happened, when one is taking requests for that area.
- Never to more than three. Only those attorneys and duistatelaws.com may use your details to contact you.
- You decide who, if anyone, you speak with. You are not committed to anyone.
Submitting this request does not create an attorney–client relationship.
More for South Carolina
- South Carolina DUI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- Columbia and Richland and Lexington Counties — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Refusing a breathalyzer — what implied consent costs here against what it buys
- How long it stays on your record — three records, three clocks
- SR-22 insurance after a South Carolina suspension — what the filing certifies and how long it runs
- Ignition interlock providers and costs in South Carolina — in preparation
Sources
- City of Charleston, Municipal Court — read October 3, 2026
- City of Charleston, Bond Court — read October 3, 2026
- City of Charleston, Prosecutor’s Office — read October 3, 2026
- City of Charleston, criminal trials — read October 3, 2026
- City of Charleston, jury trials — read October 3, 2026
- City of Charleston, traffic tickets — read October 3, 2026
- S.C. Code § 14-25-45, municipal court jurisdiction — read October 3, 2026
- S.C. Code § 56-5-2933(A) and the rest of the South Carolina statutes cited on this page — read in force 2026
Court addresses, hours and phone numbers were read from each court’s or office’s own published page on October 3, 2026. Those change without notice; confirm before you rely on them. No judge is named anywhere on this page, because a roster is exactly the kind of detail that goes stale silently.