duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- Richland County arrests: bond court at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, every day at 9am and 2pm.
- Lexington County arrests: bond court at the Municipal Court, 811 Washington Street, every day at 8am and 1:30pm.
- A jury must be demanded before trial; S.C. Code 14-25-125 treats the right as waived otherwise, and the jury has six members.
- Jury trials run in the second and fourth weeks of each month, with roster meetings on the first and third Tuesdays.
- An appointed lawyer carries a $40 application fee under section 17-3-45; it can be waived or reduced, though the judge then orders the rest paid during probation or in instalments.
- The administrative hearing request is due within 30 days.
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 Richland and Lexington Counties will make it for you. S.C. Code § 56-5-2951(B)(1).
The City of Columbia Municipal Court hears criminal, traffic and city ordinance cases for South Carolina’s capital, at 811 Washington Street near Lincoln Street. Under S.C. Code 14-25-45, a municipal court tries cases under the city’s ordinances and has the criminal jurisdiction state law gives magistrates; according to the court’s main page, its judges also hold bond court for people the Columbia Police Department arrests. What makes Columbia different from the Charleston page is geography: the city spans Richland and Lexington counties, and the court runs a separate bond court for each.
The penalties, the implied consent rules and the license suspension 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. |
The court’s week
The court publishes a fixed weekly pattern, with some hearings in person and some by video — the ticket or summons says which:
- Mondays — criminal court and jury trials in person; preliminary hearings by video.
- Tuesdays — traffic court and jury trials in person; preliminary hearings by video.
- Wednesdays — criminal court, domestic violence court, quality of life court and jury trials, all in person; preliminary hearings by video.
- Thursdays — traffic court and jury trials in person.
The court’s offices are open weekdays from 7:30am to 5pm. Questions about criminal and traffic cases go to 803-545-3127, cases in jury trials to 803-545-3169, and fines and bonds to 803-545-3140. The court’s dockets are on Richland County’s public index, under “Columbia Municipal Court”.
City of Columbia Municipal Court
- Hears
- Alleged violations of criminal laws, traffic laws and city ordinances in the City of Columbia; also the Lexington County bond court
- Building
- Municipal Court, Washington Street
- Address
- 811 Washington Street, Columbia, SC 29201
- Detail
- Near Washington and Lincoln Streets; Lincoln Street garage across the street, first hour free
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5pm
- Phone
- 803-545-3127 (criminal and traffic cases)
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
- Role
- Where Columbia municipal judges hold bond court for arrests in the Richland County part of the city
- Building
- Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
- Address
- 201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209
- Detail
- Bond court every day at 9am and 2pm
The court takes bond in cash, money order or cashier’s cheque, and licensed bondsmen post surety bonds in its Violations Division. To post bond the court is open 7:30am to 5pm on weekdays and 7:30am to 2pm on weekends and holidays (until 4pm if there is a second bond court). For fines it takes cash, money orders, cashier’s cheques and cards — never personal cheques — with a card fee of 1.7% plus $1, and no cards once a bench warrant has been issued.
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, by county
According to the court’s FAQ, Columbia municipal judges hold bond court for cases from the Richland County part of the city at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, 201 John Mark Dial Drive, every day at 9am and 2pm. For cases from the Lexington County part of the city they hold it at the Municipal Court on Washington Street every day of the week, weekends and holidays included, at 8am and 1:30pm. The court’s main page says both sessions are for people arrested by the Columbia Police Department.
The license. South Carolina gives 30 days to request a contested case hearing on the administrative suspension.
| 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) |
Rights at trial, and the jury demand
The jury. The court’s advisement of rights says a defendant has the right to a jury trial, must request it in writing before the bench trial begins, and waives it by entering a plea before a judge in a bench trial. The statute behind that is S.C. Code 14-25-125: a person tried in municipal court may demand a jury before trial, the jury is made up of six people drawn from the municipal jury list, and the right is deemed waived unless the demand is made before trial.
How jury trials run here. The court says jury trials are generally scheduled for the second and fourth weeks of each month, Monday to Thursday, and that its jury trial division holds a roster meeting on the first and third Tuesdays — a roll call of pending jury cases whose purpose is to work out negotiated resolutions.
A lawyer. The court can appoint a public defender for someone who cannot afford a lawyer. Under S.C. Code 17-3-45, a person who signs the affidavit of inability to pay is charged a $40 application fee for appointed counsel; it can be waived or reduced on application, and any amount waived or reduced is reported to the trial judge, who orders the rest paid during probation or by a payment plan.
Not appearing. The court warns that a defendant who is not present may be tried without a jury and sentenced, may lose any posted bond, and, by failing to appear when summoned, may waive the right to a public defender or a private lawyer.
Which bond court
From the court’s own pages.
| Where the arrest happened | Bond court location | When |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest in the Richland County part of Columbia | Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, 201 John Mark Dial Drive | Every day, 9am and 2pm |
| Arrest in the Lexington County part of Columbia | Municipal Court, 811 Washington Street | Every day including weekends and holidays, 8am and 1:30pm |
To post bond, the court is open 7:30am to 5pm on weekdays and 7:30am to 2pm on weekends and holidays (until 4pm if there is a second bond court).
The other South Carolina page on this site is Charleston.
Common questions about Columbia DUI cases
Where is bond court after a DUI arrest in Columbia, SC?
For arrests in the Richland County part of the city, at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center at 9am and 2pm daily; for the Lexington County part, at the Municipal Court on Washington Street at 8am and 1:30pm daily.
Do I get a jury trial for a DUI in Columbia Municipal Court?
You can, but you must demand it before trial. S.C. Code 14-25-125 treats the right as waived otherwise, and a municipal jury has six members.
When are jury trials held in Columbia Municipal Court?
Generally in the second and fourth weeks of each month, Monday to Thursday, with roster meetings on the first and third Tuesdays.
Is there a fee for a public defender in South Carolina?
Yes. S.C. Code 17-3-45 sets a $40 application fee for appointed counsel. It can be waived or reduced on application, but the judge then orders the remainder paid during probation or by instalments.
Can I pay a Columbia court fine with a personal check?
No. The court takes cash, money orders, cashier's checks and cards, with a card fee of 1.7% plus $1.
Where is the Columbia Municipal Court?
811 Washington Street, Columbia, SC 29201, near Washington and Lincoln Streets; the Lincoln Street garage is across the street.
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More for South Carolina
- South Carolina DUI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- Charleston — 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 Columbia Municipal Court, main page — read October 19, 2026
- City of Columbia Municipal Court, frequently asked questions — read October 19, 2026
- City of Columbia Municipal Court, advisement of rights — read October 19, 2026
- City of Columbia Municipal Court, jury trials — read October 19, 2026
- City of Columbia Municipal Court, court payments — read October 19, 2026
- City of Columbia Municipal Court, contact us — read October 19, 2026
- S.C. Code § 14-25-45 (municipal court jurisdiction) — read October 19, 2026
- S.C. Code § 14-25-125 (jury demand in municipal court) — read October 19, 2026
- S.C. Code § 17-3-45 (application fee for appointed counsel) — read October 19, 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 19, 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.