South Carolina DUI Case Timeline: What Happens After an Arrest?
Two clocks start after a South Carolina DUI arrest, and the one printed on your ticket usually isn't the one that runs out first.
Docket Filed September 24, 2026
Court case tracking for people who need to know what happens next
Cstrck explains how court cases move, one stage at a time. We cover dockets, court dates, hearings and legal deadlines, with a close eye on South Carolina courts from Conway to Georgetown. Every guide tells you where the official record lives and which questions belong with your attorney.
What's moving in the courts this week
Headlines from SCOTUSblog and official Fourth Circuit pages. Each link opens the publisher's own site.
- Missouri seeks to use congressional redistricting map expected to benefit RepublicansSCOTUSblog
- Respecting our multi-branch lawmaking processSCOTUSblog
- Fourth Circuit oral argument calendarU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- The decision before the decisionSCOTUSblog
- Missouri congressional redistricting battle goes to Supreme Court for the third timeSCOTUSblog
- Fourth Circuit appellate deadlinesU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
No. 01 Section
Court Case Tracking
Tracking a case starts with one number: the case or ticket number on your paperwork. In South Carolina, most county cases show up on the Judicial Branch Public Index, free to search. The index is handy, but it can lag behind the courtroom, so the clerk's office is the tiebreaker.
Read the court case tracking sectionWorth reading: court case tracking
- Missouri seeks to use congressional redistricting map expected to benefit RepublicansSCOTUSblog
- Respecting our multi-branch lawmaking processSCOTUSblog
- The decision before the decisionSCOTUSblog
No. 02 Section
Docket Basics
A docket is the court's running list of everything filed and ordered in a case. Most entries are routine. A few, like a scheduling order or a notice of hearing, set the next date you need to know. We'll show you how to tell them apart.
Read the docket basics sectionWorth reading: docket basics
- Missouri seeks to use congressional redistricting map expected to benefit RepublicansSCOTUSblog
- Respecting our multi-branch lawmaking processSCOTUSblog
- The decision before the decisionSCOTUSblog
No. 03 Section
Court Dates
The date on a ticket or notice is an order to be somewhere. It isn't always a trial, and it can move, but only the court can move it. Until you have that in writing, the date stands.
Read the court dates sectionWorth reading: court dates
- Fourth Circuit oral argument calendarU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Fourth Circuit appellate deadlinesU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Fourth Circuit appeal process flowchartU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
No. 04 Section
Hearings
A hearing is a scheduled time in front of a judge for a specific purpose. Bond hearings, motion hearings and status conferences all look different. Knowing which one you have tells you what to prepare and what to expect next.
Read the hearings sectionWorth reading: hearings
- Missouri seeks to use congressional redistricting map expected to benefit RepublicansSCOTUSblog
- Respecting our multi-branch lawmaking processSCOTUSblog
- The decision before the decisionSCOTUSblog
No. 05 Section
Legal Deadlines
Some deadlines are printed on the first page you get. Others are buried in a rule. South Carolina's 30-day window to request a license hearing after certain DUI arrests is a good example. Miss it and that option is gone.
Read the legal deadlines sectionWorth reading: legal deadlines
- Fourth Circuit oral argument calendarU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Fourth Circuit appellate deadlinesU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Fourth Circuit appeal process flowchartU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
No. 06 Section
Case Timelines
Every case moves in stages, but not on the same clock. A first-offense DUI and a civil contract suit follow different paths through different courts. Our timelines show the usual order of events and mark which step your paperwork controls.
Read the case timelines sectionWorth reading: case timelines
- Fourth Circuit oral argument calendarU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Fourth Circuit appellate deadlinesU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- Fourth Circuit appeal process flowchartU.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Before you start tracking a case
What should I know before getting into court case tracking?
Start with the case number on your ticket, summons or notice, because it's the fastest way to find the right record. In South Carolina, most county cases are on the Judicial Branch Public Index, but recent entries can take time to appear and the index isn't the official record of action. When the screen and your paperwork disagree, call the clerk of court. Tracking tells you where a case stands, not how it will end.
How much does court case tracking cost in United States, South Carolina, Horry County, Myrtle Beach, Conway, Grand Strand, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Georgetown County, coastal South Carolina, Fourth Circuit region?
Searching South Carolina's Public Index, including Horry County and Georgetown County, is free. Federal records on PACER cost 10 cents a page, capped at $3 per document, and fees are waived if you run up $30 or less in a quarter. Certified or paper copies from a clerk's office usually carry a fee, so ask the clerk for the current rate. You don't need a paid background-check site to follow your own case.