Local resources: courts, jail, police, DMV, and ADSAP
Every office a DUI case in Columbia, Richland County, or Lexington County passes through, with the address and the number from each office's own website. Confirm hours by phone before you go.
How a Richland County DUI case moves
- Arrest and booking. Columbia Police, the Richland County Sheriff's Department, and the Highway Patrol book at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. Arrests on the Lexington County side go to the Lexington County Detention Center.
- Bond hearing. State law requires a bond hearing within 24 hours of arrest (S.C. Code § 22-5-510). Richland County magistrates hold bond hearings four times a day at the detention center, and Columbia municipal judges hear city cases there at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. You can post bond yourself or through a bail bondsman, who charges a non-refundable fee that is a percentage of the bond.
- DMV notice. If you refused the test or blew 0.15 or higher, the 30-day clock to request a hearing with the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings is already running.
- First court date. Printed on your ticket. Which court depends on where you were arrested, the arresting agency, and your record. Lexington County cases stay in Lexington County's courts, including its DUI Court; see the lists below.
- Resolution. Dismissal, a plea, or trial. DUI charges are not eligible for pretrial intervention (S.C. Code § 17-22-50). First offenses are tried in magistrate or municipal court, before a six-person jury if you request one. The Richland County DUI guide walks through each step.
- After a conviction. ADSAP enrollment, the ignition interlock program, SR-22 insurance, and license reinstatement through the DMV, in roughly that order.
Courts
Which court hears your case depends on who arrested you, which side of the river it happened on, and whether you have prior offenses. When in doubt, call the number for the court on your ticket.
Columbia Municipal Court
811 Washington Street, Columbia, SC 29201
City of Columbia arrests. Next to Columbia Police headquarters. Open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays to pay fines, file motions, request a jury trial, or post bond. Pending criminal and traffic cases: 803-545-3127; jury trials: 803-545-3169.
Richland County Bond Court (Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center)
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209
Magistrates hold bond hearings four times a day inside the detention center. Open 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. Accepts cash, money orders, or cashier's checks only.
Richland County Central Court (Decker Center)
2500 Decker Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29206
Central magistrate court; the Dentsville and Pontiac magistrate districts and the preliminary hearing court are in the same building. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Columbia District
3875 Lucius Road, Columbia, SC 29201
Off River Drive. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Dutch Fork District
1019 Beatty Road, Columbia, SC 29210
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Upper Township District
7615 Wilson Boulevard, Suite A, Columbia, SC 29203
Chief magistrate's district. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Olympia District
1601 Shop Road, Suite B, Columbia, SC 29201
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Waverly District
2712 Middleburg Drive, Suite 106, Columbia, SC 29204
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Lykesland District
1403 Caroline Road, Columbia, SC 29209
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Richland County Magistrate – Blythewood District
118-A McNulty Street, Blythewood, SC 29016
Other districts: Eastover (803-576-2580) and Hopkins (803-576-2530). Tickets can be paid online at richlandcountysc.gov/payticket with the ticket number.
Richland County Judicial Center – General Sessions and Clerk of Court
1701 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Second and later offenses, felony DUI, and cases moved up from a lower court. General Sessions criminal records are on the 4th floor. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Lexington County Bond Court
521 Gibson Road, Lexington, SC 29072
For arrests on the Lexington County side, including West Columbia and Cayce. Bond hearings at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Columbia municipal judges hear city cases from the Lexington County part of Columbia at 811 Washington Street at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily.
Law enforcement and the detention center
Columbia Police Department
1 Justice Square, Columbia, SC 29201
City police headquarters, next to Municipal Court. The main number is the department's Telephone Response Unit.
Richland County Sheriff's Department
5623 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29223
Patrols unincorporated Richland County. Victim services: 803-576-3128.
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center (Richland County jail)
201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209
Run by Richland County, the intake center for the county. Office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. The county's online detainee lookup is linked from its page.
S.C. Highway Patrol – Troop One, Post D (Richland County)
1628 Shop Road, Columbia, SC 29201
State troopers covering Richland County. Troop One headquarters, which also covers Lexington, Kershaw, Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee counties, is next door at 1626 Shop Road, 803-737-8340. Lexington County is Post C, 111 Maiden Lane, Lexington, 803-896-6765.
University of South Carolina Police (Division of Law Enforcement and Safety)
1415 Henderson Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Campus police for the USC Columbia campus. The number is police dispatch; call 911 in an emergency.
Lexington County Sheriff's Department and Detention Center
521 Gibson Road, Lexington, SC 29072
Jail and sheriff's headquarters for arrests on the Lexington County side of the river.
Lexington County: courts, offices, and police
West Columbia, Cayce, the town of Lexington, Irmo, Chapin, and Lake Murray's south shore are in Lexington County, across the Congaree River from most of Columbia. Arrests there go through Lexington County's own courts and offices. Bond court and the Lexington County jail are listed above. Addresses and numbers are from Lexington County, city, and SCDMV pages, checked October 28, 2026.
Lexington County DUI Court
139 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072
A magistrate court that Lexington County runs for DUI cases, in the Summary Court Center. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Your ticket or bond paperwork shows which court your case is set in; call to confirm.
Lexington County Central Traffic Court
139 East Main Street, Suite A, Lexington, SC 29072
Traffic tickets from county magistrate districts, including payments. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Lexington County Magistrate – Cayce-West Columbia
650 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033
Magistrate district for the Cayce and West Columbia area.
Lexington County Magistrate – Irmo
111 Lincreek Drive, Columbia, SC 29212
Magistrate district for the Irmo area. Other districts: Lexington, Oak Grove, Batesburg-Leesville, and Swansea (all on the county's magistrate locations page).
Lexington County Judicial Center – General Sessions and Clerk of Court
205 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072
Clerk of Court, Suite 128. General Sessions (second and later offenses, felony DUI, and cases moved up from a lower court): 803-785-8223.
Eleventh Circuit Solicitor's Office
205 East Main Street, Suite 309, Lexington, SC 29072
Prosecutes General Sessions cases in Lexington County. The public defender for the Eleventh Circuit is at 803-785-8873 (application line 803-785-8549).
West Columbia Police Department
200 N. 12th Street, West Columbia, SC 29169
City police. Administrative offices open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Cayce Department of Public Safety
2 Lavern Jumper Road, Cayce, SC 29033
City police and fire. The number is non-emergency dispatch.
SCDMV – Lexington
122 Park Road, Lexington, SC 29072
Branch office for licenses and reinstatement paperwork. Check wait times online before you go.
Prosecutor, public defender, DMV, and state offices
Offices most Richland County DUI cases touch. Addresses and phone numbers are from each office's own website, checked October 27, 2026.
Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office
1701 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Prosecutes General Sessions cases in Richland and Kershaw counties. The office lists a DUI Treatment Court (803-576-1836) and an expungement unit (803-576-1620). 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Fifth Circuit Public Defender (Richland County)
1701 Main Street, Suite 103, Columbia, SC 29201
Represents people the court finds unable to afford a lawyer. State law sets a $40 application fee, which the clerk can waive or reduce. Apply as early as possible.
SCDMV – Columbia (Shop Road)
1630 Shop Road, Columbia, SC 29201
Branch office for licenses, reinstatement paperwork, and the temporary alcohol license. Check wait times online before you go.
SCDMV – Columbia (O'Neil Court)
228-A O'Neil Court, Columbia, SC 29223
Northeast Columbia branch office.
S.C. Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings
Edgar A. Brown Building, 1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 325, Columbia, SC 29201
Hears contested-case hearings on DMV suspensions. The $200 filing fee cannot be waived.
S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles
10311 Wilson Boulevard, Building C, Blythewood, SC 29016
Headquarters, just north of Columbia. Suspension questions go to the number above; licenses are issued at branch offices.
S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services – Ignition Interlock Program
293 Greystone Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29210
Runs the ignition interlock program and certifies devices and installers. Call the agency to confirm the right contact for your case.
S.C. Department of Natural Resources
Enforces boating laws on Lake Murray and other state waters, including boating under the influence, and handles boating-privilege suspensions.
The DMV hearing and your license
Administrative suspensions are handled by the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles and contested at the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings, part of the S.C. Administrative Law Court in Columbia. The hearing request must be filed with that office within 30 days of the Notice of Suspension, with its $200 filing fee; the temporary alcohol license from the DMV is a separate $100. An attorney can file the request for you. Step by step: the DMV hearing guide.
For license paperwork in person, Columbia has two SCDMV branch offices, on Shop Road and on O'Neil Court (listed above). The Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings itself is downtown in the Edgar A. Brown Building on Pendleton Street.
The ignition interlock program is run by the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, which certifies installers. Interlock providers serving Columbia are listed in the directory.
ADSAP: the required alcohol and drug program
LRADAC (Richland County ADSAP)
2711 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203
The Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council, listed by the state as Richland County's certified ADSAP office (LRADAC's Lexington office, 1068 South Lake Drive, Lexington, 803-726-9400, is Lexington County's). Required after any DUI conviction and after a DMV suspension that stands. Enroll within 30 days of conviction; the DMV will not reinstate a license until it is notified.
The S.C. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities lists one certified ADSAP office per county; you may enroll with any certified provider in the state. Private counselors are listed under counseling in the directory.
Bail and bond in Richland County
South Carolina law starts from release on your own recognizance (no money up front) unless the judge decides more is needed to make sure you come back to court or to protect the public (S.C. Code § 17-15-10). In Richland County, bond is set at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, where bond court accepts only cash, money orders, or cashier's checks. If a cash or surety bond is set and you cannot pay it, a licensed bail bondsman can post it in exchange for a premium that state law caps at 15 percent of the bond (S.C. Code § 38-53-170). More in the bail guide. Bondsmen are listed in the directory as they are added.
SR-22 insurance
After a DUI conviction, the DMV requires proof of financial responsibility, usually an SR-22 certificate filed by your insurer, before it reinstates your license, and the filing can be released three years from the date it was first required (S.C. Code §§ 56-9-500, 56-9-620). An administrative suspension alone (refusal or 0.15) does not require one (§ 56-5-2951(M)). See the SR-22 guide. Agencies that write SR-22 policies in Richland County are under insurance in the directory.