The Bench Warrant (SCRCrimPFORMD) is a South Carolina Judicial Branch court form that directs sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, constables and other peace officers of the State to arrest a named person after the court has ordered that a bench warrant be issued. A Clerk of Court witnesses the warrant, and a second part of the form records the person's description and addresses. On this page you can fill out the bench warrant online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original form is published by the South Carolina Judicial Branch at sccourts.org.
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What is SCRCrimPFORMD?
The Bench Warrant (SCRCrimPFORMD) is a South Carolina court form that orders officers of the State to find and arrest a named person because, at a term of the court, it was ordered that a bench warrant be issued for that person's arrest.
The form is addressed to all the Sheriffs, Deputy Sheriffs, Constables and other Peace Officers of the State. It tells them to make diligent search for the person named and take him to the county jail, where he is held until he can be brought before the court or is otherwise discharged by due course of law. It also orders the county jailer to notify the clerk of court immediately, during the normal operating hours of the clerk's office, that the person is in custody.
The warrant is witnessed by the Clerk of Court for the County, with the day, month and year of issue, and carries the court name and the Warrant/Case No. at the top. The lower part of the form records the service: Date Served and Served by, or, as an alternative, Date Returned and Reason for Return.
A separate section headed Bench Warrant holds identifying details of the person: the date issued, the warrant number, home and business addresses, and sex, race, DOB, height, weight, eyes, hair and security number. The South Carolina Judicial Branch publishes the form among its court forms.
Who needs to file SCRCrimPFORMD?
The form is used in a South Carolina court matter in which the court has ordered that a bench warrant be issued for a person's arrest. The Clerk of Court for the County completes and witnesses the warrant, as the form's witness clause shows.
Those who act on it are named on the form itself: sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, constables and other peace officers of the State, who carry out the arrest, and the county jailer, who must notify the clerk of court that the named person is in custody.
The person named in the warrant is the subject of the order and does not complete it. The form does not describe who else may complete or sign it, and it prints no exclusions or eligibility conditions. Questions about a particular case belong with the clerk of court for the county named on the form.
When to file SCRCrimPFORMD
The form is prepared after the court has ordered, at a term of the court, that a bench warrant be issued for a person's arrest; that order is the triggering event printed in the form's opening clause. The Clerk of Court then witnesses the warrant on the day it is issued, and the form records the date of issue.
No deadline is printed on the form. After issue, the warrant is served or returned: the Date Served and Served by lines record the arrest, while the Date Returned and Reason for Return lines record why the warrant came back without service. Once the person is in custody, the county jailer must notify the clerk of court immediately during the clerk's normal operating hours.
How to fill out SCRCrimPFORMD
Enter the court caption
At the top, enter the County, the parties after "vs.", the Court and the Warrant/Case No. These identify the matter in which the court ordered the warrant.
Name the person to be arrested
In the clause beginning "WHEREAS", enter the name of the person for whose arrest the court ordered a bench warrant to be issued.
Complete the witness clause
Enter the county of the Clerk of Court after "WITNESS, the Clerk of Court for the County of", then the day, month and year of issue. The year is printed with the prefix 19.
Sign on the Clerk of Court line
The Clerk of Court signs the warrant on the Clerk of Court line.
Record service or return
When the warrant is executed, enter the Date Served and Served by. If it is not served, use the alternative lines for Date Returned and Reason for Return.
Fill in the warrant details section
In the section headed Bench Warrant, enter the court, the date issued and the Warrant No., matching the number at the top of the form.
Enter the addresses
Give the person's Home Address and Business Address in the lines provided.
Add the physical description
Enter Sex, Race, DOB, Height, Weight, Eyes, Hair and Security No. in the lines provided, as far as the information is known.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that the name, court, county and warrant number agree on both parts of the form, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF for signature by the Clerk of Court.
How to submit SCRCrimPFORMD
The form names no portal, mailing address or filing fee. It is a court order issued by the Clerk of Court and directed to peace officers, so its handling follows the form's own instructions:
- Issue: the Clerk of Court for the County witnesses the warrant under the WITNESS clause and signs on the Clerk of Court line.
- Service: the officer who serves the warrant records the Date Served and Served by; if it is not served, the Date Returned and Reason for Return are entered instead.
- Custody: the person is taken to the county jail, and the county jailer must notify the clerk of court immediately, during the normal operating hours of the clerk's office, that the person is in custody.
For questions about a specific warrant, contact the clerk of court for the county named on the form. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the court's own channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the name of the person to be arrested blank in the clause that begins "ordered that a Bench Warrant should be issued for the arrest of".
- Omitting the court name or the Warrant/Case No. at the top, so the warrant cannot be tied to the matter the court heard.
- Leaving the county blank in the WITNESS clause that names the Clerk of Court for the County.
- Issuing the warrant without the Clerk of Court's signature on the Clerk of Court line.
- Filling in both Date Served and Date Returned; the form offers them as alternatives, separated by "-or-".
- Entering a Date Returned without a Reason for Return.
- Using different warrant numbers on the warrant and on the Bench Warrant description section.
- Skipping the home and business addresses and physical description entries that help officers identify the person.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bench warrant on this South Carolina form?
On this form, a bench warrant is the court's written order to peace officers to arrest a named person after the court ordered at a term that a bench warrant be issued. The Clerk of Court witnesses it, and the person is taken to the county jail.
Who is the Bench Warrant (SCRCrimPFORMD) addressed to?
It is addressed to all the Sheriffs, Deputy Sheriffs, Constables and other Peace Officers of the State. They are ordered to make diligent search for the named person and take him to the county jail.
Where is the person taken after arrest under this warrant?
To the county jail, where the form says he is safely held until he can be brought before the court or otherwise discharged by due course of law. The county jailer must also notify the clerk of court immediately that the person is in custody.
Who signs the bench warrant form?
The Clerk of Court signs on the Clerk of Court line, under the WITNESS clause naming the county and the day of issue. The form prints no other signature block for the issuing side.
What do Date Served and Date Returned mean on the form?
They record what happened to the warrant. Date Served and Served by show when and by whom it was executed. As an alternative, Date Returned and Reason for Return show that the warrant was returned and why.
What information does the Bench Warrant section collect?
It records the court, the date issued and the Warrant No., plus the person's Home Address, Business Address, Sex, Race, DOB, Height, Weight, Eyes, Hair and Security No. These entries describe the person named in the warrant.
Can I fill out the bench warrant form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not issue, serve or file the warrant; the court's Clerk of Court and the officers follow the channels set out on the form.
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