{"data":{"id":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-63-3-40","jurisdiction":"us-sc","citation":"S.C. Code Ann. § 63-3-40","heading":"Initial election.","body":"(A) The General Assembly shall elect a number of family court judges from each judicial circuit as follows:\nFirst Circuit\tFour Judges\nSecond Circuit\tTwo Judges\nThird Circuit\tThree Judges\nFourth Circuit\tThree Judges\nFifth Circuit\tFour Judges\nSixth Circuit\tTwo Judges\nSeventh Circuit\tFour Judges\nEighth Circuit\tThree Judges\nNinth Circuit\tSeven Judges\nTenth Circuit\tThree Judges\nEleventh Circuit\tFour Judges\nTwelfth Circuit\tThree Judges\nThirteenth Circuit\tSix Judges\nFourteenth Circuit\tFour Judges\nFifteenth Circuit\tThree Judges\nSixteenth Circuit\tThree Judges\n(B) In the following judicial circuits at least one family court judge must be a resident of each county in the circuit: fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth. In those judicial circuits made up of three or more counties, at least one family court judge must be a resident of one of the counties which does not have the largest population in the circuit. In the ninth circuit, both counties in the circuit must have at least two resident family court judges.\n(C) No county in the sixth circuit shall have more than one resident family court judge.\n(D) In addition to the judges authorized by this section, there must be eight additional family court judges elected by the General Assembly from the State at large for terms of office of six years. These additional judges must be elected without regard to county or circuit of residence. Each office of the at-large judges is a separate office and is assigned numerical designations of Seat No. 1 through Seat No. 8, respectively.","path":["Title 63 - SOUTH CAROLINA CHILDREN'S CODE","CHAPTER 3 Family Court","ARTICLE 1 Family Court and Family Court Judges"],"source_url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t63c003.php","current_through":"2025 Session of the General Assembly","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-02T08:09:14Z","sha256":"8b770b0cbf37e3620c2c84ed3b2ae589ee2ba5c9a5194a4acb708c652c1d5dd7","source_id":"us-sc","stale":false,"prev":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-63-3-30","next":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-63-3-50"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}