Court Jurisdiction and Venue for Adoption Petitions - South Carolina

Date: January 2022

Jurisdiction

Citation: Ann. Code § 63-9-40

The family court has exclusive jurisdiction over all adoption proceedings.

Venue

Citation: Ann. Code § 63-9-40

Proceedings for adoption by residents of this State may be brought in the family court of the county in which the petitioner resides or is in military service or in the county in which the child resides or was born. For nonresidents of this State, proceedings for adoption must be brought in the county in which the child resides, in which the child was born, or in which the agency having custody of the child is located.

The family court may order a change of venue as in civil proceedings in this State.