South Carolina does not currently have justices of the peace. The last justice of the peace in South Carolina retired in 2008, and the role has since been taken over by notaries and municipal judges.
A justice of the peace is a local magistrate who handles minor civil or criminal cases. They may also perform marriages and administer oaths in some jurisdictions. Justices of the peace are sometimes called “lay judges” because they are not always required to be lawyers. Instead, they receive training in the laws of the court after being elected or appointed.
In South Carolina, a wedding ceremony can be performed by a South Carolina Notary Public or an ordained minister.
