Charleston County Clerk of Court announces modernized document certification process

Charleston County Clerk of Court Julie Armstrong has announced the launch of a new electronic certification system that enhances document security, improves efficiency, and allows certified documents to be delivered electronically.

The new system uses a Qualified Certificate for Electronic Seal (QESeal), issued by GlobalSign following a detailed identity verification process. Electronically sealed PDF documents can be authenticated in real time through Adobe Acrobat, while printed copies include a QR code linking to an online verification page.

Expungement orders were selected for the initial rollout because the existing process is repetitive and time-consuming. The new system replaces manual embossing with an automated electronic seal, allowing secure, certified documents to be produced in seconds.

The Charleston County Clerk of Court’s Office is the first in South Carolina to offer this service, with plans to expand the technology to additional areas of operation.

Armstrong has earned recognition across South Carolina and nationally for her efforts to safeguard court records while embracing innovative technology to improve accessibility and efficiency.

“When I challenged my staff to find a better way to provide certified documents to the public, my vision was simple: people should be able to receive a document electronically and have confidence that it is authentic and hasn’t been altered. We looked at software that was already on the market, but the cost was difficult to justify to our taxpayers. I was also concerned about being locked into ongoing fees for updates and maintenance, so I asked our team to develop a solution that would be cost-effective, secure, and sustainable for the long term.” Armstrong said.

Varinderpal Singh, senior enterprise architect for the Clerk of Court’s Office, developed the system from the ground up, handling all software development and database programming with support from Charleston County IT.

For information on Charleston County Government news and services, please visit https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/.