A background check in Charleston County pulls from several offices at once. Arrest and booking files sit with local police and the Sheriff’s Office. Court dockets sit with the Clerk of Court. Marriage, property, and business papers sit with the Register of Deeds and the probate office. Statewide criminal history comes from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division through its CATCH portal. Each source has its own rules for release.
This page lists the record types a screening may return and the limits on each one. It covers consent rules, sealed files, juvenile exclusions, and the steps for fixing an error. It explains why a name match can be wrong and why a new filing may not appear yet. It ends with answers to common questions and the offices that hold the paperwork for each one.
Background Record Search
Start with the state portal for a criminal history check, then widen the search by office.
- Statewide criminal history portal: https://catch.sled.sc.gov/
- CATCH returns arrests, charges, and dispositions tied to a fingerprint record.
- Counties hold the underlying dockets, booking logs, and deed books.
- A name search needs a date of birth to cut down false matches.
- South Carolina limits who may run a check for employment or housing.
- Certified copies come from the office that created the file.
Criminal, Court & Vital Data
Four record groups turn up in most screenings, and each one comes from a different office. Arrest logs come from the agency that made the stop. Court dockets come from the Clerk of Court. Property, business, and marriage papers come from the Register of Deeds and the probate judge. Read each group on its own terms, since a charge is not a conviction and a filing is not a judgment.
| Office detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Location | South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), statewide agency; headquarters at 4400 Broad River Road, Columbia, SC 29210 |
| Contact Number | See SLED official contact information for CATCH assistance |
| Office Hours | See SLED official contact information |
| Official Website Search Portal | https://catch.sled.sc.gov/ |
The SLED office in Columbia keeps the statewide fingerprint record, and it is not a Charleston County office. A trip to the coast will not produce that file. Use the CATCH portal first, then call the county or municipal agency that made the arrest when you need a local report. Ask each office what it releases before you pay a fee or drive across the state to a counter.
Arrest Logs & Offense Filings
A booking log lists the name, the birth date, the arrest time, the charging agency, and the offense. Charleston County police departments and the Sheriff’s Office each keep their own logs, and the county jail publishes a roster. An arrest shows probable cause, not guilt. The file may close without a charge, and a prosecutor may drop the count later. Read the newest entry first.
Misdemeanors, Felonies & Sentences
South Carolina divides offenses by the possible prison term. A misdemeanor carries a shorter maximum, and a felony carries more than one year. The docket records the charge at booking, the charge as filed, and the charge the court accepted. A sentence entry shows prison time, probation, a fine, or a pretrial program. Read the disposition line in the docket to see the final outcome for that case.
Civil Dockets & Judgment Orders
A civil file can still affect a screening when the case involves a judgment, a lien, or a claim for damages. The index shows the party names, the case type, the filing date, and the amount in dispute. A money judgment may sit unpaid for years and appear in a title search. A satisfied judgment should carry a release entry. Check that line before you treat a debt as open.
Property, Business & Marriage Filings
Deeds, mortgages, liens, and plats sit in the Register of Deeds office. Business filings come from the South Carolina Secretary of State. marriage licenses come from the probate judge who issued them, and a divorce decree comes from the family court. These papers prove a relationship, an ownership interest, or a company role. They rarely show a criminal matter. Read the recording date and the book and page number.
| Record group | Office that holds it | What the entry shows |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest and booking log | City police department or Charleston County Sheriff’s Office | Name, arrest date, charge, charging agency |
| Criminal docket | Clerk of Court, Ninth Judicial Circuit | Charges, pleas, sentences, case status |
| Civil case index | Clerk of Court | Parties, claim type, judgment entries |
| Deed and mortgage | County Register of Deeds | Owner name, parcel, recording date |
| Business filing | SC Secretary of State | Company name, registered agent, status |
| Marriage license | Probate Court | Names, license date, officiant |
Table rows show where to send a request for each record group. A single screening report may blend all four, and that blend hides which office holds the source paper. Ask the vendor for the source line on any item you plan to dispute. Then write to that office with the name, the date, and the file number. A reply from the source office carries more weight than a vendor note.
Legal Compliance & Consumer Rights
Two sets of rules govern a screening: the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and South Carolina law on records and licensing. The federal act covers reports sold by a consumer reporting agency. State law covers what an agency may release and how long a file stays open. Read both before you order a check, and keep the written consent form on file for at least the period your lawyer names.
Permissible Use & Screening Laws
The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows a consumer report for employment, credit, insurance, and housing decisions. It bars a report for a curious neighbor or a personal grudge. South Carolina adds rules for private investigators, bail agents, and debt collectors, and each license carries its own limits. A public record is open to read, and a compiled report sold for a fee falls under the federal act.
Mandatory Applicant Consent Rules
An employer must obtain a written release before ordering a report for a job. The form must stand alone, and it cannot sit inside the application itself. The applicant signs, and the employer keeps the paper. If the report leads to a denial, the employer must send a pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and a summary of rights. A waiting period follows before the final decision.
Official Record Correction Rights
A person may dispute an item in a consumer report, and the agency must investigate within thirty days. The agency then corrects, updates, or deletes the item and sends a new report. For a court or police file, the fix runs through the office that made the entry. A clerk cannot change a charge, and a judge must sign an order. Bring a certified copy of the dismissal.
| Item in a dispute packet | Why the agency needs it |
|---|---|
| Full name and former names | Ties the entry to one person |
| Date of birth | Separates people who share a name |
| File or case number | Points staff to one line |
| Copy of the order or dismissal | Proves the correct fact |
| Mailing record | Shows when the agency received it |
A dispute packet works best when it holds one item per letter. State the name, the date of birth, the file number, and the exact line you say is wrong. Explain what the correct fact is and attach the paper that proves it. Keep a copy of everything you mail and send the packet by a method that shows delivery. Follow up after thirty days.
Public Availability & Official Copies
South Carolina keeps most criminal and civil files open, and it closes a few by statute. Any person may read a public docket at the courthouse. A copy costs a per-page fee, and a certification adds a seal and a signature. A sealed file usually shows as a number with no caption. Juvenile matters carry their own limits. Ask the office what it can release before you pay.
Requesting Official Agency Copies
Start with the agency that created the record, not with a reseller. A police report comes from the records unit of the department that worked the case. A court paper comes from the Clerk of Court. A statewide criminal history comes from SLED with a fingerprint card and the fee it sets. Bring photo identification and the case number when you go in person to the counter.
Certified File Documentation
A certified copy carries a stamp, a signature, and a date from the custodian of the file. Many employers and licensing boards accept only that version. Ask for the certification page by name, since a plain copy and a certified copy look alike until the last page. Check the name spelling and the case number before you leave the window. A wrong digit can void the paper.
Sealed, Expunged & Juvenile Exclusions
A sealed or expunged file should not appear on a report, and a vendor that sells one breaks the law. South Carolina allows expungement for some first offenses after a waiting period, and a court order starts the process. Juvenile matters stay in family court and carry tight limits. A fingerprint record may still show an arrest that ended without a conviction. Ask SLED to review that entry.
Record Accuracy & Resolution
A name search is a starting point, not proof. Common surnames in Charleston County return dozens of rows, and a birth date or a middle name cuts the list. Reports from different vendors can disagree on the same case. A record that appears in one county may be missing from another. Check the source line on each item, then confirm the entry with the office that created it before you act.
Differentiating Similar Name Matches
Two people can share a name, a birth year, and a county. Use the full middle name, the street address, and the last four digits of a case number to tell them apart. A booking photo and a physical description help when the file allows it. A record with no birth date is weak proof. Ask the agency to confirm the identifier before you rely on the match.
Multi-Jurisdiction Reporting Delay
An arrest in North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, or a nearby county may take a week to reach a statewide index. Each agency sends its own batch, and a weekend or a holiday slows the transfer. A court disposition can lag by months after the hearing. Check the local jail roster and the Clerk of Court docket on the same day. Compare the two dates before you call a file missing.
Unlisted Background File Resolution
Call the office that should hold the file and give every detail you have: full name, birth date, case number, arrest date, and the charging agency. Staff can search by name, by date, or by number. The file may sit under a maiden name or a former address. If nothing turns up, ask for a written statement that no record exists. That letter often satisfies an employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions come up at the records window and on the phone. Each answer follows South Carolina practice and the offices named on this page. A clerk can confirm a case number or a copy fee, and a lawyer can explain how a rule applies to one file. Hours and fees change, so call ahead before you travel to a records counter with a written list of what you need.
What public files appear on a Charleston County background search?
A county search can return arrest logs, booking entries, criminal dockets, civil case indexes, deeds, mortgages, business filings, and marriage records. Each item points to the office that created it, and that office sets the rules for release. A compiled report may shorten or merge those lines. Read the source note beside each entry, then order the original from that office when you need a paper that carries a seal and a signature.
Are sealed criminal records visible in public background checks?
They should not be. A sealed or expunged file leaves the public index, and a licensed reporting agency may not include it in a consumer report. Old data can linger at a data broker that never refreshed its copy. Get the expungement order from the court and send a certified copy to each agency that still shows the entry. Keep proof of every mailing, since a second letter may be needed.
Is consent required for public record searches in South Carolina?
South Carolina follows the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act for reports sold by a screening firm. That law requires a written release for a job, a loan, or a lease. A person who reads a public docket at the courthouse signs nothing. A data broker that compiles a file for a fee must follow the same federal rule. A county office releases a public copy under state law instead.
Who confirms missing or inaccurate background records?
The office that created the record holds that answer. A police report comes from the records unit of the department that made the arrest, a docket comes from the Clerk of Court, and a statewide criminal history comes from SLED. A reporting agency must investigate a written dispute within thirty days. Start with the source office, then send the reply to the vendor that sold you the report.