A busted mugshot is a booking photo posted by a site that collects jail images. Charleston County does not run a page by that name. The Sheriff’s Office publishes an inmate roster for the Al Cannon Detention Center, and that roster is the county’s own source. Other sites copy from it, sometimes within hours and sometimes with errors. Check the county page before you trust a copy.
This page covers the search itself, the fields printed beside each photo, the checks that keep a match honest, and the way to fix a bad entry. State law and jail policy decide what gets posted and what stays closed. A photo records an arrest, and an arrest is not a conviction. Keep the booking number from every entry you rely on, and note the day you saw it.
Busted Mugshot Search
The county roster answers most mugshot questions, and a booking number returns the fastest match.
- Official inmate roster: https://inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov/
- Search by legal name, booking date, or booking number.
- Each entry lists a booking photo, charges, bond, and custody status.
- Detention Center address: 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405.
- Records desk: (843) 529-7300.
- Sheriff’s Office non-emergency: (843) 202-1700.
Daily & Historical Search Logs
The roster shows people in custody now, and it changes as bookings and releases happen. A daily check catches new names. Older entries drop off the public page once a person leaves, yet the jail keeps the booking file. Sites that archive images build their own lists, and those lists may hold a photo the county removed. Treat an archive as a copy, not as the record.
Required Search Details
Start with the name as it appears on a charging paper. Add a date range of a few days around the arrest, and a city if the person moved. Without a booking number, a common surname will return many rows. Use the middle initial and the year of birth to cut the list. Write down each candidate’s booking number before you open a second page.
Mugshot & Booking Record Details
A booking page is a form with fixed fields, and each field answers a different question. A photo shows a face at intake. The booking number ties that face to one stay in custody. Charges name the allegation, bond shows release terms, and custody status shows where the person sits today. Read the fields together rather than as separate facts, since each one can change as the case moves.
| Office detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Location | Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405 |
| Contact Number | (843) 529-7300 (Detention Center); (843) 202-1700 (Sheriff’s Office non-emergency) |
| Office Hours | Contact the Detention Center or relevant division to confirm public counter hours |
| Official Website Search Portal | https://inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov/ |
Begin with the legal name and a date range. The roster accepts a surname alone, and a booking number narrows the result to one entry. Photos carry a booking date, so a range of two or three days catches a late-night intake recorded after midnight. Save the page as a file or print it, and note the hour you checked. The roster changes each time someone posts bond.
Booking Photo & Subject Identity
The image is taken at intake, against a flat wall. It shows the person on the day of booking, not on the day of the offense. Hair, weight, and facial hair drift over months, and a camera angle can lengthen a face. Pair the picture with a birth date, a middle name, and a booking number. A likeness alone will not settle a match at a counter.
Booking Number, Timestamp & Facility
Every entry carries a booking number, an intake time, and a facility name. The number stays with one stay in custody and does not follow a person to a later arrest. The timestamp records when a clerk finished intake, so a 2 a.m. booking may show a date earlier than the arrest. The facility field usually reads Al Cannon Detention Center, 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405.
Arresting Agency & Listed Charges
The agency line names the office that made the arrest. Charleston police, North Charleston police, Mount Pleasant police, and the Sheriff’s Office each file their own reports, and each keeps its own copy. The charge list shows the statute or ordinance text as written at intake. A count can be added, reduced, or dropped later by a prosecutor. Read the charge line with the case file.
Bail Amount, Bond & Custody Status
Bond is the money or the conditions a judge sets for release. The amount can come from a schedule or from a hearing, and it may change after a first appearance. Custody status shows whether the person is still held, has been released, or has moved to another facility. A zero bond means release on a promise to appear. Read the status line as of the print date, since it changes daily.
| Part of an entry | What it shows | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Booking photo | Face and appearance at intake | Hair and weight change |
| Booking number | One intake and one custody stay | Best search key |
| Intake timestamp | When the clerk finished the booking | Not the offense date |
| Charge text | The allegation as written | May be amended later |
| Bond amount | Terms set for release | Set by a judge or a schedule |
| Custody status | Held, released, or transferred | Changes daily |
Each column points to a different office. A booking number opens the jail file, a report number opens the police file, and a case number opens the court file. Copy all three when they exist, and note which one a counter asked for. A clerk cannot search a police report by a jail number. Keep the numbers apart in your notes so a request reaches the right desk the first time.
Record Accuracy & Resolution
A mugshot page can be wrong in quiet ways. A photo may sit beside the wrong name, a booking date may print one day off, or an entry may stay online after a release. Sites that copy the county roster add their own errors and rarely say when they last updated. Use the jail roster as the authority, then ask the agency that made the arrest to confirm anything you plan to share.
Matching Photos to Booking Numbers
Open the entry and read the number under the photo before you compare faces. A booking number belongs to one intake, so a second photo with the same number should show the same person. If two rows share a name, check birth years and middle names. Ask the records desk to read the number from the file when a site hides it. That call settles a match faster than a visual guess.
| Step | Office or page | Detail to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm a booking | County roster | Full name and date range |
| Read the photo | Roster entry | Booking number |
| Confirm charges | Arresting agency | Report number |
| Check bond and court dates | Clerk of Court | Case number |
| Fix an error | Detention Center records desk | Photo ID and a page copy |
Work down that list in order, and stop when a row does not match. A booking number that fails to confirm at the jail means the photo belongs to someone else or to an older entry. A charge that no longer appears in the court file means the case moved. Write the date beside each answer. A short written trail saves an argument later with an employer or a landlord.
System Delays for Recent Intakes
A booking enters the roster after a clerk completes intake, not at the moment of arrest. A Friday night arrest often appears on Saturday, and a holiday weekend can stretch the gap. A person released before data entry may never show a public photo at all. Give a new intake three business days, then call (843) 529-7300 and ask whether the booking was logged under another spelling.
Unlisted Photo Resolution & Removal
Start with the jail, not with a copy site. The records desk can confirm whether an image exists and whether a release or a court order closed it. If a photo appears on a site after an expungement, ask that site in writing to drop it and keep the reply. South Carolina law sets limits on how a booking photo may be used for profit. A lawyer can explain your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Readers ask the same four questions about booking photos. The answers below rest on South Carolina practice and on the offices named earlier on this page. Each reply stays short and names the agency that holds the paper. Posting rules and counter hours can change without much notice, so call the records desk before you travel. Nothing here replaces advice from a lawyer about a pending case.
How quickly are mugshots posted after booking?
Most photos reach the public roster within one business day. A late Friday arrest may wait until Monday, and a holiday adds another day. The clerk completes intake first, then the image is attached to the booking record. A person released on bond before that step may never appear. If a photo is missing after three business days, call the detention center at (843) 529-7300 and ask for the booking number.
What details appear alongside a booking photo?
An entry usually shows the full name, the booking number, the intake date and time, the arresting agency, the listed charges, the bond amount, and the custody status. Some rows include a date of birth, a race, and a sex. A photo may carry a watermark or a timestamp. Read each field on its own and write down the source page, since the roster changes by the hour.
Why might a recent booking photo be excluded online?
A jail can hold back a photo for several reasons. The person may be a juvenile, may be held on a federal detainer, or may sit in a case a judge sealed. A release before data entry removes the chance to post an image. County policy can limit what shows for a protected witness. Ask the records desk whether a photo exists in the file even when it stays offline.
How do I verify a booking photo record in Charleston County ?
Pull the entry from the county roster and copy the booking number, the intake date, and the charge list. Call the detention center at (843) 529-7300 and ask the records desk to confirm that the number matches the person. For a filed case, ask the Clerk of Court for the case number and the last order. Compare all three sources before you share an image with anyone else.