The Charleston County jail publishes a current booking list that anyone can read online. Each row shows a name, a booking number, an intake time, the charging agency, and the offense. Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston holds most people arrested in the county. The roster changes all day as new intakes arrive and other people post bond or go before a judge.
This page explains how to read a booking entry, what the fields mean, and which details stay hidden. It covers charges, bail amounts, housing units, transfer status, and the delay between an arrest and the first online post. It lists the office that answers a records question and the steps for disputing a wrong entry. Bookmark the county portal, since the roster updates without notice.
Current Booking Search
Open the county inmate search, then match a name with a booking number or an intake date.
- County inmate search portal: https://inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov/
- Search by name, booking number, or intake date.
- The roster lists people held at the detention center in North Charleston.
- Each entry shows charges, bond, and the arresting agency.
- Release entries stay up for a short period after bond is posted.
- Call the detention center at (843) 529-7300 for a status check.
Intake Details & Custody Status
A booking record grows in stages. The intake deputy logs the name, the birth date, the address, and the charge from the arresting officer’s paperwork. A magistrate sets bail at a first appearance, and the jail assigns a housing unit. The record then follows the person through court dates, transfers, and release. Read the newest status line, since an earlier field may still show the original charge.
| 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/ |
The search page is free and needs no account. Type a last name first, then add a first name and a date when the list runs long. A booking number narrows the result to one row. Read the intake date before you trust a match, because old entries can carry the same name. Print or save the page, since a row can leave the roster after a release.
Subject Identity & Booking Numbers
A booking number is the jail’s own identifier, and it stays with one person for one stay. The record pairs that number with a full name, a date of birth, a race, a sex, and a height and weight. A name alone is not enough, since relatives can share a surname. Copy the booking number and the birth date before you call the jail with a question about one person.
Booking Timestamp & Agency Name
The timestamp marks the minute the jail finished intake, not the minute of the arrest. A person may sit in a holding cell for hours before that entry appears. The agency line names the department that brought the person in, such as a city police force, the Sheriff’s Office, or a state agency. A case number from that agency links the booking to the police report.
Offense Charges & Bail Amounts
The charge field lists the statute or ordinance the officer cited, with a short description. A booking can carry one count or many. Bail appears as a dollar amount set by a magistrate, and a hold from another county can block release even after bond is paid. A no-bond line means a judge must act first. Read the bond note beside each charge, since amounts differ per count.
Processing, Custody & Transfer Status
A status line shows where a person sits in the process: intake, arraignment, awaiting trial, serving a sentence, or released. A transfer note means the person moved to another facility, and the booking may leave this roster. A court date field shows the next hearing. Read the release line when it appears, and note the time. A person can post bond in the evening and still show as held the next morning.
| Booking field | What the field shows |
|---|---|
| Booking number | Jail identifier for one stay |
| Intake timestamp | Date and time of processing |
| Charging agency | Department that made the arrest |
| Charge | Statute cited and a short description |
| Bond amount | Bail set by a magistrate per count |
| Housing unit | Unit where the person is held |
| Status | Intake, court, transfer, or release |
Field names differ between the county portal and a printed jail log, and a vendor may rename them again. Match on the booking number when two sources disagree. Note the time you pulled each page, since a status can change within an hour. A screenshot with a visible clock helps when you must show what the roster said at a given moment. Keep the source link with the copy.
Public Availability & File Access
The booking roster is a public list, and the county posts it without a login. Some fields stay closed: a medical note, a juvenile intake, a protected witness, and a sealed case. The jail withholds a cell assignment for safety in some situations. A record that vanishes from the list may have moved to a court file or left with a transfer. Ask the records unit when a row disappears.
Daily Online Roster Publishing
The county refreshes the roster through the day as deputies finish intake. A morning check and an evening check can show different counts. The page lists active holds, and a release removes the row or marks it closed. Print the page or save it as a file if you need a record of what it said. A saved page carries more weight than a memory of the screen.
Redacted & Confidential Intakes
A booking page can hide a charge, an address, or a whole entry. State law closes juvenile matters, and a judge can seal a case at the request of a party. A protected witness or an undercover officer may have a name withheld. A hidden field does not mean the person is absent from the jail. Call the records unit and ask what the office can confirm by phone.
Facility Housing Assignments
The jail lists a housing unit for most people in custody. Staff assign that unit by security level, medical need, and space, and they can move a person without notice. A blank unit field often means the person is in intake, in court, or at a hospital. The unit label is not a sentence length and does not predict a release date. Ask a deputy for a welfare check.
| Status term | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| In custody | Held at the detention center, bond not posted |
| Awaiting trial | Case pending with a court date set |
| Bond posted | Bail paid, release in process |
| Transferred | Moved to another facility or a state prison |
| Released | Out of custody, row may stay up briefly |
| No bond | Judge must set terms before release |
A status term is a snapshot and not a court ruling. The jail writes it for its own use, and the wording can differ from the charge sheet. Confirm a release with a phone call before you drive to Leeds Avenue to pick someone up. Confirm a transfer with the records unit before you send mail or visit. A court clerk can confirm the next hearing date from the case number.
Record Accuracy & Resolution
A booking page is a live tool, and it can lag behind the jail’s own log. An entry may appear late, carry a charge that a prosecutor later drops, or vanish after a release. None of that means the file is lost. Start with the booking number, then call the records unit. Note the date and time of every check, since a later call may need that detail to trace one entry.
System Delays for Today’s Intakes
An arrest at midnight may not show online until the next afternoon. Deputies book people in a queue, and a busy weekend fills the holding area first. A charge that needs a magistrate can hold the record back. Check the jail roster, then call the detention center with the name and the arrest time. A deputy can confirm a hold that the page does not show yet.
Removed & Completed Booking Entries
The roster carries active holds, so a release takes the row down or marks it closed. A transfer to the state prison system removes the person from county custody. An expunged or sealed case can drop a charge line. A court may order a record pulled. Save a copy the day you find an entry, since a removed row may not return. The jail can confirm whether a person is still held.
Unlisted Inmate File Resolution
Call the detention center at (843) 529-7300 and give the full name, the birth date, and the arrest time. Ask whether the person is in custody, has posted bond, or was never booked. A misspelled name or a nickname can hide a row. Check the county jail roster and the municipal jail in the same hour. Ask for the booking number once staff find the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions arrive by phone and at the lobby window every week. The answers follow the county portal and the practice at the detention center on Leeds Avenue. A deputy can confirm a hold, a bond, or a release, and a court clerk can confirm the next hearing date. The roster changes all day, so check the page again before you drive across the county.
How quickly do new intakes publish online?
Most bookings appear within a few hours of processing, and a quiet weekday can be faster. A weekend, a holiday, or a large arrest event adds time. The page updates as deputies finish each batch, so an evening check often finds rows that were missing at noon. Call the detention center when a person has been held for more than a day without a row on the list.
What details are shown on a active booking record?
A public row carries the name, the birth date, the booking number, the intake time, the charging agency, the charges, and the bond amount. Some rows list a court date and a housing unit. A sealed case, a juvenile intake, or a protected witness hides fields. The page does not show a criminal history, a home address, or a phone number for the person who is being held.
Why might today’s booking record be unlisted?
A record can be missing for plain reasons. The intake may still sit in a queue, the name may be spelled another way, or the person may have been released before you looked. A juvenile, a sealed case, or a witness hold keeps a row off the page. A transfer to another jail removes it. Call the detention center with the full name and the exact arrest time.
Who confirms missing current booking entries?
The records unit at the detention center answers that question, and a deputy can check the jail log by name. Give the full name, the date of birth, and the exact arrest time. Ask whether the person is in custody, has posted bond, or was booked and released. A court clerk can confirm a hearing date from the case number once the charge is filed with the court.