South Carolina Background Checks

South Carolina Criminal Records

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division website is home to a number of informational areas and pages. Among these are AMBER alerts, cold case information, concealed weapons permit information, alcohol licensing questions and much more. This website also contains the official South Carolina criminal records check database.

Background checks may be completed online or via a mail through a record check form available on the website. In either case, a fee of $25.00 is charged per set of South Carolina criminal records. A reduced fee of $8.00 is allowed for those organizations considered to be charitable and a completely waived fee is given to educational organizations. Charitable organizations must complete a “Charitable Account Application Form” and educational entities will be required to enter local school district verification account information in order to conduct searches online.

To request a criminal record check by mail do the following:

Step 1: Fill out the South Carolina Record Check form. Click Here.
Step 2: Include payment. There is a $25.00 processing fee per record request.
Step 3: Mail the completed form and payment to the address indicated on the form.

For further information regarding accessing South Carolina criminal records during your South Carolina background checks, contact the SLED Records Department office at the address below:

SLED Records Department
PO Box 21398
Columbia, SC 29221
(803) 896-7056

Resource Links
South Carolina Criminal Records Check
Request Form

South Carolina Court Records

The South Carolina Judicial Department handles all South Carolina court records, as well as a large range of information regarding bar admissions, court forms and rosters, court rules, legal links and court calendar information. Not all counties are covered by the online records search, and the website shows a graphical map of what counties are online.

Once at the case records search page, users can click on the pertinent county. At the next web page, users select which court system (Circuit or Summary) is relevant and then must read and agree to the standard disclaimer. Court cases may be searched by the following criteria: case number, name, filing dates, and court agency. Each resulting record shows party information, judgments, actions, and associated cases. All South Carolina court records searches are free of charge.

To search for court records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the South Carolina Case Records Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Select a county and agree to the terms and conditions.
Step 3: Fill out all required information fields and click “Search” to view all case results.

For further information regarding accessing South Carolina court records, contact the clerk's office at the address below:

Clerk of Court
Supreme Court Building
1231 Gervais Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(803) 734-1080

Resource Links
South Carolina Case Records Search

South Carolina Jail Records

South Carolina jail records are maintained by the South Carolina Department of Corrections. This website contains information regarding research, victims, programs, and family data pertaining to the Department of Corrections and inmates residing within the system. The mission of the South Carolina Department of Corrections is to provide safety, service and stewardship to not only the public, but those currently being incarcerated.

South Carolina jail record searches conducted within the incarcerated inmate database are free of charge. Users must know the SCDC (South Carolina Department of Corrections) identification number, first and last name, or SID (Security Identifier) of the person in question. Phonetic matches on names are allowed if one is uncertain of the spelling of a first or last name. Search results contain identifying information, offense or offenses committed and whether the inmate was placed on the sex offender registry.

To search for jail records online do the following:

Step 1: Visit the South Carolina Inmate Search webpage. Click Here.
Step 2: Enter the inmate’s first name, last name, SCDC ID and SID number.
Step 3: Click “Submit” to run your search and view available results.

For further information regarding accessing South Carolina jail records, contact the South Carolina Department of Corrections at the address below:

Headquarters
P. O. Box 21787
4444 Broad River Road
Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 896-8500

Resource Links
South Carolina Inmate Search

South Carolina Driving Records

The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) provides many services and information that can aid in your South Carolina background checks. In addition to South Carolina driving records and vehicle report information, the website contains forms and manuals, a vehicle plate gallery, driving tips, job opportunities and data pertaining to water craft.

As certified driving records obtained online from the SCDMV service are covered by the Federal Driver Privacy Protection Act, as well as several South Carolina privacy measures, there are a number of rules and stipulations regarding the gathering and release of any records derived from the SCMDV database. Driving records of persons other than yourself may not be obtained for commercial or unlawful purposes. A three or ten year record may be obtained online and costs $6.00 per record retrieved.

For further information regarding accessing South Carolina driving records, contact the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles office at the address below:

SC DMV
Post Office Box 1498
10311 Wilson Boulevard - Building C
Blythewood, South Carolina 29016
(803) 896-5000

Resource Links
South Carolina Driving Record Information

Additional Resources

South Carolina Sexual Offender Registry
South Carolina Attorney General