Where Effingham's records are kept. Effingham has its own police department; county and state offices keep its other public records.
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Most requested Effingham records
The cards below include Effingham's own offices, along with the Florence County and State of South Carolina offices that keep the rest of its public records. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
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Showing 9 official sources
Official
Vital records
South Carolina Birth Records
The South Carolina Department of Public Health Vital Records office issues certified birth certificates for births in the state since 1915 to the registrant, parents or legal guardians.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health issues certified death certificates to immediate family or their legal representatives. Others can get a statement confirming the date and county of death.
The U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina offers ECF and PACER access to federal case records, plus transcripts, forms and juror information. State cases are kept by the South Carolina Judicial Branch.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds marriage records from July 1950 through 2025. Licenses from other years come from the county Probate Court that issued them.
The Florence County Sheriff's Office keeps the arrest records and incident reports its deputies write, runs the county detention centre and takes report copy requests.
Effingham is in Florence County, whose county seat is Florence. Court and property records sit with Florence County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of South Carolina. Effingham's own offices are in the cards above, and our Florence County page lists each county office.
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Effingham public-records FAQs
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Are Effingham public records free?
Inspecting records is free under South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act, and fees for searching and copying may not exceed the agency's actual cost. The Judicial Branch's Case Records Search is free, a South Carolina vital records search costs $12 and includes one certified copy, with $3 for each additional copy, and SLED's CATCH criminal record search charges a fee.
How do I request an Effingham police report?
Ask the Effingham police department records office for incident reports if the town has its own force; otherwise the Florence County Sheriff's Office keeps reports for the area. Crashes on state roads are usually worked by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, part of the Department of Public Safety.
Where can I search Effingham court cases?
Cases filed in Florence County are heard by the circuit court, magistrate court and probate court for the county, and the clerk of court keeps circuit court files. The Judicial Branch's Case Records Search gives free county public index access.
Where do I find property deeds, ownership and tax records?
Deeds, mortgages and plats are recorded by the Florence County Register of Deeds. The Florence County Assessor sets property values, the auditor computes the tax and the Florence County Treasurer collects payments.
Who issues Effingham birth, death and marriage certificates?
Any DPH Vital Records office in South Carolina issues birth certificates from any county, and the state office in Columbia issues birth and death certificates, $12 for the search and first copy. Marriage licenses are kept by the probate judge in the county where they were issued.
Can I search another person’s South Carolina criminal history by name?
Yes. SLED's CATCH system lets anyone search South Carolina criminal records by name online for a fee. The Case Records Search also shows court cases by county.
How quickly must a South Carolina agency respond to a public-records request?
South Carolina agencies must tell a requester within 10 business days whether the records are available under the Freedom of Information Act, S.C. Code 30-4-30, or 20 business days for records more than 24 months old.
Same county
Nearby Florence County cities
Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.