Richland County, South Carolina Public Records

Mugshots and booking photos in Richland County are maintained by the Richland County Sheriff's Department. These images are typically available through the department's online portal or by submitting a formal request to the Sheriff's Department located at 5623 Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29223. It's important to note that access to these records may be subject to certain privacy laws and regulations.

To obtain a criminal background check in Richland County, you should contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). SLED provides statewide criminal background checks, which can be requested online through their website. For local records, you may also inquire with the Richland County Sheriff's Department for any additional procedures they might have.

The South Carolina Sex Offender Registry is the official resource for looking up sex offenders in Richland County. This registry is managed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and provides an online search tool where you can search by name, address, or geographic area. This tool is designed to help the public stay informed about registered sex offenders in their community.

Voter registration in Richland County is handled by the Richland County Voter Registration and Elections Office at (803) 576-2240. You can register online at scVOTES.gov, in person at 2020 Hampton Street, Suite 3030, Columbia, or by mail, but you must register at least 30 days before Election Day. You'll need to be a U.S. Citizen, 18 years old by the election, and a South Carolina resident. Absentee ballots are available for voters meeting specific criteria, with applications available through scVOTES.gov or the county elections office.

Property records in Richland County are maintained by two offices: the Register of Deeds at 2020 Hampton Street, Columbia, handles land records (deeds, mortgages, liens, plats), while the Assessor's Office at 301 University Ridge handles tax assessments. Both offices offer free online searches, the Register of Deeds at richlandcountysc.gov/Government/Departments/Register-of-Deeds for recorded documents, and the Assessor at rcgov.us/departments/assessor for property tax information and GIS mapping. You can search by owner name, address, or parcel number, and view document images online, though certified copies require fees of $2.00 for the first page and $1.00 for additional pages.

Birth and death certificates for Richland County are issued by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Division of Vital Records, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Birth certificates cost $12.00 for the first copy ($3.00 for additional copies ordered together), and death certificates cost $12.00 each. You can order in person (3-5 business days processing), by mail (4-6 weeks), or online through VitalChek at scdhec.gov/vitalrecords with additional service fees. You must provide valid photo identification and proof of your relationship to the person named on the record, as birth records are restricted for 100 years and death records for 50 years under South Carolina law.

Business records in Richland County can be found through multiple sources depending on the business type. The South Carolina Secretary of State maintains a free online database at sos.sc.gov/business-filings where you can search corporations, LLCs, and other registered entities. County business licenses for unincorporated areas are issued by the Richland County Business Service Center at (803) 576-2400, while the City of Columbia handles licenses within city limits at (803) 545-3580. Trade name registrations (DBAs) are filed with the Richland County Clerk of Court and can be searched through county records, and professional licenses are managed by respective South Carolina state licensing boards.