Guide
South Carolina Expungement Research Resources
In South Carolina the solicitor's office in each circuit handles expungement applications, and SLED removes the charge after a court order. The official South Carolina sources are listed below.
- South Carolina Judicial Branch, Expungement Application ProcessSteps for General Sessions, magistrate and municipal court cases
- SLED, Criminal Justice Information ServicesApply through the solicitor; SLED removes charges after a court order
- S.C. Code Title 17, Chapter 22Includes the expungement of criminal records article
This directory is for informational and research use only. Expungement eligibility, waiting periods, filing fees, notice rules, and the effect on background checks can differ significantly depending on the state, offense level, case outcome, and later law changes.
Guide
Sealing a divorce or civil file in South Carolina
South Carolina has no statute that closes divorce files or the Financial Declaration in them. Title 63 closes juvenile records under S.C. Code 63-3-20(D) and adoption records under 63-9-780, but not divorce files, and the county clerks state that Family Court records are public unless a judicial order or a statute closes them, listing sealed cases, juvenile cases and adoption filings as the exceptions.
A party who wants a document or a file withheld moves the Family Court for an order sealing it, and the court's sealing order is what takes the case out of public viewing. The motion is decided under Rule 41.1 of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure on sealing documents and settlement agreements, which requires a motion to seal, has the court weigh listed factors before sealing, in Family Court also whether the documents expose private financial matters or concern sensitive custody issues, and requires every sealing order to state with specificity the reasons for it. The Dorchester County statement that Family Court records are public is at dorchestercountysc.gov.
Guide
Research Notes
- Start with the court and the originating agency. Expungement or sealing requests are often handled through the court that heard the case, sometimes with supporting records from police, prosecutors, or corrections agencies.
- Terminology differs by state. Some jurisdictions use terms such as sealing, set-aside, vacatur, dismissal relief, or nondisclosure instead of expungement.
- Verify current law. Eligibility rules can change through legislation or court decisions, so always confirm the current process before relying on older instructions or third-party summaries.
- Understand downstream effects. Even after record relief, treatment of court, police, private-background check, and federal records may differ depending on the system involved.
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