South Carolina Public Records

How the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act Actually Works

South Carolina's public records law is codified at S.C. Code § 30-4-10 (South Carolina Freedom of Information Act). It gives any person — resident or not, citizen or not, journalist or not — the right to inspect and copy public records held by state and local agencies. In most cases, you do not have to explain why you want the record.

Response time: 10 business days to acknowledge; reasonable time for production. The agency's response is not necessarily a deadline to deliver records — it tells you whether the records exist and when they'll be produced.

Fee rules: $0.25/page; first 30 minutes of search/copying free. Agencies cannot inflate charges to discourage requests.

If your request is denied or unreasonably delayed, the law typically provides a mechanism to appeal — either administratively or by filing a petition in state court. Many states award attorney's fees to requesters who prevail on a wrongfully denied request.

What You Cannot Get in South Carolina (the honest answer)

Many directory sites promise things South Carolina law specifically restricts. Here's what's actually true:

• Rap sheet access: Sled catch provides public name-based access $25. Third-party "instant background check" sites that promise a full South Carolina criminal history are typically aggregating older court data — not the official state record.
• Sealed and expunged records: records cleared under South Carolina's expungement law (S.C. Code § 17-22-150) are removed from public criminal history reports.
• Juvenile records are generally confidential under South Carolina law and not available without court order.
• Active investigation records, attorney-client privileged documents, draft notes, and personnel files are exempt under standard exceptions to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.
• Booking photos (mugshots) have increasingly restricted commercial use across South Carolina and most states — paid "mugshot removal" sites are exposed to civil liability in many jurisdictions.

Expungement and Record Clearing in South Carolina

South Carolina's record-clearing law is found at S.C. Code § 17-22-150.

Eligibility: non-convictions and certain first-offense misdemeanors; expungement fees apply ($250+).

The petition or application is typically filed in the court of conviction. Filing fees, waiting periods, and exclusions vary by offense type — serious violent crimes and most sexual offenses are commonly excluded. Many states are moving toward automatic ("Clean Slate") sealing for qualifying records.

If you believe your South Carolina record contains an error or includes an offense that should have been cleared, you have the right to challenge it through the state criminal history repository — typically by submitting a written claim with documentation.

How to Get Your Own South Carolina Criminal Record

If you need your own South Carolina criminal history — for an employer, a licensing board, an immigration application, or just to know what's there — the state record is maintained by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

Walkthrough:

1. Choose your method: SLED CATCH online $25 (name-based) or fingerprint $30.
2. Complete the required form (most states use a standard request form available from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division website).
3. Submit your request along with the fee. Fingerprint-based methods provide the most complete and accurate record but take longer.
4. Turnaround: online: same day; fingerprint: 2-3 weeks.
5. Review the response. If you find errors, the law at S.C. Code § 17-22-910 provides procedures for correcting or challenging inaccurate criminal history information.

Fingerprint-based criminal history checks are considered the official record. Name-based checks are faster and cheaper but can miss records or include records belonging to people with similar names — verify identity carefully.

Notable South Carolina Record Laws You Should Know

• S.C. Code § 17-22-150(b): First Offender Act expungement provisions.
• S.C. Code § 17-22-910: the statute governing the maintenance, dissemination, and inspection of state criminal history records in South Carolina.
• Federal interaction: the FBI maintains a separate national criminal history database (the Identification, Information & Investigation Services / NGI). Some South Carolina background checks include a fingerprint forward to the FBI for $13–$32 additional fee, depending on purpose.