South Carolina, Lexington County
Where West Columbia's records are kept. West Columbia has its own city government and police department; county and state offices keep its other public records.
Start here
The cards below include West Columbia's own offices, along with State of South Carolina offices; the Lexington County offices are on our Lexington County page. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.
Police & jail
SLED's name based search of South Carolina criminal records for a $25 fee, $8 for qualifying charities; results cover South Carolina only, exclude wanted persons, and can differ from a fingerprint check.
Open official site SLED Citizens Access to Criminal Histories (CATCH)City records
Reference staff run the Research Room at 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, open Tuesday to Saturday, with indexes and microfilm of state and local records; they also answer queries by mail, phone or email.
Open official site SC Department of Archives and History Research and GenealogyCounty court
Charleston, Columbia and Greenville host South Carolina's bankruptcy court; beyond PACER case lookups it posts calendars, opinions, online fee payment and a search for unclaimed funds.
Open official site U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of South CarolinaCounty court
South Carolina's unified court system online, linking the Public Index of trial court case records, appellate opinions, court calendars, traffic ticket search and contacts for each county's courts.
Open official site South Carolina Judicial BranchVital records
The state Vital Records Office issues certified copies of births, deaths, marriages and divorces that happened in South Carolina, with pages on fees, ID rules, processing times, amendments and death indexes for genealogy.
Open official site South Carolina Department of Public Health Vital Records OfficePolice & jail
SCDC's search shows photos and public details of people serving state prison sentences as of midnight the day before; county jail inmates, released offenders and people on parole or probation are not included.
Open official site South Carolina Department of Corrections Inmate SearchPolice & jail
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Fusion Center, home of the state Missing Person Information Center, with AMBER Alert and Endangered Person Advisory information.
Open official site SLED Missing Person Information CenterPolice & jail
Fugitives sought by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, shown with photo, race, sex, age, height and county, with captures marked and a confidential tip hotline.
Open official site SC Probation, Parole and Pardon Services Most Wanted OffendersPolice & jail
Kept by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division with county sheriffs: accept the conditions of use, then search by name or location for photos, aliases, reported addresses and offenses, or sign up for notifications.
Open official site South Carolina Public Sex Offender RegistryFederal
Population, housing and economic facts for West Columbia city, South Carolina from the Census Bureau, including the July 1, 2025 estimate of 18,489 residents and a land area of 8.99 square miles.
Open official site U.S. Census Bureau QuickFactsCity records
West Columbia City Hall at 200 North 12th Street, phone (803) 791-1880, posts city council, animal control, code compliance complaints, the blight removal program, event permits and city news.
Open official site City of West ColumbiaPolice & jail
200 N. 12th Street West Columbia, S.C. 29169 803-794-0721
Open official site West Columbia Police DepartmentEverything else, organized
9 more West Columbia sources not listed above.
Local record guide
Local profile
West Columbia, a place of 17,416 people, is in Lexington County, whose county seat is Lexington. Court and property records sit with Lexington County, and birth and death certificates come from the State of South Carolina. West Columbia's own offices are in the cards above, and our Lexington County page lists each county office.
Straight answers
Open only the answer you need.
Voter registration in South Carolina is run by the South Carolina Election Commission and local election officials. Its site lists the registration deadline, online voter registration, polling places and the local election office for West Columbia.
Certified birth and death certificates for events in South Carolina come from the state vital records office, South Carolina Vital Records. Its site lists who may order a copy, the fee and how to order.
Businesses that operate in West Columbia register with the South Carolina Secretary of State, which runs the state business entity search. A local business license, where West Columbia requires one, comes from the town or Lexington County.
Same county
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.