Search South Carolina Busted Mugshots
South Carolina busted mugshots are public records kept by sheriff's offices and detention centers in all 46 counties. You can search for arrest records, booking photos, and jail records through county inmate search portals or state systems like SLED CATCH. Each county runs its own jail roster. Many post mugshots on the web for free. The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requires that jail records stay open to the public for at least three months after release. Start your search here to find busted mugshots from any county or city in South Carolina.
South Carolina Busted Mugshots Quick Facts
Where to Find South Carolina Busted Mugshots
South Carolina has two main paths for finding busted mugshots and arrest records. County sheriff's offices run the local jails. They post inmate rosters on their sites. Most show a booking photo, the charge list, bond amount, and the date of arrest. Large counties like Charleston, Greenville, and Horry have full search portals where you can look up current and past inmates for free. Smaller counties may not have a web tool. In those cases, you call the detention center and ask for inmate status by phone.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division runs the statewide criminal records system. SLED keeps arrest data from every law enforcement agency in the state. Their SLED CATCH portal lets you run a name search for $25. Results show arrests and convictions across South Carolina. You need a last name, first initial, and date of birth to search. SLED CATCH covers the whole state but only South Carolina records. It does not include federal or out-of-state arrests. You can pay online or mail in a request to the SLED Records Department at P.O. Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221.
SLED processed over 47,000 record requests in a single year. That averages out to about 444 per workday.
Note: SLED CATCH results do not include wanted persons or sex offender data. Use the SLED website for those searches separately.
South Carolina Busted Mugshots from State Prisons
The South Carolina Department of Corrections runs 21 prisons with over 20,000 inmates. Their inmate search tool lets you look up anyone serving a state prison sentence. You can search by name or SCDC number. Results show the mugshot, current facility, sentence length, and expected release date. This tool covers state prison inmates only. It does not show people held in county jails or those on probation or parole.
SCDC traces its roots to 1866. The South Carolina Legislature passed an act that year to create the first state prison. Before that, even felons stayed in county jails. The modern system took shape in 1960. Today SCDC has 5,700 staff members across its 21 facilities. You can reach their toll-free inmate line at 1-866-727-2846 for help finding someone in the state prison system.
For inmates who have already been released, SCDC runs a released inmate search page. This covers people who served their sentence and left SCDC custody. It is a good tool when you need to check if someone has a prior state prison record in South Carolina.
County Jail Busted Mugshots in South Carolina
Each of the 46 counties in South Carolina runs its own detention center. The sheriff's office posts booking records and mugshots under the state Freedom of Information Act. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30(d)(3), jails must make inmate records available to the public for the past three months. This law is why most counties keep an online roster. Some counties go further and keep records up longer than the three-month minimum.
The biggest county systems have robust search tools. The Charleston County inmate search covers the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, one of the largest jail facilities in the state with a capacity of 1,693 inmates. Greenville County runs a search portal for its 1,277-bed facility. Berkeley County lets you search by name, booking number, or date range. York County posts its roster at inmatesinjail.yorkcountygov.com.
Counties without an online portal still must provide records on request. You can call the detention center, visit in person, or file a written FOIA request. Most charge $0.25 per page for copies and $5.00 for certified documents. Search fees apply if the request takes more than 30 minutes of staff time.
How to Search Busted Mugshots in South Carolina
Most county inmate search tools work the same way. You type a last name into the search box. Some let you add a first name to narrow results. The system pulls up matching records with a booking photo, charge list, and bond amount. No login is needed. No fee is charged. These searches run around the clock.
For a statewide criminal history, you need SLED CATCH. The search costs $25. Online submissions add a $1 convenience fee. You must enter the exact last name, first initial, and date of birth. If the system finds multiple matches, it flags the results for manual review. SLED returns only South Carolina arrest and conviction data. Charitable groups can get the same check for $8 under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115.
You can also search busted mugshots through the South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index. This tool covers Circuit Court, Family Court, Magistrate Court, and Municipal Court records across all 46 counties. You can look up cases by name or case number. The system is free. It shows party names, filing dates, case status, and disposition details. For copies of the actual court documents, you contact the Clerk of Court in the county where the case was filed.
South Carolina Busted Mugshots and Public Records Law
The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act sets the rules for public access to arrest records and busted mugshots. The law starts with a clear statement. It says public business must be done in the open so that citizens can see how officials perform and how policy gets made. Arrest records fall under this rule.
Under Section 30-4-30(d), certain records must be open without a written request. These include law enforcement reports for the past 14 days and jail records for the past three months. This is the legal basis for every county jail roster in South Carolina. When a sheriff's office posts mugshots online, they are following this statute. If charges are dropped or a person is found not guilty, S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40 requires that the arrest records be destroyed. Expunged records are also removed from public view.
South Carolina also restricts commercial mugshot websites. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-60, sites cannot charge a fee to remove booking photos. This law targets businesses that profit from publishing arrest photos and then demanding payment for removal. The law protects people whose charges were dismissed or who were found not guilty.
Note: Inmates cannot use FOIA to request records under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30(A)(1).
Track Inmates Across South Carolina
VINELink is a free tool that sends you alerts when an inmate's status changes. It covers county jails and state prisons across South Carolina. You can sign up to get a call, text, or email when someone is released, transferred, or escapes. VINE works around the clock in all 46 counties. The phone number is 1-866-727-2846.
The SC AccessGov Corrections Portal provides another way to look up inmates in the state system. This portal ties into the Department of Corrections and gives directory-style access to facility and inmate data.
South Carolina Busted Mugshots Resources
The SCDC main website is the hub for all state prison data in South Carolina. It links to the inmate search, released inmate search, and facility information. You can also find contact numbers for specific prisons and programs. The headquarters sits at 4444 Broad River Road in Columbia. The general line is 803-896-8500.
If you think your SLED CATCH results contain wrong data, you can challenge the record. Contact SLED to get a challenge packet. Submit a $25 money order or a copy of the criminal record along with a picture ID. You then get fingerprinted at a law enforcement agency. SLED uses those prints to verify your identity against the record. The SLED Public Dissemination Unit handles these requests at (803) 896-1443.
Browse South Carolina Busted Mugshots by County
Each county in South Carolina runs its own detention center and posts arrest records under state law. Pick a county below to find local mugshot search tools, contact details, and booking information.
Busted Mugshots in Major South Carolina Cities
City police handle arrests within their limits. Booking records go to the county jail. Pick a city below to find mugshot resources for that area.