Charleston Criminal Records and Police Reports

Charleston criminal records are produced by the Charleston Police Department, Charleston Municipal Court, and the Charleston County judicial system. Searching Charleston criminal records gives access to arrest documentation, incident reports, court case filings, and case dispositions for matters arising within South Carolina's oldest city. The Charleston Police Department serves the city proper, while Charleston County agencies handle broader jurisdictional matters. This guide covers the official sources, FOIA procedures, and online tools available for locating criminal records in Charleston.

Charleston Police Department Records

The Charleston Police Department is located at 180 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29403. For non-emergency matters, the department can be reached at (843) 720-2424. Emergency calls should be directed to 911. The department maintains a News Flash section on its website at charleston-sc.gov with recently published arrest information. The site also includes an Information and Reports section, Policies and Procedures documentation, and access to the Charleston Police Data portal, which provides statistical information about police activities in the city.

Recent incidents documented by the Charleston Police Department illustrate the type of criminal activity logged in Charleston criminal records. A driver was arrested for DUI after crashing into a Meeting Street business in March 2026, and robbery suspects were arrested after demanding victims send money via Venmo in March 2026. These incident records, along with thousands of others generated annually, are available through the department's public records process. The Information and Reports section of the department website is the starting point for accessing these documents.

The City of Charleston FOIA request page is the official portal for submitting public records requests for Charleston criminal records, including police reports and incident documentation.

Charleston FOIA Requests and Records Fees

Formal requests for Charleston criminal records, including police incident reports and departmental documentation, are submitted through the FOIA process at charleston-sc.gov. South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq. establishes that government records are generally public. The city acknowledges requests within ten business days for records under two years old, or within twenty business days for records over two years old. Final production of responsive records occurs within thirty calendar days of the acknowledgment. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30, these timelines are binding on the city.

The fee schedule for Charleston FOIA records is detailed and applies to the staff time involved in processing requests. Administrative staff time is billed at $19.24 per hour, managers at $33.88 per hour, directors at $66.07 per hour, redaction work at $23.86 per hour, IT services at $32.00 per hour, and police personnel time at $20.73 per hour. Physical copies are priced at $0.10 per page for black-and-white and $0.20 per page for color. Digital media fees include $5.00 for a CD or DVD, $12.00 for a flash drive, and $15.00 for a mailed flash drive. South Carolina law notes that knowingly obtaining or using personal information from a public body for commercial solicitation directed at the subject is a crime pursuant to S.C. Code § 30-2-50.

Certain records are exempt from FOIA disclosure under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40, including active investigative files, records that would compromise ongoing law enforcement activities, and information protected by court order. For most concluded criminal matters involving Charleston Police Department activity, records are accessible through the FOIA process.

Charleston Municipal Court Records

The Charleston Municipal Court handles lower-level criminal matters within the city, including traffic violations, ordinance violations, and misdemeanor offenses. The court is located at 100 Broad Street, Suite 469, Charleston, SC 29401, and can be reached at (843) 958-5183. Municipal Court records for cases adjudicated in Charleston are maintained at the court and are generally available to the public in accordance with the South Carolina FOIA framework. These records include case filings, hearing notices, judgments, and any orders issued by the court.

For more serious felony and General Sessions criminal cases arising in Charleston, records are maintained by the Charleston County Clerk of Court. The Clerk of Court can be contacted at clerkofcourt@charlestoncounty.org or through the county website at charlestoncounty.org. These records cover the full range of criminal proceedings at the county level, including cases originating from Charleston Police Department arrests that were elevated to General Sessions Court.

The South Carolina Judicial Department case records search allows online access to Charleston criminal records filed through the county court system and Charleston County Public Index.

Charleston County Public Index

The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index for Charleston County is accessible at publicindex.sccourts.org/charleston/. This free tool searches all court cases filed in Charleston County courts, including those originating from Charleston Police Department arrests that were elevated to the county level. Searches can be conducted by defendant name or case number and return case filing information, charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. The Public Index covers the full range of General Sessions and Magistrate Court records in Charleston County.

The Charleston County Sheriff's Office at sheriff.charlestoncounty.org maintains records for incidents and arrests handled by the Sheriff's Office, which serves unincorporated areas of Charleston County as well as providing additional law enforcement capacity throughout the county. The SLED CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov provides statewide background checks that include Charleston criminal records within the broader South Carolina criminal history database.

SLED and Statewide Records for Charleston

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division maintains statewide criminal history records that include arrests and convictions from the City of Charleston. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-120, law enforcement agencies are required to report criminal history data to SLED. CATCH background checks cost $25 as established under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115 and cover Charleston alongside all other South Carolina jurisdictions. The SLED Sex Offender Registry at scor.sled.sc.gov provides free geographic and name searches for registrants in the Charleston area.

Expungement of qualifying Charleston criminal records may be sought under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910. Records that meet eligibility criteria can be removed from public view through the expungement process administered by the courts. Juvenile records in Charleston are sealed under S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010 and are not accessible through standard public records requests. The SLED main website at sled.sc.gov provides additional guidance on criminal records access in South Carolina.

Charleston County Criminal Records

Charleston is the county seat of Charleston County, and county-level criminal records are an important complement to city-level records when conducting a thorough search. The Charleston County Clerk of Court, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, and the 9th Judicial Circuit courts all generate and maintain records that cover criminal activity in the broader Charleston area. For information about county-level resources, the Public Index, and records that may include cases originating within the City of Charleston, visit the Charleston County criminal records page.