Simpsonville Criminal Records
Simpsonville criminal records are produced by the Simpsonville Police Department, Greenville County courts, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Located in Greenville County within the 13th Judicial Circuit, Simpsonville has grown into one of South Carolina's most active suburban cities. Felony charges arising in Simpsonville are prosecuted in Greenville County General Sessions Court in Greenville. This guide covers the agencies, FOIA procedures, and online search tools available for accessing criminal case records, arrest documentation, and criminal history information tied to Simpsonville, South Carolina.
Simpsonville Police Department Records
The Simpsonville Police Department provides law enforcement services within the incorporated city limits. The department maintains records of all arrests, incident reports, and criminal investigations originating in Simpsonville. These records are subject to disclosure under South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act, S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10, which establishes the public's right to access government-held documents.
Requests for incident reports, arrest records, and related criminal records from the Simpsonville Police Department can be submitted in person, by mail, or through the city's public records request process. The City of Simpsonville website at simpsonville.com outlines the public records request procedures and provides contact information for municipal departments, including the police department and municipal court.
Under § 30-4-30, agencies covered by South Carolina FOIA have 10 business days to respond to a written records request. Responses may fulfill the request, deny it with a written explanation, or notify the requester that additional processing time is required. Records related to active criminal investigations or information protected under § 30-4-40 may be withheld pending the conclusion of those proceedings.
Note: A records request to the Simpsonville Police Department returns only records generated by that department. It does not include records from the Greenville County Sheriff's Office or other agencies operating in the area.
Greenville County Sheriff Criminal Records
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services throughout Greenville County, including areas adjacent to and overlapping with Simpsonville. The Sheriff's Office maintains its own records of arrests and criminal investigations for matters handled by county deputies. FOIA requests for Sheriff's Office records follow the same state framework under § 30-4-10 through § 30-4-40.
The Sheriff's Office also maintains a public records portal through its website at gcso.org, where certain information about recent arrests and Sheriff's Office activities may be available. Records of individuals booked into the Greenville County Detention Center, including those arrested in Simpsonville by county deputies, may be accessible through the Sheriff's Office directly.
Both the Simpsonville Police Department and the Greenville County Sheriff's Office contribute arrest and disposition data to the SLED CATCH system, meaning a statewide search through SLED will capture records from either agency.
Greenville County Court Records
Criminal court records for Simpsonville cases are maintained by the Greenville County Clerk of Court. Clerk Jay Gresham oversees the office, which holds Circuit Court and Family Court records for all criminal and civil proceedings in Greenville County. The Greenville County Courthouse is located at 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
The Clerk of Court provides copy services and public access to case records during normal business hours. Criminal case records held by the Clerk include felony indictments, plea agreements, sentencing orders, and disposition records for cases that progressed through General Sessions Court. Misdemeanor and traffic matters from Simpsonville may be found through Greenville County Magistrate Court or Simpsonville Municipal Court records, depending on where the case was heard.
The image below is sourced from simpsonville.com and illustrates the Simpsonville area's connection to the SC Judicial Department court records system used to access Simpsonville criminal records.
The SC Judicial Department's Public Index provides free online access to court case records for cases filed in Greenville County, including Simpsonville criminal matters heard in General Sessions Court.
The free online tool for searching Greenville County court records is the SC Public Index for Greenville County, hosted through the SC Judicial Branch at sccourts.org. Searches are run by defendant name or case number and return charge information, filing dates, and case status. The Public Index does not show sealed records, expunged cases, or juvenile proceedings protected under S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010.
SLED CATCH and Simpsonville Criminal History
For a comprehensive view of a person's criminal history across South Carolina, the SLED CATCH system is the appropriate starting point. A CATCH search covers arrests and case dispositions from all contributing agencies in the state, including those in Greenville County. The fee is $25 per individual under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115.
SLED CATCH is operated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which also maintains the SC Sex Offender Registry at sled.sc.gov/SORT. The sex offender registry is searchable by name and allows users to view registrants with addresses in Simpsonville or Greenville County. For individuals currently in South Carolina state prison, the SC Department of Corrections inmate search provides current facility and status information.
Records expunged under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910 are removed from the SLED CATCH system following completion of the expungement process. Once removed, those records are not accessible through CATCH or the Public Index.
Simpsonville Municipal Court Records
The City of Simpsonville operates a Municipal Court that handles lower-level criminal matters, traffic offenses, and ordinance violations arising within city limits. Municipal Court records are separate from Circuit Court filings held by the Greenville County Clerk of Court. These records can be accessed through the city's records request process or in person at Simpsonville Municipal Court.
Municipal Court records document charges handled at the local level, including outcomes such as fines, probation, or dismissals for matters that do not advance to General Sessions Court. For cases that are bound over to the county level, the record transitions to the Greenville County Circuit Court system and is reflected in the Public Index.
The City of Simpsonville's website at simpsonville.com provides contact information for the Municipal Court, payment options for fines, and guidance on court date scheduling. Citizens with questions about a specific case can contact the court directly for status information.
- Simpsonville Police Department: public records requests through simpsonville.com
- Greenville County Sheriff's Office: gcso.org, FOIA portal available online
- Greenville County Clerk of Court: 305 E. North Street, Greenville, SC 29601
- SC Public Index - Greenville County: publicindex.sccourts.org/greenville/
- SLED CATCH: sled.sc.gov/CATCH/ ($25 per search)
- SC Sex Offender Registry: sled.sc.gov/SORT/