Anderson County Arrest Records and Criminal History
Anderson County criminal records are held by the Clerk of Court and are searchable through both local and statewide public access tools. Covering 757 square miles and serving more than 200,000 residents, Anderson County has a well-developed records infrastructure that includes the ACPASS online portal and the South Carolina Public Index. Whether you need court case data, arrest history, or a comprehensive statewide criminal background, Anderson County offers multiple channels to obtain the records you are looking for.
Anderson County Quick Facts
Anderson County Criminal Records at the Clerk of Court
C. Reena Thomason has served as Anderson County Clerk of Court since her appointment in December 2022. The office is at 100 S Main St, Anderson SC 29624, with a mailing address of PO Box 8002, Anderson SC 29622. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Clerk of Court serves as the official record custodian for all criminal, civil, and family court proceedings in Anderson County.
The Clerk's responsibilities include collecting court fees and fines, managing juries and the Grand Jury process, and maintaining accurate and complete case files. Every felony charge processed in Anderson County flows through General Sessions and generates a case record in the Clerk's system. These records include the defendant's name, the charges filed, key court dates, and the final case disposition.
Anderson County has built a local online access system called ACPASS, the Anderson County Public Access System, available through andersoncountysc.org. This system allows users to search county records including court case information. The statewide Anderson County Public Index on the SC Courts platform also supports name-based and case-number searches at no cost. Both tools are useful starting points before submitting a formal records request.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10, Anderson County criminal court records are public records. Any person may request to inspect or copy them. Written requests and in-person visits are both accepted at the Clerk's office. Providing the subject's full name and an approximate time period helps locate records faster.
Anderson County Sheriff and Arrest Records
Sheriff Chad McBride leads the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, headquartered at 305 Camson Rd., Anderson SC 29625. The main number is (864) 260-4400. Detention inquiries can be directed to (864) 260-4363. Dispatch is at (864) 260-4444. The fax number is (864) 222-3962. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, though law enforcement operations run around the clock.
The Anderson County Sheriff's Office is internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a distinction that reflects high standards in policy, training, and record-keeping. The office covers 757 square miles including the 55,950-acre Hartwell Lake with its 1,000 miles of shoreline. Divisions include the Detention Center, Unified E-911 Communications, Courthouse and Annex security, Animal Control, and Emergency Management.
The image below is sourced from the SLED CATCH criminal history portal, which aggregates records from Anderson County and all other South Carolina counties.
The SLED CATCH system is the most comprehensive statewide resource for searching criminal history that includes Anderson County arrest and court data.
The Anderson County Sheriff's Office participates in the SAVIN program, which provides free victim notification services. Victims can register to receive automated alerts when an offender's custody status changes. For anonymous tips, the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-888-CRIME-SC (1-888-274-6372) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Both programs reflect the office's commitment to community engagement and transparency.
Arrest records in Anderson County document bookings at the county detention facility. These records show charges at the time of arrest, bond information, and initial court appearances. They do not reflect final case outcomes. Final dispositions are found in the General Sessions court records maintained by the Clerk of Court.
Note: The Sheriff's office enforces the law equitably and with compassion, consistent with its stated mission, and records requests are handled in accordance with South Carolina's FOIA statute.
SLED CATCH and Statewide Criminal History
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov provides statewide criminal history searches that include all records reported from Anderson County. CATCH is the most comprehensive criminal history tool available in South Carolina, drawing from every reporting agency across all 46 counties. The search fee is $25.00 plus a $1.00 online processing charge under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115.
S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-120 requires all law enforcement agencies to report criminal arrest and disposition data to SLED. This mandate ensures that the CATCH database reflects statewide activity, not just what individual county systems display. For someone with criminal history in multiple South Carolina counties, CATCH provides a unified view that a single-county search cannot match.
The SLED main website links to related resources including the Sex Offender Registry and additional background check services. The SCDC inmate search covers individuals in state correctional custody. The Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services portal rounds out the state-level search options.
The Court System in Anderson County
Anderson County's court structure includes multiple levels, each with different jurisdiction and record sets. General Sessions Court handles felony criminal cases. Common Pleas Court handles civil matters. Family Court covers domestic cases including divorce, custody, and juvenile matters. Magistrate Courts handle misdemeanors, traffic violations, and minor civil claims. Each court level maintains its own records, all accessible through the Clerk of Court.
Felony cases in Anderson County begin with an arrest and bond hearing. The case is then reviewed by the Grand Jury for indictment. After indictment, the case proceeds through arraignment, pretrial motions, and either a plea or trial. The Clerk of Court records each step of this process. Court dates, motions filed, and final dispositions all appear in the Public Index once they are entered into the system.
Magistrate Courts in Anderson County handle the highest volume of criminal cases by number, as misdemeanors and traffic cases far outnumber felonies. These records are also searchable through ACPASS and the Public Index. Understanding the distinction between court levels helps researchers target the correct record source and avoid incomplete searches.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010, all juvenile records in Anderson County are confidential. They cannot be obtained through standard public records processes. Youth who go through the Family Court juvenile justice system have their records sealed from public view to protect their future opportunities.
Expungement in Anderson County
The expungement process in Anderson County follows the statewide framework under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910. Qualifying individuals may petition the court to have eligible criminal records cleared from public access. When an expungement is granted, the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, and SLED are all directed to destroy or seal the covered records. The records are then removed from the Public Index and the SLED CATCH database.
Eligibility depends on the charge type and the outcome of the case. First-offense nonviolent misdemeanor cases that ended in dismissal or acquittal are generally eligible for expungement. Some first-time nonviolent felony convictions may become eligible after completing all sentence terms and waiting the required period. Conditional discharge completions also open a path to expungement under the statute.
The process in Anderson County begins at the Clerk of Court. Once an application is filed, the Solicitor's Office reviews it and either consents to or objects to the expungement. A circuit judge makes the final ruling. The full text of the expungement statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t17c022.php.
Public Records Law in Anderson County
South Carolina's FOIA at S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq. establishes the public right to inspect and copy government records, including criminal court records maintained by the Anderson County Clerk of Court. Requests may be submitted in person, by mail, or in writing. The statute at scstatehouse.gov/code/t30c004.php lays out the full scope of public access rights and the permissible exemptions.
Exemptions under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40 cover records related to ongoing investigations, confidential law enforcement techniques, and information that could jeopardize pending prosecutions. Court records sealed by judicial order are also exempt. The Anderson County Clerk of Court and Sheriff's Office both apply these exemptions when reviewing public records requests. Agencies must provide a written explanation for any denial.
For those seeking criminal records across Anderson County and neighboring counties, the SC Courts case records search platform aggregates Public Index data from across the state. This makes it possible to check records from Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Oconee, and Pickens Counties in a single session without visiting each county's individual index. The statewide SLED CATCH system remains the most thorough option for comprehensive background searches.
Note: The ACPASS system may require creating a user account for full functionality, though basic case lookups do not always require registration.
Nearby Counties
Anderson County borders several other Upstate South Carolina counties. Criminal records searches in these areas may be relevant for incidents near county lines.