Find Beaufort County Criminal Records
Beaufort County criminal records are maintained through the Circuit Court Clerk of Court and accessible via the South Carolina Public Index and the SLED CATCH statewide portal. One of South Carolina's fastest-growing coastal counties, Beaufort County has a complex and diverse population served by a CALEA-accredited Sheriff's Office and a full circuit court system. Whether you need felony case records from General Sessions or misdemeanor records from Magistrate Court, Beaufort County offers multiple pathways for public access to criminal history.
Beaufort County Quick Facts
Beaufort County Criminal Records at the Clerk of Court
The Beaufort County Clerk of Court is the official custodian for all criminal court records in the county. General Sessions Court handles felony cases, making these records the primary resource for serious criminal history in Beaufort County. Common Pleas covers civil matters. Family Court handles domestic and juvenile cases. Magistrate Courts address misdemeanors and traffic offenses throughout the county's incorporated and unincorporated areas.
The full Beaufort County government website at beaufortcountysc.gov provides access to court department information. Criminal court records are searchable online through the Beaufort County Public Index, which allows free name-based and case-number searches. This tool reflects case filings, current status, and dispositions for cases entered into the digital system.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10, the public has the right to inspect and copy Beaufort County criminal records. Requests can be submitted in person at the Clerk's office during regular business hours. Written mail requests are also accepted. Providing detailed identifying information, including the subject's full name and approximate case dates, reduces processing time. Copy fees apply to records provided by the office.
The image below comes from the Beaufort County government website, representing the county facilities that house court records.
The Beaufort County government complex includes the court and records offices responsible for maintaining Beaufort County criminal case files.
All felony prosecutions in Beaufort County are handled by the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office, which can be found at scsolicitor14.org. The Solicitor works with the Clerk of Court to manage the flow of cases from indictment through disposition. Understanding this relationship helps researchers know where to look for case-specific information at each stage of criminal proceedings.
Note: Beaufort County's coastal geography and steady growth mean the General Sessions docket is active. Searches by partial name may return multiple results, so having additional identifiers like date of birth helps narrow down records.
Beaufort County Sheriff and Arrest Records
The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office is a CALEA-accredited agency serving the county's complex and diverse population. The Sheriff's Office page at beaufortcountysc.gov/departments/public-safety/sheriff outlines department services, units, and contact information. When deputies arrest a person in Beaufort County, a booking record is created at the county detention facility. These records include the individual's name, charges at the time of booking, bond information, and scheduled court appearance.
Beaufort County Connect is a mobile app offered by the county for non-emergency requests and service inquiries. The app covers Animal Control, Mosquito Control, and Code Enforcement, which allows residents to report non-criminal issues without dialing 9-1-1. This type of community access reflects the county's approach to proactive public service. For criminal matters, the Sheriff's Office and the Public Index remain the primary channels.
Arrest records in Beaufort County reflect charges at the time of booking, not final case outcomes. A record showing an arrest for a felony does not confirm a conviction. Case dispositions, whether guilty, dismissed, or acquitted, appear in the General Sessions records maintained by the Clerk of Court. Using both sources together gives the most accurate view of a person's criminal history in Beaufort County.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40, some Sheriff's Office records may be withheld if disclosure could harm an active investigation. Completed case records are generally available through the Clerk of Court under FOIA after the case is closed.
SLED CATCH and Statewide Criminal History
The SLED CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov provides a comprehensive statewide criminal history search that includes all Beaufort County records reported to SLED. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-120, every law enforcement agency in South Carolina must report arrest and disposition data to SLED, which means CATCH captures criminal history from Beaufort County and all 45 other counties. The search fee is $25.00 plus a $1.00 online charge under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115.
For individuals with criminal history in multiple South Carolina counties, CATCH provides a unified record that single-county searches cannot replicate. The portal is useful for researchers who know a subject has lived in different parts of the state and want to verify whether charges were filed in multiple jurisdictions. Results include arrests, charges, and final dispositions statewide.
SLED also maintains the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry, free to search. The SCDC inmate search shows current and former state prison inmates. The Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services site covers those on supervision or with pardon histories. All link from the SLED main website.
What Beaufort County Criminal Records Contain
Criminal records from Beaufort County courts contain detailed information about the case from initiation to final resolution. General Sessions felony records include the defendant's identifying information, the indicted charges, hearing dates, attorney appearances, motions filed, and the case outcome. Outcomes documented in the system include guilty pleas, trial verdicts, sentences imposed, dismissals, and nolle prosequi entries where the Solicitor declined to proceed.
Magistrate Court records address misdemeanor and traffic cases throughout Beaufort County. These cases typically move faster than felony proceedings. Records reflect fines, probation, suspended sentences, community service terms, or dismissals. The Public Index covers both General Sessions and Magistrate cases, though the level of document detail differs between the two court levels.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40, records for dismissed and acquitted cases may be subject to destruction. This statutory protection means that some arrest records in Beaufort County may no longer have corresponding court records if the charges were dismissed and the records were destroyed. Researchers should verify current record availability through the Public Index or directly with the Clerk's office.
Juvenile records remain strictly confidential under S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010. Family Court juvenile proceedings in Beaufort County are sealed from public access. The county's rapidly growing youth population means this protection is routinely applied across a significant number of cases each year.
Expungement in Beaufort County
South Carolina's expungement statute at S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910 applies in Beaufort County just as in every other South Carolina jurisdiction. Eligible individuals can petition the Circuit Court to have qualifying criminal records removed from public databases. When an expungement is granted, the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, SLED, and all other agencies holding the records must seal or destroy them. After expungement, the records no longer appear in the Public Index or the SLED CATCH portal.
Typical qualifying situations include first-offense nonviolent misdemeanor cases that ended in dismissal or acquittal, conditional discharge completions, and certain first-time nonviolent felony convictions where all sentence requirements have been fulfilled. The statutory waiting period varies depending on the charge. More serious charges may have longer waiting periods or may not be eligible at all.
Applications are filed at the Beaufort County Clerk of Court. The 14th Circuit Solicitor reviews the application and either consents or objects. A judge issues the final ruling. Given Beaufort County's larger population and active court system, applicants benefit from being well-prepared before submitting paperwork. The expungement statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t17c022.php.
Public Records Law in Beaufort County
South Carolina's FOIA at S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq. ensures that Beaufort County criminal court records are open to the public. The ten-business-day response deadline under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30 applies to all government records requests in the county. The full statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t30c004.php. Beaufort County's government, serving a large and growing population, takes public records obligations seriously.
Exemptions under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40 limit disclosure of active law enforcement investigative files, confidential informant identities, and records sealed by court order. These exemptions are narrowly applied. Records from closed criminal cases are generally available to the public. When a denial occurs, the agency must explain which exemption applies in writing.
The SC Courts case records search portal provides statewide access including Beaufort County records. Beaufort County also makes government information available through beaufortcounty.tv, the county's government access channel, which can be a supplementary resource for public meeting records related to criminal justice policy. For Title 23 statutes governing criminal records at the state level, see scstatehouse.gov/code/t23c003.php.
Note: Beaufort County's steady population growth means court dockets are active and the Public Index is regularly updated with new filings and dispositions.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Beaufort and may hold records for incidents that occurred near county lines.