Greenville County Criminal Records and Court Filings
Greenville County criminal records are maintained by the Clerk of Court under the oversight of Jay Gresham, who manages records for both the Circuit Court and Family Court. As the largest county in South Carolina by population, Greenville County processes a high volume of criminal cases annually through the 13th Judicial Circuit. General Sessions handles all felony criminal prosecutions in the county, while Magistrate Courts process misdemeanors and traffic offenses. Multiple online access points and agency contacts make locating Greenville County criminal records more straightforward than in smaller counties.
Greenville County Quick Facts
Greenville County Clerk of Court and Criminal Case Records
Jay Gresham serves as the Greenville County Clerk of Court. The Circuit Court office is located at 305 E. North Street, Greenville SC 29601. The Family Court division operates from 350 Halton Road. The Circuit Court covers both the Court of Common Pleas, which handles civil matters, and the Court of General Sessions, which processes all criminal felony cases in Greenville County. The Clerk's office is responsible for case filings and records management, docket management, jury management, and appeals facilitation, all supported by modern courtroom technology.
The Family Court Clerk handles juvenile delinquency matters, adoption proceedings, child support cases, and associated filings. Juvenile delinquency records are subject to strict confidentiality protections under S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010, limiting access to the parties involved and authorized court personnel. For adult criminal records, General Sessions is the relevant division, and those records are generally accessible to the public through standard channels.
Greenville County provides two online access points for public case searches. The primary path is Greenville County's own Public Index portal. The state-maintained path at publicindex.sccourts.org/greenville also serves as Circuit 13, County 23. Both systems provide fast access to case summaries, events, and basic filings for criminal, civil, traffic, and family matters. Searches can be conducted by name, case number, filing date, or court type at no charge.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq., criminal court records held by the Clerk of Court are public records subject to inspection and copying. Requests submitted in writing to the Clerk's office must be acknowledged within ten business days under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30. Requesters are advised to include as much identifying information as possible, including the full name of the subject and the approximate time period of the case, to facilitate an efficient search.
Greenville County Court Locations and Criminal Jurisdiction
Greenville County's court system spans multiple locations within the county seat. The Greenville County Courthouse at 305 E. North Street is home to General Sessions and Common Pleas. Greenville Municipal Court operates at 426 North Main Street and handles cases arising within the City of Greenville, including traffic citations and ordinance violations. The Family Court operates from 350 Halton Road and handles all matters involving juveniles and families.
The 13th Judicial Circuit includes the full range of court functions: the Court of General Sessions, Court of Common Pleas, Magistrate Court, Family Court, Juvenile Court, Masters-in-Equity, and Probate Court. Criminal history researchers should focus on General Sessions records for felonies and Magistrate Court records for misdemeanors. Magistrate Court records may not appear in the same Public Index system, and some may require contacting the individual court that handled the case.
The following image is sourced from the Greenville County Government website.
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office and the SLED criminal records check system together provide the primary access points for Greenville County criminal records at both the local and statewide levels.
Greenville County Sheriff's Office and FOIA Requests
The Greenville County Sheriff's Office (GCSO) is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Greenville County. GCSO operations include law enforcement patrol, detention center management, and civil process service. Arrest records generated by the GCSO become part of the county's criminal case files once charges are filed in General Sessions or Magistrate Court.
GCSO has designated a FOIA Coordinator, Courtney Fitzpatrick, who can be reached at CFitzpatrick@greenvillecounty.org. Public information inquiries can be directed to the Public Information Officer, Lt. Ryan Flood, at 864-467-5205 or rflood@greenvillecounty.org. GCSO maintains a dedicated FOIA portal at gcso.org/foia, where requesters can submit formal FOIA requests online. The GCSO main website is gcso.org.
Records requests submitted to GCSO under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq. are subject to the same response timeframes as other government agencies. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30, the agency must respond within ten business days. Certain arrest records may be withheld under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40 when disclosure could jeopardize an active investigation or reveal confidential informant information.
The following image is sourced from the Greenville County Clerk of Court website.
Greenville County criminal records accessible through the Clerk of Court represent one of the most comprehensive local repositories of court-based criminal history in South Carolina.
SLED CATCH and Statewide Criminal Records for Greenville County
The SLED CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov provides statewide criminal history searches that include records originating from Greenville County. CATCH searches return name-based results covering arrests, charges, and dispositions from across South Carolina. The fee is $25.00 plus a $1.00 processing fee under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115. All law enforcement agencies, including GCSO and Greenville Municipal Police, are required to report criminal data to SLED under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-120, ensuring that CATCH records reflect Greenville County criminal activity comprehensively.
SLED also maintains the free South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. For individuals serving time in state correctional facilities, the SCDC inmate search provides current and historical records. The SLED main website offers a full directory of available criminal records services and background check options. The SC Courts case records search portal provides an additional statewide court records gateway that includes Greenville County data.
Expungement of Greenville County Criminal Records
Expungement in South Carolina is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910, which sets out the categories of records eligible for removal from public access. A granted expungement in Greenville County directs the Clerk of Court, GCSO, SLED, and all other relevant agencies to destroy or seal the designated records. The case will no longer appear in the Greenville County Public Index or in SLED CATCH results after a successful expungement order is carried out.
Candidates for expungement in Greenville County include individuals with first-time misdemeanor charges that were dismissed or resulted in not-guilty verdicts. Conditional discharge dispositions may qualify after all conditions are met. Certain first-time, nonviolent felony convictions may also be expungeable after completing the full sentence and satisfying the applicable waiting period. The Greenville County Clerk of Court is the starting point for the expungement application process. The 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office reviews applications and has the opportunity to consent or object before a judge makes the final ruling.
Full text of the expungement statute is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t17c022.php. The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, which governs access to criminal records, is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t30c004.php. Title 23, covering SLED and law enforcement reporting, is at scstatehouse.gov/code/t23c003.php.
Nearby Counties
Looking for criminal records in neighboring counties? The following counties border or are near Greenville County.