Greenwood County Criminal Records Online
Greenwood County criminal records are accessible through the Clerk of Court, the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, and statewide databases maintained by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Located in the 8th Judicial Circuit, Greenwood County processes criminal cases through the Court of General Sessions, which covers felony charges, and through Magistrate Courts for misdemeanor and traffic matters. The South Carolina Public Index provides free online access to Greenwood County criminal records, and SLED's CATCH portal offers a broader statewide criminal history search for individuals with cases beyond Greenwood County.
Greenwood County Quick Facts
Greenwood County Criminal Records at the Clerk of Court
The Greenwood County Clerk of Court maintains all criminal court records for General Sessions cases processed within the county. General Sessions is the court that handles felony criminal charges and certain misdemeanors in Greenwood County. The Clerk's records document the full lifecycle of each criminal case, from initial charges and arraignment through motions, hearings, verdicts, and sentencing. These records are public documents under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq., meaning that members of the public are entitled to inspect and copy them unless they fall within a recognized statutory exemption.
Online access to Greenwood County criminal records is provided through the Greenwood County Public Index, which is Circuit 8, County 24. Searching the Public Index is free and allows users to look up cases by party name, case number, or filing date. Results include case summaries, scheduled court events, and basic filing information for active and disposed criminal cases. Court rosters showing upcoming hearing schedules are also available through the Public Index system.
The Greenwood County Government website at greenwoodcounty-sc.gov provides links to county offices and services, including the Clerk of Court. Visiting the site before submitting a records request is a useful way to confirm current contact information and office hours. In-person visits to the Clerk's office allow direct access to case files, with staff available to assist in locating specific records. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30, the Clerk must respond to written records requests within ten business days.
Greenwood County Sheriff's Office and Arrest Records
Sheriff Dennis D. Kelly leads the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office, located at 528 Edgefield Street, Greenwood SC 29646. The main phone number is 864-942-8600. The Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement across unincorporated Greenwood County and generates arrest records that feed into the General Sessions criminal case system. When a deputy makes an arrest, a record is created capturing the individual's name, date of birth, charges, arresting officer, and booking details.
Fingerprint services are available through the Sheriff's Office on Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at a cost of $10.00 for two cards. Fingerprint-based background checks are more reliable than name-based searches because they are not affected by name variations or common names. Individuals who need official fingerprint records for background check purposes can obtain them through the Sheriff's Office during the scheduled service hours.
The following image is sourced from the Greenwood County Government website.
The Greenwood County Sheriff's Office works in coordination with the South Carolina Judicial Department to ensure that criminal case records are properly documented and accessible through official channels.
The Sheriff's Office processes complaints with a 30-day completion timeline. Anonymous complaints are accepted. The Sheriff's site at greenwoodcounty-sc.gov/sheriff provides additional details on available services. Trespass notices can be filed through the Sheriff's Office via certified mail, which is a process available to property owners dealing with repeated unwanted visitors. The Sheriff's Office also administers a Citizen's Academy that meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 PM, offering community members insight into law enforcement operations.
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40, certain arrest records held by the Sheriff's Office may be withheld from public disclosure when release would compromise an active investigation. Arrest records reflect the fact that a person was taken into custody and charged; they do not indicate guilt. Researchers should verify case outcomes through the Public Index before drawing conclusions from arrest information alone.
SLED CATCH: Statewide Greenwood County Criminal History Search
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division operates the CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov for statewide criminal history searches. A CATCH search returns results for a named individual based on criminal activity reported by all law enforcement agencies across the state, including those in Greenwood County. This is especially useful when a subject may have moved between counties or accumulated a criminal history in multiple jurisdictions.
The CATCH search fee is $25.00 plus a $1.00 online processing fee, as established by S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115. All law enforcement agencies in South Carolina are required to report criminal data to SLED under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-120. Background checks for individuals seeking official criminal history records for purposes such as court proceedings should use the SLED system, as it draws from the most complete statewide dataset available.
SLED maintains the free South Carolina Sex Offender Registry for public searches of registered sex offenders by name, county, or ZIP code. The SCDC inmate search covers individuals currently or previously incarcerated in South Carolina state prisons. Both resources are accessible without charge. The SLED main website provides additional information on records services and law enforcement resources available to the public.
Contents of Greenwood County Criminal Case Records
Criminal records from General Sessions in Greenwood County document the full arc of each criminal case. Fields typically included in case records are the defendant's full name, date of birth, the assigned case number, the charges as originally filed and as amended, all court appearances and hearings, the case outcome, and the sentence imposed if applicable. Records also reflect any motions filed, continuances granted, and appeals lodged.
When cases result in dismissal or acquittal rather than conviction, South Carolina law provides a mechanism for those records to be addressed. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40, records of dismissed and acquitted cases are subject to destruction following appropriate procedures. This protects individuals from the lasting public stigma of charges that were not proven. The Clerk of Court in Greenwood County handles these record destruction processes in coordination with the relevant agencies.
Juvenile records in Greenwood County are not available to the general public. S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010 establishes confidentiality protections for juvenile court records, restricting access to the juvenile, parents or guardians, defense counsel, the Solicitor, and authorized courts. These protections reflect the state's focus on rehabilitation for young offenders rather than permanent public labeling of juvenile conduct.
Expungement of Greenwood County Criminal Records
South Carolina's expungement process allows eligible individuals to have certain Greenwood County criminal records removed from public view. The governing statute is S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910. A successful expungement order directs all relevant agencies, including the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, and SLED, to destroy or seal the designated records. After expungement is completed, the record no longer appears in the Greenwood County Public Index or in SLED CATCH results for that individual.
Eligibility for expungement turns on the type of charge, the case outcome, and the time that has passed since the case ended. First-time misdemeanor charges that were dismissed or resulted in acquittal are commonly eligible. Conditional discharge dispositions may qualify once all conditions have been satisfied. Some first-time nonviolent felony convictions may be expungeable after the individual has completed the full sentence and met the required waiting period. The process begins with the Clerk of Court, continues through review by the 8th Circuit Solicitor's Office, and concludes with a ruling by a judge.
The full text of the expungement statute is available at scstatehouse.gov/code/t17c022.php. The FOIA statute governing public records access is available at scstatehouse.gov/code/t30c004.php. Individuals pursuing expungement in Greenwood County are encouraged to seek legal counsel from an attorney familiar with 8th Circuit court procedures. The SC Courts case records search portal can help verify current record status prior to filing an expungement application.
Nearby Counties
Looking for criminal records in neighboring counties? The following counties border or are near Greenwood County.