Union County Criminal Records and Court Filings

Union County criminal records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office, the Clerk of Court, and associated law enforcement agencies that serve this Upstate South Carolina county. Searching Union County criminal records provides access to arrest documentation, court case filings, warrant information, and case dispositions for matters handled through the 7th Judicial Circuit. The county seat is the city of Union, and court proceedings for felony and General Sessions matters take place at the county courthouse. This page outlines the main resources and procedures for locating Union County criminal records.

Union County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Jeff Bailey leads the Union County Sheriff's Office, which is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Union County. The office is located at 220 Main Street, Highway 49, Union, SC 29379, with a mailing address of PO Box 971, Union, SC 29379. The department can be reached by phone at (864) 429-1612 or (803) 628-3059. The Sheriff's Office website is available at unioncountysheriff.com. The department is responsible for patrol services, criminal investigations, and the maintenance of arrest records for incidents occurring in the county.

Arrest records produced by the Union County Sheriff's Office document incidents in which department personnel made an arrest, including the defendant's name, the charges at the time of booking, physical description, and booking date. These records are maintained by the Records Division and may be requested through the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 et seq., most arrest documentation is available as a public record. Requests submitted in writing to the Sheriff's Office will be processed in accordance with the response timelines established by S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-30.

The South Carolina Courts courthouse search allows you to locate the Union County courthouse and access information about how to obtain Union County criminal records in person.

Union County Clerk of Court

The Honorable Stephanie Candler Kitchens serves as Clerk of Court for Union County. The office is located at 210 W Main Street, Union, SC 29379-2215, with a mailing address of PO Box 703, Union, SC 29379-0703. The phone number is (864) 429-1630, and the fax is (864) 429-1715. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Clerk of Court maintains all official criminal court records for proceedings conducted in Union County through the 7th Judicial Circuit.

Criminal records maintained by the Clerk of Court include General Sessions case filings for felony and major misdemeanor offenses, as well as Magistrate Court documentation for lower-level criminal matters. Each case file typically includes the charging document, any motions filed by attorneys, hearing records, plea or trial outcomes, and sentencing orders. These records are available to the public as official government documents under the South Carolina FOIA framework. The Clerk's office can conduct searches by name or case number and provide copies of available records for the fees established under state law.

Certain records are exempt from public release under S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-40, including materials related to ongoing law enforcement investigations or records ordered sealed by a court. For most concluded criminal cases in Union County, however, the Clerk of Court can provide documentation upon request.

Union County Public Index Online

The South Carolina Judicial Branch provides online access to Union County court records through the Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/union/. This free tool allows name and case number searches and returns information about criminal cases filed in Union County courts, including case numbers, charges, filing dates, hearing schedules, and dispositions. The Public Index is updated regularly as new case activity is recorded and is the most accessible method for initial searches of Union County criminal records without visiting the courthouse.

The statewide case records search available through sccourts.org includes Union County alongside all other South Carolina jurisdictions. This is useful when a broader search is needed across multiple counties. Both tools are maintained by the South Carolina Judicial Branch.

Union County Detention Center

The Union County Detention Center is operated under the direction of Neil McKeown and is located at 1657 Jonesville Highway, Union, SC 29379-9791. The Detention Center Director can be reached at (864) 429-1677. This facility holds individuals arrested in Union County who are awaiting arraignment or trial, as well as those serving shorter sentences for misdemeanor convictions. Inquiries about individuals currently held at the facility can be directed to the detention center or to the Sheriff's Office.

For individuals who have been convicted of felonies and transferred to state correctional facilities, the South Carolina Department of Corrections maintains a publicly searchable inmate database at public.doc.state.sc.us/scdc-public/. This statewide resource covers all SCDC facilities and is separate from the local detention records maintained in Union County.

SLED CATCH and Union County Criminal History

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division operates the CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov, which provides statewide criminal background checks covering all 46 counties including Union County. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-120, law enforcement agencies and courts are required to report criminal history data to SLED, ensuring that Union County records are included in the statewide database. Each background check costs $25 as established under S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115.

The SLED Sex Offender Registry at scor.sled.sc.gov provides free name and geographic searches for registered sex offenders across South Carolina, including Union County. The registry is updated regularly and reflects the most current registration information for individuals subject to sex offender registration requirements.

Expungement under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-22-910 provides a legal pathway for qualifying individuals to have certain Union County criminal records removed from public access. The Union County Clerk of Court handles expungement petitions. Juvenile records are protected under S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-2010 and are not available through standard public records searches.

Adjacent Counties and Regional Records

Union County is bordered by several other Upstate South Carolina counties. People with ties to this part of the state may have criminal records spread across multiple jurisdictions, making a broader search worthwhile for a thorough review.

Counties bordering Union County include Chester County, Laurens County, Spartanburg County, and York County. Each maintains its own Clerk of Court, Sheriff's Office, and Public Index through the South Carolina Judicial Branch. The SLED main website and the CATCH background check system remain the most comprehensive tools for searching across all these counties simultaneously.