Anderson Criminal History Records
Anderson is the county seat of Anderson County in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Criminal history in Anderson runs through the Anderson Police Department for city arrests, the Anderson County Clerk of Court for case filings, and SLED for statewide criminal background searches. This page describes how each resource works, what records are publicly available, and how state law governs access to criminal history in Anderson.
Anderson Quick Facts
Anderson Police Department Criminal Records
The Anderson Police Department is at 401 S. Main Street, Anderson, SC 29624. The non-emergency and FOIA contact number is (864) 231-2200. The department handles all arrests and law enforcement within Anderson city limits. Records requests are accepted in person or by mail at that address.
For incident and accident reports, provide the date of the incident, the type of report, and the names of those involved. Per-page fees may apply. Records tied to open investigations are not available. Once a case is closed, the incident report is generally accessible under South Carolina's public records law.
Anderson Police records are limited to city-level activity. The Anderson County Sheriff handles unincorporated areas. For a full Anderson criminal history search, check both the city police records and the county court system alongside a SLED CATCH query.
Searching Criminal History in Anderson
SLED CATCH at catch.sled.sc.gov provides the most complete statewide criminal history search for Anderson. The fee is $25. Results come from reporting agencies across South Carolina, including Anderson Police and Anderson County courts.
For Anderson County court records, use the Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/anderson. This free tool shows General Sessions cases by name or case number. It covers felonies and serious misdemeanors filed in Anderson County. The Anderson County Courts website at andersoncountycourts.org provides additional court information.
The Anderson County Sheriff's site at andersonsheriff.org offers agency information for the county. The SC DOC Inmate Search at public.doc.state.sc.us lets you check incarceration status for people convicted in Anderson County.
FOIA and Public Records in Anderson
The Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. Title 30, Chapter 4 applies to the City of Anderson and Anderson County. FOIA requests to Anderson go to 401 S. Main Street, Anderson, SC 29624. The same number, (864) 231-2200, handles records requests and FOIA inquiries.
The city has ten business days to respond. Reasonable fees may be charged for copying and the time spent finding records. Records exempt from disclosure include active investigation files, records identifying confidential informants, and records involving juveniles. All denials must reference a specific exemption under the act.
Many court records are already accessible through the Public Index without a FOIA request. For police-specific Anderson criminal history records, a FOIA request to the city is the appropriate channel. Keep a copy of any written request you submit.
County Court Criminal Records for Anderson Residents
The Anderson County Clerk of Court is at 100 South Main Street, Anderson, SC 29624. The phone number is (864) 260-4052. The clerk's website is at andersoncountycourts.org. All General Sessions cases from Anderson are handled by this office.
Felonies and serious misdemeanor cases originating in Anderson are filed, tracked, and closed at the clerk's office. Indictments, plea records, and sentencing documents are all on file there. The Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/anderson gives free name-based access to those records.
Anderson Municipal Court at 401 S. Main Street handles lower-level city offenses. Contact that court at (864) 231-2200 for records specific to municipal jurisdiction. Municipal court records may not all appear in the county Public Index.
Criminal History Statutes and Anderson
S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115 authorizes SLED to compile and maintain criminal records from agencies across the state. Anderson Police reports arrests to SLED, and Anderson County courts report conviction data. The CATCH system draws from this data when returning Anderson criminal history results.
The Freedom of Information Act at Title 30, Chapter 4 governs all public records requests to city and county agencies in Anderson. It covers police records, court documents, and other government files. The law sets the ten-day response window and defines the categories of records that are exempt.
S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40 is the expungement statute. Expunged records are physically destroyed and removed from all public sources. If a search of Anderson criminal history returns gaps or missing records, prior expungements may explain why.
Expungement in Anderson
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40, certain criminal records in South Carolina may be expunged and physically destroyed. Qualifying records include arrests that did not lead to conviction, pretrial intervention completions, and some first-offense convictions after the applicable waiting period.
The petition for expungement in Anderson is filed at the Anderson County Clerk of Court, 100 South Main Street. The filing fee is $250. When the court grants the petition, it orders Anderson Police and SLED to destroy the records permanently.
After expungement, those records will not appear in the Anderson County Public Index or in any SLED CATCH result. They are gone from all public channels. Not all offenses qualify. For eligibility details, contact the Anderson County Clerk at (864) 260-4052 or speak with a South Carolina attorney who handles expungement matters.
Anderson County Criminal History
Anderson is the county seat of Anderson County, and all General Sessions criminal cases from the city are processed through the county court system. For a full overview of Anderson County criminal history resources, visit the county page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
The Upstate region has several nearby cities with their own criminal history resources. Choose one below to learn more.