Carolina Forest Criminal History Records
Carolina Forest is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina. It is not an incorporated city or town, so it has no city police department and no municipal court. All law enforcement in Carolina Forest is provided by the Horry County Police Department, and all criminal cases go through the Horry County court system. This page explains how criminal history in Carolina Forest works, which agencies are involved, and how to access those records under South Carolina law.
Carolina Forest Quick Facts
Horry County Police Department Records for Carolina Forest
Because Carolina Forest is unincorporated, the Horry County Police Department handles all law enforcement in the area. The department's address is 2560 North Highway 17, Longs, SC 29568. The non-emergency line is (843) 915-5350. The department's website is at horrycounty.org/Police.
The records division processes requests for incident reports and accident reports. Requests are accepted in person or by mail. Provide the date of the incident, the names of people involved, and any report number you have. Copy fees may apply. Active investigation records are withheld.
All Carolina Forest arrests are made by Horry County Police and reported to SLED. There is no separate city police department, no local records division with its own access point. Any search of Carolina Forest criminal history at the law enforcement level starts with Horry County Police.
Searching Criminal History in Carolina Forest
The SLED CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov is the fastest way to run a name-based criminal history search covering Carolina Forest. The cost is $25. The system returns arrests and convictions from agencies statewide, including Horry County Police and the Horry County courts.
For court records specific to Horry County, use the free Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/horry. Search by name or case number to find charges and case outcomes. Carolina Forest residents have no municipal court, so all criminal cases in the area appear at the county level in this index.
Since there is no municipal court for Carolina Forest, the Horry County Magistrate Courts handle lower-level cases from the area. Magistrate records may not all appear in the Public Index. Call the Horry County Clerk of Court at (843) 915-5080 for assistance with specific case inquiries.
FOIA and Public Records in Carolina Forest
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. Title 30, Chapter 4 applies to Horry County agencies that serve Carolina Forest. Because the area is unincorporated, all FOIA requests for law enforcement records go to Horry County, not a city government.
FOIA requests to Horry County can be submitted to 1301 2nd Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The county's main number is (843) 915-5080. Agencies must respond within ten business days. Fees apply for copying and staff time. Exempt records include active investigation materials and juvenile records.
Written requests specifying the record type, date, and individuals involved produce the best results. Court records from the Horry County Clerk are often accessible through the Public Index without needing a FOIA request at all.
County Court Criminal Records for Carolina Forest Residents
The Horry County Clerk of Court is at 1301 Second Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The phone number is (843) 915-5080. Since Carolina Forest is unincorporated, all criminal cases from the area, including both felonies and misdemeanors, are handled by this office.
General Sessions handles felony and serious misdemeanor cases. All indictments, plea agreements, verdicts, and sentencing documents from Carolina Forest are filed with the Horry County Clerk. The Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/horry provides free search access to those records.
Magistrate court handles lower-level matters from the Carolina Forest area. Magistrate records may require a direct contact with the Horry County Clerk to access fully. The county seat is Conway, where the clerk's office and main county courts are located.
Criminal History Statutes and Carolina Forest
S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115 requires SLED to compile arrest and conviction data from reporting agencies across South Carolina. The Horry County Police Department reports all Carolina Forest arrests to SLED under this law. Horry County courts report conviction data. When you use CATCH to search Carolina Forest criminal history, those results come from this reporting chain.
The Freedom of Information Act at Title 30, Chapter 4 applies to Horry County agencies. Since Carolina Forest has no city government, residents interact with county-level offices for all public records requests. The same ten-day response window and the same exemptions apply.
S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40 governs expungement. Carolina Forest residents who qualify may petition the Horry County Clerk of Court to have records destroyed. Once destroyed, those records will not appear in the Public Index or in any SLED CATCH search of Carolina Forest criminal history.
Expungement in Carolina Forest
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40, qualifying residents of Carolina Forest may petition to have criminal records destroyed. Eligible records include arrests without conviction, cases completed through pretrial intervention programs, and certain first offenses following the required waiting period.
The petition is filed at the Horry County Clerk of Court, 1301 Second Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The filing fee is $250. If the court grants the petition, it directs the Horry County Police Department and SLED to destroy the records. That destruction is permanent.
After expungement, no public search of Carolina Forest criminal history will return the removed records. The Public Index will not show the case. SLED CATCH will not include it. Magistrate records will also be cleared. Not all offenses qualify. Contact the Horry County Clerk at (843) 915-5080 or consult a South Carolina attorney to determine eligibility.
Carolina Forest County Criminal History
Carolina Forest is an unincorporated community within Horry County. All criminal cases from the area go through the Horry County court system. For a full overview of Horry County criminal history resources, the Public Index, and related information, visit the county page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Other communities in the Horry County area have their own criminal history resources. Choose a city below to learn more.