Conway Criminal History and Arrest Records
Conway is the county seat of Horry County and serves as the government center for one of the most populous counties in South Carolina. Criminal history in Conway flows through the Conway Police Department for city arrests, the Horry County Clerk of Court for all case filings, and SLED for statewide records. This guide explains how to access criminal history records tied to Conway, what each source provides, and how state law applies to the process.
Conway Quick Facts
Conway Police Department Records
The Conway Police Department is at 1201 3rd Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The non-emergency line is (843) 248-1520. The department handles all arrests and law enforcement activities within Conway city limits. Records requests are accepted in person or by mail.
To request incident or accident reports, provide the date of the incident, the names of persons involved, and any report number you have. Per-page copy fees may apply. Active investigation records are withheld. Closed case records are generally available under South Carolina's public records framework.
Conway Police records are specific to city-level activity. The Horry County Police Department and Horry County Sheriff handle areas outside the city. For a full picture of Conway criminal history, also search the county court system and SLED.
Searching Criminal History in Conway
The SLED CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov offers statewide name-based criminal history searches for $25. Results draw from all reporting agencies in South Carolina, including Conway Police and Horry County courts. This is the broadest single search available for Conway criminal history.
For court-specific records, the Horry County Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/horry is free. Search by name or case number to find charges and case outcomes. Since Conway is the county seat, many cases that originated in the city appear prominently in the Horry County index.
The SC Probation, Parole and Pardon Services at dppps.sc.gov and the SC DOC Inmate Search at public.doc.state.sc.us are additional tools for Conway criminal history, especially for persons who served or are serving sentences connected to Horry County convictions.
FOIA and Public Records in Conway
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. Title 30, Chapter 4 applies to the City of Conway and Horry County agencies. FOIA requests to Conway go to 1000 2nd Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The city's phone number is (843) 248-1760.
The city must respond within ten business days. Agencies may charge for copying and staff time. Exempt categories include active investigation materials, records that could identify informants, and juvenile records. If a request is denied, the agency must explain the specific exemption.
Written requests specifying the record type, the time period, and the individuals involved produce the clearest results. Many court records are already available through the Public Index, so FOIA is not always necessary for court-level Conway criminal history.
County Court Criminal Records for Conway Residents
The Horry County Clerk of Court is at 1301 Second Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The phone number is (843) 915-5080. As the county seat, Conway is home to both the city police and the county courts. All General Sessions cases from Conway and the rest of Horry County are filed and maintained at the clerk's office.
Felonies and serious misdemeanors from Conway are processed through General Sessions. All indictments, plea records, and sentencing documents are on file there. The Horry County Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/horry provides free name-based access to those records.
Conway Municipal Court at 1000 2nd Avenue handles lower-level city matters. Those records can be requested at (843) 248-1760. Municipal court records may not all appear in the Public Index, so contact the court directly for specific municipal-level Conway criminal history.
Criminal History Statutes and Conway
S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-115 authorizes SLED to gather criminal records from agencies statewide. Conway Police and Horry County courts both report to SLED under this statute. CATCH search results for Conway criminal history are built from that reporting data.
The Freedom of Information Act at Title 30, Chapter 4 applies to both city and county agencies in Conway. The law governs public records requests for police records, court documents, and other government information. The ten-day response window applies to all agencies covered by the act.
Expungement under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40 affects what you can find when searching Conway criminal history. Records that have been expunged are physically destroyed. They will not appear in the Public Index, SLED CATCH results, or any FOIA response. Gaps in a criminal history search may reflect prior expungements.
Expungement in Conway
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40, certain criminal records in South Carolina can be destroyed through an expungement petition. Qualifying cases include arrests that did not result in conviction, pretrial intervention completions, and some first-offense convictions after a waiting period.
The petition is filed at the Horry County Clerk of Court at 1301 Second Avenue, Conway, SC 29526. The fee is $250. If the court grants the petition, it orders Conway Police and SLED to destroy the records. The destruction cannot be reversed.
After expungement, those records are removed from all public searches of Conway criminal history. The Horry County Public Index will not show the case. SLED CATCH will not return results for it. Not every offense qualifies for expungement. For details on eligibility, contact the Horry County Clerk at (843) 915-5080 or consult an attorney familiar with South Carolina criminal law.
Conway County Criminal History
As the county seat of Horry County, Conway is at the center of the county court system. All criminal case filings for the city and the surrounding county flow through the same courthouse. For a complete look at Horry County criminal history resources, visit the county page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Other cities in the Horry County area and along the Grand Strand have their own resources. Choose a city below to learn more.