Kershaw County Criminal History Records

Kershaw County Clerk of Court

The Kershaw County Clerk of Court is the official recordkeeper for General Sessions criminal cases, Common Pleas civil matters, and Family Court files within the 5th Judicial Circuit. The courthouse is located in Camden, the county seat. For criminal records, the Clerk maintains indictments, warrants, bond records, motions, sentence sheets, and judgment rolls going back many decades.

Records requests must be made in person at the courthouse. Bring a valid photo ID and as much detail as possible about the case you need, including names and approximate dates. Staff can locate records by party name or case number, but they do not conduct open-ended searches on your behalf. Standard copy fees apply, and certified copies cost more. Most in-house requests are filled on the same day or within 24 hours.

The Clerk's office does not give legal advice and will not confirm whether expunged or sealed records ever existed. For the courthouse address and current staff contacts, check the SC Courts courthouse directory for Kershaw County.

Kershaw County Criminal History Through the Public Index

The fastest free method for checking Kershaw County criminal history is the Public Index, hosted by the South Carolina Judicial Branch. It runs 24 hours a day and requires no login. You can search by last name, by case number, or by filing date range.

Results show the case number, filing date, charge descriptions, hearing dates, case status, the assigned judge, and attorneys of record. That is enough to confirm whether a case exists and where it stands. Actual court documents are not available online. You must go to the Clerk's office in Camden to get copies of filings, orders, or sentence sheets.

The Public Index does not include juvenile records, sealed cases, or matters that have been expunged. A recent arrest may not appear for several business days after booking. Always treat the online system as a starting point rather than a complete record.

Case numbers in South Carolina follow the format: year, court code, county number, and sequential case number. For General Sessions criminal cases in Kershaw County, the court code is GS. Knowing the correct format helps you find exact matches faster.

Kershaw County Arrest Records and Sheriff's Office

The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement across unincorporated parts of the county and operates the county detention center. The office maintains incident reports, arrest records, accident reports, and booking information for people held at the jail.

Requests for arrest records and incident reports are made in person at the Sheriff's Office. You need valid photo ID and details about the incident, including names and dates. Processing time depends on the age and complexity of the request. The Sheriff's Office does not perform official background checks. For that purpose, you are directed to SLED's CATCH system, which charges $25 per name-based search.

Active warrant information is available in limited form. Staff will confirm whether a warrant is on file for a named individual, but full warrant details are not shared over the phone or by email. The Camden Police Department handles incidents within city limits and maintains its own records, separate from the Sheriff's files.

Searching SLED for Kershaw County Criminal History

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division maintains the statewide criminal records repository. SLED draws data from all counties, including Kershaw. The SLED CATCH portal lets anyone submit a name-based criminal history check for $25. Results show convictions and arrests that have been reported to the state system.

SLED results are name-based, not fingerprint-based. That means two people with similar names may cause confusion, and records entered under slightly different spellings can be missed. For legal or official use where accuracy is essential, a fingerprint-based check through SLED's Public Dissemination Unit at 803.896.1443 is the more reliable option.

The SLED CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov processes statewide name-based criminal history requests for $25 per search.

The SLED Sex Offender Registry lists registered offenders by county, city, or zip code. Kershaw County residents and former residents appear in this statewide database. The SC Department of Corrections inmate search covers people currently in state prison, showing their sentence details and projected release date. The Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services tracks individuals on supervision in the community.

Kershaw County Criminal Records and South Carolina FOIA

South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act, at Title 30, Chapter 4, gives the public the right to inspect and copy public records, including most court records. Requests must be in writing. The agency has 10 business days to respond for records less than 24 months old and 20 business days for older records.

Court records at the Kershaw County Clerk of Court office are requested directly from that office, not through the county FOIA coordinator. Include the case number or party name and the specific documents you need. Fees for copies are based on the actual cost of reproduction, generally $0.25 to $1.00 per page.

Under South Carolina Code Section 23-3-115, SLED is the state's central criminal records authority. The Clerk of Court is required under Section 23-3-120 to report case dispositions to SLED within set timeframes so the statewide database stays current with Kershaw County results.

Expungement of Kershaw County Criminal History Records

An expungement removes a criminal record from public access. After it is complete, the arrest and charge are not visible in most searches. South Carolina's rules are in Section 17-1-40, and Kershaw County follows those same state procedures.

Eligibility depends on the offense type, case outcome, and time elapsed. Cases that were dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or went through certain diversion programs may qualify. Some first-offense convictions become eligible after a waiting period. Violent offenses and most serious felonies generally cannot be expunged.

To start the process in Kershaw County, contact the Solicitor's Office for the 5th Circuit. The Solicitor reviews and approves petitions before they go to a judge. The Clerk of Court then handles the filing and record destruction once a judge grants the order. The process can take several months. Once done, the record is removed from the Public Index, from SLED's repository, and from Kershaw County court files.

Court Levels in Kershaw County

Criminal history in Kershaw County spans three court levels. The General Sessions Court handles felonies and serious misdemeanors. The Magistrate Court handles lower-level misdemeanors, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony cases. Municipal courts in Camden and other incorporated areas handle ordinance violations and lower-level traffic matters within their city limits.

Records from all three levels may appear in the Public Index. General Sessions records are the most complete. Magistrate and municipal records vary in how consistently they are entered into the statewide system. If you need a comprehensive picture of someone's criminal history in Kershaw County, check both the Public Index and request a SLED CATCH search.

Bond court typically runs twice daily. After an arrest in Kershaw County, a bond hearing is usually set within 24 hours before a magistrate. Bond amounts and conditions are recorded in court files and appear in the Public Index once the case is entered.

Nearby Counties

Kershaw County shares borders with several other South Carolina counties. Use the links below to access criminal history resources in neighboring areas.

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