McCormick County Criminal History Records
McCormick County criminal history records are maintained by the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. McCormick is the smallest county in South Carolina by population, with approximately 10,000 residents. It sits in the 11th Judicial Circuit near the Georgia border, bordered by Lake Thurmond. The courthouse is at 133 South Mine Street in McCormick. This page covers every available resource for researching criminal history in McCormick County.
McCormick County Quick Facts
McCormick County Clerk of Court
The McCormick County Clerk of Court is the Honorable Gwendolyn Dorn Chiles, known as Gwen. She is a lifelong McCormick County resident. She graduated from McCormick High School in 1978 and earned an Associate Degree in Accounting from Piedmont Technical College and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Southern Wesleyan University.
Clerk Chiles started her career in 1989 with the McCormick County Sheriff's Department as a Dispatcher and Jailer. In 1990 she joined the Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds Office. She was appointed by the Governor in 2011 and first elected in 2012. Her motto is "Service with A Smile."
The office is at 133 South Mine Street, Room 102, McCormick, SC 29835. Phone is (864) 852-2195, fax is (864) 852-2197. The Clerk maintains General Sessions criminal records, Common Pleas civil records, Family Court records, restricted juvenile records, and sealed adoption records. For the current courthouse directory listing, visit the SC Courts courthouse directory for McCormick County.
| Clerk of Court | Hon. Gwendolyn Dorn Chiles |
|---|---|
| Address | 133 South Mine Street, Room 102, McCormick, SC 29835 |
| Phone | (864) 852-2195 |
| Fax | (864) 852-2197 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Courthouse Directory | sccourts.org/courts/courthouse-search/mccormick |
| Judicial Circuit | 11th Circuit |
The McCormick County Clerk of Court at 133 South Mine Street in McCormick is the official custodian of General Sessions criminal records for the county.
McCormick County Criminal Records Requests
Records requests must be made in person at the McCormick County Courthouse. Bring a valid photo ID and know the case number or party name before you arrive. Staff can locate records by name or by case number but do not conduct open-ended background searches on your behalf.
Standard copy fees apply per page. Certified copies carry an additional fee. Most in-person requests are filled the same day or within 24 hours when the file is on site. The Clerk does not give legal advice. Sealed or expunged records do not appear in office files, and staff cannot confirm they ever existed.
Services provided by the Clerk's office include court record access, copy and certified copy services, fine collection, and jury management. Register of Deeds functions for McCormick County are handled by the same office at the same location.
McCormick County Criminal History Online: Public Index
The McCormick County Public Index is hosted by the SC Judicial Branch and available 24 hours a day. No login or account is required. Search by defendant name, by case number, or by date range to find McCormick County criminal history records.
Each record shows the case number, filing date, charge descriptions, court dates, current case status, the assigned judge, and attorney names. You can confirm whether a case was filed and what the outcome was. Actual court documents cannot be downloaded from the Public Index. For specific filings, orders, or certified copies, visit the Clerk's office on South Mine Street.
The Public Index does not show juvenile records, sealed cases, or expunged matters. A recent arrest may not appear for several business days. The system is a useful first step but is not a complete substitute for a direct request or a SLED check.
McCormick County Sheriff and Arrest Records
The McCormick County Sheriff's Office is at 210 E. Augusta Street, McCormick, SC 29835, phone (864) 852-2102. The Sheriff's Office maintains incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, booking information, and warrant inquiries. It submits criminal data and fingerprints to SLED as required by state law.
To request records, visit the Sheriff's Office in person. Bring valid photo ID and specific details about the incident, including names, dates, and any case numbers you have. The Sheriff's Office does not run official background checks. For that purpose, contact the SLED CATCH portal.
Given McCormick County's small size, the Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency. The county has limited municipal law enforcement. Most arrest and incident records originate through the Sheriff rather than a city police department. The McCormick County Magistrate Court handles traffic citations, misdemeanor cases, and preliminary hearings. It is located at the courthouse at 133 South Mine Street, phone (864) 852-2195.
Statewide SLED Search for McCormick County Criminal History
SLED operates the statewide criminal records repository. McCormick County courts and law enforcement agencies report arrest and disposition data to SLED. The SLED CATCH portal charges $25 per name-based criminal history search. Results reflect the entire state, not just McCormick County records.
Name-based SLED results are not fingerprint-verified. Records with spelling variations can be missed. Common names may return false matches. For legal or official purposes requiring the highest level of accuracy, a fingerprint-based check through the SLED Public Dissemination Unit at 803.896.1443 is preferable.
The SLED Sex Offender Registry lists registered offenders in McCormick County and can be filtered by county or zip code. State prison inmates appear in the SC Department of Corrections inmate search. Individuals on probation or parole are tracked at dppps.sc.gov.
McCormick County Criminal Records Law and Expungement
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at Title 30, Chapter 4 gives the public the right to inspect most government records including court files. Written requests must be submitted. Agencies have 10 business days to respond for recent records and 20 days for older ones. Fees reflect actual reproduction costs.
Under 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, keeping McCormick County records current in the statewide database.
Expungements follow Section 17-1-40. A completed expungement removes the record from the Public Index, from SLED, and from the Clerk's files. Because McCormick County is in the 11th Judicial Circuit, contact the 11th Circuit Solicitor's Office to begin the petition process. The Solicitor reviews and approves the petition, the judge signs the order, and the Clerk handles record destruction. The process takes several months from start to finish. Violent offenses and most serious felonies are not eligible for expungement.
Nearby Counties
McCormick County borders several other South Carolina counties. Use the links below to find criminal history resources in neighboring areas.