Newberry County Criminal History Records
Newberry County criminal history records are held by the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. The county seat is Newberry, home to the historic Newberry Opera House and Newberry College. The county sits in the 8th Judicial Circuit in the midlands region of South Carolina. Whether you need to look up a criminal case online, visit the courthouse on College Street, or run a statewide background check through SLED, this page covers each step for searching criminal history in Newberry County.
Newberry County Quick Facts
Newberry County Clerk of Court
The Newberry County Clerk of Court is Elizabeth (Beth) Folk. She first came to work in the Newberry County Clerk of Court's office in October 1977. Over the following decades she worked in every area of the office, including Real Estate, Common Pleas, General Sessions, and Family Court. She became Deputy Clerk in 1989 and was elected Clerk of Court in November 2016, taking office January 1, 2017. She has now served Newberry County for over 45 years, more than eight of them as the elected Clerk.
The office is at the Newberry County Courthouse, 1226 College Street, Newberry, SC 29108. Mailing address is PO Box 418, Newberry, SC 29108. Phone is (803) 321-2117, fax is (803) 321-2119. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
The Clerk maintains all court records for the 8th Judicial Circuit within Newberry County. General Sessions criminal records include indictments, warrants, bond paperwork, motions, and sentence sheets. The Clerk also handles Common Pleas civil records and Family Court files. For copies, standard rate is $0.25 per page and certified copies cost $5.00 plus $0.25 per page. Payment is accepted by cash, check, or money order.
| Clerk of Court | Elizabeth (Beth) Folk |
|---|---|
| Physical Address | 1226 College Street, Newberry, SC 29108 |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 418, Newberry, SC 29108 |
| Phone | (803) 321-2117 |
| Fax | (803) 321-2119 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Courthouse Directory | sccourts.org/courts/courthouse-search/newberry |
| Judicial Circuit | 8th Circuit |
The Newberry County Clerk of Court at 1226 College Street handles all General Sessions criminal records, Common Pleas civil records, and Family Court files for the county.
Newberry County Criminal History via the Public Index
The Newberry County Public Index is free and available around the clock through the SC Judicial Branch. No login is needed. Search by defendant last name, by case number, or by date range to find Newberry County criminal history records.
Each result includes the case number, filing date, charge descriptions, scheduled court dates, current case status, assigned judge, and attorney names. That detail is enough to confirm whether a case was filed and how it resolved. Actual court documents cannot be downloaded. You must visit the Clerk's office on College Street for copies of specific filings, orders, or sentence sheets.
Juvenile records, sealed matters, and expunged cases do not appear in the Public Index. A recent arrest may not show up for several business days after booking. Use the Public Index as a starting point for Newberry County criminal history research and follow up with a SLED CATCH check if you need broader statewide coverage.
Newberry County Sheriff's Office and Arrest Records
The Newberry County Sheriff is Lee Foster. The Sheriff's Office is at 550 Wilson Road, Newberry, SC 29108, phone (803) 321-2211, email lfoster@ncso.sc.gov. The Sheriff's mission is to make neighbors and businesses a safer and happier place to live and work through teamwork and community involvement.
The Records Division maintains incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, booking information, and warrant inquiries. Lieutenant Deanna Wilbanks has 15 years of service and handles the sex offender registry and warrants division. To request records, visit the office in person with a valid photo ID and specific details about the incident you are asking about. Pay any applicable fees. The Sheriff's Office does not run official background checks. For criminal history, use the SLED CATCH portal.
The Magistrate Court handles traffic citations, misdemeanor cases, and preliminary felony hearings. It can be reached at (803) 321-2112. The Probate Court, handling estates and marriage licenses, is at (803) 321-2115.
The Newberry County Sheriff's Office at 550 Wilson Road maintains arrest records, incident reports, and booking information for law enforcement events across Newberry County.
Searching SLED for Newberry County Criminal History
SLED maintains the statewide criminal records database. Newberry County courts and law enforcement report arrest and case disposition data to SLED as required by state law. The SLED CATCH portal allows anyone to submit a name-based criminal history check for $25. Results reflect data from all South Carolina counties, not just Newberry.
Name-based SLED results are not fingerprint-verified. Records with spelling variations can be missed, and common names can produce false matches. For legal or official purposes requiring high accuracy, a fingerprint-based check through SLED's Public Dissemination Unit at 803.896.1443 is the preferred method.
The SLED Sex Offender Registry shows registered offenders in Newberry County and can be filtered by county or zip code. State prison inmates appear in the SC Department of Corrections inmate search. Individuals on community supervision in Newberry County are tracked at dppps.sc.gov.
Newberry County Court Levels and Criminal Records
Criminal history records in Newberry County come from three court levels. General Sessions handles felony charges and serious misdemeanors. Records here are the most complete and consistently entered into the statewide system. The Magistrate Court handles misdemeanor cases, traffic violations, and preliminary hearings for felony arrests. Municipal courts in Newberry and other incorporated areas handle city ordinance violations and lower-level traffic matters.
All three levels may appear in the Public Index once records are entered. The completeness and speed of entry varies. If you need a thorough picture of someone's criminal history in Newberry County, check both the Public Index and run a SLED CATCH search, as the two systems draw from partly different data sources.
Bond court hearings typically occur twice daily after a Newberry County arrest. Bond amounts and conditions become part of the General Sessions case file and appear in the Public Index within a few business days of booking.
Newberry 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. Written requests must be submitted. Agencies have 10 business days for recent records and 20 days for older files. 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 on a rolling basis, keeping Newberry County outcomes current in the statewide database.
Expungements in Newberry County follow Section 17-1-40. A completed expungement removes the record from the Public Index, from SLED, and from the Clerk's office files. Contact the 8th Circuit Solicitor's Office to begin. The Solicitor reviews and approves the petition before a judge signs the order. The Clerk then handles record destruction. The process typically takes several months. Violent felonies and most serious offenses are not eligible under current South Carolina law.
Nearby Counties
Newberry County borders several other South Carolina counties. Use the links below to find criminal history resources in neighboring areas.