Pickens County Criminal History and Court Records

Pickens County Clerk of Court

The Honorable Harold "Pat" Welborn, Jr. serves as the Pickens County Clerk of Court. Clerk Welborn was elected in November 2008 and has served continuously since January 1, 2009. He is a lifelong county resident with a background in public service including work as a volunteer firefighter, a Pickens City Council member, and service as Secretary for the SC Association of Clerks of Court and Register of Deeds.

The Clerk's office maintains criminal, civil, and family court records for the 13th Judicial Circuit. General Sessions criminal cases are the primary criminal history resource held here. You can visit in person during business hours to access case files, request copies, or obtain certified copies of documents. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page, and certified copies are $5.00 plus $0.25 per additional page. Cash, check, and money order are accepted.

The office provides record searches, copy services, certified copies, case status information, and court calendar access. Bring a valid photo ID and the name or case number you need. The Clerk's office does not conduct research on your behalf, so coming prepared saves time. Juvenile records are restricted from public view, and adoption records are sealed.

The Pickens County courthouse directory on the SC Courts website provides contact details for the Clerk of Court and all other court locations in the county.

The Pickens County Courthouse at 214 E. Main Street houses the Clerk of Court office where General Sessions criminal case files and other court records are maintained for the 13th Judicial Circuit.

Pickens County Criminal Records and Court Cases

Criminal history records in Pickens County originate at multiple points in the justice system. An arrest at the county level creates a booking record held by the Sheriff's Office. When charges proceed to circuit court, the Clerk of Court creates a General Sessions case file. Magistrate court cases, including traffic citations and misdemeanors, are tracked separately at the county magistrate court.

The Pickens County courthouse directory on the SC Courts website lists contact information for all court locations in the county. This is a useful starting point when you are trying to determine which court handled a particular case. For felony-level criminal history, always start with the Clerk of Court at 214 E. Main Street. For minor offenses and traffic matters, contact the Magistrate Court at (864) 898-5500.

Note: Municipal courts in Easley and other Pickens County cities maintain their own dockets separate from the county court system.

Pickens Public Index Court Record Search

The Pickens County Public Index is a free online tool maintained by the SC Judicial Branch. It provides access to General Sessions and Common Pleas case dockets without a trip to the courthouse. You can search by name or case number. Results display the defendant's name, charges with statute citations, court dates, attorney information, judge assignment, and case status.

Searches on the Public Index are free and available at any time of day. The system is updated daily but is not a real-time feed, so the most recent activity from the past 24 hours may not yet be visible. Expunged cases are removed from the index. Juvenile records are never included. If you find a case in the Public Index and need a certified copy of a document from that file, visit the Clerk's office at 214 E. Main Street with the case number in hand.

The Public Index is best used as a starting point for a criminal history search. It gives you a quick overview of whether a person has an active or historical General Sessions case in Pickens County. For a more complete picture across all South Carolina counties, a SLED CATCH search covers the full statewide criminal history database.

Pickens County Sheriff's Office Arrest Records

The Pickens County Sheriff's Office is located at 216 C. David Stone Road, Pickens, SC 29671. The main phone number is (864) 898-5500. The Records Division handles requests for incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, booking information, and warrant inquiries. The detention center is also managed by the Sheriff's Office and houses individuals awaiting trial and those serving short sentences.

Requesting an arrest record from the Pickens County Sheriff's Office requires an in-person visit during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID and provide as much detail as possible about the incident or arrest, including the date, the names of those involved, and the general location. Staff will advise you of any applicable fees and processing time. Warrant information is limited to protect officer safety, but general inquiries can be made at the front desk.

For inmate information at the detention center, visitation policies are available through the main Sheriff's Office number. If you are looking for someone in state custody rather than county custody, use the SC DOC Inmate Search on the Department of Corrections website, which is a separate system covering state prison facilities.

SLED Statewide Background Check for Pickens County

A SLED criminal background check is the most thorough way to research someone's criminal history in South Carolina. The SLED website at sled.sc.gov and the SLED CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov give members of the public access to a statewide name-based search. The fee is $25 per search plus a $1 online convenience fee, payable by credit or debit card. Results come back immediately after payment.

The CATCH search covers Pickens County criminal history along with records from all other South Carolina counties. It is name-based, so identical or similar names may appear in results. Always confirm the identity of the person before relying on any results returned. SLED's Public Dissemination Unit can help with questions about specific records. Call 803.896.1443 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. SLED does not accept in-person visits and has not done so since December 15, 2008.

SC Code Section 23-3-115 authorizes SLED to disseminate public criminal history records and defines what information is included in a standard public release. Certain dispositions such as first-offense dismissals after program completion may not appear in the standard public record. The SLED Sex Offender Registry at SORT is free to search and covers all registrants in Pickens County and across the state.

Expungement and Sealing of Pickens County Criminal Records

Expungement in South Carolina is governed by SC Code Section 17-1-40. An expungement order directs the Pickens County Clerk of Court to remove the case from the Public Index and instructs SLED to purge it from the statewide criminal history database. Once completed, the expunged record does not appear in any public search.

Eligibility for expungement depends on the charge type and the outcome. Not-guilty verdicts, dismissed charges, nolle prossed cases, and certain first-offense misdemeanor convictions after waiting periods may qualify. The Solicitor's Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit reviews petitions and must approve or deny them before a judge signs the final order. The Clerk of Court at (864) 898-5857 can provide the local forms and procedural guidance. Budget several months from the filing date to completion. Consulting an attorney who practices in 13th Circuit courts can help determine whether a specific case qualifies and speed up the process.

South Carolina's FOIA statute at SC Code Section 30-4-30 also governs public access to criminal records held by local agencies. FOIA requests for Pickens County Sheriff's Office records should be directed to the Records Division at 216 C. David Stone Road. Agencies have 10 business days to respond to recent requests and 20 business days for older records.

Cities in Pickens County

Easley is the largest city in Pickens County and has its own municipal court for local matters.

Nearby Counties

Pickens County shares borders with Oconee, Anderson, and Greenville counties. Criminal history searches in those counties follow similar processes through their respective Clerk of Court offices.

View All 46 Counties