Charleston People Search
Charleston people search tools help you find public records for residents of this historic South Carolina city. Charleston sits in Charleston County and has a population of about 150,000. The city keeps its own set of municipal records separate from the county system. You can look up court cases, police reports, and code enforcement files through city portals. State tools like SLED CATCH and the sex offender registry also cover Charleston. Multiple search options exist for anyone who wants to find a person or verify public data in the Charleston area.
Charleston FOIA Records Portal
The City of Charleston handles all public records requests through a central FOIA portal. This is the main way to get police reports, city documents, and other files tied to a person in Charleston. All requests go through an online system run by the Records Management Division. The division does not process requests on its own. Instead, it routes each one to the right city department, such as the Charleston Police Department.
Response times follow state law. The city must send a formal reply within 10 business days for records less than two years old. For older files, that window grows to 20 days. Once the city confirms the records exist, it has 30 calendar days to hand them over. Fees apply for staff time and copies. For example, police department review costs $20.73 per hour and black and white copies cost $0.10 per page. You can start a Charleston people search through the FOIA portal at charleston-sc.gov FOIA page.
The FOIA portal provides access to the Charleston people search records shown below.
South Carolina law makes it a crime to use personal data from a public body for commercial solicitation under S.C. Code Section 30-2-50. Keep this in mind when you request records in Charleston.
People Search Through Police Data
Charleston runs a Police Data Initiative that gives the public free access to crime and arrest data. The city adopted an Open Data Policy in 2021 through city council. This means you do not need to file a FOIA request to view many police records. The data portal lets you browse, download, and map open data sets from the Charleston Police Department.
Data sets on the portal include crime reports, 311 call center logs, and economic development files. You can pull records in formats like CSV, KML, and GeoJSON. Each record has location data so you can map it. This tool is helpful for a Charleston people search because it shows arrest data and field contacts without a formal request. Visit the portal at pdi-charleston-sc.opendata.arcgis.com to start.
The Charleston Police Data Initiative home page is shown here.
Contact the department at kingm@charleston-sc.gov for help with data sets or questions about the portal.
Note: Open data on the portal updates on a regular basis, but some records may have a short delay before they appear.
Charleston Municipal Court Records
The Charleston Municipal Court handles traffic cases, city code violations, and certain criminal charges. Court records are a useful part of any Charleston people search. The court sits at 180 Lockwood Boulevard in Charleston. It hears cases on most weekdays.
Bond Court runs twice each day during the week at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. On weekends and holidays, sessions run at 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. At bond hearings, defendants learn their rights and the nature of their charges. Victims have the right to be present. Court docket schedules are posted online in PDF format so you can check when a case is set to be heard.
You can reach the court at 843-724-7460 or by email at bondcourt@charleston-sc.gov. Fines can be paid with cash, certified checks, money orders, debit cards, or credit cards. The court does not take personal checks. If a ticket says "Appearance Required," the person named must show up or a bench warrant may follow.
The Charleston Municipal Court page is shown below.
Check the court docket online to see if a person has a case scheduled in Charleston.
State Tools for Charleston People Search
South Carolina offers several state databases that cover Charleston residents. SLED CATCH lets you run a name-based criminal history check for $25. The search requires a last name, first name, and date of birth. Results come back right away for online searches. SLED CATCH covers all South Carolina arrests supported by fingerprint records. It does not include sex offender data or wanted persons lists. Run a check at catch.sled.sc.gov.
The sex offender registry is a separate tool run by SLED. You can search by name or by ZIP code to find offenders near a Charleston address. The registry uses the SORT system from the U.S. Department of Justice. It shows photos, aliases, and a map of where each offender lives. Sign up for email alerts when a new offender moves into your area. Access the registry at scor.sled.sc.gov.
For people who may be in state prison, the South Carolina Department of Corrections runs a free inmate search at public.doc.state.sc.us. You can search by name or SCDC number. Results show the inmate's photo, location, charges, sentence, and release date.
- SLED CATCH for criminal history ($25 per search)
- Sex Offender Registry for offender location data
- SCDC Inmate Search for state prison records
- Appellate Court System for appeal case data
- Vital Records for birth, death, and marriage files
Note: SLED CATCH only returns South Carolina records and does not cover federal or out-of-state arrests.
Charleston Property and Business Lookups
The City of Charleston GIS Document Search returns property records for addresses inside city limits. You can find building permits from 1932 to 2016, certificates of occupancy, elevation certificates, and historical maps going back to 1698. Use a partial street address to search. For example, typing "80 Broad" will bring up all results on 80 Broad Street. The Records Center at 2 George Street holds the physical files. Make an appointment to view them in person.
Business license records also tie back to people in Charleston. Every business in the city must hold a license. Historical license registers from 1872 to 2015 are kept at the Records Center. The Customer Self Service portal at charleston-sc.gov CSS portal lets you search public records by address or parcel number. You can view permits, plans, inspections, and code cases linked to a property or business owner.
Note: The GIS Document Search only covers properties within Charleston city limits, not the broader county.
Historical People Records in Charleston
The City of Charleston Records Management Division holds documents for historical and modern research. Council records go back to 1790. Mayoral files start in 1879. City codes of ordinances date to 1783. Fire department records span from 1848 to 1979. The division also holds Alms House records from 1801 to 1917 and Orphan House files from 1800 to 1967.
Orphan House records have privacy limits. Access is restricted until the records reach 75 years of age. In 2002, many older collections moved to the Charleston County Public Library South Carolina Room. A Historical Collections Catalog is available to search what the division holds. New records are added to the catalog each day. Contact Meg Moughan at moughanm@charleston-sc.gov to set up a research appointment at the Records Management Division.
Code Enforcement and People Search
Charleston code enforcement records link to property owners and tenants. The Department of Livability and Tourism enforces city codes to maintain quality of life. Violations go through the Livability Court, which is part of the Municipal Court system. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. Penalties include fines and possible jail time.
You can file a complaint or check case status online through the Citizen Service Desk. Reports can be anonymous. Call 843-724-3765 for help. Searching code enforcement records can reveal information about people tied to a Charleston address.
Charleston County Court Records
Charleston County maintains its own court system that handles cases for city residents too. The Charleston County Public Index lets you search circuit and family court records by name or case number. It covers civil, criminal, family, and juvenile cases. You can view filing dates, party names, hearing schedules, and case status for free.
The county also runs an inmate search for the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center at inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.org. This tool shows who is currently in the county jail along with booking dates, charges, and bond details.
Charleston County People Search
Charleston is the largest city in Charleston County. The county maintains separate records systems for court filings, property deeds, tax records, and inmate data. For a broader search that covers all of Charleston County, visit the county people search page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
People in nearby cities have their own local records and courts. Pick a city below to find people search tools for that area.