Summerville People Search
Summerville people search tools let you look up public records for residents of this growing town in Dorchester County, South Carolina. The town sits near Charleston and has a population of roughly 53,000. Dorchester County maintains court records, property files, and inmate data that cover Summerville. State tools from SLED and the Department of Corrections also apply. You can search for a person by name through the county public index, the detention center roster, or the register of deeds. Several free and paid options exist for anyone who wants to find records tied to a Summerville resident.
Summerville Court Records Search
Dorchester County is in the First Judicial Circuit. The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index gives free access to court records for this circuit. You can search by party name, case number, or filing date. The system covers General Sessions criminal cases, Common Pleas civil cases, and Family Court filings. Select Dorchester from the county dropdown to find cases tied to Summerville residents. Results show case summaries, docket entries, hearing dates, and case status. Some municipal court records also appear in the search tool.
Full case files are not available online. The Public Index only shows docket data. For complete records or certified copies, contact the Dorchester County Clerk of Court at 5200 East Jim Bilton Boulevard in St. George. The phone number is (843) 563-0160. Office hours run from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays. A criminal record search costs $25 in person, plus $1 per page for copies. Certified copies add $5 per document. Family Court records are handled at 212 Deming Way in Summerville, and files older than 20 years may need extra time for retrieval.
As of January 2026, home address data no longer shows on the public index for new or old cases. This change protects personal privacy under state policy.
Note: Some Dorchester County court records may not appear online right away due to daily update schedules.
People Search Through Inmate Records
The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate lookup portal. This tool shows who is held at the Dorchester County Detention Center. You can search by first name, last name, charge, or arresting agency. Filters let you narrow results by date range, such as the last 24 hours or last 7 days.
Each result includes the person's name, booking photo, charges filed, bond details, court dates, and custody status. The detention center sits at 300 Deming Way in Summerville. Its phone number is (843) 832-0100. A second location operates at 101 Sears Street in St. George. The roster updates at least once per day, with some booking data refreshed every 15 minutes. You can also call the warrants line at 843-832-0330 to check for outstanding warrants tied to a Summerville people search.
The SLED CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov provides statewide criminal history checks that include Dorchester County arrests.
Each SLED CATCH search costs $25 and requires a last name, first name, and date of birth.
Summerville Property and Land Records
The Dorchester County Register of Deeds records and stores all land documents. These include deeds, mortgages, UCC filings, state and federal tax liens, and plats. You can search by party name, property description, document type, or date range through the online portal. The Summerville office is at 500 North Main Street, Summerville, SC 29483, and the phone number is 843-832-0181. Recording hours run from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Research hours for public access go from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Dorchester County also offers a free fraud alert service. Sign up to get email alerts when new documents are recorded under your name. This helps detect property fraud early. The county maintains a Document Imaging System for scanning and indexing land records. Microfilm copies go to the South Carolina Archives as required by law under S.C. Code of Laws.
The Assessor's Office keeps property records too. Search by TMS number, owner name, or address. Results show ownership history, assessed values, and tax data. Property records in Dorchester County date back to 1897 when the county was formed from parts of Berkeley and Colleton counties.
Note: Confirm a property falls within Dorchester County by checking the TMS or address on the county GIS mapping system before making a records request.
Summerville People Search via FOIA
Dorchester County provides an online FOIA request portal for public records. You can also mail requests to the County Attorney's Office at 500 N. Main St., Summerville, SC 29483. The county must respond within 10 business days for records less than 24 months old. Older records get a 20-day window. South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act is found in Title 30, Chapter 4 of the state code.
Copy fees are modest. Black and white pages cost $0.20 each. Color pages run $0.60. Legal size and larger pages cost more. A front and back page counts as two pages. The county links to department-specific records for the Assessor, Clerk of Court, Coroner, Probate Court, and Register of Deeds. Each path leads to different types of people data.
South Carolina law makes it a crime to use records from a public body for commercial solicitation. Under S.C. Code Section 30-2-50, penalties include fines up to $500 or up to one year in jail.
Vital Records for Summerville
The Dorchester County Probate Court handles marriage licenses, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships. Marriage license applications can be filed online. The fee is $75 plus a $2.40 processing charge. A 24-hour wait applies from the time of application. Each person must be over 18 and provide a social security card and a state-issued ID or military ID. You do not have to live in Dorchester County or South Carolina to apply.
Certified copies of marriage licenses can be ordered online. Select "Dorchester Marriage" from the dropdown and search by the groom's or bride's last name. Each copy costs $11.50 and is not refundable. The Probate Court is at 5200 East Jim Bilton Boulevard in St. George. Phone numbers are (843) 563-0105 for St. George and (843) 832-0105 for Summerville.
For birth and death records, the South Carolina Department of Public Health maintains files from 1915 to the present. Birth records become public after 100 years. Death records open after 50 years. Visit dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records to order certified copies.
First copies of birth or death certificates cost $12, with each added copy at $3.
State Tools for Summerville People Search
Several state databases help with a Summerville people search. The sex offender registry at scor.sled.sc.gov lets you search by name or ZIP code. It shows photos, aliases, and a map of each offender's address. You can sign up for email alerts when a new offender moves into a Summerville area ZIP code. The registry uses the SORT system from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The South Carolina Department of Corrections runs a free inmate search at public.doc.state.sc.us. Search by name or SCDC number. Results show the inmate's photo, location, charges, sentence, and release date. This tool covers state prison inmates, not county jail detainees.
- SLED CATCH for criminal history at $25 per search
- Sex Offender Registry for offender location data
- SCDC Inmate Search for state prison records
- LLR Licensee Lookup for professional license checks
- Appellate Court System for appeal case data
The LLR Licensee Lookup covers over 40 professional boards. Search by name to check if someone holds an active license in fields like real estate, nursing, or contracting. It also shows disciplinary actions.
The SCDC search covers all inmates sentenced to state prison, including those from Dorchester County.
Note: SLED CATCH only returns South Carolina records and does not cover federal or out-of-state arrests.
Dorchester County People Search
Summerville is the largest town in Dorchester County. The county keeps its own systems for court records, property deeds, tax files, and inmate data. For a wider search that covers all of Dorchester 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.