West Columbia People Search
West Columbia people search tools connect you to records held by Lexington County and state agencies across South Carolina. Located in Lexington County just west of the Congaree River from Columbia, West Columbia has about 23,000 residents. Public records for people in West Columbia include court filings, criminal histories, property data, and vital records. Lexington County offices in the town of Lexington manage most local records, and the South Carolina Judicial Branch provides online court search tools. Below you will find the main ways to search for people in West Columbia.
Court Records for West Columbia
The South Carolina Judicial Branch runs a statewide case records search that covers Lexington County courts. You can look up civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic cases filed in the county. The system lets you search by name, case number, or filing date. Results show party names, dates of birth, case numbers, filing dates, case types, judges, attorneys, and hearing dates. Municipal Court records from West Columbia may also appear in the search results.
The Lexington County Clerk of Court is Lisa M. Comer. Her office is at 205 East Main Street, Suite 128, Lexington, SC 29072. Call (803) 785-8212 for questions. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Certified copies cost $5 per document. Regular copies run $0.25 per page. Criminal record checks are $25 per name search.
Juvenile matters, sealed records, adoption cases, and mental health commitments are not available to the public. As of January 2026, home address information no longer shows on the public index for new or existing cases. This privacy change affects all Lexington County records, including cases tied to West Columbia residents.
Note: Basic case information and docket summaries are free through the statewide public index, but certified copies require fees and may need in-person pickup.
West Columbia People Search for Criminal Data
SLED CATCH is the state tool for pulling criminal history on anyone in South Carolina. It costs $25 per search. You need a last name, first name, and date of birth. The system shows arrests, charges, convictions, and pending cases from all counties. Searches done online give instant results. Run a search at catch.sled.sc.gov.
For West Columbia, arrests by city police, Lexington County deputies, or state troopers all feed into the SLED database when fingerprints are taken. The CATCH system does not cover sex offender data or wanted persons. Those need their own separate searches. Mail-in requests go to SLED Records Department, PO Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221. Only certified checks, cashier's checks, business checks, and money orders are accepted by mail.
Felony records in the CATCH system are kept permanently. Misdemeanor records stay for 10 years. Traffic offenses are retained for 3 to 5 years. SLED processes hundreds of thousands of background checks each year through this system. Contact SLED at 803-896-1443 on weekdays between 9 AM and 4:30 PM for help with your search.
Inmate Search for West Columbia
The Lexington County Sheriff's Department runs an online inmate lookup for the Lexington County Detention Center. You can search by name or booking number. The roster shows each inmate's name, booking date, charges, arrest date, booking agency, and current status. Race, gender, and age are displayed in a coded format. Specific charges like assault, burglary, drug offenses, and theft are listed in detail.
The detention center is at 521 Gibson Road, Lexington, SC 29072. The main phone line is 803-785-2700, with a backup line at 803-785-2743. The roster updates regularly, but there may be a short delay between a status change and the online update. Inmate records are public under FOIA. Search at jail.lexingtonsheriff.net.
For people sentenced to state prison, use the SCDC inmate search at public.doc.state.sc.us. This covers all South Carolina state inmates with photos, offense details, sentence length, and release dates.
West Columbia Property Records Search
Property records help tie a name to an address in West Columbia. The Lexington County Assessor's Office tracks approximately 137,851 parcels across the county. Their free online portal shows owner names, mailing addresses, property locations, legal descriptions, assessment values, tax data, and recent sales. The office is at 212 South Lake Drive, Suite 101, Lexington, SC 29072. Call (803) 785-8190 for help. Search records at lex-co.sc.gov.
The Register of Deeds handles land records including deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, and easements. Recording fees are $10 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Historical property records go back to the county's formation in 1804. Deed Book M is the earliest surviving volume after a fire destroyed earlier records in 1839. The Register of Deeds office is at 212 South Lake Drive, Suite 301, Lexington, SC 29072. Phone: (803) 785-8168.
Public computers at the Register of Deeds office let you search records on screen at no charge. Printing or getting certified copies costs extra. Under S.C. Code 30-5-30, the Register of Deeds must keep a public record of all filed instruments. All property transfers must be recorded to give legal notice to third parties.
Public Records Access in West Columbia
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act lets anyone request public records from the City of West Columbia, Lexington County, and state agencies. The law is at scstatehouse.gov. Public bodies must respond within 10 business days for recent records or 20 days for older records. Fees cover actual costs of search, retrieval, and redaction.
Lexington County standard fees include $0.25 per page for black and white copies, $0.50 for color, and $20 per hour for staff search time after the first free hour. Certified copies of court documents cost $5. Large format documents run $3 to $5 per page. Anyone can file a request, whether they live in South Carolina or not.
The Lexington County Sheriff's Department has its own FOIA process. Their fee schedule charges $22 per hour for search and retrieval, $0.25 per page for black and white copies, and $5 per CD or DVD. Send requests to FOIA@lcsd.sc.gov or drop them off at 521 Gibson Road in Lexington. A 25% deposit is required before work starts, and full payment is due before records are released.
Exemptions apply to trade secrets, attorney-client materials, certain law enforcement records, and information that would invade personal privacy. The Family Privacy Protection Act bans commercial solicitation using public records. Violations carry fines up to $500 and up to one year of imprisonment.
Vital Records in West Columbia
The South Carolina Department of Public Health holds birth, death, marriage, and divorce records. Birth and death certificates go back to January 1, 1915. The first copy costs $12 and extras are $3 each. Order at dph.sc.gov or call (803) 898-3630. The office is at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
For older marriage records, the Lexington County Probate Court keeps a marriage search database covering 1911 through 1987. Estate records from 1865 to the present are also searchable. The Probate Court is at 205 East Main Street, Suite 134, Lexington, SC 29072. Call (803) 785-8324. Marriage licenses currently cost $50.
Note: Marriage records at the state level cover July 1950 through December 2021, while the Lexington County Probate Court has earlier records going back to 1911.
West Columbia Professional License Lookup
The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation runs a licensee verification system covering over 40 professional boards. You can search for contractors, real estate agents, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, cosmetologists, and many other licensed professionals in West Columbia. The tool shows license status, disciplinary actions, and compliance records. Search at verify.llronline.com.
Searches work by name or license number. Partial name matches are accepted. License statuses include Active, Inactive, Suspended, and Expired. The main LLR phone number is 803-896-4300. This tool is useful when searching for a specific person who may hold a professional license in West Columbia or anywhere else in South Carolina.
Lexington County People Search
West Columbia is located in Lexington County, and most local records are managed through county offices in the town of Lexington. The county handles court filings, property data, inmate records, and vital records for all cities in the area. For the full set of Lexington County search tools, visit the county page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Search for people in other cities near West Columbia using their local resources and county databases.