Dorchester County, SC Public Records
Under South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act , public records generated and maintained by government agencies must be made available to members of the public upon request, except where exempted by law. Dorchester County allows residents and other interested parties to file requests for access to court records, property records, vital records, inmate records, and arrest records. Dorchester County allows interested persons to make public records requests by completing this online form. Vital records requests for birth certificates or death certificates can be made to the Dorchester County Office of Vital Records, located at the following address:
Office of Vital Records
101 Ridge Street
St George, SC 29477-2443
Requests for vital records can also be directed to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. The Department only accepts requests made by persons named on vital records, their next-of-kin or legal representatives. Vital records requests can be made online, by phone, in person, by mail or by drop-off. Mail requests for vital records can only be made at the state office of the Department of Public Health. Online requests for a birth certificate can only be made by persons named on the certificate. The DPH charges a fee of $17 for the original certified copies of birth certificates and death certificates and $3 for each additional copy ordered on the same occasion. Requesters must provide valid IDs to process their vital records applications. Mail applications can be sent to the following address:
Vital Records Section
P. O. Box 2046
West Columbia, SC 29171
Courts in Dorchester County
Court Records in Dorchester County, South Carolina
To find Dorchester County court records, interested persons can use the online request forms provided by the Dorchester County government. Persons seeking Dorchester County court records can also approach the courthouse where the case in question was adjudicated. Applicants will generally be required to provide the name of a party to the record and the case number to initiate a record search. Dorchester County is served by a Circuit Court, a Family Court, a Probate Court, a Magistrate Court and four Municipal Courts. The Dorchester County Circuit Court is the county's apex court, with broad jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. The Dorchester County Clerk of Court is the designated custodian of Circuit Court and Family Court records and is mandated to respond to records requests. It is also possible to find Dorchester County court records by querying the Public Index portal of the county. Dorchester County court records which are exempt from inspection or copying include the following:
- Confidential medical records
- Juvenile records
- Records which contain classified law enforcement material such as video and audio recordings
- Sealed records relating to family cases
- Records containing communications whose disclosure would violate attorney-client privilege
- Records containing trade secrets
Jails and Prisons in Dorchester County
Find Inmate Search and Jail Records in Dorchester County, South Carolina
Dorchester County inmate records can be obtained on the search portal of the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office. The website allows interested persons to view the details of current inmates. Inmate details available include the name, mugshot, age, race, sex, booking number, arresting agency, arrest date and time, bond, and charges. The Dorchester County Detention Center is a minimum, medium and maximum-security facility capable of holding detainees who are awaiting trial, sentenced inmates and juveniles.
The Detention Center can house up to 352 inmates at a time. It is managed by the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office. Inmate records can also be found by using the inmate search portal of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. The portal requires inquirers to enter the inmate's SCDC number as well as their SID number to initiate a search.
Police Departments and Sheriff Offices in Dorchester County
Arrest Records in Dorchester County, South Carolina
To obtain Dorchester County arrest records, interested persons are advised to use the online records request portal provided by the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office. The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office charges unspecified fees for the processing of arrest records requests. The Sheriff's Office takes a maximum of 10 working days to process requests for arrest records that are less than two years old. Records which are more than two years old can take up to 20 working days to process.
Arrest records in Dorchester County will typically contain such details as the subject's name, date of birth, race, sex, arresting agency, arrest date and time, charges, mugshot, bond amount, and court date. Dorchester County arrest records can also be requested from other police departments and law enforcement agencies in Dorchester County. These include the following: the St. George Police Department and the Summerville Police Department.
Other Counties in South Carolina
- Abbeville
- Aiken
- Allendale
- Anderson
- Bamberg
- Barnwell
- Beaufort
- Berkeley
- Calhoun
- Charleston
- Cherokee
- Chester
- Chesterfield
- Clarendon
- Colleton
- Darlington
- Dillon
- Edgefield
- Fairfield
- Florence
- Georgetown
- Greenville
- Greenwood
- Hampton
- Horry
- Jasper
- Kershaw
- Lancaster
- Laurens
- Lee
- Lexington
- Marion
- Marlboro
- Mccormick
- Newberry
- Oconee
- Orangeburg
- Pickens
- Richland
- Saluda
- Spartanburg
- Sumter
- Union
- Williamsburg
- York
Popular Cities in Dorchester
- Dorchester
- Grover
- Harleyville
- North Charleston
- Reevesville
- Ridgeville
- Saint George
- Summerville