Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Colleton County, South Carolina, has about 39,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Colleton County depends on where the incident happened: the Colleton County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county, the agency that reports for the city inside a city. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the sheriff's reports, the cities' reports, how many reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Colleton County public records, Colleton County warrants, Colleton County inmate search, Colleton County criminal records, Colleton County court records, South Carolina arrest records and South Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Colleton County
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
In Colleton County that is the Colleton County Sheriff's Office for the unincorporated county and for any city that contracts with it for police service, and the agency that reports for a city where the city has one of its own.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol in Colleton County in Colleton County; a report taken on a state highway by one of them comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's list also carries the Department of Natural Resources in Colleton County, the Colleton County Forestry Commission, the Department of Health and Environmental Control Drug Control in Colleton County and one more (state agency), each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Colleton County Sheriff's Office
The Colleton County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 163 violent and 456 property crimes reported for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at colletoncountysheriff.com (page title: Colleton County Jail Roster Lookup, SC, Inmate Search), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Reports from the City Agencies in Colleton County
The three cities the FBI lists in Colleton County with a reporting agency of their own, with the police records page SearchSystems verified where the city has a guide:
- Walterboro: 54 violent and 304 property crimes reported for 2024. The Walterboro police records page is at walterborosc.org/police-records, phone (843) 782-1032 (verified September 26, 2026).
- Edisto Beach: 0 violent and 13 property crimes reported for 2024.
- Cottageville.
A city on that list is reported separately whether the officers are the city's own or the sheriff's under contract; the FBI's list does not say which.
How Many Reports: Colleton County in 2024
The three agencies in Colleton County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 217 violent and 773 property crimes to the FBI that year, each one a report taken by the agency that holds it.
What the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old, and it may charge search, retrieval and copying at the agency's actual cost. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Colleton County?
From the agency whose officer took it: the Colleton County Sheriff's Office for its own arrests, or the agency that reports for the city where it happened. Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old.
How long does an agency in Colleton County have to answer?
Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old. It may charge search, retrieval and copying at the agency's actual cost.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Colleton County?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Colleton County in Colleton County.
How do I get a report from the Colleton County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old.
Is this the official Colleton County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.