Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and 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.
Lake City, South Carolina, in Florence County, has about 5,900 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Lake City depends on where the incident happened. 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 city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Lake City public records, Florence County police reports, Lake City arrest records, Lake City warrants, Lake City inmate search, Lake City criminal records, South Carolina arrest records and South Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Lake City
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside Lake City that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Lake City Police Department); outside it, the Florence County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol in Florence County in Florence County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places one other agency, five state agencies and one campus police department in Florence County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Lake City Police
For Lake City, SearchSystems opened and checked the Lake City police department's page at lakecitysc.gov/169/Police-Department (page title: Police Department | Lake City, SC), phone 843-374-5411, 202 Kelley Street Lake City, SC 29560, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Lake City had 108 violent and 221 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 439 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Florence County Sheriff's Office
The Florence County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 651 violent and 1,882 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,015 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at fcso.org/inmateSearch (page title: Inmate Search | Florence County Sheriff's Office, SC), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
What the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act Requires
The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act sets the rules: an answer within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old, at a charge of search, retrieval and copying at the agency's actual cost, from the agency that holds the report.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at florencecountysc.gov/foia.php (page title: Florence County SC).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Solicitor handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Lake City?
From the agency that took it. The Lake City police department's page is at lakecitysc.gov/169/Police-Department, phone 843-374-5411; the sheriff's reports come from the Florence County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Lake City 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 Lake City?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Florence County in Florence County.
How do I get a report from the Florence 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 Lake City website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.