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 September 28, 2026.
North Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County, has about 126,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from North Charleston 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: North Charleston public records, Charleston County police reports, North Charleston arrest records, North Charleston warrants, North Charleston inmate search, North Charleston property records, South Carolina arrest records and South Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from North Charleston
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 North Charleston that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as North Charleston Police Department); outside it, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol in Charleston County in Charleston 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 four campus police departments, six state agencies and one other agency in Charleston County, each with a records office of its own.
The Summerville Police Department is listed by the FBI across three counties including Charleston County, so its arrests are not broken out for Charleston County here.
Reports from the North Charleston Police
For North Charleston, SearchSystems opened and checked the North Charleston police department's page at northcharleston.org/government/city_departments/police/index.php (page title: Welcome to City of North Charleston), phone 843-743-7200, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for North Charleston had 860 violent and 4,448 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 3,193 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office
The Charleston County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 214 violent and 775 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,250 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at (843) 202-7200. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at charlestoncounty.gov/departments/sheriff/law-enforcement.php (page title: Charleston County Sheriff's Office: Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center | Chain of Command), phone (843) 202-7200, 3841 Leeds Ave., N. Charleston, SC 29405, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9-11:30AM, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 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.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the Solicitor, (843)719-4529, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in North Charleston?
From the agency that took it. The North Charleston police department's page is at northcharleston.org, phone 843-743-7200; the sheriff's reports come from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in North Charleston 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 North Charleston?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Charleston County in Charleston County.
How do I get a report from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at (843) 202-7200. 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 North Charleston 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.