Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Charleston County is a county in South Carolina with about 431,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are not in one place: court cases, jail bookings, deeds, property values and records requests each belong to a different office. This guide names the office that holds each kind of record, links to its own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 5 county office pages for Charleston County, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: Where the records live, Jail and arrests, Court records, County Clerk, Deeds and property, Vital records, Solicitor, Records requests, Statewide sources, More directory links, Cities and towns, Other counties and Questions.
Where Charleston County public records live
Each kind of Charleston County record is kept by a different office. The list below names the office SearchSystems verified for each one; the sections that follow give its phone, address and hours where the office publishes them.
- Arrests and jail bookings: charlestoncounty.gov/departments/sheriff/law-enforcement.php (details)
- County records: cocdaybook.charlestoncounty.gov (details)
- Deeds and recorded documents: charlestoncounty.gov/departments/rod/ds-DMBookandPage.php (details)
- Property values and parcels: sc-charleston.publicaccessnow.com/RealPropertyRecordSearch.aspx (details)
- Criminal prosecutions: expungement.charlestoncounty.gov (details)
- Birth and death certificates: the South Carolina state vital records office, dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/about-vital-records/fees-vital-reco... (details)
Arrests, jail and inmate lookups in Charleston County
A person arrested in Charleston County is booked into the jail, and the booking record (name, charges, bond and the next court date) is public in most cases. The office below is the one SearchSystems verified for jail and inmate information in Charleston County.
- Website: 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
- Address: 3841 Leeds Ave., N. Charleston, SC 29405
- Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9-11:30AM
- Checked: September 28, 2026, the page answered.
Jail rosters usually show the people in custody now. Once a person is released, the case continues in the court records below.
Court records and case lookups in Charleston County
Civil, criminal, family, probate and traffic cases filed in Charleston County are kept by the clerk of the court that heard them. Many courts offer an online case search; the page below is the one SearchSystems verified for Charleston County.
SearchSystems has not yet verified an online case search for Charleston County. The statewide court search below covers the state courts.
- Statewide court case search: sccourts.org/case-records-search
County Clerk of Charleston County
The county clerk is the county's record keeper. What the office holds differs by state: in some states it files marriage licenses and vital records, in others deeds, court papers or the meeting records of the governing board. Its own website below says what it holds in Charleston County.
- Website: cocdaybook.charlestoncounty.gov (page title: General Information | Clerk Of Court's Office, Charleston County, SC)
- Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.
Deeds, land records and property values in Charleston County
Two offices share property records. The recording office files deeds, mortgages, liens and the other documents that affect title to land in Charleston County. The assessment office sets the taxable value of each parcel and usually offers a free parcel search by address or owner name.
Recorded documents: Register of Deeds
- Website: charlestoncounty.gov/departments/rod/ds-DMBookandPage.php (page title: Deed Book and Page Search: Register of Deeds Office | Charleston County Government)
- Phone: (843) 958-4800
- Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.
Property values: County Assessor
- Website: sc-charleston.publicaccessnow.com/RealPropertyRecordSearch.aspx (page title: Real Property Record Search)
- Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.
Birth, death and marriage records in Charleston County
In South Carolina, certified birth and death certificates are ordered from the state vital records office rather than a county office. Marriage license records are kept locally; the county clerk listed above can say where in Charleston County.
- South Carolina state vital records office: dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/about-vital-records/fees-vital-reco...
Solicitor for Charleston County
The Solicitor is the office that prosecutes criminal cases in Charleston County. The case files themselves are court records (above); the prosecutor's office handles victim services and questions about pending prosecutions.
- Website: expungement.charlestoncounty.gov (page title: Solicitor's Office | Ninth Judicial Circuit)
- Phone: (843)719-4529
- Address: 101 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29401
- Checked: September 24, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Charleston County
Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices. A record that is not posted online is requested from the office that holds it. Many counties run one request page for every department; it is listed below when SearchSystems verified one for Charleston County.
SearchSystems has not yet verified a central records request page for Charleston County. Send the request to the office that holds the record, using the contact details above.
Statewide South Carolina sources
Some records are kept by the state rather than the county. These are the South Carolina state offices SearchSystems verified; each link opens the state office's own page.
- Statewide court case search: sccourts.org/case-records-search
- State prison inmate locator: doc.sc.gov/inmate-search-disclaimer
- Sex offender registry: scor.sled.sc.gov/ConditionsOfUse.Aspx
- State vital records office: dph.sc.gov/public/vital-records/about-vital-records/fees-vital-reco...
- State criminal history records: catch.sled.sc.gov
- Business entity search: businessfilings.sc.gov/BusinessFiling/Entity/Search
- Unclaimed property search: treasurer.sc.gov/what-we-do/for-citizens/unclaimed-property-program
More Charleston County links from the SearchSystems directory
These links come from the SearchSystems directory for Charleston County and were opened again on October 2, 2026. Each one still answers.
- A Primer For Mortgage Foreclosures In South Carolina: Master-In-Equity | Charleston County Government (charlestoncounty.gov)
- Charleston County Probate Court - Online Search Page (www3.charlestoncounty.org)
- Charleston County Sheriff's Office: Warrants Search (charlestoncounty.gov)
- County Office Locations (charlestoncounty.gov)
- Marriage License Division: Probate Court (charlestoncounty.gov)
- Master-In-Equity (charlestoncounty.gov)
- Online Services | Clerk Of Court's Office (charlestoncounty.org)
- Online Voter Registration. - scVOTES.gov - South Carolina (vrems.scvotes.sc.gov)
- Register of Deeds Office | Charleston County Government (charlestoncounty.gov)
- Revenue Collections | Charleston County Government (charlestoncounty.gov)
- SC-Charleston > Real Property Record Search > Sales (sc-charleston.publicaccessnow.com)
Cities and towns in Charleston County
Charleston County has 16 incorporated cities and towns (2024 Census Bureau count, population in parentheses). City records such as council minutes, permits, business licenses and police reports are kept by each city; the records on this page are county records whatever the city. SearchSystems has a guide to the city offices of North Charleston; the linked name open it.
- North Charleston (126,005)
- Charleston (157,665)
- Mount Pleasant (95,604)
- James Island (12,451)
- Hollywood (5,503)
- Isle of Palms (4,377)
- Ravenel (2,688)
- Seabrook Island (2,135)
- Folly Beach (2,084)
- Kiawah Island (2,003)
- Sullivan's Island (1,948)
- Awendaw (1,472)
- Meggett (1,453)
- Lincolnville (1,212)
- McClellanville (626)
- Rockville (141)
Other counties in South Carolina
SearchSystems has a guide like this one for every county in South Carolina.
- Abbeville County
- Aiken County
- Allendale County
- Anderson County
- Bamberg County
- Barnwell County
- Beaufort County
- Berkeley County
- Calhoun County
- Cherokee County
- Chester County
- Chesterfield County
- Clarendon County
- Colleton County
- Darlington County
- Dillon County
- Dorchester County
- Edgefield County
- Fairfield County
- Florence County
- Georgetown County
- Greenville County
- Greenwood County
- Hampton County
- Horry County
- Jasper County
- Kershaw County
- Lancaster County
- Laurens County
- Lee County
- Lexington County
- Marion County
- Marlboro County
- McCormick County
- Newberry County
- Oconee County
- Orangeburg County
- Pickens County
- Richland County
- Saluda County
- Spartanburg County
- Sumter County
- Union County
- Williamsburg County
- York County
Charleston County Arrest Records
The Charleston County arrest records guide names the 19 agencies that report arrests to the FBI here and the 12,405 arrests the seven agencies with every month of 2025 on file reported that year. It also says where a person arrested here is held, how to find out about an arrest and how to get a copy of the report.
Charleston County Records Guides
SearchSystems has four more guides to Charleston County, each written from the county's own offices and figures: Charleston County warrants (who issues and serves them, where a person arrested on one is held, how to check for one), Charleston County inmate search (the jail page of the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, the jail numbers and who books people), Charleston County police reports (which agency holds a report and what the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requires) and Charleston County property records (deeds, assessed values, permits and evictions).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Charleston County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official offices listed above; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
How do I find out if someone is in jail in Charleston County?
Use the jail or inmate page SearchSystems verified for Charleston County at charlestoncounty.gov, or call (843) 202-7200. Rosters usually show the people in custody now; after release, the case continues in the court records.
Who records deeds in Charleston County?
The Register of Deeds, at charlestoncounty.gov. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Charleston County are filed there.
How do I get a birth or death certificate for Charleston County?
From the South Carolina state vital records office at dph.sc.gov, which issues certified copies for every event in the state.
How do I request a public record from Charleston County?
From the office that holds it: the court for case files, the Register of Deeds for deeds, the sheriff for jail records, and so on. Every state has a public records law that applies to county offices.