South Carolina Statewide Criminal Background Check
Search the SLED central repository for arrests and convictions reported from all 46 South Carolina counties.
BCS Background Screening LLC orders the SLED CATCH report for you, and then reviews every entry before release.
South Carolina SLED Background Check Quick Facts
Source
SLED CJIS central repository
Search type
Name + date of birth
Coverage
All 46 counties, 16 judicial circuits
Price
$20 + $26.43 state fee per name
FCRA use
Employment, tenant and volunteer screening
Provider
BCS Background Screening LLC
What a South Carolina Statewide Criminal Background Check Covers
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) runs the state’s central criminal history repository.
Its Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) division collects arrests and final court dispositions from agencies statewide.
SLED CATCH, short for Citizens Access to Criminal Histories, is the public, name-based door into that repository.
As a result, one order searches arrest and conviction records reported by sheriffs, police and courts in all 46 counties.
What every SLED report can show
- Felony and misdemeanor arrests reported to SLED, with the arresting agency and case number
- Final court dispositions, including the court case number, disposition date and sentence
- The statute, NCIC offense code, state offense code and severity for every charge
- Probation, parole and corrections entries from state supervision agencies
- Caution notices, such as a federal firearm prohibition
- Physical descriptors and the State ID number (SID) for identity matching
What the SLED report does not include
However, SLED CATCH covers South Carolina arrests and convictions only.
Federal cases and out-of-state records sit outside the repository.
Likewise, S.C. Code § 17-1-40 requires destruction of arrest records when charges are dismissed or end in acquittal.
Expunged records also drop out of the public report.
Therefore, add a federal criminal search or a nationwide criminal database search when applicants lived elsewhere.
South Carolina Criminal Background Check Price
You see the full cost of a SLED background check before you order.
Our search fee stays flat, and we pass the state fee through exactly as SLED charges it.
| Item | Fee per name |
|---|---|
| BCS Background Screening LLC South Carolina statewide search | $20.00 |
| SLED CATCH state fee ($25.00 search + $1.43 online service fee) | $26.43 |
| Total per name searched | $46.43 |
SLED set its online service fee at $1.43 for each $25 CATCH report on July 1, 2026.
Consequently, the state portion of every South Carolina search now totals $26.43.
Because SLED matches one name at a time, each alias or maiden name runs as a separate search.
Meanwhile, you pay only for the names you search.
Why Employers Choose BCS Background Screening LLC
Speed matters, yet accuracy protects you from costly disputes.
Every entry reviewed
Our team checks each SLED entry against the applicant’s name, date of birth and descriptors.
FCRA-ready workflow
Standalone FCRA disclosures and e-signed authorizations live in one secure portal.
Protected accounts
Our client portal is built on SOC 2 Type II audited infrastructure.
Real-time ordering
SLED CATCH runs online, so most South Carolina searches move without mail delays.
Clear pricing
You see $20 plus the $26.43 state fee, with no surprise surcharges.
Trusted screener
BCS Background Screening LLC is a PBSA member based in Coral Gables, Florida.
SLED CATCH vs. County Court Search vs. Public Index
Each South Carolina criminal records search answers a different question.
Together, they give you speed, statewide reach and a verified court outcome.
| Feature | SLED CATCH statewide | County criminal court search | SC Judicial Public Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | All 46 counties through SLED | One county’s courts | Participating county court indexes |
| Match method | Name + DOB “starts with” match | Name + DOB checked at the court | Name search, few identifiers |
| Arrest-only entries | Can appear | Court file shows the outcome | Shows filed cases |
| Final disposition | Only if the court reported it | Yes, from the court record | When the clerk enters it |
| FCRA employment use | Yes, through a CRA | Yes, through a CRA | Research aid only |
| Price with BCS | $20 + $26.43 state fee | $18 + court fee | Free, self-service |
| Best use | Statewide first pass | Confirming a hit | Quick self-lookups |
Why Some SLED Entries Need a County Court Follow-Up
SLED builds each record from arrest fingerprints and the dispositions courts send afterward.
Sometimes a court never reports the outcome, so the entry shows an arrest with no final disposition.
In other cases, the entry lists only the arrest charge, which the solicitor may later amend or drop.
For that reason, some South Carolina SLED entries may be just arrests.
Our strong recommendation
Always run a real-time county criminal court search before you take adverse action based on a SLED report.
The county court file confirms the final disposition, the sentence and the current case status.
What federal law expects
The FCRA requires reasonable procedures for maximum possible accuracy under 15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b).
Also, § 1681k(a) requires complete, up-to-date public records whenever they may hurt an applicant’s job chances.
In addition, arrests without a conviction cannot be reported after seven years, unless the job pays $75,000 or more.
Our county criminal court search costs $18 plus any court fee, and it returns the verified outcome.
South Carolina Laws That Shape a Criminal Records Search
A few state and federal rules decide what a South Carolina background check can show.
Dismissed charges, S.C. Code § 17-1-40
When charges are dismissed or end in acquittal, the arrest and booking record must be destroyed.
Youthful offender expungement, § 22-5-920
A first YOA conviction may be expunged five years after the sentence ends. It works only once.
Name-based matching
SLED CATCH needs a “starts with” match on last name, first name and date of birth.
FCRA seven-year rule
Non-conviction records older than seven years stay off the report, unless the salary reaches $75,000.
For every statute, agency and deadline, read our South Carolina background check laws guide.
How to Read a South Carolina SLED Rap Sheet
A SLED rap sheet follows a fixed layout, so a little context goes a long way.
Cycles
Each cycle groups one arrest event with its charges, court dispositions and corrections entries.
Tracking numbers
The cycle tracking number ties an arrest to its outcome. Charge tracking numbers then link each count.
Arrest vs. court charge
The court charge can differ from the arrest charge. Solicitors often amend, upgrade or reduce counts.
Case numbers
Take 25GS4600318: 2025, General Sessions, county 46 (York), case 00318.
YOA sentences
YOA means the Youthful Offender Act, S.C. Code § 24-19-10. Custody under it cannot exceed six years.
Caution notices
SLED prints warnings, such as a federal firearm prohibition, in the identification section.
South Carolina SLED Sample Report
Below, you can see a complete SLED CATCH result laid out for easy reading.
The subject is fictitious, and every identifier has been changed.
Record Found
Data as of 09/14/2026
SLED notice
SLED cannot guarantee that this information concerns the individual in which you are interested. The record is based on a search using the criteria furnished.
Compare all identifying data given for record subject with screening subject. Fingerprint comparison is recommended as the most reliable means to identify a record subject.
Caution
Caution information
Notice: THIS INDIVIDUAL IS PROHIBITED BY FEDERAL LAW FROM POSSESSING, RECEIVING, SHIPPING, OR TRANSPORTING ANY FIREARM OR AMMUNITION. (SCIII0000; 09/14/2026)
In plain terms: The York County Sheriff’s Office arrested the subject on March 9, 2024, on four drug charges. On May 19, 2025, the Court of General Sessions convicted him on all four counts.
The court sentenced him under the Youthful Offender Act, with custody capped at five or six years. Instead of custody, each sentence was suspended on 30 months of probation, running concurrently.
Charge 01 started as simple possession, a misdemeanor, yet the court record lists a felony count. Cycle 002 repeats the same four convictions under a second tracking number, so count them once.
Arrest
Arrest
Arrest charges
| Charge | Charge tracking no. | Statute | NCIC | State code | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 2024A4610307741 | POSS SCHED I(B)(C) LSD/SCH II – 1ST OFF (44-53-370(C) SC) | 3599 | 0176 | Misdemeanor |
| 02 | 2024A4610307742 | DRUGS/DISTRIBUTE, SELL, MANUF. OR PWID, OF CONT. SUB., NEAR SCHOOL (44-53-0445(A) SC) | 3599 | 0107 | Felony |
| 03 | 2024A4610307743 | DRUGS/MAN/POSS OTHR SUB SCH I II III WITD – 1ST (44-53-370(B)(2) SC) | 3599 | 0186 | Felony |
| 04 | 2024A4610307744 | DRUGS/DISTRIBUTE, SELL, MANUF. OR PWID, OF CONT. SUB., NEAR SCHOOL (44-53-0445(A) SC) | 3599 | 0107 | Felony |
Convicted · 2025-05-19
Court disposition
Court provision
YOA NTE 5 years, suspended on 30 months probation; concurrent.
Convicted · 2025-05-19
Court disposition
Court provision
YOA NTE 6 years, suspended on 30 months probation; concurrent.
Convicted · 2025-05-19
Court disposition
Court provision
YOA NTE 6 years, suspended on 30 months probation; concurrent.
Convicted · 2025-05-19
Court disposition
Court provision
YOA NTE 6 years, suspended on 30 months probation; concurrent.
Probation record
This cycle repeats the Cycle 001 convictions as reported with the probation record. No court case numbers are listed.
Court dispositions
| Charge | Statute | NCIC / state code | Severity | Disposition | Court provision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | DRUGS/DISTRIBUTE, SELL, MANUF. OR PWID, OF CONT. SUB., NEAR SCHOOL (44-53-0445(A) SC) | 3599 / 0107 | Felony | Convicted | YOA NTE 6 YRS SUS 30 MOS PROB |
| 02 | DRUGS/MAN/POSS OTHR SUB SCH I II III WITD – 1ST (44-53-370(B)(2) SC) | 3599 / 0186 | Felony | Convicted | YOA NTE 6 YRS SUS 30 MOS PROB |
| 03 | DRUGS/DISTRIBUTE, SELL, MANUF. OR PWID, OF CONT. SUB., NEAR SCHOOL (44-53-0445(A) SC) | 3599 / 0107 | Felony | Convicted | YOA NTE 6 YRS SUS 30 MOS PROB |
| 04 | MDP NARC DRUGS SCH I(B)(C)/LSD/SCH II – 1ST OFF (44-53-370(B)(1) SC) | 3599 / 0183 | Felony | Convicted | YOA NTE 5 YRS SUS 30 MOS PROB |
Corrections
Sample only. The subject, SID, tracking numbers and case numbers are fictitious, and any match to a real person is coincidental.
How to Order a SLED Background Check
Ordering takes a few minutes once your account is active.
- 1
Open your account
First, open a business account online and confirm your permissible purpose.
- 2
Collect FCRA consent
Next, give the applicant a standalone FCRA disclosure and get written authorization.
- 3
Place the order
Then enter the full name, date of birth and any aliases for the statewide search.
- 4
Review the results
Finally, open the reviewed SLED report in your secure client portal.
Add-On Searches for South Carolina Hires
A SLED report works best alongside searches that fill its gaps.
County Criminal Court Search
Confirm a SLED hit at the source court before adverse action. $18 plus any court fee.
Nationwide Criminal Database
Spot records in other states for $17, then verify each hit at the source.
Federal Criminal Search
Catch federal cases, such as drug trafficking or fraud, that SLED never holds.
SSN Trace
Find names, aliases and past addresses for $10 to guide your county picks.
Motor Vehicle Records
Order driving histories for delivery, trucking, sales, and CDL positions.
Other Statewide Searches
Search other state repositories when an applicant lived outside South Carolina.
Access to SSN Trace functionality is restricted at initial registration. This feature cannot be accessed at initial signup until your organization’s business use case is verified.
South Carolina Statewide Criminal Background Check FAQs
What does a South Carolina statewide criminal background check include?
It searches the SLED central repository for arrests and convictions reported from all 46 counties.
Each entry lists the charge, statute, severity, court disposition and sentence when the court reported one.
It also shows caution flags, probation entries and the subject’s physical descriptors.
How much does a SLED background check cost?
Our South Carolina statewide search costs $20 per name, plus a $26.43 SLED state fee.
That state fee combines SLED’s $25 search fee and its $1.43 online service fee, effective July 1, 2026.
So the total comes to $46.43 for each name or alias you search.
How long does a South Carolina SLED check take?
SLED CATCH runs online in real time, so there is no mail or courier delay.
After that, we review each entry before release.
However, an entry without a final disposition needs a county court search, which adds time.
Does a SLED report show arrests without a conviction?
Yes, it can. Some South Carolina SLED entries have no final disposition, or they show only an arrest.
Therefore, we strongly recommend a real-time county court search before any adverse action based on a SLED report.
The court file confirms whether the charge ended in a conviction, a dismissal or something else.
How far back does a South Carolina criminal background check go?
SLED keeps convictions on file with no set end date.
Under the FCRA, convictions can be reported regardless of age.
Meanwhile, arrests without a conviction drop off after seven years, unless the job pays $75,000 or more.
Is SLED CATCH a fingerprint-based search?
No. SLED CATCH is name-based and matches the start of the last name, first name and date of birth.
SLED itself calls fingerprint searches the most reliable method.
That is why we compare every descriptor and confirm doubtful hits at the county court.
Can employers see expunged or youthful offender records in South Carolina?
Expunged records leave the public SLED report, so employers do not see them.
A Youthful Offender Act conviction stays visible until the court expunges it.
Under S.C. Code § 22-5-920, that can happen five years after the sentence ends, once per lifetime.
Do I need applicant consent for a South Carolina statewide search?
Yes. For employment, the FCRA requires a standalone written disclosure and the applicant’s signed authorization.
Our portal delivers both forms and stores the e-signature with the order.
For South Carolina statutes and local rules, see our South Carolina screening laws page.
Order Your South Carolina Statewide Criminal Background Check
Open an account today, and run your first SLED search in minutes.
Every user account also offers optional Multiple Authentication Factor (MAF) for added login security.
BCS Background Screening LLC is a consumer reporting agency, not a law firm, and this page is not legal advice. Fees and SLED procedures can change, so confirm current terms before you order. The sample report uses a fictitious subject and case.