The Charleston County jail roster is a publicly available resource that lists individuals currently held at the Charleston County Detention Center in South Carolina. CharlestonCourt.us can help you find publicly available information about current and recent inmates, including booking details and charges. You can also access jail roster information through the Charleston County Sheriff's Office website, by calling the detention center directly, or by visiting in person. The roster allows the public to look up who is in custody, view charges, and confirm booking dates. Maintained by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, the online inmate search tool is updated regularly and hosted on the county's official web platform.
Search Current Inmates in Charleston Jail
There are several ways to search for someone currently held at the Charleston County Detention Center.
Online Search
- Visit the Charleston County Inmate Search page hosted by the Sheriff's Office.
- Enter the individual's last name in the search field. You can also add a first name to narrow results.
- If you have a booking number, enter it directly for a faster lookup.
- Click the search button to view matching results.
- The tool defaults to current inmates. There is a checkbox option to include prior inmates in your search.
You can also search for publicly available court record information through CharlestonCourt.us.
What You Need to Search
- The individual's full legal name (first and last name at minimum)
- Booking number, if known
Juvenile offenders are not included on the public roster.
By Phone
Call the Charleston County Detention Center to ask about a specific individual's custody status. Have the person's full legal name ready when you call.
In Person
You can visit the detention center and inquire at the public information area during regular business hours.
Charleston County Detention Center
Find Charleston Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created each time an individual is processed into the Charleston County Detention Center. During booking, jail staff record identifying information and the circumstances of the arrest. A typical booking record includes:
- Booking number
- Date and time of booking
- Charges filed at the time of arrest
- Arresting agency (e.g., Charleston County Sheriff's Office, Charleston Police Department, or another law enforcement agency)
- Bond amount, if set
- Mugshot photograph
The most direct way to access booking records online is through the Sheriff's Office inmate search tool. Search results for current inmates typically display the charges, booking date, and bond information associated with each individual.
For court case records tied to a booking — such as case numbers, hearing dates, or disposition information — the Charleston County Clerk of Court maintains those records separately. You can search circuit court case information through the Clerk of Court's online services portal.
If someone has been transferred to state custody after sentencing, the South Carolina Department of Corrections maintains a separate inmate search for individuals serving state prison sentences.
Booking records are generally considered public under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (Title 30). However, certain details — such as medical information or records involving juveniles — are restricted from public disclosure.
Search the Charleston Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The Charleston County inmate search tool supports two primary search methods:
Search by Last Name
- Type the person's last name into the last name field.
- Optionally add a first name to filter results.
- Review the list of matching records.
Tips for name searches:
- Use the person's full legal name, not a nickname or alias.
- Double-check spelling — even one wrong letter can cause a search to return no results.
- If you're unsure of the exact spelling, try entering just the first few letters of the last name to pull up a broader set of results.
- Common names may return multiple records. Use the first name, booking date, or charges to identify the correct individual.
Search by Booking Number
If you already have a booking number — from a bond receipt, attorney communication, or prior search — enter it directly. This returns a single, specific record.
No Results?
If your search returns nothing, consider these possibilities:
- The person may not yet be fully processed into the system. There can be a delay between arrest and the record appearing online.
- The person may have already been released on bond or transferred.
- The name may be misspelled, or the person may have been booked under a different legal name.
- Check the box for prior inmates if you believe the person was previously held but has since been released.
For individuals who may be on probation or parole rather than in county custody, the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services offers a separate offender search.
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Charleston
The Charleston County inmate search tool is updated on a regular basis as new bookings are processed and inmates are released. However, it is not instantaneous. Keep these limitations in mind:
- Processing delays: After an arrest, it may take several hours before the individual's record appears in the online system. Booking, fingerprinting, and data entry all take time.
- Release lag: When someone posts bond or is otherwise released, their record may remain visible briefly before being removed or moved to the prior inmate archive.
- Current custody only: By default, the search shows only individuals currently in custody at the detention center. It is not a comprehensive archive of every person ever booked into the facility.
- Prior inmate checkbox: Selecting this option expands the search to include individuals who were previously held but have since been released. The timeframe for how long prior records remain searchable may vary.
- Transfers: If an inmate has been transferred to a state correctional facility, they will no longer appear on the county roster. Use the SCDC inmate search instead.
- Data accuracy: Roster entries reflect information available at the time of booking. Charges may later be modified, dropped, or upgraded as a case progresses through the court system. All individuals listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
For more detailed case information — including court dates, plea entries, or sentencing outcomes — search the Charleston County Public Index maintained by the Clerk of Court's Office.