Horry County Arrest Records

Horry County arrest records contain information on an individual's arrest by a law enforcement agency under suspicion of committing a crime. According to the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 17, a law enforcement officer with jurisdiction can arrest an individual when there is probable cause to believe that they committed a criminal offense or if the offense was committed in the officer's presence. Arrests are necessary for public safety and to ensure that the potential punishment for the offense is in conjunction with the severity and category of the offense. The severity of an arrestable offense can range from an infraction to a misdemeanor or a felony.

Inmates are typically held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center while they wait for trial or sentencing. When an arrest is made in Horry County, the individual is taken to the detention facility for booking. Booking involves documenting the details of the arrest, including the inmate's full name, mugshot, fingerprint, DNA, and suspected crime. This information makes up their arrest record. Arrest records are often part of the documents included during arraignment and criminal trial. Hence, some of the information in them is also in Horry County Court Records. These records can be obtained by contacting the Horry County Clerk of Court's Office.

Are Arrest Records Public in Horry County?

According to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), arrest records are considered public records and available for inspection and copying. Although arrest records are public records, some information may be exempt from public disclosure to protect sensitive information. Examples of records redacted from public view include the following:

• Information that hinders a person's fair trial rights
• Information that can compromise the safety of parties involved in the case
• Information revealing confidential sources
• Information that could compromise an ongoing investigation
• Information that invades personal privacy
• Information on juvenile cases
• Information that exposes witnesses
• Information revealing law enforcement techniques and procedures.

Some arrest records exempt from public view may still be available to law enforcement agencies and government officials to aid with an ongoing investigation or for record purposes. An individual or their legal representative can also secure a court order and have access to these restricted records if deemed necessary.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in Horry County typically contain the following information:

• Mugshot taken during booking
• Full name of the arrestee
• Ethnicity or race of the arrestee
• Age of the arrestee
• Booking Date
• Release date
• Booking number
• Case number
• Arresting agency
• Reason for arrest
• Bail/ Bond information.

Horry County Crime Rate

According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) 2022 crime statistics, a total of 18,352 arrests took place within the county in 2022. This marks a 1.8% increase from the previous year's record of 18,034 arrests. The most popular crimes in 2022 were drug law violations, with 3,123 arrests, followed by other offenses, with 2,879 arrests (violations of state and local law but not type I or II offenses). The third most popular crime was simple assault, with 1,900 arrests, followed by disorderly conduct, with 1,701 arrests, and larceny-theft offenses, with 1,651 arrests.

Horry County Arrest Statistics

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) classifies crimes in two: Part I offenses (serious crimes) and Part II offenses (less serious crimes). SLED recorded that Horry County had a higher percentage of Part II offenses in 2022. These offenses include drug law violations with an 81.52 arrest rate (3,123 arrests), All other offenses with a 75.15 arrest rate (2,879 arrests), simple assault with 49.60% (1,900 arrests), and finally disorderly conduct with an arrest rate of 44.40% (1701 arrests). The most frequent part I offense was larceny-theft with an arrest rate of 43.10% ( 1,651 arrests), followed by aggravated assault with an arrest rate of 11.49% (440 arrests).

Find Horry County Arrest Records

There are state and federal resources available to help any interested individual find Horry County Arrest Records on a state and federal level. They include the following:

• South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC): South Carolina maintains a statewide incarcerated inmate search tool that documents individuals currently being held in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Inmates can be looked up by SCDC number, SID, first name, and last name via this database.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: The Federal Bureau of Prisons maintains an online inmate locator for finding federal inmates. Inmates can be looked up through this website using a number (BOP Register Number, DCDC Number, FBI Number, INS Number) or name (full name, age, race, sex) search.

Free Arrest Record Search in Horry County

It is possible to conduct a free arrest record search in Horry County. Some resources for conducting a free search include the following:

• Horry County Sheriff's Office: The Sheriff's Office maintains a Booking and Releases search tool that documents persons arrested and booked at either the J. Reuben Long Detention Center or the City of North Myrtle Beach. It contains records of all arrested individuals, whether released or still incarcerated. Individuals can look up this database for records of arrests if they have information about the suspect, such as their last name, booking date, and release date. Arrest records retrieved can contain information such as mugshots, inmate's names, ages, booking information, the status of the arrest, and the arresting agency.
• Public Index Tool: The Horry County government maintains this online resource for individuals to search and retrieve local records for free. Arrest records that have not been expunged or sealed are public records and can be retrieved for free using this tool. A search on this database yields a person's current and previous charges within Horry County.
• Third-party websites: Individuals can obtain arrest records for free by searching some third-party websites. These sites yield criminal records, which can also include arrest records. To complete a search, inquirers must provide information such as the full name or booking number of the sought individual. Third-party records may vary from government records due to the frequency of updates.

Get Horry County Criminal Records

In Horry County, criminal records, also called rap sheets, are the official documentation of a person's encounters with law enforcement. They include records of arrests, charges, court proceedings, and judgments. Criminal records that have not been sealed are public records. A person can get Horry County criminal records through one of the following means.

• Online: Individuals can use the Horry County Public Index tool to retrieve records by name, date, and address.
• Horry County Clerk of Court: They process circuit court cases and keep records of all case filings. Individuals can make an in-person request to their office, and provide information about the sought record (full name, case number, etc). Individuals need to indicate the need for the request when making in-person requests.
• Horry County Sheriff's Office: They provide free access to local criminal records
• Third-Party databases: They provide a searchable database of public records, including criminal records. These sources are not the official custodians, so record availability and completeness may differ.

Horry County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

In Horry County, criminal records are the official documentation of a person's criminal history, generated during legal proceedings. They contain records from court cases, conviction records, and judgments taken against the individual in the case. They are maintained by the Horry County Clerk of Court.

Arrest records are documents describing an individual's arrest and the context surrounding it. They contain information on the charges, the arresting officers, and a description of the accused. They are created and maintained by the law enforcement body that took the individual into custody.

The difference between an arrest record and a criminal record is that criminal records contain information on convictions, while arrest records do not. Arrest records only document encounters with law enforcement agencies, while criminal records are more comprehensive and cover the outcome of the individual's case in court.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records stay on your records indefinitely unless they are expunged, sealed, or removed (if eligible). According to the South Carolina Code of Laws Title 17, Chapter 1, expunged arrest records are sealed but still accessible to law enforcement and prosecutors for three years and 120 days. This is to aid them in ongoing or future investigations.

Expunge Horry County Arrest Records

To expunge a Horry County arrest record means removing records of that offense from a person's criminal history. According to the South Carolina Code of Laws, for a record to be eligible for expungement, it has to meet one of the following criteria:

• It has to be a discharged, dismissed, not guilty, or a nolle prosequi case
• First-time, non-violent offense
• The arrestee completed a pretrial intervention program
• It is a juvenile case.

Traffic convictions and convictions for felonies are not eligible for expungement. The process for getting a record expunged is as follows:

• Contact the Expungement Department of the Horry County Solicitor's office in person, by phone, or by email to apply for expungement.
• Fill and return the Horry County Expungement Application by providing details of the case, such as the warrant number, date of arrest, and case ruling.
• Pay the non-refundable applicable fees for the expungement after confirming eligibility
• Wait for the Solicitor to review the case and determine its eligibility for expungement
• If eligible, wait for the expungement process to be completed. This process can take up to 4 months.

To process an expungement, the contact address for the Horry County Solicitor's office is as follows:

Expungement Department
Horry County Solicitor's Office
1301 2nd Avenue
Conway, South Carolina 29526
Phone: (843) 915-8624
Email: bellh@horrycountysc.gov.

Horry County Arrest Warrants

Horry County arrest warrants are magistrate or judge-issued legal documents that authorize law enforcement officers to arrest an individual suspected of committing a crime. For an arrest warrant to be issued, the law enforcement officer must establish probable cause and provide evidence against the suspect. The officer then submits this evidence to a judge in an affidavit, the judge reviews the affidavit. The judge will issue the arrest warrant if the evidence against the suspect is conclusive.

Arrest warrants typically need to be issued for one of the following reasons

• To facilitate arrest for serious crimes such as felonies and misdemeanors
• For failure to honor a court summons
• For proven violation of probation.

Arrest warrants contain information such as the arrestee's details (name, address, and physical description), description of the crime, relevant statutes backing the arrest, and the issuing judge's signature. The warrant division of the Horry County Sheriff's Office and other federal, state, and local agencies such as the FBI, ICE, and the U.S. Marshals Service execute these warrants.

Horry County Arrest Warrant Search

Arrest warrant records are not available online, but an individual can contact the warrant division of the Sheriff's Office by phone or in person. However, the Sheriff's Office will not release information on unexecuted arrest warrants over the phone or by mail. Furthermore, arrest warrant information is only available to the warrant subject and their attorney upon identity verification. Hence, persons visiting the Sheriff's Office to find arrest warrants must provide a valid photo ID before administrative staff will process their request.

Warrant Division
Horry County Sheriff's Office
1301 Second Avenue
Conway, SC 29526
Phone: (843) 915-8347 or (843) 915-5688 (For anonymous inquiry)

Do Horry County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants do not expire in Horry County. Once an arrest warrant is issued, it remains active until the warrant subject appears in court or is arrested. Although warrants do not expire, jurisdiction can affect how soon the warrant is enforced. If the suspect moves out of the jurisdiction of the law enforcement agency with the authority to enforce the warrant, cooperation between jurisdictions will be required. This can delay but not stop the execution of the warrant. A judge can also recall or quash an arrest warrant due to new evidence as the case develops.