Oconee County Arrest Records

An arrest is the formal act of detaining an individual by law enforcement following legal authorization by a court or based on probable cause. An arrest may become necessary if the law shows evidence of a crime or the intention to commit a crime. In Oconee County, several agencies generate arrest records in their line of duty. These include:

• The Oconee County Sheriff's Office
• Local police departments (these include Seneca, Walhalla, Westminster, and West Union police departments)
• South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
• South Carolina Highway Patrol.

Oconee County detainees are held at the Oconee County Detention Center, as well as state and federal correctional facilities within the county. Typically, Oconee County arrest records provide preliminary information for the initial stages of trial cases within the county and are part of Oconee County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Oconee County?

Yes, Oconee County arrest records are public. Title 30, Chapter 4, Section 15 through 165 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. Unannotated stipulates that the government must perform its business in an open and public manner, and the performance of public officials, government decisions, and policies must be accessible to all.

Notwithstanding the openness of South Carolina public records, the laws exempt the following Oconee County arrest records from public scrutiny:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Arrest records whose public access may impact an ongoing investigation
• Arrest records that may pose safety and security concerns.

Also, the public cannot access the following information on Oconee County arrest records:

• Personal privacy information
• Informant details
• Attorney-client privilege Information
• Medical and Mental Health Information
• Information on law enforcement techniques and procedures
• Law enforcement internal personnel rules and practices.

To access a publicly exempted Oconee County arrest record, a requester must be the record's owner, an authorized entity by law, or obtain a court order.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

An arrest record contains information on the circumstances that led to an arrest, personal details, and the conditions for the arrestee's release. Typically, Oconee County arrest records information includes:

• Full name, date of birth, gender, and physical description of the arrestee
• Date, time, and location of arrest
• Reasons for arrest
• Names and badge numbers of the arresting officers
• Incident report
• Booking location, mugshots, and fingerprints
• Booking number
• Bail and Bond Information (these include bail amount set, bond type, and bail/bond conditions)
• Court Information (if the case resulting from the arrest proceeds to the court).

Oconee County Crime Rate

The most prevalent crime in Oconee County is property theft. Data from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) show that larceny crimes accounted for 61.7% of crimes reported by various law enforcement agencies within the county in 2022. Also, in 2021, 1,369 of the 2,248 crimes reported to the SLED by law enforcement agencies in Oconee County were larceny-related crimes. The table below shows the number of crimes some law enforcement agencies reported in Oconee County in 2021 and 2022.

Data Source: South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Oconee County Arrest Statistics

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's annual report shows a decrease in the number of arrests in Oconee County in 2022 compared with the figure for 2021. In 2022, there were 3,218 arrests by the various law enforcement agencies operating in Oconee County, a 17.8% increase from the 2,732 arrests in 2021. The tables below show the arrest statistics for Oconee County in 2021 and 2022.

Data Source: South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Find Oconee County Arrest Records

Per South Carolina laws, Oconee County arrest records are accessible to any interested individual. To access Oconee County arrest records:

• Visit the Oconee County Sheriff's Office website:
  • Expand the drop menu and click Inmate Search/Arrest Report from under the Citizen Resources header to link the Current Inmate Search / Arrest Report page
  • Click Arrest Report to access the Records Search Portal
  • Enter the date of arrest into search tools or select from the online calendar to view Oconee County arrest records for specific days.
• Log in to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) CATCH portal and search for arrest records through Oconee County criminal records. Note that this service may cost $25.00 if the requester is not a charitable organization (or $8.00 if the requesting entity is a charitable organization)
• Call or visit the law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest and submit a Freedom of Information Act request to access Oconee County arrest records, or contact the Oconee County Sheriff's Office at

Oconee County Sheriff's Office:

300 South Church St, Walhalla,
SC 29691
Phone: (864) 638-4117

Interested persons can also mail the Oconee County Sheriff's Office at:

415 S. Pine Street Walhalla,
SC 29691.

Free Arrest Record Search in Oconee County

The multiple options to look for Oconee County arrest records for free. Persons seeking free access to Oconee County arrest records should:

• Log in to the Oconee County Sheriff's Office Inmate Search/Arrest Report Portal and obtain on Oconee County arrests for free
• Search online for Oconee County arrest records through third-party repositories. Some private online databases may source public documents from different government records custodians and provide basic information for free.
• Visit the Oconee County library and search for arrest records
• Contact the Oconee County Clerk of Court (for free information on records of arrest that proceeded to trials) at:

Oconee County Clerk of Court

205 W. Main Street
Walhalla,
SC 29691
Phone: (864) 638-4280

Get Oconee County Criminal Records

Oconee County criminal records refer to official documents that detail the criminal history of individuals within Oconee County and their interactions with the county's trial court system. Typically, Oconee County criminal records encompass documents and files relating to arrests, prosecutions, sentencing, and incarceration of offenders within the county. To access Oconee County criminal records:

• Visit the Oconee County Clerk of Court Office and make a FOIA request to access Oconee County criminal records.
• Contact the Oconee County Sheriff's Office through phone calls or in-person visits for information on Oconee County criminal records.
• Visit the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's CATCH Portal, sign up, log in, and search for criminal records relating to Oconee County cases.

Oconee County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Oconee County arrest and criminal records are vital for maintaining the law and security of individuals living within the county. However, there are some distinctions between both records. The table below outlines some key differences between Oconee County arrests and criminal records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest in Oconee County can stay on a record indefinitely if the record owner does not take legal steps to remove it. South Carolina Law permits individuals to expunge arrests and criminal records if they meet the eligibility criteria per Title 17, Chapter 22-910, and Title 17, Chapter 22-940 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.

Expunge Oconee County Arrest Records

Per South Carolina laws, individuals can seal or expunge arrests from their records if they fulfill the eligibility requirements. Under South Carolina laws, the court may expunge an arrest if:

• The arrest did not lead to a conviction
• The owner of the record is a first-time misdemeanor or minor drug convict who has not been convicted of any subsequent crime.
• The individual is convicted under the Youthful Offender Act Offenses (YOA)
• The petitioner has completed any Pre-trial Intervention Program (PTI) related to the arrest
• The individual is guilty and has served the sentence that resulted from the arrest.

Note that there may be a waiting period before filing for an arrest records expungement in South Carolina. The court may expunge non-conviction cases immediately after the final depositions. However, a record owner must wait three years post-conviction under the Youthful Offender Act, first offense misdemeanor, or first minor drug conviction before filing for an arrest records expungement. Also, individuals can petition for expungement of Oconee County arrest records under the Pre-trial Intervention Program immediately after they complete the program.

To expunge an arrest record in Oconee County, an interested party should:

• Determine eligibility by fulfilling the South Carolina State requirements for expungement
• Gather necessary supporting documents required for the petition (these include criminal records and certified copies of the final disposition documents)
• Download an expungement application form from the South Carolina Tenth Judicial Circuit website (this is also available through the Oconee County Clerk of Court Office), complete the form, attach the supporting documents, and file a petition at the 10th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
• Pay the filing fee for the arrest records expungement petition ( this may range between $250 for non-conviction to $350 for conviction)
• Attend any hearing on the petition (if the court schedules one) to answer questions or counter objections from interested parties.

If the petition is successful, the court will order the relevant agencies to remove the record and update their databases.

Oconee County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document issued by a judge/magistrate authorizing law enforcement to take an individual into custody. In Oconee County, a magistrate or judge of the Circuit Court may issue an arrest warrant if law enforcement shows probable cause against an individual. Arrest warrants authorize law enforcement to take individuals into custody for crimes committed or to aid investigations. Typically, arrest warrant information includes:

• Identifying information about the suspect (this includes full name, aliases, date of birth, gender, race, and physical description)
• Charges against the suspect (description of the offense, date, and location of the crime)
• Probable cause statement
• Name and signature of the issuing judge/magistrate
• Name and seal of the originating court
• Warrant number, date of issuance of the warrant, and expiration date
• Instructions on how law enforcement should execute the warrant.

Oconee County Arrest Warrant Search

To find active arrest warrants in Oconee County, do the following:

• Log in to the Oconee County Sheriff's Office website:
  • Expand the drop menu and select click Press Release under the Citizen Resources header to search for information on active arrest warrants
• Visit the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division website:
  • Expand the drop menu and click Newsroom to access the News Release Page
  • Select a Year, expand the Select a News Release
  • Search for News relating to active arrest warrants within Oconee County, and click Submit to download and review information.
• Visit the Oconee County Clerk of Court Office, the Oconee County Sheriff's Office, or local police departments and request information on active arrest warrants.
• Search for information on Oconee County active arrest warrants through local News websites, third-party online platforms, Newspapers, and public notice boards.

Do Oconee County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Oconee County arrest warrants do not expire. They remain active until law enforcement apprehends the person mentioned in the warrant or the court recalls the warrant. Notwithstanding, an Oconee County arrest warrant will become inactive at the fugitive's death.