Find Recent Bookings in Charleston County
Charleston County recent bookings are searchable through the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center inmate portal. Charleston County is one of the most populous counties in South Carolina, with over 400,000 residents and one of the state's busiest detention facilities. The county processes approximately 33,000 inmates each year. You can search recent arrests by name, booking date, or inmate number. This page explains where to find Charleston County booking records, how to use the inmate search portal, and what information those records contain.
Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center Quick Facts
Charleston County Detention Center Bookings
The Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center (SACDC) handles all bookings for Charleston County. The facility is located at 3841 Leeds Avenue in North Charleston, SC 29405. You can reach the detention center at 843-529-7300. The facility has a capacity of 1,693 inmates and is spread across four buildings at a medium-security level. Four processing teams operate on rotating 12.25-hour shifts to manage the high volume of bookings. Each team processes new arrivals, issues uniforms and supplies through the dress-out department, and schedules daily bond hearings for newly booked inmates.
Charleston County processes approximately 33,000 inmates annually. That volume means recent booking data is updated frequently. The online inmate search portal provides real-time access to current and recent booking records. You can check back throughout the day and find new arrivals as they are processed into the system. The portal is one of the more robust inmate search tools in South Carolina, with a range of filter options and historical data for prior inmates.
The Charleston County Sheriff's Office website at sheriff.charlestoncounty.org is the official source for information about the detention center and sheriff's programs. The site includes contact information, inmate services details, and links to the booking portal.
The Charleston County Sheriff's website links directly to the inmate search portal and provides guidance on visitation, commissary, and mail policies for people held at the detention center.
Charleston County Recent Bookings Search Portal
The Charleston County inmate search portal is available at inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.org. This tool is powered by the jail's management system and gives public access to current and historical booking data. The portal is updated in real time as new bookings are processed. Last name is required for most searches, but you can add a first name to narrow results. You can also search by booking date range or inmate number if you have that information available.
Each search result shows the inmate's full name, booking photograph, booking date and time, current charges, bond amounts, inmate number, court dates, and housing location. If you want to see released individuals as well as current inmates, check the "Prior Inmates" box before submitting your search. Results are sorted by booking date, with the most recent bookings appearing first. This makes it easy to browse recent arrests in Charleston County without needing a specific name.
Booking records in Charleston County include the following details:
- Full legal name and aliases
- Date of birth, age, gender, and race
- Mugshot photograph taken at booking
- Booking date, time, and booking number
- Arresting agency
- Charges and bond or bail amounts
- Scheduled court dates and case numbers
The inmate search portal at inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.org includes a help document that walks through each search field and explains how to use the date range filters effectively.
Note: Some records in the Charleston County portal may be partially redacted for security reasons. Historical data availability may vary for older booking records.
Requesting Charleston County Arrest Records
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 makes most arrest and booking records public. Under § 30-4-30(D), arrest reports from the past 14 days and the identities of people held at the detention center for the past three months must be made available immediately during normal business hours. You do not need to file a formal written FOIA request for these recent records. You can contact the Charleston County Sheriff's Office Records Division directly at 843-529-7300 or visit in person to obtain them.
For records older than 14 days or for documents that require retrieval, submit a written FOIA request to the Charleston County Sheriff's Office Records Division. Your request should include your name and contact information, the specific records you are requesting, and a date range if applicable. The agency has 10 business days to acknowledge your request and up to 30 calendar days to produce records that are less than 24 months old. Fees for staff time, copies, and media may apply. The Charleston County Sheriff's FOIA office may require a deposit of up to 25% of the estimated cost before beginning work on larger requests.
State Resources for Charleston Booking Records
The SC Judicial Branch Public Index provides free access to court records connected to Charleston County arrests. Once charges are filed, a case appears in the system. You can search by name or case number to track the court side of any recent booking in Charleston County. Court records show case status, scheduled hearings, and dispositions. For Charleston County, you can also view family court rosters through charlestoncounty.org/rosters.
The SLED CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov offers a statewide criminal history search for $25 per name. This gives a broader picture than the local inmate portal alone, covering all South Carolina counties. For state prison inmates, check doc.sc.gov. People held at the Charleston County Detention Center who have not yet been sentenced to state prison will not appear in the SCDC database. The VINE victim notification service at vinelink.com covers Charleston County and lets you register for free custody status alerts.
Note: SLED CATCH results reflect the state criminal history database and may not include all recent local bookings that have not yet been processed into the statewide system.
Arrest Records and Your Rights in Charleston County
An arrest in Charleston County is not a conviction. A booking record documents that someone was taken into custody and processed at the detention center. The charges listed may change, be reduced, or be dismissed entirely before a case concludes. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 17-1-40, if charges are dismissed or the person is found not guilty, the arrest record must be destroyed. An expungement petition filed with the Charleston County Clerk of Court at 100 Broad Street, Suite 106, Charleston, SC 29401 can start that process. The Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and can be reached at 843-958-5000.
South Carolina also protects people from mugshot extortion. Under § 17-1-60, it is against the law for a website to charge a fee to remove a booking photo. If you are asked to pay for the removal of a Charleston County mugshot from an online database, report it to the South Carolina Attorney General's Office. The state takes this issue seriously and has prosecuted violations of this statute. Body-worn camera footage from Charleston County law enforcement is not considered a public record under § 23-1-240 and requires a specific release procedure.
Cities in Charleston County
Charleston County includes several cities and towns. All booking records for residents arrested in Charleston County are processed through the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston.
Charleston is the county seat and largest city in Charleston County. North Charleston hosts the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center where all county bookings are processed.
Nearby Counties
Charleston County borders several other South Carolina counties. Each maintains its own detention center and booking records. If you are not sure which county processed an arrest, contact the relevant sheriff's office.