Conduct a Free South Carolina Probation Search: Record Lookup

Perform a free South Carolina probation search without hassle or tedious research by using the convenient links and guidance this resource offers.

State and county courts maintain databases of offenders and their statuses, making them a good starting point for any probationer search. Probation refers to a sentence of supervised release in lieu of incarceration, letting the offender remain in the community. This differs from parole, which is served in the later portion of a sentence, offering an opportunity for early release.

This resource explores the various custodians of public records on probation and how to access them. It also discusses probation violations, how to contact a probation officer, and how to find out if someone was released on parole.

How To Run a Free South Carolina Probation Search To Check an Individual’s Status

The simplest option for performing a probation search in South Carolina is the state’s Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services.¹ The department can be reached by writing to:

South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services
293 Greystone Boulevard
Columbia, South Carolina 29210

Mailing Address:

Post Office Box 207
Columbia, South Carolina 29202

Telephone 803-734-9220

The Name Database Search lets users look up information about offenders if they know the offender’s name or SID.²

It’s also possible to search using a person’s first or last name, along with their year of birth and county. Using this information, searchers can find out if a person is on probation and what county they’re in, aiding in locating their probation officer. Details of how to contact a probation officer are provided in a later section of this resource.

This search tool is free to use and provides detailed results, including the offender’s status, the offense they committed and whether the individual is on the state sex offender registry.

Another source of data for a South Carolina supervision search is the Victim Information & Notification Everyday (VINE) search tool, a third-party tool to help victims of crime stay up-to-date with the whereabouts of offenders. It’s possible to search the VINE database without registering with the website, although the content of the search results is somewhat restricted if the searcher isn’t a registered user.

If someone on probation has absconded or violated the terms of their release, they may be listed on a city or county-wide fugitive list. Details of how to look up such lists are provided later in this article.

Search South Carolina Probationers Using County Agencies

The state court’s Case Records Search platform is a useful way of finding information about probationers.³ The tool offers records for all counties in South Carolina and includes case records for criminal, civil and family cases. Members of the public can search this database for free.

Some older cases may not have had their data uploaded to the case records database. To access records predating the use of the central database, contact the court where the case was tried.

The following table lists the contact details for the county courts for some of the most populous counties in South Carolina:⁴

Just as there are county courts, there are also county probation offices. However, these offices are not public record custodians and so are not useful for an initial South Carolina supervision search. Probation offices are merely responsible for supervising individuals who are currently on probation. Information about how to contact probation offices is provided below.

How To Check Probation Violations in South Carolina & Contact Someone’s Supervising Officer

Probation officers supervise people who are on probation to ensure they’re complying with the terms of their release. An individual may need to contact a probation officer if they have concerns about an offender, or their own safety.

There are numerous probation offices in the state, and the results of a South Carolina supervision search should indicate which probation office an offender is being supervised by.⁵

Concerned individuals can look up these details in the Offender Search tool provided by the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services. They can then contact the nearest probation office located in that county, and the office will pass on any concerns to the correct probation officer.

For example, if someone is on probation in Berkeley, they would be supervised by the county’s probation office, which can be reached via the County Courthouse at:

County Courthouse
109 West Main Street,
Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Phone: 843-761-6577

The Sex Offender Registry can also be a useful source of information about offenders. South Carolina uses a sex offender management tool called SORT, which is free to use and provides a lot of information about offenders, including their current name and previous aliases, as well as the nature of their convictions.⁶

Finally, if an individual is in violation of their parole, they may appear on law enforcement wanted lists.

The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) provides a list of local wanted persons, including links to the wanted lists for some county sheriff’s offices. Note these lists are not a comprehensive database of all wanted individuals in the state or county. An individual may still be wanted for violation of their parole, even if they don’t appear on the county’s most wanted list.

How To Determine Who Is a Parolee in South Carolina

If someone has been a victim of a crime and wants to be kept informed of the movements of an offender, they can register with VINE to receive regular updates.

VINE is accessible 24 hours per day and provides notifications about the release, escape or movement of prisoners. There is no charge for using this service.

Victims are entitled to provide input into the parole and pardon process either by attending a hearing in person or by submitting a DVD with their testimony. The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services provides information about the hearing process, as well as additional support for victims.⁷

The Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services can be contacted at:

South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services
293 Greystone Boulevard
Columbia, South Carolina 29210

Mailing Address:

Post Office Box 207
Columbia, South Carolina 29202

Tel: 803-734-9220
Fax: 803-734-0828

The Department of Probation, Parole & Pardon Services also provides a searchable database of people who are currently under supervision in the community. The search tool allows users to look up offenders by name (partial matches are supported), county and year of birth.

Upon clicking “Search,” the results will appear on the same page in a table below the search form. Clicking on an offender’s name will show some more details about that offender, although the nature of the person’s release/supervision is not shown as part of the results.

In some cases, victims may also be eligible for other support, such as financial compensation to cover any out-of-pocket expenses they incurred due to the crime. The Office for Victims of Crime maintains a list of the funding programs currently available in South Carolina.

Both victims and witnesses have the option of registering with the South Carolina Department of Corrections’ Division of Victim Services to request notification about certain inmate-related events.⁸ Notifications cover a number of events including, but not limited to:

• Escape and recapture
• Court-ordered release
• Completion of the prison sentence
• Work program or community labor crew placement
• Institutional transfer

Note: Only victims and witnesses can make use of this service; other concerned parties must use alternative tools – such as the state’s offender search – to check on the status of an offender themselves.

Using the South Carolina probation search information above helps individuals keep track of offenders and can be useful for checking if someone has a criminal history.