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SC · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in South Carolina?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in South Carolina using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator
SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search
VINELink
Covers South Carolina
Last verified
2026-07-23
Jurisdiction
South Carolina

Which system is holding them in South Carolina?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

In South Carolina, someone who was just arrested and not released is held in the COUNTY DETENTION CENTER (county jail) run by the county sheriff or a local detention agency (South Carolina has 46 counties), not a state prison, so the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search will not show a brand-new arrest.

South Carolina participates in the national VINE system (South Carolina VINE), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com).

Many South Carolina county sheriffs and detention centers also post an online jail roster or 'bookings' lookup (for example, Charleston, Greenville, and Richland counties).

For a very recent booking or bail information, call the county detention center's booking or records line.

County detention centers are run by the sheriff or a local detention agency in each of South Carolina's 46 counties, and many post an online roster or bookings lookup. Use the county's roster or South Carolina VINE, and call the detention center's booking/records line for a recent booking and the bail amount.

Search VINELink (choose South Carolina)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) runs the official Incarcerated Inmate Search (page title 'Incarcerated Inmate Search').

Search by name or SCDC number for people held in a South Carolina state prison or otherwise in SCDC custody.

It does NOT include people held in a county detention center (county jail), so someone who was just arrested and booked locally will generally not appear here.

Open the South Carolina inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a South Carolina state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Find your county in South Carolina

A recent arrest is handled at the county jail. Open the county where the arrest happened for its facilities, phone numbers, and the exact locators to search — all 46 South Carolina jurisdictions are here.

46 counties

Finding your person in South Carolina, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

  1. Step 1

    Figure out where the person is likely held

    If they were arrested recently and not released, they are almost certainly in the COUNTY DETENTION CENTER (county jail) where the arrest happened. If they were already sentenced to state prison or are in SCDC custody, they are in the South Carolina DOC system. If the charge is federal, they are in federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).

    Official source

  2. Step 2

    For a recent arrest, use South Carolina VINE or the county detention center's roster

    Search VINELink (South Carolina VINE) by name and register for free custody-status alerts, or look up the county detention center's online jail roster / bookings list for the county where the arrest happened. If nothing shows yet, call the detention center's booking or records line to confirm custody and the bail amount.

    Official source

  3. Step 3

    For a sentenced state-prison inmate, use the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search

    Use the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search and enter the name or SCDC number to confirm the state institution and custody status.

    Official source

  4. Step 4

    For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

    If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator by name or register number instead of the state or county tools.

    Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

  • The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name.
  • Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
  • An SCDC number or a county booking number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

  • Use only official sources: the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search for state prison, South Carolina VINE or the county detention center's roster for county jails, or a call to the detention center. Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
  • The SCDC search is state-prison only and does not include county detention centers, so it is not the tool for a brand-new county arrest.
  • Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may show stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
  • Custody data can lag. Someone booked within the last few hours may not appear online yet; if an official source shows nothing, call the county detention center's booking or records line.
  • This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in South Carolina

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in South Carolina.

Commercial bail available

In South Carolina, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

South Carolina allows money bail, and commercial bail bondsmen legally operate here.

They are licensed and regulated by the South Carolina Department of Insurance under S.C.

Code Title 38, Chapter 53, in three categories: surety bondsmen (appointed by an insurer), professional bondsmen (who pledge their own cash or securities with the court), and runners.

After arrest a person is generally brought before a magistrate or municipal judge for a bond hearing on bailable offenses; the judge may release the person on a personal-recognizance (PR) bond with no money, or set a surety bond.

A surety bond can be satisfied by cash posted with the court or through a licensed bondsman for a fee.

By statute the bondsman's premium is capped.

By South Carolina law (S.C. Code Section 38-53-170(e)), a bondsman's premium may not exceed 15 percent of the face amount of the bond, with a minimum fee of the greater of 100 dollars or 10 percent of the bond. This premium is non-refundable. Cash posted directly with the court is returned at the end of the case (less any costs) if all required appearances are made. Ask the court about a personal-recognizance bond before assuming a paid bond is required.

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official South Carolina contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

Common questions about finding someone in South Carolina

How do I find someone who was just arrested in South Carolina?

In South Carolina, someone who was just arrested and not released is held in the COUNTY DETENTION CENTER (county jail) run by the county sheriff or a local detention agency (South Carolina has 46 counties), not a state prison, so the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search will not show a brand-new arrest. South Carolina participates in the national VINE system (South Carolina VINE), a free way to check custody status and register for alerts by phone, email, or text (search at vinelink.com). Many South Carolina county sheriffs and detention centers also post an online jail roster or 'bookings' lookup (for example, Charleston, Greenville, and Richland counties). For a very recent booking or bail information, call the county detention center's booking or records line.

How do I find someone in state prison in South Carolina?

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) runs the official Incarcerated Inmate Search (page title 'Incarcerated Inmate Search'). Search by name or SCDC number for people held in a South Carolina state prison or otherwise in SCDC custody. It does NOT include people held in a county detention center (county jail), so someone who was just arrested and booked locally will generally not appear here.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in South Carolina?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers South Carolina. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in South Carolina?

The person's full legal name, plus any aliases, nickname, or maiden name. Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. An SCDC number or a county booking number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Does South Carolina have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in South Carolina: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 10 sources