Myrtle Beach Public Records
Myrtle Beach public records include documents held by city departments, the police department, and the municipal court. The City of Myrtle Beach handles requests under South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act. Most records can be requested through the City Clerk's office at City Hall or through the relevant department. Online access is also available for court records and some city documents. This guide explains how to find and request public records in Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach Quick Facts
Public Records in Myrtle Beach
The City of Myrtle Beach maintains public records at City Hall, located at 937 Broadway Street, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. The main city phone number is 843-918-1000. Records held by the city include council meeting minutes, ordinances, resolutions, city contracts, budget documents, building permits, business licenses, and planning records. Many of these are available directly from the City Clerk without a formal request.
The City Clerk's office coordinates public records access for Myrtle Beach. The Clerk maintains the city's legislative history and serves as the primary contact for Freedom of Information Act requests. You can reach the City Clerk at 843-918-1004. The office keeps records such as council agendas, hospitality fee records, city code updates, and special permits. Myrtle Beach has a high volume of tourism-related licensing and permit records that are available as public documents.
The City of Myrtle Beach official website offers access to many records online, including meeting minutes and city code. The site also connects residents to specific departments for targeted record requests.
City Hall serves residents year-round, though Myrtle Beach also serves millions of visitors annually. Records tied to special events, tourism permits, and business licensing are a large part of the city's public record inventory.
Note: Records over 24 months old may require up to 20 business days for the city to respond, per South Carolina FOIA law.
Myrtle Beach Police Records
The Myrtle Beach Police Department maintains its Records Division at 1101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. You can reach the Records Division by calling 843-918-1382. The department handles incident reports, accident reports, arrest records, crime statistics, and FOIA requests for law enforcement records.
Incident reports are available to individuals who were directly involved in the incident. Third-party requests require written authorization from the involved party. Accident reports follow a similar process. Given the city's large tourist population, the department processes a high volume of traffic-related records. Records related to active investigations are exempt from public disclosure under state law.
Visit the Myrtle Beach Police Department website to learn about records request procedures and department policies. The department also offers fingerprinting services and participates in the SLED sex offender registry program. For background check needs, use the SLED CATCH system, which provides statewide criminal history checks for $25 per search.
Note: Active investigations and juvenile records are exempt from disclosure under the South Carolina FOIA statutes.
How to Request Public Records in Myrtle Beach
All public records requests in Myrtle Beach must be submitted in writing. You can deliver your request in person, by mail, or by email to the appropriate department. Most requests go to the City Clerk at 937 Broadway Street or to the specific department that holds the records you need. Be specific about the documents you want. A clear description speeds up the process.
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act, found at SC Code Title 30, Chapter 4, gives residents the right to access public records. The city must respond to your request within 10 business days for records less than 24 months old. If the records are older than 24 months, the city has 20 business days to respond. Once a response is made, documents must be produced within 30 calendar days for recent records and 35 calendar days for older ones.
Copy fees in South Carolina are typically around $0.25 per page for standard paper copies. Electronic records are generally provided at no charge. If a search requires significant staff time, a fee based on the hourly salary of the lowest-paid qualified employee may apply. You are not required to explain your reason for requesting the records. The city cannot deny a request because you refuse to state your purpose.
The SC Privacy Protection Act prohibits using public records for commercial solicitation. Anyone who obtains personal information from public records and uses it to solicit can face fines and criminal penalties. Violations are treated as a misdemeanor under state law. Civil penalties of up to $500 apply for arbitrary refusal to release public records.
Myrtle Beach Court Records
The Myrtle Beach Municipal Court is located at 9630 Queensway Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, SC 29572. The court phone number is 843-918-1300. The Municipal Court handles traffic citations, city ordinance violations, and misdemeanor cases that occur within Myrtle Beach city limits. Court dockets, case dispositions, and hearing schedules are public records.
Visit the Municipal Court page for information on paying tickets, scheduling hearings, continuances, and requesting certified dispositions. If you need a certified copy of a case disposition, contact the court directly. You will need to provide the case number or your name and date of birth. The court can process certified copies for a fee.
For circuit court and family court cases that involve Myrtle Beach residents, those records are held at the Horry County Clerk of Court. You can search these records free of charge through the SC Public Index. The index covers civil, criminal, and family court cases for all South Carolina counties including Horry. Appeals from Municipal Court go to the Horry County Court of Common Pleas.
Note: The SC Judicial Department's C-Track system at sccourts.org/c-track-public-access also provides online access to scheduling and case tracking.
Searching Myrtle Beach Records Online
Several online resources give access to Myrtle Beach and Horry County public records. The SC Public Index is the main tool for searching court records in Horry County. You can search by name or case number at no cost. The index is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Case status, hearing dates, and document images are available for most cases.
For business records, the South Carolina Secretary of State offers a free entity search. You can find businesses registered in Myrtle Beach, their registered agents, and filing status. The SC Department of Archives and History at scdah.sc.gov maintains historical records, vital records indexes, and archival documents for the state.
The SLED Sex Offender Registry is a free online tool for searching registered sex offenders by name or location. SLED also maintains additional public safety databases available to the public. Voter registration records can be verified through scvotes.gov. Inmate records for people currently in state custody are searchable through the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
The SC Department of Public Safety maintains accident report records for crashes on public roads. If you need a motor vehicle accident report filed by a state trooper, that is the starting point. City police accident reports go through the Myrtle Beach Police Department Records Division.
Horry County Public Records
Myrtle Beach is in Horry County. Major court and property records for Myrtle Beach are maintained at the Horry County courthouse. Visit the county page for complete records resources.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Other cities near Myrtle Beach each maintain their own public records. Select a nearby city to learn about local records access in that area.