Berkeley County Public Records
Berkeley County public records are held by the Clerk of Court, an elected Register of Deeds, and the Sheriff's Office. One of South Carolina's fastest-growing counties, Berkeley sits in the Lowcountry near Charleston and has extensive court, property, and detention records. The Clerk of Court office is in Moncks Corner, the county seat. Most court records are searchable free online. Property records date to 1882 when the county was formed. This guide covers where to find each type of public record and how to request documents not yet available online.
Berkeley County Quick Facts
Berkeley County Court Records
The Berkeley County Clerk of Court is Carolyn M. Duffie. The office is at 300 California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 and can be reached at 843-719-4400. Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The Clerk handles records for General Sessions criminal matters, Common Pleas civil cases, and Family Court proceedings. The office is part of the 9th Judicial Circuit. Services include copy and certification of court documents, passport processing, and public access terminal use for in-person research.
Court records are searchable online through the Berkeley County Public Index. This free tool allows name-based and case-number-based searches across Circuit Court, Family Court, and Magistrate Court. Case results show status, charges, hearing dates, and outcomes. As of January 2026, residential home addresses no longer appear in Public Index results. The statewide SC Judicial Branch Case Records Search also covers Berkeley County alongside all other South Carolina counties.
The Berkeley County Public Index provides direct access to Circuit, Family, and Magistrate Court records. It is maintained by the SC Judicial Branch and is updated as cases are filed and resolved.
Berkeley County Property Records
Berkeley County has an elected Register of Deeds, a four-year elected position separate from the Clerk of Court. The Register of Deeds office is at 300 California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, with a phone number of 843-719-4084. The office records land transactions including deeds, mortgages, plats, and liens. Historical land records are available from 1882, when Berkeley County was formed. Pre-1882 records for the area are held in Charleston County, where Berkeley was originally part of the colonial-era Berkeley County before reorganization.
Online property records are available through the county website and GIS system. You can search by TMS (tax map sheet) number or street address. E-recording is available for qualified submitters. Recording fees are set by state statute. Certified copies of recorded documents are available for a fee, and public search terminals are accessible during business hours. UCC financing statements, marriage licenses, and notary public services are handled through the Register of Deeds office.
The Berkeley County website provides access to the Register of Deeds, GIS mapping tools, property search resources, and FOIA request procedures. The county government portal serves as a central hub for public records information.
Note: Property fraud alert services are available to Berkeley County property owners, providing email notification when documents are recorded under a registered name.
Berkeley County Criminal Records and Jail Roster
Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis leads the Sheriff's Office. The Hill-Finklea Detention Center is at 300 California Avenue, Moncks Corner, SC 29461. The main line is (843) 719-4546. The Booking desk is (843) 719-4876. The Records division is (843) 719-4557. An online inmate search is available at the Sheriff's Office inmate lookup portal. You can search by name, booking number, or date of birth. Partial name searches are accepted. Results show current charges, bond amounts, and arresting agency. The roster is updated regularly but not in real time.
The Work Camp program is available for qualifying inmates. Video visitation is offered, and commissary services are handled through a third-party provider. Incident reports and arrest records are available through FOIA request to the Records Division at (843) 719-4557. Background checks, warrant information, concealed weapon permit applications, and sex offender registry information are all available through the Sheriff's Office.
For statewide criminal history checks, the SLED CATCH system processes name-based searches for $25 per check online. The SLED Sex Offender Registry is searchable by name, address, zip code, or county. Berkeley County entries are included alongside all 46 South Carolina counties. Email alerts notify you when registered offenders relocate to a selected area. State prison inmates are searchable through the SC Department of Corrections.
How to Request Berkeley County Public Records
Berkeley County follows South Carolina FOIA (Title 30, Chapter 4) for all public records requests. Written requests are required. You can submit them to the department that holds the records or to the County Attorney's Office for general county records. Online forms may be available through the county website. Copy fees are $0.20 per page for standard copies. Electronic records carry no copy fee. For large requests, a deposit of up to 25% of estimated costs may be required in advance.
Agencies must respond to requests for recent records within 10 business days. Records older than 24 months get a 20-business-day window. After deciding to produce records, the agency has 30 calendar days to deliver them. Silence is treated as approval under state law. A $500 civil penalty may apply to arbitrary denials. Berkeley County's FOIA coordinator can be contacted through the County Attorney's Office via the county website.
Many Berkeley County records are already accessible without a formal FOIA request. Court records are in the Public Index. Property records are online through the Register of Deeds portal. Inmate information is searchable through the Sheriff's Office. These free tools cover a large portion of what most people seek from Berkeley County public records.
Berkeley County Online Resources
Beyond the Public Index and Sheriff's Office inmate portal, several statewide tools serve Berkeley County researchers. The Secretary of State Business Filing portal covers all SC business entities. Appellate decisions can be found through SC C-Track for cases from May 2012 forward. Voter registration and election data are at SC Votes. Historical Berkeley County research benefits from collections at the SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia, which holds government records spanning over three centuries. Accident reports from Berkeley County roads are processed through the SC Department of Public Safety.
Cities in Berkeley County
Berkeley County includes Goose Creek and a portion of Summerville within its borders. City-level records may be held separately by municipal offices.
Nearby Counties
Berkeley County borders Charleston, Dorchester, Orangeburg, and Calhoun counties. Search records in neighboring areas using the links below.