Cherokee County Public Records
Cherokee County public records are held by the Clerk of Court, the Register of Deeds, and the Sheriff's Office, each maintaining distinct sets of documents. The county seat is Gaffney, part of the 7th Judicial Circuit. Court records are searchable free online through the SC Judicial Branch. Property records date to 1897 when the county was formed. The Sheriff's Office detention center uses a direct-supervision model and operates a LiveScan fingerprint system. This guide explains each record type available in Cherokee County and where to find it.
Cherokee County Quick Facts
Cherokee County Court Records
The Cherokee County Clerk of Court is Todd B. Tubbs. The office is at 125 E Floyd Baker Blvd, Gaffney, SC 29340. The main phone number is 864-487-2572. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The Clerk manages records for General Sessions criminal cases, Common Pleas civil matters, and Family Court proceedings for the 7th Judicial Circuit. Court rosters for Cherokee County are posted at the dedicated roster page at publicindex.sccourts.org/cherokee/courtrosters/. You can search court calendars by court type, agency, and case number.
Court records are freely searchable through the Cherokee County Public Index. The system is maintained by the SC Judicial Branch and covers Circuit Court, Family Court, and Magistrate Court filings. You can search by party name or case number. Results show case status, charges, hearing dates, and outcomes. Home addresses were removed from all Public Index results as of January 2026. Copy fees follow standard SC rates of $0.25 per page for standard copies. Public access terminals are available during business hours.
For appellate decisions involving Cherokee County matters from May 2012 forward, use the SC Appellate Court C-Track. The statewide SC Judicial Branch Case Records Search also provides access to Cherokee County cases alongside all other South Carolina counties.
The Cherokee County Public Index is the primary online tool for searching civil, criminal, and family court records. Court rosters and calendars are also published through the same judicial portal system.
Cherokee County Property Records
Cherokee County has an appointed Register of Deeds, appointed by County Council to manage land records separately from the Clerk of Court. The Register of Deeds office is at 110 Railroad Avenue, Gaffney, SC 29340, reachable at 864-487-2571. Property records are available from 1897, when Cherokee County was formally established. The office records deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, UCC financing statements, and marriage licenses. Public access terminals are available for in-person research during business hours. Certified copies of recorded instruments are available for a fee.
The Cherokee County website provides access to the Register of Deeds office information, recording services, and resources for property research. E-recording is available for qualified submitters through approved vendors.
Staff assistance is available during regular hours for more complex title and property research. Recording fees are set by state statute and vary by document type and page count. E-recording is supported through approved third-party vendors. Property fraud alert services may be available through the county, providing email notification when documents are recorded under a registered owner's name.
Note: Property documents in Cherokee County must be recorded under SC Code § 30-5-10 to provide constructive notice. Unrecorded transfers may not be enforceable against later purchasers without actual knowledge of the prior transaction.
Cherokee County Criminal Records
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is at 312 E Frederick Street, Gaffney, SC 29340. The main phone is 864-489-4722. The Detention Center is at 315 E Dr. LM Rosemond Lane, Gaffney, SC 29340, with a phone number of 864-487-2529. The facility uses a direct-supervision model with no traditional bars or cells. It houses county inmates awaiting trial and those sentenced to 90 days or less. The detention center has a LiveScan fingerprint system capable of submitting electronic prints to both SLED and the FBI. Fingerprint results typically return in 15 minutes to one hour.
The Detention Center is supervised by Major Stephen Anderson and Captain Sherille Wells. Inmate information is available through the Sheriff's Office. An online roster is available at the county website. Booking records include charges and bond amounts. Incident reports are available through FOIA requests to the Records Division. Background checks and concealed weapon permit applications are handled through the Sheriff's Office.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office website provides information about the Detention Center, inmate services, and procedures for records requests. The LiveScan system enables same-day fingerprint results for licensing and background check purposes.
Statewide criminal background checks are processed through the SLED CATCH system for $25 per online search. The SLED Sex Offender Registry is searchable for Cherokee County by name, address, zip code, or county. Email alerts are available. State prison inmates are searchable through the SC Department of Corrections inmate database.
How to Request Cherokee County Public Records
Cherokee County follows South Carolina FOIA (Title 30, Chapter 4) for all public records requests. Requests must be in writing and submitted to the relevant department. The county address is 110 Railroad Avenue, Gaffney, SC 29340. General county records requests can be directed to the County Administrator's office. Court-related requests go directly to the Clerk of Court at 125 E Floyd Baker Blvd, Gaffney, SC 29340.
For records less than 24 months old, agencies must respond within 10 business days. Records older than 24 months allow a 20-business-day response window. After deciding to produce records, the agency has 30 calendar days to deliver them. Silence within the required window is treated as approval. A $500 civil penalty may be imposed for arbitrary denials. Copy fees run $0.25 per page for paper copies. Electronic transmissions carry no copy fee under state law.
Several categories of records are always public under § 30-4-50 of the SC Code. These include names and employment dates of public employees, final agency opinions, public fund expenditures, meeting minutes, and crime reports. These cannot be withheld. The SC Privacy Protection Act separately restricts use of personal identifiers like Social Security numbers and financial account numbers for commercial purposes.
Cherokee County Online Records Tools
The SC Judicial Branch Case Records Search covers all 46 South Carolina counties and is free to use. Business entity records are searchable through the Secretary of State Business Filing portal. Voter registration and election data for Cherokee County are available at SC Votes. Accident reports and Highway Patrol records from Cherokee County roads are processed through the SC Department of Public Safety. Historical government records including Cherokee County documents are held at the SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia, where digital collections continue to expand.
The SLED CATCH system is the official South Carolina portal for criminal background checks. It processes name-based searches for Cherokee County and all other SC counties for $25 per online check.
Nearby Counties
Cherokee County borders Spartanburg, York, Gaston County in North Carolina, and Union County in South Carolina. Search records in neighboring areas using the links below.