Search Florence County Public Records
Florence County public records are held by several offices in Florence, South Carolina. The Clerk of Court on North Irby Street handles court filings and also serves as the Register of Deeds for property records. The Sheriff's Office in Effingham maintains detention records and law enforcement files. Residents and outside requesters can search Florence County court records online through the SC Public Index at no charge. This guide explains how to find, access, and request public records from Florence County offices.
Florence County Quick Facts
Florence County Court Records
The Florence County Clerk of Court is Doris Poulos O'Hara. The office is at 180 N. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501. Phone: (843) 665-3031. Fax: (843) 665-3097. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The office maintains records for Circuit Court, Family Court, and Magistrate Court. Case types include civil suits, criminal matters, family law, and probate proceedings. Court rosters are available online for scheduled hearings.
The Florence County SC Judicial Public Index provides free online case searches across all court types without any registration requirement.
You can search by name across civil, criminal, family, and probate cases and view party information, filing dates, scheduled hearings, case status, and judge assignments.
The Common Pleas and Civil Court Division handles civil records. The Family Court Support Division oversees divorce, child support enforcement, and wage withholdings. Criminal court records include case filings, bonds, and indictments from General Sessions. Traffic court services are also available through the Clerk's office. Passport application services are offered, along with notary public services. Copy fees apply for document reproduction. Restricted records include juvenile files, adoption proceedings, and mental health records.
PropertyCheck software is used by the Florence County Clerk's office to provide online access to property records. This tool links directly from the county website for public use.
Florence County Property Records
The Florence County Register of Deeds is co-located with the Clerk of Court at 180 N. Irby Street, MSC-E, Florence, SC 29501. Phone: 843-665-3031. The Register of Deeds maintains land records including property deeds, mortgages, liens, plat maps, UCC financing statements, and powers of attorney. All documents are indexed and preserved as the official public land record for Florence County. Historical records are archived and available for public review.
The county website at florenceco.org/elected-offices/register-of-deeds/ provides information on recording requirements, fee schedules, and how to request certified copies. E-recording is available for qualified submitters. Public search access is available at the office. Staff can assist with locating record books and indexes but do not perform title searches for the public. Recording fees are set by state law and vary by document type.
Marriage licenses are also processed through this combined office. The PropertyCheck system links property records with court filings for cross-reference. Property tax and assessment records are handled separately by the Florence County Assessor. GIS mapping is available for parcel and boundary research.
Note: For the most complete property records access, visiting the office in person during regular business hours gives access to both digitized and older paper-based records.
Florence County Criminal and Arrest Records
The Florence County Sheriff's Office is at 6719 Friendfield Road, Effingham, SC 29541. Phone: 843-665-2121. The Records Division is extension 310. The Sheriff's Office provides a free online inmate search database for current inmates at the detention center. Booking information, charges filed, and bond status are displayed for each listed inmate. Incident reports and accident reports are available through the records division.
Background checks, warrant information, and concealed weapons permit processing are handled by the records division. In-person visits are during business hours. The full list of online services is at florenceco.org/government/sheriffs-office/. Fingerprinting services are also offered by the Sheriff's Office. Records requests follow SC FOIA procedures.
For statewide criminal history searches, the SLED CATCH program runs $25 per check ($8 for charities). A full name and date of birth are needed. SLED's number is 803-896-1443. The SLED Sex Offender Registry lists Florence County registrants. State prison inmates are searchable at SC Department of Corrections. The SC Department of Public Safety also maintains accident reports and other statewide law enforcement records.
How to Request Florence County Public Records
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act at Title 30, Chapter 4 governs all public records requests in Florence County. FOIA requests can be submitted through the online services portal at florenceco.org/online-services/. Written requests can also be mailed or delivered in person to the relevant county office. Public records request forms and department contact information are available through the portal.
Agencies must respond within 10 business days for records two years old or less. Records older than two years allow a 20-business-day response window. Once the decision to release records is made, the agency has 30 days to produce them. Paper copy fees are approximately $0.25 per page. Electronic transmissions carry no charge. For large requests, a deposit of up to 25% of estimated costs may be required before work begins.
Under Section 30-4-50, certain records are always open to the public. These include public employee names and titles, final agency opinions, meeting minutes, crime reports, and expenditure records. Failing to respond within required timeframes is treated as approval for non-exempt records. Willful violations can result in a $500 civil penalty. For guidance on what personal data is protected, see Title 30, Chapter 2.
Florence County Online Records Search
The SC Judicial Public Index for Florence County is free and covers all case types. The Florence County online services portal at florenceco.org/online-services/ provides links to property tax records, court records, FOIA request forms, and GIS mapping. Business entity records are at SC Business Filings. Historical records are at the SC Department of Archives and History. Appellate records are at SC C-Track. Voter records are at SCVotes.gov.
Cities in Florence County
Florence is the county seat and the largest city in Florence County. It serves as the main hub for public records offices and county government services.
Nearby Counties
Florence County borders several other South Carolina counties, each with its own public records offices and online tools.