Richland County, South Carolina · Detainee search, bond, police records and criminal court cases
Trace a Richland County Arrest From Booking to the Final Court Result
Start with the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center detainee search, identify the correct arrest and then follow the case through Richland County Summary Court or General Sessions.
This guide also explains police-report requests, bond, warrants, visitation, mail, commissary, lawyers, victim assistance, SLED criminal history and South Carolina expungement.
RICHLAND RECORD ROUTE
VERIFYING
RICHLAND COURT
DISPOSITION
ARREST
RECORD
IDENTITY + OUTCOME MATCHED
An arrest is not a conviction. Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center records custody. The Sheriff’s report records the law-enforcement event. The court record shows what was formally prosecuted and how each charge ended.
Current publication restriction: check before sending books
The live Alvin S. Glenn detainee system currently states that acceptance of books, magazines, periodicals and other publications is temporarily suspended until further notice. An older county mail-rules page still discusses publisher-direct books. Follow the current suspension unless the detention center confirms that it has been lifted.
Detainee search
Search first and last name on the county system.
General Sessions
Felony and serious misdemeanor court records.
Summary Court
Many lower-level misdemeanor cases are separate.
Bond Court
Inside Alvin S. Glenn; 803-576-3281.
SLED CATCH
$25 SC-only name-based record check.
Choose the right source
Which Richland County record actually answers your question?
DETAINEE LOOKUP
Is the person at Alvin S. Glenn?
Search current public detainee information using first and last name.
Best starting point after a recent Richland County arrest.
RCSD REPORT
What did deputies report?
Request the arrest or incident report from Richland County Sheriff’s Department when RCSD created it.
A Columbia Police report belongs to Columbia Police—not RCSD.
SUMMARY COURT
Is it a lower-level case?
Magistrate courts handle many misdemeanor, traffic and preliminary matters.
These records are not all maintained by the General Sessions Clerk.
GENERAL SESSIONS
Was a felony prosecuted?
Find warrants, indictments, sentence sheets, bond papers and related Circuit Court filings.
Use the court disposition rather than the original jail allegation.
SLED CATCH
Need statewide South Carolina history?
Use the state repository instead of treating a Richland County search as statewide.
SLED CATCH is name-based and South Carolina only.
Official jail lookup
Search Alvin S. Glenn detainees step by step
Open the official Richland County detainee search
Use the county jail-management system rather than a private people-search site.
Open Detainee Public Information
Enter the last name
The public system accepts alphabetic characters and spaces.
Add the first name
Use the legal first name when known.
Complete the image verification
The live search requires the displayed verification code before submitting.
Open every plausible match
Common names can belong to several different people.
Save available identifiers
Record the detainee number, housing information, booking-related data, charges and bond information displayed for the correct person.
Separate each arrest or charge
One person can have several charges or court matters.
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
201 John Mark Dial Drive
Columbia, SC 29209
Phone:
803-576-3200
Office hours: Monday–Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Record decoder
Do not misread a Richland County jail result
Jail fields versus what the court must still confirm
| Information |
What it tells you |
What it does not prove |
Next action |
| Detainee name |
The name recorded in detention data. |
Identity when the name is common. |
Match additional identifiers. |
| Detainee number |
The facility identifier associated with the person. |
The final court outcome. |
Use it for visits, money and mail. |
| Booking charge |
An allegation associated with custody. |
A conviction or even the final prosecutor charge. |
Read the court case. |
| Bond amount |
A release-related amount or condition. |
That payment clears all holds. |
Confirm with Bond Court. |
| Housing unit |
The current facility assignment when displayed. |
The location will remain unchanged. |
Recheck before visiting or mailing. |
| Booking photograph |
A detention image associated with the record. |
Guilt or identity by itself. |
Use stronger identifiers. |
| Release/disappearance from current custody |
The person may no longer be held there. |
Dismissal or acquittal. |
Check the court disposition. |
Identity protection
Verify the person before using an arrest record
Full first and last names match
Middle name or suffix is consistent
Birth information matches when available
Arrest timeline matches the known event
Arresting agency is consistent
Detainee number matches related records
Court case follows the same incident
No conflicting identifier points to another person
Minimum rule: Match at least two independent identifiers before publishing allegations, sending money or treating the result as belonging to a particular person.
No-result troubleshooting
No Richland County detainee result? Check these possibilities
Booking is still being processed
A very recent arrest may not be fully available through the public system immediately.
The person was released
Current detention data is not a complete historical arrest archive.
The name differs
Try a maiden name, suffix, hyphen variation or alternate legal spelling.
The arrest occurred outside Richland County
Search the detention center serving the place where the person was actually booked.
The person received a citation or summons
A court case can exist without a current Alvin S. Glenn booking.
The person was transferred
Check another county, South Carolina Department of Corrections or federal custody when appropriate.
The case is in Summary Court
A lower-level Magistrate case may not appear where you expected a General Sessions record.
The record is restricted or expunged
Protected or destroyed records may no longer be publicly available.
Missing-custody script
I am trying to confirm whether [full legal name] is currently in Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. I have the approximate arrest date [date] and arresting agency [agency]. Can you confirm whether the person is still being processed, currently held, released or transferred, and whether another detainee identifier should be used?
Arrest-to-court path
What happens after an arrest in Richland County?
Arresting agency creates the law-enforcement record
Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police or another agency creates its incident and arrest documentation.
Alvin S. Glenn booking
The detention center receives adults arrested in Richland County and handles detention processing.
Fingerprint and booking photograph
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor describes fingerprinting and a booking photograph as part of Richland County jail processing.
Bond hearing
Magistrates conduct bail-bond hearings throughout the day to determine release conditions.
Summary or General Sessions routing
Lower-level cases can remain in Magistrate/Summary Court; felony and serious misdemeanor cases proceed through General Sessions.
Solicitor prosecution decision
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor prosecutes state criminal cases in Richland County.
Court disposition
The case may end through dismissal, nolle prosequi, acquittal, plea, conviction, sentence or another order.
Expungement or record correction
Qualifying records can proceed through the applicable Solicitor, Summary Court and SLED procedures.
Record ownership
Jail custody does not mean the Sheriff owns every arrest report
Send the request to the office that created or maintains the record
| What you need |
Likely record holder |
Useful identifier |
Common mistake |
| Current detention information |
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center |
Name and detainee number |
Calling the court for housing information. |
| RCSD arrest or incident report |
Richland County Sheriff’s Department |
RCSD case/report number |
Requesting it from the detention center. |
| City of Columbia police report |
Columbia Police Department |
CPD incident number |
Assuming ASGDC custody makes it an RCSD report. |
| Lower-level misdemeanor case |
Richland County Magistrate/Summary Court |
Ticket, warrant or case number |
Searching only General Sessions. |
| Felony/serious misdemeanor case |
Richland County Clerk of Court — General Sessions |
Warrant or indictment/case number |
Treating a booking charge as the court result. |
| Statewide SC criminal history |
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division |
Accurate name and date of birth |
Treating Richland County records as statewide. |
Sheriff reports and FOIA
Request a Richland County Sheriff’s arrest or incident report
Richland County Sheriff’s Department
5623 Two Notch Road
Columbia, SC 29223
Main:
803-576-3000
Records Division:
803-576-3000
Records business hours published for report requests: 8:00 a.m.–4:15 p.m.
For a normal report copy
Confirm RCSD created the case
Look at the arresting agency before submitting anything.
Provide the RCSD case number when known
Add the involved name, incident date and location.
Follow special juvenile procedures
RCSD says requests involving juvenile information or a victim age 17 or younger must be made in person with valid photo ID.
Prepare the published juvenile/report charge when applicable
RCSD currently states a $2 cash-per-report charge for the in-person juvenile-related procedure described on its report page.
For a broader FOIA request
Submit the request in writing
RCSD accepts FOIA requests by mail, email or in person.
Describe the exact record
Ask for specific arrest, incident, supplement, dispatch or other records rather than “all information.”
Add identifiers
Include the case number, full name, date, location and court information.
Set a cost limit
Ask for an estimate before processing if the request may become expensive.
Current RCSD FOIA fee schedule
| Service |
Published fee |
Use |
| Retrieval / redaction |
$37 per hour |
Search and review work for responsive records. |
| Archive retrieval |
$36 per box |
Older records requiring archive-box retrieval. |
| CD / DVD |
$5 per disk |
Physical digital-media production. |
| Printed copies |
$0.15 per page |
Paper reproduction. |
Copy-ready RCSD request
I request an electronic copy of the releasable arrest report, incident report and specifically identified supplements concerning [full legal name] for the incident on or about [date] at [location]. Known identifiers are RCSD report number [number], Alvin S. Glenn detainee number [number], warrant number [number] and court case number [number]. Please provide a cost estimate before processing if fees will exceed $[amount].
RCSD FOIA mailing address
Richland County Sheriff’s Department
Attn: Freedom of Information Officer
5623 Two Notch Road
Columbia, SC 29223
Court outcome
Find the criminal case connected to the Richland County arrest
Open the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search
This is the official statewide entry page.
Open Case Records Search
Select Richland County
Richland is Judicial Circuit 5 and County Number 40.
Search the case number first
A case number reduces same-name errors.
Otherwise search the defendant’s name
Compare the filing date, charge and case type with the arrest.
Read every case separately
One person may have several unrelated Richland County matters.
Compare jail and court charges
The booking allegation can differ from the indictment or other prosecutor filing.
Read the newest docket events
Look for warrants, hearings, bond changes, pleas, sentencing and disposition.
Check each count individually
One charge can be dismissed while another results in conviction.
Obtain the actual document when proof is needed
Request the indictment, sentence sheet, dismissal, warrant or other relevant filing from the correct court office.
Richland County Clerk of Court
Richland County Judicial Center
1701 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Main:
803-576-1950
Criminal Records — warrants, indictments, sentencing, tickets:
803-576-1939
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Do not miss Summary Court
Why a General Sessions search can be incomplete
Richland County’s Clerk of Court explicitly states that General Sessions records do not include charges within Magistrate or Summary Court jurisdiction. A General Sessions search by itself is therefore not a full Richland County criminal background check.
General Sessions
Felonies and higher-level or serious misdemeanor criminal matters.
Magistrate / Summary Court
Many lower-level criminal offenses, traffic matters and preliminary hearings.
SLED CATCH
Use the state repository when a broader South Carolina criminal-history check is required.
Check the public court record system
Search Richland County and inspect the case type.
Review Summary Court dockets when appropriate
Richland County publishes Summary Court docket access through its online-services system.
Identify the specific Magistrate Court
Richland County has Central, Blythewood, Columbia, Dentsville, Dutch Fork, Eastover, Hopkins, Lykesland, Olympia, Pontiac, Upper Township, Waverly and other Magistrate locations.
Call Central Court when routing is unclear
Central Court:
803-576-2300.
Court records
Request the actual General Sessions document
General Sessions criminal records maintained by the Clerk can include:
- Warrants
- Indictments
- Sentence sheets
- Bond papers
- Other related documents filed with the Clerk
Find the case online first
Save the case or indictment information before contacting Criminal Records.
Identify exactly what proof is needed
A sentence sheet, dismissal or indictment may be more useful than the whole file.
Visit the Criminal Records department
The department is on the 4th floor at 1701 Main Street.
Or submit the request by mail
Address it to Richland County Clerk of Court, Attn: Criminal Records.
Ask whether certification is required
A normal research copy and a certified official document serve different purposes.
Mailing address
Richland County Clerk of Court
Attn: Criminal Records
P.O. Box 2766
Columbia, SC 29202
Warrant verification
Check a possible Richland County warrant safely
Read entries in date order
A warrant can later be served, recalled or otherwise resolved.
Identify General Sessions versus Summary Court
The correct court depends on the underlying charge and proceeding.
Call Criminal Records for General Sessions
Warrants, indictments, sentencing and ticket questions:
803-576-1939.
Call Central Court for applicable Magistrate cases
Central Court:
803-576-2300.
Use legal counsel when the warrant concerns you
A lawyer can advise about appearance, surrender and bond.
Do not confront or detain anyone. Same-name results, old warrant entries and delayed status changes can lead to serious mistakes.
Bond Court
Verify a Richland County bond before paying
Richland County Bond Court is located inside Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center at 201 John Mark Dial Drive.
Personal Recognizance
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor describes PR bond as release without posting money with the court.
Cash bond
A monetary amount must be posted before release under the court’s conditions.
Surety bond
A bonding company can post the required surety under its agreement with the defendant or payer.
Confirm the correct detainee
Save the detainee identifier before calling Bond Court.
List every charge and hold
Do not assume one bond amount clears an unrelated case or detainer.
Ask for the current bond type and amount
Bond status can change after a court hearing.
Use an accepted payment method
Richland County Bond Court currently lists cash, money orders and cashier’s checks for fines or bonds.
Keep all receipts
Save the detainee name, case, amount and payment documentation.
Recheck detention status
Payment does not guarantee immediate physical release if another legal hold or processing requirement remains.
Richland County Bond Court hours
| Day |
Published hours |
Location |
| Monday–Friday |
7:00 a.m.–2:00 a.m. |
201 John Mark Dial Drive |
| Saturday–Sunday |
7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. |
201 John Mark Dial Drive |
Richland County states that Magistrates conduct bail-bond hearings four times daily.
Detainee visitation
Register and schedule an Alvin S. Glenn visit
Two official pages currently describe the weekly limit differently. The county’s general detention page says one one-hour visit per week, while the live ViaPath scheduler says one lobby visit and one video visit per week. Use the live scheduler for available appointments and call 803-576-3200 before traveling.
Confirm current detention status
Search the person again before registering.
Create a visitor account
New visitors must register before managing appointments.
Select the appropriate available date
The scheduler separates visitation days by housing unit.
Schedule in the system
Walk-in scheduling was discontinued; use the live scheduling platform.
Bring photo identification
Richland County requires photo ID to check in.
Arrive early
Visits can pause for meals, shift changes or lockdowns.
Call ahead before a long trip
Confirm that the visit has not been affected by a facility restriction.
General published visiting hours
Monday–Friday
8:15 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Detention Center:
803-576-3200
Visitor rules
What to know before entering visitation
Schedule through the official visit system
Bring a valid photo ID
Only two visitors at a time under the county’s general rule
Children count toward the two-person visitor limit
Wear appropriate clothing
Arrive before the appointment
Expect pauses during meals or shift changes
Lockdowns can interrupt visitation
Current ViaPath housing-day schedule
Housing units listed in the live Richland County visitation scheduler
| Day |
Housing units |
| Monday & Wednesday |
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Fox Trot |
| Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday |
Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet |
| Friday & Saturday |
Kilo, Lima, Mike, Uniform |
| Monday–Friday |
Papa, X-Ray, Yankee, BMU |
Commissary and deposits
Put money on a detainee account without missing the weekly deadline
Commissary deadline: Richland County says deposits must be made by noon Wednesday for the detainee to order commissary for that week.
Official detainee-account deposit methods
| Method |
How it works |
Important rule |
| U.S. Postal money order — lobby |
Leave the postal money order in the facility front lobby. |
Lobby drop-off is available 8 a.m.–10 p.m., seven days a week. |
| Lobby kiosk |
Deposit cash or use an accepted credit card at the kiosk. |
Staff do not accept money directly at the counter. |
| Online deposit |
Use McDaniel Supply Company’s jail store linked by Richland County. |
Verify the detainee before paying. |
| Postal money order — mail |
Mail the money order to Alvin S. Glenn. |
Include full name, date of birth and detainee number. |
| Personal check |
Not accepted. |
Do not mail or bring a personal check. |
Money-order mailing format
Detainee Name, Number, Housing Unit
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
201 John Mark Dial Drive
Columbia, SC 29209
Mail rules
Keep detainee mail from being rejected
No stamps or blank envelopes
No note pads, stationery, notebooks or writing tablets
No stickers or pasted items
No magnets or foreign objects
No cash, checks or cashier’s checks
Pictures must be 5×7 inches or smaller
No Polaroid pictures
No oversized cards or boxes
No laminated items
No credit or debit cards
No clothing or shoes
No gang-sign or gang-related imagery
No pictures displaying alcohol or flashing cash
No internal/dorm photographs of the detention center
No nude or semi-nude pictures
No obscene or inappropriate pictures
No soaked, stained or foreign-substance items
Do not send excessive quantities of material
Legal documents are treated differently from ordinary excess-material restrictions. When legal mail is important, use the detainee’s full identifying information and verify current instructions with the facility.
Books and magazines
Do not rely on the older publication rule right now
The detention center’s live public detainee page currently says: acceptance of books, magazines, periodicals and other publications is temporarily suspended until further notice.
Current live notice
Do not send books, magazines, periodicals or other publications while the temporary suspension remains in place.
Older general mail rule
The general county mail page still describes direct-from-publisher/bookstore rules and prohibits hardback books.
What to do: Check the live detainee site immediately before ordering a publication. If the suspension notice is still displayed, do not order it.
Defense help
Contact the Richland County Public Defender
Fifth Circuit Public Defender — Richland County
Richland County Judicial Center
1701 Main Street
Main Lobby, Suite 103
Columbia, SC 29202
Phone:
803-765-2592
Fax: 803-748-5018
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Find the criminal case first
Save the warrant, case or indictment information.
Contact the Public Defender
Explain that the defendant is unable to afford private counsel.
Complete indigent screening
Richland County also lists Indigent Screening at
803-576-1621.
Provide accurate financial information
The court-appointed-counsel process depends on financial eligibility and the criminal case.
Confirm the assigned lawyer
Do not assume a lawyer contacted at Bond Court remains assigned without confirmation.
Attorney access
Schedule a private attorney visit at Alvin S. Glenn
Richland County publishes separate attorney visiting procedures instead of requiring counsel to use ordinary family visitation.
Attorney visits: Monday–Friday
Published attorney hours: 8:00 a.m.–5:45 p.m.
Private attorney rooms are available
Attorney Visit Planner: 803-576-3396
Scheduling email: ASGDCAdmin@richlandcountysc.gov
Use professional scheduling rather than family visit slots
Victim and witness help
Get help from law enforcement and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor
RCSD Victim Assistance
Use when the Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the incident.
Phone: 803-576-3115
Solicitor Victim Witness Program
Use after the case is being handled through the Fifth Circuit prosecution process.
Phone: 803-576-1890
Victim Witness services include
Preparing victims and witnesses for court
Crisis intervention
Criminal-justice process orientation
Safety planning
Communication between prosecutors and victims
Victim opportunity to confer before disposition
Language-translation assistance
Spanish-speaking advocate availability
Fifth Circuit Solicitor — Richland County
1701 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Main:
803-576-1800
Victim Witness:
803-576-1890
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Statewide criminal history
Use SLED CATCH when Richland County records are not enough
SLED CATCH is a name-based South Carolina-only search. SLED says fingerprint-based searches are more reliable and less likely to produce a false positive or false negative.
Open SLED CATCH
Use the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s official service.
Open SLED CATCH
Accept the terms and conditions
Read the limitations before purchasing the report.
Enter accurate first name, last name and date of birth
CATCH uses a starts-with match for these fields.
Add Social Security information only when appropriate
SLED states it can be searched when provided.
Review possible identity conflicts
Aliases and different dates of birth can cause false positive or false negative results.
Save or print the report
Keep the report when you may need to challenge an error or verify an expungement later.
Current SLED CATCH pricing and limitations
| Item |
Current amount / rule |
Important detail |
| Standard CATCH report |
$25 |
Non-refundable South Carolina criminal-record check. |
| 2026 online service fee |
$1.43 per $25 report |
Effective July 1, 2026; SLED states it does not retain the service fee. |
| Reduced qualifying report |
$8 |
For statutorily eligible organizations. |
| Reduced-report 2026 service fee |
$1.14 |
Applies to the qualifying $8 online report. |
| Wanted-person information |
Not included |
Do not use CATCH as a warrant search. |
| Sex offender registry |
Not included |
SLED maintains a separate registry. |
SLED also accepts criminal-record requests by mail. Mail requests can specifically request notarized or certified results and require the appropriate form, payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Correct inaccurate records
Fix the source of the error instead of only disputing a third-party site
Identify which official system is wrong
Compare detention data, the law-enforcement report, Summary Court, General Sessions and SLED.
Save the disputed result
Record the detainee number, warrant, case number and date.
Obtain the controlling document
Use the arrest report or court disposition that proves the correct information.
Correct the originating agency first
An RCSD report error belongs with RCSD; a court disposition error belongs with the court.
Recheck after the correction
A local correction may not instantly update SLED or private background-check databases.
Different charges are not automatically an error. An arrest charge, prosecutor charge and final court disposition can legitimately be different.
South Carolina expungement
Remove an eligible Richland County charge from the rap sheet
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor states that even a dismissed, nol prossed or not-guilty charge can continue to appear on a criminal record until the applicable expungement process is completed.
General Sessions / Solicitor route
For qualifying Richland County records handled by the Fifth Circuit Solicitor, begin with the Solicitor’s expungement process.
Magistrate or Municipal dismissal
SLED instructs people whose charge was dismissed in Magistrate or Municipal Court to contact that court directly for the expungement.
What can qualify?
Qualifying dismissed charges
Qualifying nol prossed charges
Qualifying not-guilty dispositions
Certain eligible misdemeanor convictions
Certain eligible diversion-program completions
Other records meeting a specific South Carolina expungement statute
Common exclusions noted by the Fifth Circuit Solicitor
Most traffic convictions cannot be expunged
Fish and wildlife convictions cannot be expunged
Felony and heinous-crime convictions do not automatically qualify
Eligibility depends on the applicable South Carolina statute
Find the exact court disposition
Do not begin with only the jail charge.
Confirm where the case was handled
Determine whether it was General Sessions, Magistrate or Municipal Court.
Check whether the expungement is free
The Solicitor states that qualifying dismissed, nol prossed and not-guilty charges are free unless the dismissal resulted from plea negotiations.
Prepare separate payment instruments when fees apply
SLED, Clerk and Solicitor fees go to different agencies.
Submit the complete application
Follow the Fifth Circuit application instructions for the exact case.
Allow SLED processing after the order
SLED says to allow approximately four weeks from its receipt of an expungement order for removal from the state criminal history.
Run a new SLED CATCH check when proof is needed
SLED does not automatically send confirmation that an expungement was completed.
Fifth Circuit expungement fees when the free-dismissal rule does not apply
| Agency |
Published fee |
Payment note |
| SLED |
$25 |
Verification-related expungement fee. |
| Clerk of Court |
$35 |
Court filing fee. |
| Fifth Circuit Solicitor |
$250 |
Administrative fee. |
Fifth Circuit Expungement
Phone:
803-576-1620
Richland County Office
1701 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
If SLED still shows an already-expunged charge: SLED instructs the person to mail a certified true copy of the expungement order, a recently purchased background check and a stamped self-addressed return envelope to SLED Expungement Department, P.O. Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221.
Diversion option
Pre-Trial Intervention can affect the final record
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor operates Pre-Trial Intervention for eligible defendants. Acceptance is not automatic and some offenses, including crimes of violence and DUI, are excluded.
Community service
Typically 30–50 hours under the published program requirements.
Restitution may be required
Counseling or educational programs may be required
Drug testing can apply
Participant must not be rearrested while enrolled
A person cannot participate in PTI more than once
Successful completion can lead into the applicable expungement process
Information already extracted
What users can solve without opening ten separate government pages
Detainee lookup
Correct official search, first/last-name workflow, identity checks and no-result troubleshooting.
Report requests
RCSD report route, FOIA email, address, business hours and current fee schedule.
Court verification
General Sessions versus Summary Court, case-search workflow and Criminal Records contacts.
Jail family services
Current visit scheduler, visit limits, commissary deadline, deposits and detailed mail restrictions.
Bond and legal help
Bond types, payment methods, Bond Court hours, Public Defender and attorney-visit instructions.
Record cleanup
SLED CATCH pricing, state-search limits, corrections, expungement fees and post-order verification.
Title-related questions
Richland County arrest-record questions answered
How do I search Richland County arrest records?
Start with the official Alvin S. Glenn Detainee Public Information search, then verify the case through the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search.
Can I search Alvin S. Glenn detainees by name?
Yes. The official public system provides first-name and last-name fields plus image verification.
Why can a General Sessions search miss a criminal case?
The Richland County Clerk states that General Sessions does not maintain Magistrate/Summary Court charges. Lower-level cases may require a separate Summary Court search.
How do I request a Richland County Sheriff’s arrest report?
Use RCSD’s report-request process for ordinary reports or submit a written FOIA request to foiarequest@rcsd.net when a broader records request is needed.
Where is Richland County Bond Court?
Bond Court is inside Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center at 201 John Mark Dial Drive in Columbia. The phone number is 803-576-3281.
What forms of bond payment does Richland County accept?
The current Bond Court page lists cash, money orders and cashier’s checks for fines or bonds.
How do I schedule an Alvin S. Glenn visit?
Use the official Richland County ViaPath scheduling system. Walk-in scheduling has been discontinued. Bring photo ID and call ahead if traveling a long distance.
How do I put commissary money on a detainee account?
Use a U.S. Postal money order, the lobby kiosk or the county-linked McDaniel Supply Company online system. Deposits must be made by noon Wednesday for that week’s commissary order.
How much is a SLED CATCH background check?
A standard report costs $25, plus the current applicable online service charge. SLED CATCH is a South Carolina-only name-based search.
Can a dismissed Richland County arrest be expunged?
Qualifying dismissed, nol prossed and not-guilty charges can be expunged. The Fifth Circuit Solicitor says those qualifying outcomes are generally free to expunge unless the dismissal resulted from plea negotiations.