Search Columbia Booking Reports
Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina and sits in both Richland and Lexington counties. Booking reports from Columbia are created when the Columbia Police Department makes an arrest and the person is processed at a county detention center. Because Columbia spans two counties, booking reports may end up at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County or the Lexington County Detention Center. This guide walks through how to search for Columbia booking reports, what agencies to contact, and what records are available to the public under South Carolina law.
Columbia Quick Facts
How to Find Columbia Booking Reports
Finding booking reports from Columbia requires knowing which county processed the arrest. Most Columbia arrests go through Richland County. The Richland County Sheriff operates the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center at 201 John Mark Dial Drive in Columbia. You can reach them at (803) 576-3200. Arrests in the Lexington County portion of Columbia go through the Lexington County Detention Center at 521 Gibson Road in Lexington. Their number is (803) 785-8230.
The Columbia Police Department at 1 Justice Square handles records requests for city arrest reports. Call (803) 545-3500 to speak with the records division. They process requests under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. You can ask about a specific arrest or request copies of reports. The department website at columbiapd.net has details about their public data initiatives and records procedures.
For online searches, the Richland County Sheriff provides inmate lookup tools on their website. You can search by name to find current and recent inmates booked at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. This covers Columbia arrests processed through Richland County. The results include booking dates, charges, and bond information from Columbia booking reports.
Statewide tools also help. The SLED CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov covers criminal history data from all South Carolina jurisdictions including Columbia. SLED headquarters is in Columbia at 4400 Broad River Road, which makes state-level records easy to access locally.
Note: Columbia spans two counties. Always check both Richland and Lexington county records for a complete search of Columbia booking reports.
What Columbia Booking Reports Contain
A booking report from Columbia records the details of an arrest and the intake process at the detention center. These reports follow a standard format used across South Carolina.
Each Columbia booking report lists the person's full name, date of birth, and physical description. It includes the booking date and time, the arresting agency, and the officer who made the arrest. Charges appear with their statutory codes and descriptions. Bond amounts are listed once a judge or magistrate sets them. Mugshot photographs taken during intake are part of the record too.
The public has a right to access booking reports in Columbia under S.C. Code Ann. 30-4-30. Records that identify people held in custody must be available for at least three months without requiring a written FOIA request. This applies to both the Richland County and Lexington County detention centers that process Columbia arrests.
The screenshot below shows the Columbia Police Department website, the primary contact point for city arrest records.
The Columbia Police Department posts information about records services and public data on their site.
Columbia Arrest and Booking Process
After an arrest in Columbia, the person is transported to the appropriate county detention center. The vast majority go to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County. Staff there handle the intake process. They collect personal information, take photographs, and record fingerprints. All of this data becomes the booking report.
Charges listed on a Columbia booking report reflect what the arresting officer charged or what a warrant specified. These charges can change as the case moves through the court system. A prosecutor may add, drop, or modify charges after the initial booking. The booking report itself does not update to reflect later court actions.
Bond hearings happen quickly after booking in Columbia. A magistrate reviews the charges and sets bond conditions. Cash bond, surety bond, and personal recognizance are all options. The bond type and amount appear on the booking report. People who post bond are released with conditions. Those who cannot post bond remain in custody.
The City of Columbia homepage is shown below. It links to city departments and public services.
Residents can find links to city services and department contact information through the Columbia city website.
Note: Booking reports from Columbia are separate from court records. Court case information is available through the SC Judicial Department at sccourts.org.
Requesting Booking Reports in Columbia
South Carolina FOIA law at S.C. Code Ann. 30-4-10 gives everyone the right to access public records, including booking reports from Columbia. You do not need to explain why you want the records. Any person can make a request.
For Columbia Police Department records, submit a FOIA request to their records division at 1 Justice Square, Columbia, SC 29201. The department must respond within the time limits set by state law. Fees may apply for copies and staff time. Call (803) 545-3500 to ask about current fees before submitting your request.
For booking reports held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, contact the Richland County Sheriff's Department at (803) 576-3000. They process FOIA requests for detention records separately from the city police. If the arrest happened in the Lexington County part of Columbia, you would contact the Lexington County Sheriff instead.
Under S.C. Code Ann. 30-4-50, certain records are available without a formal written request. These include documents identifying people confined in any jail or detention facility for the preceding three months. This provision applies directly to Columbia booking reports. South Carolina law under S.C. Code Ann. 17-1-40 also supports public access to arrest information.
State Resources for Columbia Records
Columbia sits at the center of state government in South Carolina. Several state agencies based in the capital provide tools for searching booking reports and related records.
SLED maintains criminal history records for all of South Carolina. Their CATCH portal at catch.sled.sc.gov is one of the most used tools for background checks that include booking data. The SC Department of Corrections at doc.sc.gov tracks people serving state prison sentences. VINELink at vinelink.com provides custody notification services. The sex offender registry at scor.sled.sc.gov covers registered offenders statewide.
Arrest data reported under S.C. Code Ann. 23-3-120 feeds into the state criminal records system. This means Columbia booking reports eventually become part of the statewide database that SLED maintains. Local records from the Columbia Police Department and county detention centers provide the most current information.
Richland County Booking Reports
Columbia is primarily in Richland County. Most city arrests are processed through the Richland County detention system at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. The county page has more detail on the sheriff's department, inmate search tools, and county-level booking report access.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Other cities in the Midlands region and across the state have their own booking report procedures. Select a city below to find out more.