Search Berkeley County Booking Reports
Berkeley County booking reports are maintained by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, which operates the Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Moncks Corner. Berkeley County sits in the Lowcountry region north of Charleston and is one of the fastest-growing counties in South Carolina. The sheriff's office Records Division processes public requests for booking reports and arrest records. Under the South Carolina FOIA, these records are available to anyone. This page covers how to search for Berkeley County booking reports, what those records contain, and where to find additional resources.
Berkeley County Quick Facts
Berkeley County Sheriff's Office Booking Reports
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office is located at 223 North Live Oak Drive in Moncks Corner. It is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of the county. Deputies serve communities stretching from Goose Creek and Hanahan to rural areas near Lake Moultrie. Every arrest in their jurisdiction results in a booking report filed at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center.
Contact the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office at (843) 719-4234 to ask about booking reports. The Records Division processes public requests and can search by name or arrest date. Walk-in requests are handled during business hours at the North Live Oak Drive location. Written FOIA requests are accepted by mail.
The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office website at sheriff.berkeleycountysc.gov provides information about the agency and its divisions, including how to reach the records team.
The sheriff's office site shown above offers details about Berkeley County law enforcement divisions and the records request process for booking reports.
| Agency |
Berkeley County Sheriff's Office 223 North Live Oak Drive Moncks Corner, SC 29461 Phone: (843) 719-4234 |
|---|---|
| Detention |
Hill-Finklea Detention Center 223 North Live Oak Drive Moncks Corner, SC 29461 |
| Website | sheriff.berkeleycountysc.gov |
Hill-Finklea Detention Center Records
The Hill-Finklea Detention Center is the main jail for Berkeley County. It sits at the same address as the sheriff's office on North Live Oak Drive in Moncks Corner. All people arrested in Berkeley County come through this facility for processing. Booking staff create a detailed record that includes photographs, fingerprints, charges, and bond information.
Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-4-30, the Hill-Finklea Detention Center must make documents identifying inmates for the past three months available for public inspection. You can walk in and ask to see the inmate roster and booking data. No written request is needed for records within that window. The detention center maintains booking photographs, charge sheets, and bond details for every person who passes through.
Berkeley County's detention center roster shows current inmates along with basic booking information. For more detailed records or historical data, contact the Records Division at the sheriff's office.
Note: The Hill-Finklea Detention Center may hold inmates from neighboring jurisdictions, so not every record involves a Berkeley County arrest.
How to Search Berkeley County Arrest Records
Berkeley County provides several ways to look up booking reports and arrest records. The right method depends on what you need.
In-person visits to the sheriff's office at 223 North Live Oak Drive give you the fastest results. Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-4-50, law enforcement reports from the last 14 days must be available for walk-in inspection. The detention center's three-month window also applies. Bring your ID and be prepared to pay copy fees if you need printed records.
Phone the Records Division at (843) 719-4234 for basic information. Staff can confirm whether a booking report exists and give you general details. For official copies, they may direct you to visit in person or submit a written request.
Written FOIA requests are best for older Berkeley County booking reports or large searches. Put your request in writing with as much identifying information as possible. Mail it to 223 North Live Oak Drive, Moncks Corner, SC 29461. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office must respond within 10 business days. They can extend this by 10 additional days with written notice.
The SLED CATCH system provides statewide criminal history checks for $25 plus a $1 online fee. This pulls booking data from Berkeley County and every other agency in South Carolina. It searches by last name, first name, and date of birth.
Berkeley County Criminal History Resources
Booking reports from Berkeley County connect to broader criminal record systems. Knowing these connections helps you piece together a complete history.
All fingerprints taken at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center go to SLED under S.C. Code Ann. Section 23-3-120. Local agencies must forward booking reports to SLED on at least a weekly basis. This feeds the statewide Computerized Criminal History system that powers SLED CATCH searches. A single CATCH query can show arrests from Berkeley County alongside arrests in any other South Carolina county.
The South Carolina Judicial Department public index tracks court cases in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which covers Berkeley County. Criminal cases that start with a booking report move through General Sessions Court for felonies or magistrate courts for misdemeanors. The public index shows charges, hearing schedules, and case outcomes.
The SLED CATCH portal above is the statewide tool for running criminal history checks that include Berkeley County booking data.
FOIA and Berkeley County Booking Reports
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act establishes your right to access Berkeley County booking reports. Under S.C. Code Ann. Section 30-4-10, the law applies to all public bodies. The Berkeley County Sheriff's Office must comply with every provision.
Section 30-4-50 says that law enforcement reports disclosing the nature, substance, and location of any crime are specifically public information. This covers the core of every Berkeley County booking report. The agency can withhold details about open investigations, informant identities, and surveillance methods. But names, charges, arrest dates, and bond amounts are public in nearly all cases.
Records have limits in certain situations. S.C. Code Ann. Section 17-1-40 requires destruction of booking records, mug shots, and fingerprints when charges are dismissed or the defendant is acquitted. Expunged records are also removed. For all other completed cases in Berkeley County, the booking report stays on file and available to the public indefinitely.
State Tools for Berkeley County Records
Beyond the local sheriff's office, state agencies maintain several databases that relate to Berkeley County arrests.
The SCDC inmate search shows people serving state prison sentences. If a Berkeley County arrest led to a state conviction and prison term, the person's record appears here. The database updates each day and includes inmate photographs. For people who have completed their sentences, SCDC also offers a released inmate search.
The SCDC disclaimer page above leads to the state's inmate search, which includes people originally arrested and booked in Berkeley County.
The VINE notification system sends free alerts about custody changes for people held in Berkeley County. Register to receive a call, email, or text when an offender is released or transferred from the Hill-Finklea Detention Center. The South Carolina Sex Offender Registry lists registered offenders in Berkeley County communities like Moncks Corner, Goose Creek, and Summerville. The Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services tracks Berkeley County offenders under community supervision.
What Berkeley County Booking Reports Include
Booking reports from the Hill-Finklea Detention Center follow a standard format. Each report captures the essential details of the arrest and initial processing.
A Berkeley County booking report contains:
- Full name, aliases, and date of birth
- Physical description including height and weight
- Date and time of the arrest
- Specific charges filed at booking
- Bond amount and conditions for each charge
- Booking photograph
- Arresting officer and law enforcement agency
The booking report is the first official record in a criminal case. It establishes the charges and identifies the arrested person. From there, the case moves to the courts. Changes to charges, plea bargains, and verdicts appear in the court record rather than the booking report. Both types of records are accessible to the public in Berkeley County through separate request processes.
Nearby Counties
Berkeley County borders several South Carolina counties in the Lowcountry and Midlands. Arrests near county lines may have been handled by a different sheriff's office. Contact the right agency to find the booking report you need.