Searching Horry County Court Records
How do I search Horry County court records online?
Start with the South Carolina Judicial Branch Case Records Search or go straight to the Horry County Public Index. Select Horry County. Accept the disclaimer. Type the security code, then run your search. You can look by case number, party name, court type, case type, or date range. If you do not know the case number, start with one or two fields. The system matches every box you fill, so fewer filters give wider results. Full steps live on the court records page.
Is the Horry County Public Index free?
Yes. The Public Index search is free. You do not need a paid account for an ordinary public lookup. You do need a browser that allows cookies and JavaScript, and some browsers want a pop-up exception to open case detail. Document images are not posted for every case. A search result is not a certified copy. For court use or a job check, you still need a certified copy from the right clerk or court office, which the Clerk of Court page explains.
Why can I see a booking but not a court case?
The jail booking app and the Public Index are two separate systems. A booking can show up soon after a person is processed at J. Reuben Long. The court case may not be filed or indexed yet, so it will not appear at the same time. A booking entry can list charges, bail, the arresting agency, and release status, but it is not the court docket. Search the court records index by name later, or check the arrest records page for booking detail.
Why can I see a court case but not an inmate?
The Public Index holds many filed cases where the person was never booked at J. Reuben Long. Some people were cited and released. Some sit in another county or in state or federal custody. Civil, family, and probate matters never involve a jail at all. The Horry booking app only covers people booked at the county jail or by North Myrtle Beach. It is not a statewide criminal-history system. For the full roster, see the inmate records page.
Horry County Courts and Case Types
What court handles major criminal cases in Horry County?
General Sessions handles them. It is the criminal side of Circuit Court. It hears adult felony and serious misdemeanor cases. The Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor, Jimmy Richardson, prosecutes these cases for Horry and Georgetown Counties. Bond for certain serious charges cannot be set by a magistrate. A Circuit Court judge must handle it in General Sessions. To learn how the trial court is set up, see the Circuit Court page. Arrest and booking detail sits on the arrest records page.
What court handles civil lawsuits?
The Court of Common Pleas is the civil side of Circuit Court. It hears larger civil disputes, foreclosures, money judgments, and appeals from lower courts. Magistrate Court takes smaller civil claims up to $7,500. The Master-In-Equity, a division of Circuit Court, may hear referred equity matters such as foreclosure cases. Small claims and lower-level matters are covered on the Magistrate Court page. Filed case files are searchable through the court records index.
Who prosecutes Horry County criminal cases?
The Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor prosecutes criminal cases for Horry and Georgetown Counties. The Horry office sits at 1301 Second Avenue in Conway. The phone is 843-915-5460. You can read more on the Solicitor's Office page. The office also runs a Victim Witness Program. It gives advocates and case notification to victims and witnesses. Charges and dispositions tied to these cases turn up in the court records index once they are filed.
Horry County Inmates and Jail
How do I search for a Horry County inmate?
Use the official Horry County Bookings and Releases app. Search by last name, booking date, or release date. A result can show a mugshot, name, ethnicity, sex, age, booking date, booking number, the arresting agency, and the charges. Where the data exists, it lists bail and disposition too. The app covers people booked at J. Reuben Long or by North Myrtle Beach. The full lookup, jail facts, and contact numbers are on the inmate records page.
What is the current Horry County jail population?
On May 26, 2026, the county inmate count showed 878 people in custody. That split as 731 male and 147 female. This is a live point-in-time count. It is not an average daily population or a capacity figure. The number changes as people are booked and released. Capacity and pretrial ratios were not posted on the county pages reviewed. For population data and where it comes from, see the jail population page.
How do I find out if someone was released?
Search the Horry County Bookings and Releases app by last name or by release date. A record may show a release date, a "Still Incarcerated" status, or "Out to Home Detention." For a direct booking question, call J. Reuben Long Booking at 843-915-6911. Release timing can depend on work credit and good time, so the posted status is the best live check. More on tracking a release, including notification tools, is on the released inmates page.
How do I post bond at J. Reuben Long?
Cash and surety bonds are posted at the Magistrate's Office in the detention center. The office takes cash, money orders, and major credit cards. It does not take personal checks. Cash payments must be the exact amount. The Sheriff warns that it never collects bond money by phone, so ignore any caller who asks for that. Bond hearings and guilty pleas usually run at 9:00am and 2:00pm. Background on the booking process is on the arrest records page.
How do inmate visits and mail work?
All visits are video visits. You schedule them through NCIC Correctional Services after the visitor is approved. On-site visits are free. Remote visits cost $0.30 per minute and must be booked at least 24 hours ahead. Non-legal letters go to a mail processing center: inmate name, account number, J. Reuben Long Detention Center, PO Box 591, Longview, Texas 75606. Legal mail does not go there. Visitation and contact rules tie back to the inmate records page.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
Where are Horry County divorce records?
Divorce is a Family Court matter. The files run through the Horry County Clerk of Court, not Probate Court. The Clerk's forms page has a divorce packet and links to the state self-represented divorce packet. Docket information may appear in the Public Index or family portals. Sensitive family details and sealed material stay restricted, so not every part of a divorce file is open. For the request steps and what is public, see the marriage and divorce records page.
Where do I get a marriage license in Horry County?
The Horry County Probate Court issues marriage licenses. The office is on the second floor of the Judicial Complex at 1301 Second Avenue in Conway. In-person applications are taken Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm. Both applicants must come in. Bring social security cards, photo ID, proof of age if under 25, the completed application, and the fee. South Carolina also sets a 24-hour waiting period before the license is issued. Fees and the full process are on the probate records page.
How much is a Horry County marriage license?
The fee depends on where you live. It is $55 for Horry County residents, $80 for other South Carolina residents, and $120 for everyone else. The fee includes $5 for one certified marriage certificate. A certified copy on its own is $5. Cash is taken for in-person applicants. Money orders payable to Horry County Probate Court are fine too, but no personal checks. The marriage page links the rest. See marriage and divorce records for the details.
How do I open an estate in Horry County?
The Horry County Probate Court asks for an appointment to open an estate in person. Call 843-915-5370 to set one. If there is a will, it must be filed within 30 days of the death. Most estates move informally unless an interested party demands a hearing. Bring the original will, death information, your ID, the names of heirs, asset values for the fee, and the new-estate packet forms. Steps, fees, and probate terms are explained on the probate records page.
Horry County Warrants and Traffic
Does Horry County publish active warrants online?
No official online active-warrant list was found. The Sheriff's Warrant Division handles outstanding-warrant questions at 843-915-8347. Anonymous tips can be left at 843-915-5688. The Public Index can show case history, but that is not the same as an active warrant clearance. A case file can exist without an open warrant, and a warrant can be open without much in the index. For how the warrant search works and what to do next, see the warrant records page.
How do I know if my traffic ticket is county or municipal?
Read the court name and address on the citation. The Horry Central Traffic Court, tied to the Conway Magistrate, sits at 1201 Third Avenue in Conway. City courts such as Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Surfside Beach, Atlantic Beach, Aynor, and Loris each have their own address and phone. The state Traffic Ticket Search covers summary-court tickets and some city tickets. If your ticket does not show, call the listed court. More is on the traffic court records page.
Will paying a traffic ticket add points to my license?
Maybe. Paying the ticket can close the court case. The license effect is separate and handled by the SCDMV after a conviction is reported. Some violations add points. Some serious ones, like DUI, bring a mandatory suspension outside the points system. So the court record and the SCDMV driver record are two different files. One closing does not erase the other. The split between them is laid out on the traffic court records page.
Horry County Public Records and Expungement
How do FOIA requests work in Horry County?
The Horry County Public Information Office handles many county FOIA requests. Fees include $0.15 per standard page and $25 per hour of staff time. Audio and video records carry their own fees. Full payment is due before the records are produced. Register of Deeds records, such as deeds and mortgages, do not go through FOIA at all. You can file online or by mail. The request steps, the full fee schedule, and timelines are on the public records page.
What records are not public?
Several groups are closed by law. Juvenile cases, adoption files, and mental health commitments are confidential. Sealed civil settlements and expunged criminal records drop off the Public Index. Sensitive victim data, personal identifiers, and medical records are protected too. The Public Index also stopped showing home addresses as of January 1, 2026. A record may be released with parts blacked out rather than withheld in full. The list of closed categories sits on the court records page.
Can I expunge my record in Horry County?
Maybe. It depends on the charge type, the disposition, your age, the waiting period, and any later convictions. The Horry Solicitor's Office handles expungement screening and juvenile expungements. Eligible groups include some dismissed or not-guilty charges, pretrial intervention completions, first-offense summary convictions, and youthful-offender cases. Many old or dismissed cases still will not qualify, so screening comes first. The eligibility rules and the process are covered on the arrest records page.
Can I request someone else's Sheriff records check?
No. The Sheriff's records-check service is free, but only for yourself. The office runs local checks Monday through Friday, 8:30am to noon and 1pm to 4pm. You cannot request a records check on behalf of another person. For anyone else, the Public Index is the public route, since it can be searched online for filed case records. That search and the field options are explained on the court records page.
Still Have Questions?
For the right office, see Clerk of Court or the Register of Deeds for property files. For broader access rules, see public records. For records by topic, browse court records, arrest records, inmate records, warrant records, marriage and divorce, or probate records. You can also call the office named in each answer above.