View Free Anderson County Arrest Records & Bond Information

Search free Anderson County arrest records in minutes using the streamlined methods outlined in this resource.

Local offices and record custodians provide various means to help citizens search for these records, including convenient online databases, and anyone can look them up thanks to state and federal public record laws that grant transparency.

The information in this brief article assists searchers with seamlessly tracking down arrest records in Anderson County, South Carolina.

How To Obtain Current Anderson County Arrest Records & Check Out Mugshots (Free)

The State of South Carolina grants all citizens access to public government records in accordance with the State’s Code of Laws Section 30-4-10; otherwise referred to as the Freedom of Information Act.¹

This law allows citizens, with the exception of special circumstances, to search and obtain court and criminal records, including arrest records and mugshots.

Any law enforcement agency at any level of government has the authority to make an arrest. However, different law enforcement agencies serve distinct jurisdictions and serve specific roles. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agent is probably not going to pullover a driver for running a stop sign, and then execute an arrest if the driver has an outstanding warrant for a prior traffic ticket.

This type of action will be left to uniformed officers of the local police department but, when an arrest is made regardless of what agency makes it, its record is generated. Where these records reside varies depending on the status and the type of case for which the arrest was made.

The law enforcement agency that initiates the arrest and takes the arrestee to a jail facility in which the person is booked and is classified as an inmate. This is where the arrest record originates. In the case of Anderson County, the arresting agency may be the county sheriff office, the local police departments, or even a state or federal agency that may be conducting a criminal investigation.

However, unless the agency has its own jail facility, the Anderson County Sheriff Detention Facility is likely where the booking will take place.²

Once an arrest is made, wherever the case leads subsequent to the arrest, the record remains with the arresting law enforcement agency and the jail facility as long as the arrestee is an inmate there. As the case progresses through the judicial process, the arrest record becomes part of the larger criminal case record and is appropriately dispersed to whatever local, county, state, or federal agency or court that is involved in the adjudication of the case.

No matter what happens with a criminal case, the original arrest record can be searched and obtained until the arrestee is released from the jail.

In Anderson County, if the arrestee of any law enforcement agency is taken to a county sheriff jail facility for booking, the arrest record can be searched using free online search tools provided on the sheriff’s public website.³

Upon accessing the inmate search tool, all of the inmates currently in detention will be listed along with their mugshots. A filter tool can then be used to search for a specific individual.

A first and/or last name can be used to search for a specific inmate. An arrest date or release date can also be entered to further narrow the search.

The Anderson County Sheriff website also has a Weekly Booking web page which shows the arrest record for inmates arrested within the most recent week.⁴

The information included with the mugshot is limited to the charges, arrest date, bond amount, and other details that are pertinent to the arrest, but it is not the complete incident police report. Obtaining the full police report requires a Freedom of Information Act request (referred to as FOIA request) which will be outlined in detail in the next section of this article.⁵

In-person or telephone inquiries regarding inmates at the Anderson County Sheriff’s Detention Center by contacting the office at the following location or phone number:

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office
305 Camson Road
Anderson, South Carolina, 29625

Phone: 864.260.4400

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Detention Center can be contacted directly using the following location or phone number:

Anderson County Sheriff’s Detention Center
1009 David Lee Coffee Place
Anderson, South Carolina, 29625

864.260.4201

If the arrest is made by one of the local police departments within the county and the person arrested is booked into the local jail facility as opposed to the county jail, usually the same steps as noted above for Anderson County Sheriff apply to the local police department.

The City of Anderson is the largest city in the county in terms of population. The City of Anderson Police Department provides an Online Inmate Search Tool on which current inmates can be searched.⁶ A first and/or last name can be entered into the data fields, or a name can be selected from the list of current inmates listed.

Along with the mugshot, the description, type, and code of the charge, the case number, and the date of the offense are included.

Similar to the situation at the county level, obtaining the full police report or older arrest records from the City of Anderson Police Department requires an FOIA request which will be outlined in detail in the next section of this article.⁵

In-person or telephone inquiries regarding arrest records and current inmates at the City of Anderson Police Department can be made using the following location or phone number information:⁷

City of Anderson Police Department
401 South Main Street
Anderson, South Carolina, 29622

Phone: 864.231.2277

There are various private services that offer search services to achieve similar results such as VINELink. However, information obtained through government agency resources is typically more reliable.

The methods and resources outlined above are geared more towards more recent arrests. For older arrest records, a slightly different approach is needed.

How To Uncover Information on Previous Offenses & Arrests Made in Anderson County South Carolina

To obtain the full police report for either recent arrests that were booked at the Anderson County Detention Center, or for older arrest records, a Freedom of Information Act request (referred to as FOIA request) is necessary.⁵

An FOIA request form needs to be filled out and submitted to the Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer.⁸ The mailing, phone, email and location information is as follows:

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office
ATTN: Public Information Officer
305 Camson Road
Anderson, South Carolina, 29625

Phone: 864.222.8845
Email: [email protected]

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office does charge fees for FOIA requests. Incident reports that are within a 14 days window are charged $0.25 per black & white page, and $0.35 per color page. For older reports that require staff time for searching and retrieving, a fee of $20 per hour is charged.

Shipping costs are also applied which will vary depending on shipping options used. A deposit of 25% of the estimated cost of the request is required up front. Requests are usually delivered within 10 business days.

For records that are older than 2 years, 20 days is the allowed delivery time. The balance of the fees are due at the time of production of the requested records.

The procedure for obtaining a full police report at the City of Anderson Police Department is similar but with a different fee schedule.¹⁰ Fees charged include $0.50 per page. For reports that require staff time for searching and retrieving, a fee of $15 per hour is charged.

There is a minimum charge of $20. The entire fee must be deposited in advance. Estimates for a FOIA request are provided in advance at no charge.

In-person or telephone inquiries regarding Freedom of Information Act request for arrest records at the City of Anderson Police Department can be made using the following location or phone number information:

City of Anderson Police Department
Records Division
401 South Main Street
Anderson, South Carolina, 29622

864.231.2269

Once an arrest and booking has taken place, getting out of jail is the next step. Unfortunately, unless a person has had a prior arrests, this is not something most people are knowledgeable about until they or a loved one has faced this horrible experience.

How To Pay Bail & Get a Loved One out of Jail in Anderson County

The first procedural step that happens after someone has been arrested and booked, usually within 24-hours, is a bond hearing. At the bond hearing a judge will determine the bail amount necessary for the defendant to post in order to be released. The bail can range from zero, which is referred to as release on personal recognizance.

This is typically rendered to non-violent first time offenders. At the other extreme are violent repeat offenders that are considered a flight risk and/or a danger to the community. In cases like these bail may be denied.

And there is everything in between, where a judge determines a bail monetary amount based on the crime committed and criminal history. The arrestee (now reclassified and referred to as the defendant) can have an attorney present at the bond hearing to advocate for the best possible bail outcome.

Once bail is set by the judge, if the defendant can afford to pay the amount in full, it can be posted at the court or the jail where the defendant is being held in custody. In some cases the judge may only require that part of the bail be posted.

If the defendant cannot afford to pay the full amount, then a bail bondsman will be needed in order to obtain a surety bond to pay the bail and be released from custody.

A bail bondsman or bail agency will put forth the entire amount of the bail, but they will charge a hefty fee (as high as 20%) and require some sort of collateral to secure the bond, such as a home or other valuable asset. If the defendant fails to appear for the set court date, the bail is forfeited to the court.

If the defendant appears as ordered, the bail is returned at the end of the trial. However, if the defendant is found guilty, the bail may be used to pay any resulting fine or restitution.

The procedures for paying bail are very similar for the county level and the city municipalities. Usually the only difference is the severity of the crimes and the bail amounts.

Being placed under arrest, or knowing that a loved one has been arrested can be a traumatic experience. Knowing how to conduct an Anderson County arrest records search and the procedures for getting released from custody can be extremely useful.