Myrtle Beach DUI Records

Myrtle Beach DUI records are maintained by the Myrtle Beach Municipal Court and the Horry County court system. Myrtle Beach sits in Horry County and draws millions of visitors each year, making it one of the busiest cities in South Carolina for DUI enforcement. The Myrtle Beach Police Department and the South Carolina Highway Patrol both generate DUI records within city limits. Misdemeanor cases are handled by the Municipal Court, while felony DUI charges move to Horry County's Court of General Sessions. Many of these records are available to the public online or by request.

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Myrtle Beach DUI Records Overview

DUI arrests in Myrtle Beach create records at multiple points in the process. The arresting agency logs the incident, a court file opens when the case is charged, and each hearing adds new documents to that file. The Myrtle Beach Municipal Court handles misdemeanor DUI cases for incidents occurring within city limits. Felony DUI cases, which involve serious injury or death, are prosecuted by the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office at the Horry County Court of General Sessions.

The tourist nature of Myrtle Beach means the city sees a high volume of DUI enforcement activity, especially during summer months and major events. The Myrtle Beach Police Department runs active patrol operations along the Grand Strand and coordinates sobriety checkpoints with the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Both agencies produce records that become part of the public court file when a case is charged. That volume makes Myrtle Beach one of the more active Municipal Courts in the state for DUI proceedings.

Records from these cases are public under South Carolina law. You can access many of them online or submit a request to the appropriate court or law enforcement office.

Myrtle Beach Municipal Court and Police Resources

The City of Myrtle Beach official website provides access to city services including the Municipal Court, which processes DUI citations and maintains case records for misdemeanor charges within city limits.

Myrtle Beach DUI Records city of Myrtle Beach official website

The Myrtle Beach Police Department's Records Division handles requests for incident reports and DUI arrest records. These are separate documents from court records but form part of the full picture of a DUI case in Myrtle Beach.

The Myrtle Beach Police Department maintains arrest records, DUI citations, and incident reports for cases handled within the city. The department's DUI enforcement efforts are year-round, with increased activity during tourist season. The Records Division processes public requests for copies of police reports related to DUI incidents.

Note: A Myrtle Beach police incident report and a Municipal Court disposition are two different documents. Each must be requested from a different office.

How to Search Myrtle Beach DUI Records

The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index is the main online tool for searching court records in Horry County. You can search Horry County case data at publicindex.sccourts.org/horry. This system lets you search by name or case number and returns information about charges, hearing dates, and case status. It covers felony DUI cases prosecuted in the Court of General Sessions.

Misdemeanor DUI cases handled by the Myrtle Beach Municipal Court may not all appear in the Public Index. For those records, contact the Municipal Court Clerk directly. The clerk can search cases by name or citation number and provide copies of dispositions and court orders. This is often the only way to confirm the outcome of a misdemeanor DUI case resolved at the city level.

SLED maintains a statewide criminal records database you can use to check whether someone has DUI convictions in South Carolina. Request a records check through sled.sc.gov. This gives a broader picture than just Myrtle Beach cases and is useful when you need a full criminal history.

The Horry County Clerk of Court holds records for all felony DUI cases prosecuted at the county level. The office provides certified copies of court documents upon request. You can visit the courthouse in Conway or submit a written request. Bring the defendant's full name and approximate case date to help speed up the search.

South Carolina DUI Law and Myrtle Beach Cases

Myrtle Beach DUI cases fall under S.C. Code Ann. §56-5-2930. This statute makes it unlawful to drive while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or any other substance. A first offense is a misdemeanor. Repeat convictions and cases involving bodily harm escalate quickly in severity.

South Carolina also prosecutes Driving with an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration under §56-5-2933. A DUAC charge applies when a driver tests at 0.08% BAC or above, regardless of whether impairment was visible. In Myrtle Beach, where a large share of DUI arrests involve alcohol, DUAC charges appear frequently alongside standard DUI charges in court records. Both generate their own case entries and are treated as separate legal matters even when they arise from the same traffic stop.

Felony DUI under §56-5-2945 applies when a DUI results in great bodily injury or death. These cases carry prison sentences and are handled at the Horry County level by the Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office. The record for a felony DUI case includes all court filings, hearing transcripts, and the final judgment.

DUI Records and License Actions in Myrtle Beach

A DUI arrest in Myrtle Beach can trigger license suspension before a case is even resolved in court. The SCDMV at dmv.sc.gov handles administrative license actions tied to DUI arrests. These actions are tracked separately from the court case. A conviction also leads to mandatory compliance with the ignition interlock device requirement under §56-5-2941 for many offenders.

Drivers convicted of DUI in Myrtle Beach are also required to complete ADSAP, the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. Completion is tracked at the state level and is linked to license reinstatement. These records exist separately from the court file but are part of what a full background check on a Myrtle Beach DUI case may reveal.

Note: SCDMV driving records and SLED criminal history records each capture different aspects of a DUI case. You may need both to get a complete picture.

The DUI Court Process in Myrtle Beach

After a DUI arrest in Myrtle Beach, the case begins with an initial hearing where bond conditions and scheduling are set. These documents are filed immediately and become part of the public record. For misdemeanor charges, the Myrtle Beach Municipal Court takes over from that point. The court handles arraignments, pre-trial motions, and trials for DUI cases within city limits.

When a case is resolved at the Municipal Court level, the court issues a final disposition. This document confirms the charge, the plea or verdict, and the sentence. It is the key record for a misdemeanor DUI case. Employers and landlords who run background checks will often see this disposition reflected in a person's SLED criminal history after a conviction is entered.

For cases that move to the felony level, the Horry County Court of General Sessions in Conway handles prosecution. The Horry County Clerk of Court at publicindex.sccourts.org/horry maintains those records. Certified copies of any filed document are available for a fee. Search by defendant name or case number to locate the file.

The following types of records may be part of a complete Myrtle Beach DUI case file:

DUI arrest report and booking record
Chemical test results or refusal documentation
Bond order and conditions of release
Court scheduling orders and continuances
Final disposition or judgment
Sentencing order and probation conditions

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