Lancaster County DUI Records Lookup
Lancaster County DUI records are maintained by the Clerk of Court, the Magistrate Court, and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. Lancaster County is part of the Sixth Judicial Circuit and handles DUI cases from the city of Lancaster, Kershaw, Van Wyck, and the surrounding area. Records can be accessed in person at the courthouse on North Main Street or online through the South Carolina Public Index. This guide covers how to find DUI records in Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Lancaster County Quick Facts
Lancaster County DUI Records at the Clerk of Court
The Lancaster County Clerk of Court is located at 104 North Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720. The phone number is (803) 285-1581. This office is the official keeper of DUI case records in the Court of General Sessions and the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk maintains dockets, orders, sentencing documents, and final dispositions for all DUI cases that pass through circuit court. Certified copies of case records are available by request.
Felony DUI cases in Lancaster County are filed in General Sessions after indictment. These involve charges under § 56-5-2945, which covers DUI causing great bodily injury or death. The penalties are serious. Great bodily injury carries up to 15 years. Death caused by DUI can result in up to 25 years. All of these records are held by the Lancaster County Clerk of Court.
Lancaster County Government's website at lancastercountysc.net lists courthouse departments and contact information. Use it to verify current Clerk of Court hours and to find links to related departments before visiting in person.
South Carolina DUI law under § 56-5-2930 governs all DUI cases in Lancaster County. Understanding the statute helps when reading court records or reviewing a case file from the Clerk of Court.
Search Lancaster County DUI Records Online
The SC Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org/lancaster/ gives free online access to Lancaster County DUI court records. Search by defendant name, case number, or filing date. The system shows the charges filed, court dates, attorney of record, and the case disposition. No account or fee is required. The site is run by the SC Judicial Branch and is available at all hours.
The Public Index works best for General Sessions and Common Pleas cases. Misdemeanor DUI cases handled entirely at the Magistrate Court level may not appear. Lancaster County has three Magistrate Courts: Lancaster at (803) 285-6911, Kershaw at (803) 475-2021, and Van Wyck at (803) 286-7275. Contact the relevant court if a case does not show up in the Public Index.
Online access shows case summaries only. For the actual court documents, orders, or hearing transcripts from a Lancaster County DUI case, submit a records request to the Clerk of Court. Document availability depends on the age of the case and the type of proceeding.
DUI Arrest Records and the Lancaster County Sheriff
The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office is at 1940 Pageland Highway, Lancaster, SC 29720, and can be reached at (803) 283-3388. The Sheriff handles DUI enforcement throughout unincorporated Lancaster County. Arrest reports, incident files, and booking records for DUI stops in unincorporated areas are held by the Sheriff's Records Division. These records document the stop, any field sobriety tests, the chemical test result, and the booking data.
Arrest records are distinct from court case files. A DUI arrest record shows what occurred at the time of the stop. The court case file reflects what happened in court, including the plea, any trial outcome, and the sentence. These two sets of records come from different offices and must be requested separately. Neither automatically includes the other.
For DUI stops within the city of Lancaster, contact the Lancaster Police Department directly. Those arrest records would be held by the city, not the county Sheriff. Cases that go to court still flow through the county court system regardless of which agency made the arrest.
Note: If the DUI occurred near a jurisdictional boundary, it is worth confirming which agency made the arrest before requesting records.
Sixth Circuit Solicitor and Felony DUI in Lancaster County
The Sixth Circuit Solicitor's Office handles felony DUI prosecutions in Lancaster County. The Solicitor takes over cases involving DUI with great bodily injury or death under § 56-5-2945. Repeat DUI offenders may also face felony charges when a fourth or subsequent offense is brought to a grand jury. After indictment, these cases are docketed in General Sessions and tracked through the Lancaster County Clerk of Court.
The Solicitor also handles appeals and post-conviction matters for felony DUI cases originating in Lancaster County. The case history, from indictment through sentencing, is part of the permanent General Sessions record at the Clerk of Court. The Public Index reflects this docket in real time as cases progress through the court system.
South Carolina DUI Law and Lancaster County
Lancaster County DUI cases follow South Carolina state law. The primary DUI offense is under § 56-5-2930, which targets driving while materially and appreciably impaired. The DUAC statute under § 56-5-2933 applies when chemical testing proves a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher. Both charge types are common in Lancaster County DUI records and carry different penalties, though both appear on a person's criminal history.
The ignition interlock requirement under § 56-5-2941 applies to most DUI convictions in Lancaster County. First offenses require six months of interlock use. Second convictions require two years, and a third conviction means three years on the device. The South Carolina DMV at dmv.sc.gov oversees interlock compliance for all Lancaster County DUI convictions. A fourth offense may trigger a lifetime interlock requirement.
License suspensions for DUI convictions are governed by § 56-5-2990. Reinstatement requires completion of the ADSAP program. Court records and DMV records exist in separate databases. Checking both is the most thorough way to understand a Lancaster County DUI case outcome.
The types of DUI-related charges that appear in Lancaster County records include:
- DUI under § 56-5-2930 (impaired driving)
- DUAC under § 56-5-2933 (BAC of 0.08% or above)
- Felony DUI with great bodily injury under § 56-5-2945
- Felony DUI causing death under § 56-5-2945
- Implied consent violations under § 56-5-2950
Statewide DUI Records and SLED Checks
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division maintains statewide criminal history records at sled.sc.gov. A SLED background check will include DUI convictions from Lancaster County as well as every other South Carolina county. This is the best option when you need a comprehensive criminal history rather than a county-by-county search.
SLED records reflect final convictions and do not include cases that were dismissed, ended in acquittal, or are still pending. For pending or recently filed Lancaster County DUI cases, use the SC Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org instead. The two resources complement each other and together give the most complete picture of DUI history in Lancaster County.
Cities in Lancaster County
Lancaster County includes the city of Lancaster, the town of Kershaw, and the community of Van Wyck. DUI cases from across the county are handled through the Lancaster County court system and local magistrate courts.
Nearby Counties
Lancaster County borders several other South Carolina counties. Where the DUI occurred determines which county court holds the records.