public records greenville sc guide to comparing sources

Know your options

Whether you’re vetting a contractor, tracing property history, or checking a case status, the best path depends on what you need and how fast you need it.

Official portals

The Greenville County Clerk of Court search covers civil and criminal dockets; the Register of Deeds hosts land records, plats, and mortgages; and the Sheriff’s site offers recent arrests and inmate information. For statewide coverage, the South Carolina Judicial Branch index complements county tools.

Popular ways to search, compared

• County sites: Free or low-cost, most accurate, but interfaces vary and older records may be offline.
• State indexes: Broader reach and uniform fields; sometimes lag behind county updates.
• In-person requests: Reliable certified copies; slower and may require fees.
• Third-party aggregators: Fast cross-county lookups; data freshness and completeness can be uneven.

Practical tips

Search by multiple spellings, include middle initials, and note date ranges. For FOIA requests, be specific about record type and timeframe to reduce fees. Always verify critical details with an original source before making decisions.