Crime Numbers
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) provides crime statistics for all the counties of the state. Its statewide crime report published in 2017 shows that law enforcement agencies in Horry County recorded 27 murders, 346 sexual batteries, 306 robberies, and 1,086 aggravated assaults. Reported incidences of property crimes include 2,330 burglaries, 11,267 larcenies, 1,318 motor vehicle thefts, and 60 arsons.
Compared to the 2013 crime numbers for the county, murder (125%), sexual battery (57.3%), and larceny (6%) rates went up in 2017. The five-year crime trend for the county also indicates falling robbery (18.6%), aggravated assault (4.5%), burglary (16.5%), and motor vehicle theft (0.3%) rates between 2013 and 2017.
Criminal Records
The SLED provides statewide background checks for Horry County residents. It offers name-based criminal history checks. Citizens can conduct background checks on the SLED CATCH portal or send mail requests to the law enforcement agency. A quick search on the CATCH (Citizens Access to Criminal Histories) portal yields criminal history records that the public can view and print. The SLED charges $26 (inclusive of $1 convenience fee) for each background check conducted on the CATCH platform. The fee for approved organizations, like charities, is $8 while it offers background checks at no charge for school districts looking up their teachers’ past records.
Those electing to submit mail requests for background checks need to completethe Criminal Records Check Form. They can also indicate on their forms whether they need the criminal history records requested certified and/or notarized. Send the completed form, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment to:
SLED Records Department
P.O. Box 21398
Columbia, SC 29221-1398
The SLED charges $25 for each request and accepts business, certified, and cashier’s checks as well as money order for payment.
Unlike other counties in South Carolina, Horry County has a County Police Department. Other law enforcement agencies in the county include Horry County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and Myrtle Beach, Conway, Briarcliffe Acres, Atlantic Beach, Surfside Beach, Loris, and Aynor Police Departments.
The Horry County Sheriff’s Office provides local criminal history records while the Horry County Police Department provides police reports. The South Carolina Highway Patrol provides accident reports for incidents handled by its officers. Police Departments in Horry County can also provide offense and accident reports for incidents that occurred within their jurisdictions.
To request a local background check, visit the Horry County Sheriff’s Office located at:
Horry County Government and Judicial Center
1301 Second Avenue
Conway, SC 29526
This service is available from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. as well as between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Sheriff’s Office does not charge for background checks. To expedite processing, bring along a completed Records Check Request Form. Also bring a state-issued ID or a US Passport. When requesting the criminal records of another individual, make sure to provide a signed and notarized waiver from the subject of the background check.
The Horry County Police Department provides copies of incident reports through its Records and Warrants Section. Call this office at (843) 915-8004 orsend an email request to johnsdo@horrycounty.org. Alternatively, visit the Police Department at:
M.L. Brown Public Safety Building
2560 Main Street, Suite 7
Conway, SC 29526
The Horry County Sheriff’s Office provides an online resource for citizens to access the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. Use its Offender Search page to find registered sex offenders living, working, and attending school in Horry County. To find offenders living in their neighborhoods, residents can search the database with zip codes and street addresses in the county.
The correctional facility in Horry County is the J. Reuben Long Detention Center located at:
4150 J. Reuben Long Avenue
Conway, SC 29526
Phone: (843) 915-5140
Fax: (843) 365-0348
To deposit money into an inmate’s account, friends and family can use the kiosk located in the front lobby of the Detention Center. Note that there is a $3 transaction fee deducted from every deposit made at this kiosk. The facility also accepts Western Union and US Postal Service money orders as well as IRS checks sent through US mail and addressed like:
Reuben Long Detention Center
(Inmate’s name)
4150 J. Reuben Long Ave.
Conway, SC 29526
Court Records
Horry County has a Circuit Court, a Family Court, and a Probate Court. These occupy the same courthouse. Below are their addresses and contact details:
Horry County Circuit CourtGovernment & Justice Center
1301 2nd Avenue
Conway, SC 29528
Phone: (843) 915-5080
Fax: (843) 915-6081
Horry County Family Court
Government & Justice Center
1301 2nd AvenueConway, SC 29528
Phone: (843) 915-5080
Fax: (843) 915-6081
Horry County Probate Court
Government & Justice Center
1301 2nd Avenue
Conway, SC 29528
Phone: (843) 915-5370
Fax: (843) 915-6370
The Horry County Clerk of Court maintains the records of the Circuit and Family Courts. To view these records and obtain copies, visit the Clerk’s Office located at the Government & Justice Center. It is open to the public between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Clerk charges 50 cents per page for plain copies of court records and $1 per page for certified copies.
There are also eight Magistrate Courts and seven Municipal Courts in Horry County. Members of the public can access their records online on the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Public Index Search. They may also visit these courts to view and request copies of their records. Below are their addresses and contact information:
Horry County Magistrate Court - Aynor
640 Ninth Avenue
Aynor, SC 29511
Phone: (843) 915-5296
Fax: (843) 915-6296
Horry County Magistrate Court - Conway
1201 Third Avenue
ConwaySC 29526
Phone: (843) 915-5290
Fax: (843) 915-6290
Phone: (843) 915-5070 (Traffic Court)
Fax: (843) 915-6070 (Traffic Court)
Phone: (843) 915-5065 (Jury Court)
Fax: (843) 915-6065 (Jury Court)
Horry County Magistrate Court - Detention Center
J. Reuben Long Detention Center
4150 J. Reuben Long Avenue
Conway, SC 29526
Phone: (843) 915-5145
Fax: (843) 365-8934
Horry County Magistrate Court - Green Sea
5527 Highway 9, P.O. Box 153
Green Sea, SC 29545
Phone: (843) 915-5294
Fax: (843) 915-6293
Horry County Magistrate Court - Little River
107 Highway 57 North
Little River, SC 29566
Phone: (843) 915-5292
Fax: (843) 915-6292
Horry County Magistrate Court - Loris
3817 Walnut Street
Loris, SC 29569
Phone: (843) 915-5295
Fax: (843) 915-6295
Horry County Magistrate Court - Myrtle Beach
Olin I Blanton Jr County Office Building
1201 21st Avenue North
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843) 915-5293
Fax: (843) 444-6131
Horry County Magistrate Court - Surfside Beach
South Strand Office Complex
9630 Scipio Lane
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
Phone: (843) 915-5291
Fax: (843) 915-6291
Atlantic Beach Municipal Court
717 30th Avenue South, P.O. Box 5285
Atlantic Beach, SC 29582
Phone: (843) 663-2284
Fax: (843) 663-0601
Aynor Municipal Court
600 South Main Street, P.O. Box 66
Aynor, SC 29511
Phone: (843) 358-6231
Fax: (843) 358-0754
Conway Municipal Court
1001 3rd Avenue, P.O. Box 1428
Conway, SC 29528
Phone: (843) 248-1765
Fax: (843) 248-2950
Loris Municipal Court
3817 Walnut Street, P.O. Box 548
Loris, SC 29569
Phone: (843) 756-6674
Fax: (843) 756-3066
Myrtle Beach Municipal Court
Ted C. Collins Law Enforcement Center
1101 North Oak Street
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone: (843) 918-1356
Fax: (843) 918-1446
North Myrtle Beach Municipal Court
Public Safety Building
1015 2nd Avenue South
North Myrtle, Beach, SC 29582
Phone: (843) 280-5610
Fax: (843) 280-5642
Surfside Beach Municipal Court
115 US Highway 17 North
Surfside Beach, SC 29575
Phone: (843) 913-6337
Fax: (843) 828-4371
Vital Records
The Vital Records and Data Statistics office of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) provides divorce certificates as well as birth, death, and marriage certificates for Horry County. It releases certified copies of divorce reports to the parties involved, their adult children, their current and former spouses, and their lawyers.
To obtain a divorce report copy, bring a completed DHEC Vital Records Marriage/Divorce Application (also in Spanish) to the DHEC State Vital Records Office, Columbia located at:
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
The DHEC also requirescopy fees and a valid photo ID issued by the government, a school, or an employerbefore releasing certified copies of divorce reports. This office is available to the public from Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. It charges $12 for the first certified copy of a divorce report and $3 for each additional copy of the same report. Cash and credit/debit cards are accepted for payment.
The DHEC also accepts mail requests for vital records. Mail the completed application, a money order or cashier’s check for copy fee, and a copy of a valid photo ID to:
DHEC Vital Records
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Make the check or money order payable to SC DHEC.
The same processes are required, and the same fees apply, when requesting certified copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates from the Vital Records and Data Statistics office of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). Use the DHEC Vital Records Marriage/Divorce Application ( Spanish) when requesting for a marriage certificate. Requests for birth and death records require completed Vital Records Birth Application (Spanish) and Vital Records Death Application (Spanish) respectively.
