South Carolina Background Check from Abroad
State criminal history check
South Carolina Background Check from Abroad
Yes. CATCH is a name-based search you can run online from anywhere.
- Fee
- $25.00 by post; $25.00 plus $1.00 online
- Processing
- Immediate online; by post, varies
- From abroad
- Possible
What to send, and where
| Agency | South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Records Department |
|---|---|
| Form | SLED CATCH Criminal Record Check Form |
| Fee | $25.00 by post; $25.00 plus $1.00 online |
| Payment | Business cheque, certified cheque, cashier’s cheque or money order. Personal cheques and cash are refused. |
| Processing | Immediate online; by post, varies |
| Post to | SLED Records Department, PO Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221-1398 |
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Records Department page for this request
Specific to South Carolina
- CATCH returns South Carolina records only, name-based. It is instant, which suits a deadline.
- A posted request needs a self-addressed stamped envelope, which from abroad means arranging U.S. return postage.
The IdentoGO Cardscan route
South Carolina is one of the states reachable through IdentoGO's Cardscan service, which exists specifically for people who cannot attend a live scan appointment. You have your prints taken on an ink card wherever you are, post the card to IdentoGO, and they scan and submit it on your behalf. Enrol online first; a card that arrives without an enrolment is not processed.
Getting fingerprinted where you are
Local police, a private fingerprinting service, a U.S. post if it still offers it, or ink at home. Take more than one card. Use the FD-258 unless South Carolina specifies its own form above, in which case order that form first and allow for it reaching you overseas.
After it arrives
A South Carolina criminal history check is a state document, so it is authenticated by South Carolina, not by the U.S. Department of State. Most states require the response to be notarised or certified before the authenticating authority will touch it, and several sell a notarised version for exactly this purpose. Buy it at the time rather than discovering later that you have to start again.
We handle the apostille
Once your South Carolina check exists we can authenticate it, legalise it for a non-Convention country, and have it translated. Tell us the destination and the deadline.
Questions people actually ask
Can I request my South Carolina record from outside the United States?
Yes. CATCH is a name-based search you can run online from anywhere.
What does it cost?
$25.00 by post; $25.00 plus $1.00 online Business cheque, certified cheque, cashier’s cheque or money order. Personal cheques and cash are refused.
How long does it take?
Immediate online; by post, varies. Add international postage in both directions on top of that.
Do I need the South Carolina check as well as the FBI one?
Only if the authority asking has said so. The FBI record already includes arrests that South Carolina reported federally. Ask before paying for both.
Will it need an apostille?
If it is going to a foreign authority, yes. A South Carolina check is a state document, so it is authenticated by South Carolina rather than by the U.S. Department of State, and it usually has to be notarised or certified first.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
