South Carolina background check and the SLED CATCH search

What CATCH is and what a South Carolina background check searches

CATCH is SLED's online way to view and print South Carolina criminal records through a name based search. It looks only at records in the state's central file, so a conviction from Georgia or North Carolina will not appear on it. A national search is allowed only where a law specifically permits one.

The search asks for the person's last name, first name and date of birth. It uses a "starts with" match on the names, and it uses a Social Security number when one is entered. That approach can catch spelling variants, but it can also return someone with a similar name.

Special Processing Required and other delays

If the name and birth date fit more than one person in the file, CATCH does not guess. It shows a "Special Processing Required" message, and the request goes to SLED staff to sort out. That takes longer than a clean match.

Other things that slow a South Carolina background check down: a recent arrest that the court has not finished, a name with several spellings, and county searches the employer adds through a screening company. Our page on slow background check causes lists more causes.

How long does a SLED background check take

When the details match one person cleanly, a CATCH search usually returns its answer online without a wait. A special processing review adds time that SLED sets. Print based searches run on SLED's own timetable, and ones that also go to the FBI take longer still. A full employment report that adds county court searches, past employers and a drug test often takes several business days. Try our background check time estimator for a typical range.

Jobs that bring a fingerprint check in South Carolina

SLED says it runs fingerprint checks only when a statute requires them. In practice, that covers roles such as teaching and other school jobs, child care, many health care settings and certain licenses. School employees, for instance, go through a fingerprint process tied to the state's educator rules. The hiring office or board tells you the steps.

Fingerprints are the most reliable match and the least likely to produce a false hit or a miss. That is why a name result and a fingerprint result for the same person can differ. Our fingerprint check guide explains the process.

Free SLED background check: is there one

SLED charges a fee for each CATCH search, so a free official search is not something to expect. Websites that promise a free South Carolina report usually show limited public data and then ask you to pay. For a job, you should not have to pay for the employer's check; the employer normally covers it. Our cost page explains what raises the price of a full check.

Your rights when an employer uses a report

Hiring through a background screening company, rather than running CATCH in house, puts the employer under federal consumer report rules. First comes a stand alone notice, which you sign to approve. Should the findings put the offer at risk, you are owed the findings plus the federal rights summary before the decision is final, so there is a window to flag mistakes. Read the FTC rundown of these steps; the EEOC background check guidance explains why blanket bans on people with records can be unfair.

Challenging a SLED record or clearing an expunged case

To challenge something in your SLED identification record, contact SLED's criminal records staff and ask for the challenge steps; you will usually need certified court papers. If a court granted an expungement, the order goes to SLED, which needs some weeks after receiving it to remove the charge. After that, run a CATCH search or ask for a mailed check to confirm the change.

If an old copy still sits in a private report, send the screening company a written dispute with the order enclosed. Our dispute guide and the expungement page have the details.

Treat this as a starting point. SLED's site has the current forms, and a South Carolina employment attorney or legal aid office can weigh your particular case.