Richland County Background Check

Start with the state and the record you actually need

A Richland County background check is not one standardized product. In Richland County, Ohio, the sheriff offers a free local records check plus separate Ohio BCI and FBI fingerprint services. In Richland County, South Carolina, a statewide SLED CATCH search and a Richland County General Sessions court-record request answer different questions. Choose the state first, then match the request to the recipient’s requirement: a local check, an Ohio state or national fingerprint check, a South Carolina criminal-history search, or a copy of a specific court filing.

If the employer, licensing body, housing provider, attorney, or other recipient gave instructions, use those instructions to identify the required scope before paying. A county court file is not automatically a statewide criminal-history report, and a name-based state search is not the same as a fingerprint-based national check.

Richland County, Ohio: choose local, BCI or FBI service

The Richland County Ohio Records Section lists four services: a Richland County Sheriff’s Office local records check at no charge, BCI State fingerprinting for Ohio at $35, FBI fingerprinting at $31.25, and combined BCI/FBI fingerprinting at $66.25. The same official page announces that the FBI background-check transaction fee increases by $3 effective October 1, 2026. Because the page still displays the $31.25 and $66.25 totals, it is not clear from the page alone whether those displayed totals already incorporate the increase. Treat the displayed prices and the increase notice together, and confirm the amount charged for an FBI-containing service before payment rather than calculating a replacement price yourself.

The Records Section is on the first floor at 597 Park Ave. East, Mansfield, OH 44905, and lists 419-774-5881 ext. 1 for Records. Background-check service hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For Ohio fingerprints, bring the required ID and delivery address

The Ohio page specifically states that BCI and/or FBI applicants must provide valid identification and a mailing address. Results are mailed to the supplied address, and the address may be a business address. Those ID and mailing-address requirements are tied to the BCI/FBI applicant process; they should not be generalized to every local-record request without confirming the local procedure.

The office accepts exact cash, money orders, and credit or debit cards with a convenience fee. Because results are mailed, verify the destination before the fingerprint submission if an employer, licensing agency, or other recipient needs to receive the result directly. If you only need the free local records check, ask Records what information they need for that local product rather than assuming the fingerprint instructions apply.

South Carolina: SLED CATCH is a state name-based criminal-history search

SLED CATCH provides South Carolina criminal-record information through a name-based search. The search uses the subject’s last name, first name, and date of birth; a Social Security number is searched if provided. Alias use or differences between the search information and the criminal record can produce false negatives or false positives, and SLED notes that fingerprints may be the only reliable way to identify the correct subject in those situations. When a search returns multiple subjects, CATCH may return a Special Processing Required message.

CATCH is limited to South Carolina information. It does not include wanted-person information and it does not check the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. National criminal-record checks are allowed only where specifically authorized by law, and SLED conducts fingerprint-based background checks when required by statute. Those limits matter if a recipient asks for a national, fingerprint-based, wanted-person, or sex-offender check: a standard CATCH report does not substitute for those products.

The ordinary South Carolina criminal-record check is listed at a non-refundable $25. The current CATCH page contains two online-fee statements at the same time: a July 1, 2026 notice says the service fee is $1.43 for each $25 CATCH report, while the fee section still says an additional $1 convenience fee is required for online background searches. Do not silently choose one figure. Review the amount shown by the official service before submitting payment. The convenience/service fee does not apply to mail-in requests.

SLED also accepts a mail request when you need paper handling or certification

For a mailed South Carolina criminal-record check, use the SLED Criminal Records Check Form, include the required payment, and provide a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail the request to SLED Records Department, PO Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221-1398. SLED lists business check, certified check, cashier’s check, or money order as accepted mail payment methods. Personal checks and cash are not accepted.

If the result must be notarized or certified, state that requirement specifically in the request. The SLED Records Section does not provide public walk-in service, so a reader who cannot use the online route should follow the mail instructions rather than traveling to the Records Section expecting counter service. The form also warns that the report covers arrests and convictions submitted by South Carolina state and local agencies and should bear the original SLED stamp when presented as a completed criminal-record check.

A person has a right to seek correction of erroneous South Carolina criminal-record information. For questions about CATCH results or a result that appears to need correction, SLED lists its Public Dissemination Unit at 803-896-1443, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Use Richland County General Sessions for a specific higher-court filing

Richland County, South Carolina General Sessions maintains higher-court criminal documents filed with the Clerk of Court, including warrants, indictments, sentence sheets, bond papers, and related documents. The office does not maintain Magistrates Court, also called Summary Court, charges. Because those lower-court cases are outside its collection, the Clerk says its staff does not perform a complete “certified records check” and directs people who need a full criminal background check to SLED.

That limitation is about using the Clerk’s collection as a complete background-check product. It is different from requesting an individual filed court document. For copies, the county says a request may be made in person at the Richland County Judicial Center, 1701 Main Street, fourth floor, Columbia, SC 29201, or by mail to Richland County Clerk of Court, Attn: Criminal Records, PO Box 2766, Columbia, SC 29202. The Criminal Records phone is 803-576-1950.

The reviewed General Sessions page does not publish a general criminal-record-copy fee or the exact certification requirements for an individual copy. If you need a certified copy rather than an ordinary copy, confirm the current fee, identifiers, and certification procedure with Criminal Records before sending payment or a mail request.

Match the official product to the purpose before ordering

For Ohio, use the sheriff’s local check when local Richland County scope is what the recipient wants, and use BCI or FBI fingerprinting when the recipient requires those fingerprint-based products. For South Carolina, use CATCH for the state name-based criminal-history product and General Sessions when you need a specific higher-court filing from Richland County. If the request concerns another Richland County, do not reuse the Ohio or South Carolina instructions; identify that county’s official agency and product first.

Before submitting, confirm the person’s identifying information, the geographic scope, whether fingerprints are required, where the result must be sent, and whether the recipient needs a certified court document rather than a background-check report. Those choices determine which official office, fee, and request method applies.