Myrtle Beach Inmate Records
Myrtle Beach inmate population data is kept by the Horry County detention system. This Grand Strand coast city has more than 35,000 full-time residents and draws millions of visitors each year. Searching for inmates tied to Myrtle Beach starts with the Horry County jail roster. The Myrtle Beach Police Department handles arrests in the city, but all inmates go to the Horry County Detention Center. You can look up inmate records, check current jail status, and find booking details through the county system. The search tools on this page can help you find inmate population data for the Myrtle Beach area.
Myrtle Beach Quick Facts
Myrtle Beach Inmate Detention Process
Arrests in Myrtle Beach are made by the Myrtle Beach Police Department. The city has its own police force, but it does not run a jail. All people held after an arrest in Myrtle Beach go to the Horry County Detention Center. This is the main jail for the whole county. Inmates from Myrtle Beach, Conway, North Myrtle Beach, and all other parts of Horry County are held at this one site.
The booking process starts once a person reaches the jail. Staff take a photo, log personal details, and record the charges. Each inmate gets a booking number. This number is the key to finding their record later. Myrtle Beach inmates stay in the county jail until they bond out, go to trial, or get moved to a state prison. The Horry County jail roster is the main tool for checking who is in custody from Myrtle Beach at any given time.
The City of Myrtle Beach works with the Horry County Police Department on cases that cross city lines. Horry County Police is the only remaining county police department in South Carolina. It serves all areas outside city limits and helps with large events along the Grand Strand coast.
Search Myrtle Beach Jail Records
You can search for Myrtle Beach inmates through the Horry County system. The county keeps a public roster of all inmates in the detention center. This roster shows the name, charges, bond amount, and booking date for each person held.
To find a Myrtle Beach inmate, you need at least one of these:
- Full legal name of the person
- Date of birth
- Booking number from the arrest
- Case number from the court
The Horry County Police website also has tools for looking up records. You can check arrest logs and active warrants. If a Myrtle Beach arrest led to state charges, the South Carolina Department of Corrections keeps those records. The SCDC offender search at doc.sc.gov covers anyone in the state prison system. Most Myrtle Beach cases stay at the county level, though. Short sentences and pretrial holds are served at the Horry County Detention Center.
Note: Inmate records may not show up right away after an arrest in Myrtle Beach due to booking processing times.
Myrtle Beach Law Enforcement Overview
Myrtle Beach was named for the wax myrtle shrub in a 1900 naming contest. It was first incorporated in 1938 and became a city in 1957. Today the city handles millions of visitors each year, which puts a heavy load on local law enforcement. The Myrtle Beach Police Department is the main force in the city. Officers patrol the boardwalk, hotels, and all parts of town.
The City of Myrtle Beach website provides public safety updates and city news for residents and visitors.
Tourism drives much of the police activity in Myrtle Beach. Peak season brings large crowds, and arrests can spike. This means the inmate population at the Horry County Detention Center often grows in the summer months. People looking for inmates from Myrtle Beach should keep this in mind when searching records.
The city is also set to host the America 250 Red, White and Remember parade in May 2026. Large events like this bring extra law enforcement from across the county and state.
Horry County Detention and Inmates
The Horry County Detention Center holds all inmates from Myrtle Beach and the rest of the county. It is the only jail facility for the area. The detention center handles booking, housing, and release of inmates. Horry County is one of the largest counties in South Carolina by both area and population, so the jail can hold a large number of people at any time.
Horry County uses a precinct system. The county is split into five precincts for faster service and closer ties with the community. Myrtle Beach falls within one of these precincts. When county police and city police both respond to a crime, the inmate still goes to the same detention center. All records end up in the same county system regardless of which department made the arrest.
Inmates held for state crimes may later transfer to a South Carolina Department of Corrections facility. The SCDC runs prisons across the state for people serving longer sentences. For current inmates from Myrtle Beach still in county custody, the Horry County jail roster is the right place to check.
Note: Bond amounts for Myrtle Beach inmates are set by a judge and can vary based on charges and criminal history.
Myrtle Beach Court and Inmate Records
The Myrtle Beach Municipal Court handles city violations. These are typically minor offenses like traffic tickets and small fines. People charged with municipal violations usually do not end up in the county jail. More serious crimes go to the Horry County court system. Those cases can result in jail time and an entry in the inmate population records.
South Carolina courts use the SC Judicial Branch Public Index for case lookups. You can search by name or case number. This covers all county-level court cases in Horry County, including those from Myrtle Beach. The system shows case status, charges, and hearing dates. It does not show jail records directly, but it can help you connect a court case to an inmate record.
If someone from Myrtle Beach is convicted and sent to state prison, the SCDC website has an offender search tool. This shows the prison where an inmate is held, their projected release date, and offense details. The inmate population in state prisons includes people from all over South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach.
County Resources for Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is in Horry County. The county sheriff and detention center manage all jail operations and inmate records for the area. For more details on inmate population data, detention policies, and county-level records, visit the Horry County page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Other cities in the area also route inmates through their county detention centers. Pick a city below to find inmate population data for that location.