Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered in a search box is sent directly to the outside provider operating that tool. The provider handles the query and produces its results. We do not keep a separate log or database of the terms entered there.
Messages and Contact Submissions
We retain an email or direct message as needed to answer it. The communication remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Our systems receive routine technical details when a visitor loads a page:
- The IP address assigned to your device
- Which browser you are using and its version
- Your device type and operating system
- The pages you visited and how long you stayed on each
- The site that sent you here, if any
- Timestamps for each page view
Cookies and Analytics
Cookies are small files placed on a device. They help measure traffic patterns, including popular pages and points where visits end. Analytics providers combine this activity into reports. A browser can reject or delete cookies, although doing so may change how some site features work.
What We Do With This Data
- Route a submitted query to the selected search provider
- Maintain site availability, speed, and security
- Measure which resources visitors use
- Diagnose errors and other technical problems
- Display advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Barnwell County Criminal History does not compile, store, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes general directions to records held by courts, local law enforcement, SLED Criminal Justice Information Services, and the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry Tool. Visitor data is not assembled into a third-party dossier or consumer report. This site is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies operate the search boxes. Their privacy terms, retention rules, and sharing practices govern information submitted through those tools. We do not control those policies, so review the applicable provider notice before starting a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to county offices, court portals, South Carolina agencies, legal resources, or commercial search services. Once a visitor leaves this site, the destination's own privacy policy applies. Review it before providing personal information.
Advertising companies may use their systems to recognize activity across websites and select ads. Their technology and policies govern that tracking.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Data may still be available to:
- Analytics services measuring use and performance
- Search providers processing a visitor's chosen query
- Advertising networks serving content on site pages
- A government or law-enforcement body acting under a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable security practices are used to protect collected data. No internet service can guarantee perfect security, however, and we cannot promise that unauthorized access or a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
The site is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If such data is identified, a deletion request may be submitted.
Your Data Rights
Applicable law may provide rights over personal data. South Carolina FOIA, including S.C. Code §30-4-30, applies to public bodies rather than this privately operated site. The criminal-history dissemination rules in S.C. Code §§23-3-110 through 23-3-130 govern SLED records, not visitor analytics held here. Subject to applicable law, a visitor may:
- Request deletion of personal data we control
- Ask what personal information we hold about the requester
- Seek correction of inaccurate personal information
- Object to certain processing when the law provides that choice
Updates to This Policy
This policy may be revised as site practices or legal duties change. A replacement becomes available on this page with a new effective date.
Effective date: August 8, 2026