Eligibility Requirements for Gun Ownership
South Carolina’s list of people disqualified from owning guns aligns with the federal one. For example, these people can’t possess firearms in the state:
- Felony convicts
- Convicts of a “crime of violence” in any court (e.g. murder and rape)
- Fugitive from justice
- Habitual drunkard
- Drug addicts
- The mentally incompetent
- Members of subversive organizations
- People under age 18 (with exceptions like members of the Armed Forces)
- People adjudicated unfit to carry or own a firearm by South Carolina judges
Age Requirements for Gun Ownership and Purchase
If you’re buying a gun in South Carolina from a licensed dealer, you have to be at least age 18 for a long gun and age 21 for a handgun. Licensed dealers follow the age minimums set by federal law.
For possession, the minimum age to own a handgun in South Carolina is 18 (S.C. Code Ann. § 16-23-30). The state has no minimum age for possessing long guns.
Private sellers or people who aren’t licensed dealers follow state law instead of federal in gun sales. This means two things:
- The minimum age to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer in SC is 18.
- There’s no minimum age to buy a handgun from a private seller in the state.
Background Check Process
Only gun sales from licensed dealers require background checks LINK in South Carolina. Private gun sales don’t require them.
When a licensed dealer starts a background check here, it goes through the NICS. This is the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
How to Sell a Gun in South Carolina
You can sell guns to either licensed dealers or private parties in South Carolina, provided they’re eligible to own firearms in the state.
The section in this guide about eligibility should help. It gives you an idea of which buyers are prohibited. If you want more details, you can check our guide on how to sell a gun in South Carolina.
Firearms Regulated in South Carolina
The only firearms regulated in South Carolina are machine guns. S.C. Code Ann. § 16-23-230 states that even their storage is prohibited.
There are exceptions for certain persons, including those authorized by the federal government to possess one.
Open Carry Regulations
Open carry is allowed in South Carolina for both handguns and long guns.
Concealed Carry Laws
Permitless concealed carry is legal in South Carolina. There are restrictions, e.g. you can’t carry a handgun in a courthouse, courtroom, or other sensitive area.
Public and private employers as well as private owners can also prohibit concealed carry in business or work premises and their property.
South Carolina CCW Reciprocity
35 states have reciprocity with South Carolina, including North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Virginia, and Alabama.
Firearm Registration Guidelines
There’s no gun registration or gun registry in South Carolina.
Red Flag Laws
South Carolina has no red flag laws.
South Carolina Gun Laws in Car
South Carolina generally allows legal gun owners to store guns in vehicles. These are the main exceptions to that:
- When the vehicle is in a school and the gun isn’t in a locked or attended vehicle, and isn’t secured in a storage space like a closed glove compartment or trunk.
- When in a park under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, and the gun is loaded and not in a case or the trunk of the vehicle.
- When on capital grounds or in the parking garage below the grounds, and the gun is not in a locked vehicle and is in a place where it’s readily accessible.
South Carolina Gun Storage Laws
South Carolina has no gun storage laws.
South Carolina Self Defense Laws
South Carolina has a Stand Your Ground law with no duty to retreat before using deadly force for self-defense.
Recent Legislative Changes in South Carolina Gun Laws
The latest change to South Carolina’s gun laws is SC House Bill 3594, which was passed on March 14, 2024. The bill repealed the statute requiring concealed carry permits for open carry of concealable weapons.