South Carolina Concealed Carry Permit Basics

South Carolina Concealed Weapon Permit Basics

If you are at least eighteen and not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, you do not need a permit to carry in South Carolina. H. 3594, signed March 7, 2024 and codified as 2024 Act No. 111, "authorizes individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, to legally possess a firearm openly or concealed without training and without a concealed weapons permit issued by SLED," and SLED reads the act to allow "individuals 18 years old and older to carry firearms openly or concealed without a permit" (SLED, H. 3594 Constitutional Carry Guidance). The permit statute agrees: the availability of a permit "must not be construed to prohibit the permitless transport or carrying of a firearm in a vehicle or on or about one's person, whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, in a manner not prohibited by law" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(O)(2)).

The Concealed Weapon Permit (CWP) survived that act. SLED describes what is left: "This legislation leaves in place the CWP program run by SLED for individuals who wish to continue carrying a firearm pursuant to a permit. The CWP will continue to give the individual reciprocity with other recognizing states and makes purchasing a firearm from a dealer easier."

The permit comes from Article 4 of Chapter 31, Title 23, which "may be cited as the 'Law Abiding Citizens Self-Defense Act of 1996'" (S.C. Code 23-31-205). It covers a "concealable weapon," defined as "a firearm having a length of less than twelve inches measured along its greatest dimension that may be carried openly on one's person or in a manner that is hidden from public view in normal wear of clothing except when needed for self defense, defense of others, and the protection of real or personal property" (S.C. Code 23-31-210(5)).

Who is eligible

Issuance is qualified. S.C. Code 23-31-215(A) opens "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except subject to subsection (B)," and subsection (B) is where the reviews sit. SLED must issue the permit to a resident or qualified nonresident "who is at least eighteen years of age and who is not prohibited by state law from possessing the weapon" once the items listed in S.C. Code 23-31-215(A) are submitted and the review that follows is favorable. On submission, SLED "must conduct or facilitate a local, state, and federal fingerprint review of the applicant" and also "must conduct a background check of the applicant through notification to and input from the sheriff of the county where the applicant resides," or where a qualified nonresident owns real property in this State. The sheriff "may submit a recommendation on an application," which SLED must consider before deciding, and if "the fingerprint review and background check are favorable, SLED must issue the permit" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(A) and (B)). The age line changed in 2024: 2024 Act No. 111, SECTION 23, "in (A), substituted 'eighteen years of age' for 'twenty-one years of age'."

• Resident: "an individual who is present in South Carolina with the intention of making a permanent home in South Carolina or military personnel on permanent change of station orders" (S.C. Code 23-31-210(1)).
• Qualified nonresident: "an individual who owns real property in South Carolina, but who resides in another state" (S.C. Code 23-31-210(2)), who submits proof of that ownership (S.C. Code 23-31-215(A)(3)) in the form of "a certified current document from the county assessor" (S.C. Code 23-31-210(6)). SLED uses its Non-Resident CWP Real Property Tax Form (Form R-168) for this.

The package under S.C. Code 23-31-215(A) is a signed application, a photocopy of a driver's license or photographic identification card, proof of residence or property ownership, proof of vision, proof of training, and fingerprints subject to the medical waiver in item (6). APPLICATION_PROCESS carries the mechanics.

Training is a submission item, not a carry requirement. "Proof of training" is defined at S.C. Code 23-31-210(4), which recognizes a handgun education course completed "within three years before filing an application" plus several military, law enforcement, and instructor equivalents. S.C. Code 23-31-210(4) sets the training routes.

The disqualifiers are cross-references, not a list inside 23-31-215

S.C. Code 23-31-215(A) does not enumerate disqualifying convictions. It conditions issuance on the applicant being "not prohibited by state law from possessing the weapon," and S.C. Code 23-31-215(F)(1) makes the applicant certify "he is not a person prohibited under state law from possessing a weapon." The prohibitions sit elsewhere:

• Handgun possession or acquisition is unlawful for a person convicted of "a crime of violence," a "fugitive from justice or a habitual drunkard or a drug addict or who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent," a member of a subversive organization, a person under eighteen, or a person "adjudged unfit to carry or possess a firearm" by a circuit or county court judge (S.C. Code 16-23-30(A) and (B)). A violation of Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 16 other than S.C. Code 16-23-20 is "a felony," and on conviction the person "must be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both" (S.C. Code 16-23-50(A)(1)).
• Possessing a firearm or ammunition is unlawful for a person "convicted of a crime punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of more than one year," subject to the exclusions in subsection (F). It is "a felony" carrying "not more than five years" for a first offense, rising to a "mandatory minimum of ten years, but not more than thirty years" for a third or subsequent offense (S.C. Code 16-23-500(A), (B), and (F)).
• It is unlawful "for a person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or who has been committed to a mental institution to ship, transport, possess, or receive a firearm or ammunition," a "felony" punishable by a fine of "not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both" (S.C. Code 23-31-1040(A) and (B)). Removal of the prohibition runs through S.C. Code 23-31-1030.

Federal law applies on top. SLED's application form has the applicant certify "I am not prohibited from possessing a handgun pursuant to Section 922, Title 18, United States Code," which reaches the prohibited categories at 18 U.S.C. 922(g).

How long it lasts and what you owe SLED

"Upon renewal, a permit issued pursuant to this article is valid for five years" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(P)). The article states that five-year term in the renewal subsection and does not separately state a term for a first-issued permit; SLED's online application walkthrough shows a sample credential "Issued 10/23/2025" and "Expires 10/23/2030." At least thirty days before expiration SLED must notify the holder (S.C. Code 23-31-215(S)). SLED's CWP Replacement Form quotes Proviso 62.20 for what happens while a renewal or replacement is pending: "A concealed weapons permit remains valid during the pendency of the renewal or replacement process so long as the application for replacement renewal is submitted prior to the expiration of the permit." S.C. Code 23-31-215(P) sets the renewal steps.

A permit "is valid statewide unless revoked" because the holder became prohibited under state law, moved his permanent residence out of state and no longer owns South Carolina real property, surrendered the permit, or was charged with an offense that on conviction would prohibit firearm possession (S.C. Code 23-31-215(J)). That last ground can be undone: "if the person subsequently is found not guilty of the offense, then his permit must be reinstated at no charge" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(J)(4)). A revoked permit must be surrendered; failing to do so is "a misdemeanor" punishable by a twenty-five dollar fine (S.C. Code 23-31-215(J)).

Subsection (J) is not the only route to revocation. When a court submits a person's name to SLED by court order for transmission to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System after an adjudication as a mental defective or a commitment to a mental institution, and SLED's review of the permit holder list shows a current permit, "the permit must be revoked and surrendered," and if the holder "fails to return the permit within ten days of being notified of the permit's revocation, SLED shall retrieve the permit from the permit holder" (S.C. Code 23-31-1020(A), (B), and (E)).

Two reporting duties attach to the card, one to the gun:

1. Report a lost or stolen permit card to SLED "within forty-eight hours of the time the permit holder knew or reasonably should have known of the loss or theft," a misdemeanor punishable by a twenty-five dollar fine (S.C. Code 23-31-215(K)).
2. Communicate "any change of permanent address" in writing to SLED "within ten days of the change accompanied by the payment of a fee of five dollars to defray the cost of issuance of a new permit." Failure "constitutes a misdemeanor punishable by a twenty-five dollar fine" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(L)). The original permit stays in force until the corrected card arrives.
3. Report a lost or stolen firearm, rifle, or shotgun "within ten days of discovery" to the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction (S.C. Code 23-31-215(K)). That duty is not limited to permit holders.

S.C. Code 23-31-215(C) states that "SLED may not charge a fee of any kind for a concealable weapon permit," while the same section still carries a "five-dollar replacement fee" and a further "fee of five dollars" for a change of permanent address, both in subsection (L), and a "fifty-dollar renewal fee" in subsection (P)(1). SLED's own CWP Replacement Form quotes subsection (L) with the fee language omitted. The statute does not say which sentence controls. FEES_COSTS works it through.

You do not have to carry the permit or announce it

2024 Act No. 111 amended S.C. Code 23-31-215 "SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISIONS REQUIRING PERMIT HOLDERS TO CARRY PERMITS WHILE CARRYING WEAPONS AND IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS PERMIT HOLDERS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS" (H. 3594 enrolled act title). SLED agrees: a CWP holder "DOES NOT have a duty to notify a law enforcement officer that they are carrying a firearm," and "is not required to carry his/her CWP." Separately, "a person openly carrying a weapon in accordance with this article does not give a law enforcement officer reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search, detain, or arrest the person" (S.C. Code 23-31-245).

What the permit still gets you

• Reciprocity. SLED says the CWP "will continue to give the individual reciprocity with other recognizing states" (SLED, H. 3594 Constitutional Carry Guidance). That is SLED describing practice. The permit statute does not list the states that recognize a South Carolina permit, and it speaks to the inbound side instead: out-of-state permits held by residents of reciprocal states are honored here where that state requires "a criminal background check and a course in firearm training and safety," and "SLED shall maintain and publish a list of those states" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(N)(1)). South Carolina "shall automatically recognize concealed weapon permits issued by Georgia and North Carolina" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(N)(2)). Those provisions do not authorize an out-of-state holder to carry here "any firearm or weapon other than a handgun" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(N)(3)). RECIPROCITY covers both directions.
• No enhancement under S.C. Code 16-23-495. A person convicted of committing or attempting to commit a crime involving a concealable weapon, in violation of an offense listed in Chapter 23, Title 16 or of S.C. Code 10-11-320, "must be imprisoned not to exceed three years" consecutively. That section "does not apply to a person with a valid permit ... provided that the permit was valid at the time the crime was committed" (S.C. Code 16-23-495(A) and (B)).
• Statewide carry for listed officials. Judges, solicitors, the Attorney General, active county clerks of court, public defenders, and the others listed "who possess a valid permit pursuant to this article may carry a concealable weapon anywhere within this State," though public defenders may not carry into a correctional facility (S.C. Code 23-31-240(A) and (B)).
• Dealer purchases. SLED states the CWP "makes purchasing a firearm from a dealer easier." SLED does not say how, so confirm the mechanism with the dealer before you rely on it.

What the permit does not do

It does not open the closed places. "A permit issued pursuant to this section does not authorize a permit holder to carry a concealable weapon into any place listed in Section 16-23-20(A) except as permitted by law" (S.C. Code 23-31-215(M)). That list applies "whether or not the person has a concealed weapon permit" and runs to eleven categories, among them law enforcement and detention facilities, courthouses while court is in session, churches without express permission, medical facilities without express authorization, and premises marked with a sign complying with S.C. Code 23-31-235 (S.C. Code 16-23-20(A)). "Nothing in this article shall affect the provisions of Section 16-23-20" (S.C. Code 23-31-217). S.C. Code 16-23-20(A) lists the places.

A person who wilfully violates S.C. Code 23-31-215(M) may be charged under S.C. Code 16-23-20 and, "at the discretion of the court, may have his permit revoked for up to five years," except as provided in S.C. Code 16-23-20(A)(11).

It does not override private control. A public or private employer keeps the right "to prohibit a person who is otherwise not prohibited by law from possessing a handgun from carrying a concealable weapon, whether concealed or openly carried, upon the premises of the business or workplace or while using any machinery, vehicle, or equipment owned or operated by the business" (S.C. Code 23-31-220(A)(1)). A private property owner or person in legal possession or control keeps the right "to allow or prohibit the carrying of a concealable weapon, whether concealed or openly carried, upon his premises" (S.C. Code 23-31-220(A)(2)).

The sign is how that choice is announced. Posting a sign stating "NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED" by the employer, owner, or person in legal possession or control "shall constitute notice to a person" that the poster "requests that concealable weapons, whether concealed or openly carried, not be brought upon the premises or into the workplace." A person who "knowingly brings a concealable weapon, whether concealed or openly carried, onto the premises or workplace" in violation of that paragraph "may be charged with a violation of Section 16-11-620," and a person convicted of "a second or subsequent violation" of that subsection "must have his permit revoked for a period of one year." The carve-out at the end of the subsection keeps the statute's own scope words: "The prohibition contained in this section does not apply to persons specified in Section 16-23-20(B)(1)" (S.C. Code 23-31-220(B)). The persons specified there are chiefly law enforcement officers: "regular, salaried law enforcement officers, and reserve police officers of a state agency, municipality, or county of the State, uncompensated Governor's constables, law enforcement officers or other authorized personnel of the federal government or other states when they are carrying out official duties while in this State, deputy enforcement officers of the Natural Resources Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources, and retired commissioned law enforcement officers" (S.C. Code 16-23-20(B)(1)).

The 2024 act deleted the expired-permit fine, and the code still prints it

The code still prints S.C. Code 23-31-215(U): "A concealable weapon permit holder whose permit has been expired for no more than one year may not be charged with a violation of Section 16-23-20 but must be fined not more than one hundred dollars." 2024 Act No. 111 deleted it: the title says the act amends S.C. Code 23-31-215 "TO DELETE THE PROVISION RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR CARRYING EXPIRED PERMITS," and SECTION 9 names (K), (M), (O) and (U) as "amended to read" but prints text for (K), (M) and (O) only. The code page prints (U) under a note crediting SECTION 9 with (K), (M) and (O) only. SECTION 3 of the same act rewrote S.C. Code 16-23-20 so that subsection (A) reaches the listed places "whether or not the person has a concealed weapon permit," leaving a lapsed holder who carries where permitless carry is allowed no S.C. Code 16-23-20 violation for (U) to displace.

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