South Carolina S 184: Dram Shop

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 184 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 05, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 184

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Report

February 26, 2025

S. 184

Introduced by Senators Johnson, Young, Adams, 
Ott, Sutton and Kimbrell 

S. Printed 2/26/25--S. [SEC 
3/5/2025 11:28 AM]

Read the first time January 14, 2025

________

The committee on Senate Judiciary

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 184) to amend 
the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 15-3-710 so as to provide the 
basis for liability for a person or establishment who unlawfully furnishes, etc., 
respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered 
the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

LUKE RANKIN for Committee.

_______

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
15-3-710 SO AS TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR LIABILITY FOR A PERSON OR ESTABLISHMENT 
WHO UNLAWFULLY FURNISHES ALCOHOL TO AN INDIVIDUAL WHO INJURES A THIRD PARTY BASED 
UPON WHAT THE FURNISHER KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; TO 
SPECIFY WHEN THE RIGHT OF ACTION IS NOT AVAILABLE, AND TO PROVIDE THE 
EVIDENTIARY STANDARD FOR VISIBLE INTOXICATION.

 Amend Title To Conform

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Chapter 3, Title 15 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
15-3-710. (A) As used in this 
section:

 (1) 
"Alcohol" means beer, wine, alcoholic liquors, or alcoholic beverages as 
defined in Section 61-6-20; alcoholic liquor by the drink or alcoholic beverage 
by the drink as defined in Section 61-6-20; or any other type of alcoholic 
beverage that contains any amount of alcohol and is used as a beverage for 
human consumption.

 (2) 
"Licensee" means any person or entity licensed to sell alcohol by the State of 
South Carolina or any agency or department thereof.

 (3) 
"Visibly intoxicated" means an individual who displayed visible signs and 
symptoms of intoxication that would have been obvious to a reasonable person.

 (B) A 
licensee that sells, serves, or otherwise furnishes alcohol to an individual 
who is at least twenty-one years old is civilly liable to a third party for 
actual damages arising out of the sale, service, or furnishing of alcohol to 
that individual if:

 (1) 
the licensee knew or should have known that the individual was visibly 
intoxicated at the time of the sale, service, or furnishing of the alcohol.

 (2) 
at the time of the sale, service, or furnishing of the alcohol, the licensee 
knew or should have known that the individual would become intoxicated based on 
factors that would be obvious to a reasonable person including, but not limited 
to, the licensee's knowledge of the number of alcoholic beverages served to the 
individual while on the licensee's premises; and

 (3) 
the individual's intoxication or the sale, service, or furnishing of the 
alcohol was a proximate cause of bodily injury, death, or property damage to 
the third party.

 (C) A 
licensee that sells, serves, or otherwise furnishes alcohol to an individual 
who is less than twenty-one years old is civilly liable to a third party for 
actual damages arising out of the sale, service, or furnishing of the alcohol 
to that individual if the individual's intoxication or the sale, service, or 
furnishing of the alcohol was a proximate cause of bodily injury, death, or 
property damage to the third party.

 (D) 
Upon the death of any party, the action or right of action authorized by this 
section will survive to or against the party's personal representative.

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on March 05, 2025 at 11:29 AM