South Carolina H 4681: Carrie Lou James Wilds

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4681 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4681

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 23-11-110, RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS FOR SHERIFFS AND CANDIDATES FOR 
THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF, SO AS TO PROVIDE persons SEEKING THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF 
MUST BE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH THEY SEEK THE OFFICE WHEN THEY FILE AS 
CANDIDATES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 23-11-110(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (A) All sheriffs and candidates for 
sheriff in this State must have the following qualifications:

 (1) 
be a citizen of the United States;

 (2) 
be a resident of the county in which he seeks the office of sheriff for at least one year immediately preceding on the date he files as a candidateof the election for the office of 
sheriff;

 (3) 
be a registered voter;

 (4) 
have attained the age of at least twenty-one years prior to the date of his 
qualifying for election to the office;

 (5) 
have:

 (a) 
obtained a high school diploma, its recognized equivalent in educational 
training as established by the State Department of Education, and have at least 
five years experience as a Class 1 certified law enforcement officer; or

 (b) 
obtained a two-year associate degree and three years experience as a Class 1 
certified law enforcement officer; or

 (c) 
obtained a four-year baccalaureate degree and one year experience as a Class 1 
certified law enforcement officer; or

 (d) 
served as a summary court judge for at least ten years.

 For purposes of this 
section, a "Class 1 certified law enforcement officer" is a person who has been 
issued a certificate as a Class 1 law enforcement officer by the South Carolina 
Law Enforcement Training Council. A sheriff holding office on the effective 
date of this section is not required to have obtained the necessary experience 
as a certified law enforcement officer in this State;

 (6) 
have not been convicted of or pled guilty to a violation of Section 56-1-460 or 
56-5-2930, or both, within the past ten years or a felony in this State or 
another state;

 (7) 
have not been convicted of or pled guilty to a felony or a crime of moral 
turpitude in this State or another state;

 (8) 
be fingerprinted and have the State Law Enforcement Division make a search of 
local, state, and federal fingerprint files for any criminal record. 
Fingerprints are to be taken under the direction of any law enforcement agency 
and must be made available to SLED no later than one hundred thirty days prior 
to the general election. The results of the records search are to be filed with 
the county executive committee of the person's political party. A person 
seeking nomination by petition must file the records search with the county 
election commission in the county of his residence; and

 (9) 
be eligible to be issued a certificate as a Class 1 law enforcement officer by 
the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council upon the commencement of 
the term of office. A sheriff holding office on the effective date of this 
section is exempt from the provisions in this item.

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

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This web page was last updated on December 17, 2025 at 01:44 PM