South Carolina H 4781: Elder Johnny Green

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4781 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4781

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 ADDING SECTION 
23-35-10 so as to regulate the manufacture, sale, transport, use and display of 
PYROTECHNICs; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 23-35-45, RELATING TO USE OF PYROTECHNIC 
MATERIALS INDOORS, so as to provide additional restriction on their use.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 35, Title 23 of the S.C. Code is amended by 
adding:

 Section 
23-35-10. (A) As contained in this 
section:

 (1) 
"Concert or public exhibition" means a fair, carnival, show of any description, 
or public celebration.

 (2) 
"Display operator" means a person issued a display operator's license by the 
State Fire Marshall.

 (3) 
"Pyrotechnics" means fireworks and explosives, which are used for exhibitions 
or amusement purposes.

 (B) 
Except as otherwise provided in this section, it is unlawful for any 
individual, firm, partnership, or corporation to manufacture, purchase, sell, 
deal in, transport, possess, receive, advertise, use, handle, exhibit, or 
discharge any pyrotechnics within the State.

 (C) It 
is permissible for pyrotechnics to be exhibited, used, handled, manufactured, 
or discharged within the State, provided:

 (1) 
the exhibition, use, or discharge is at a concert, or public exhibition;

 (2) 
all individuals who exhibit, use, handle, or discharge pyrotechnics in 
connection with a concert or public exhibition have completed training and 
licensing required under state law;

 (3) 
the display operator or proximate audience display operator is present at the 
concert or public exhibition and personally directs all aspects of exhibiting, 
using, handling, or discharging the pyrotechnics. Notwithstanding this subsection, 
the display operator for any university or college may appoint an on-site 
representative to supervise any performances that include a proximate audience 
display after the opening performance, provided that the representative is at 
least twenty-one years of age and is trained properly in the safe discharge of 
proximate audience displays; and

 (4) 
the display operator has secured written authority from the appropriate county 
or city council in which the pyrotechnics are to be exhibited, used, or 
discharged. Written authority from a county or city council is not required for 
a concert or public exhibition provided that the display operator has secured 
written authority from a university or college.

 (D) It 
is not unlawful for a common carrier to receive, transport, and deliver 
pyrotechnics in the regular course of its business.

 (E) Pyrotechnics 
may be exhibited, used, handled, manufactured, or discharged within the State 
as a special effect by a production company, or for a motion picture 
production, if the motion picture set is closed to the public or is separated 
from the public by a minimum distance of five hundred feet.

 (F) Pyrotechnics 
may be exhibited, used, handled, manufactured, or discharged within the State 
for pyrotechnic or proximate audience display instruction consisting of 
classroom and practical skills training approved by the State Fire Marshal.

 (G) It 
is unlawful for any individual, firm, partnership, or corporation to sell 
pyrotechnics to persons under the age of sixteen.

 (H) 
When the sale or purchase of pyrotechnics is made, and the delivery is made by 
a common or other carrier, the sale is deemed to have been made in the county 
where the delivery was made by the carrier to the consignee.

 (I) Possession 
of pyrotechnics by any person, for any purpose other than those permitted under 
this section, shall be inferred to be pyrotechnics that are kept for the 
purpose of being manufactured, sold, bartered, exchanged, given away, received, 
furnished, otherwise disposed of, or used in violation of the provisions of 
this section.

 (J) A 
county council may issue permits for use in connection with the conduct of 
concerts or public exhibitions after satisfactory evidence is produced to show 
that the pyrotechnics will be used for the aforementioned purposes and no other 
purpose. However, a permit is not required for a public exhibition authorized 
by a university or college.

 (K) A county 
council may issue or delegate its authority to issue permits for pyrotechnics 
to be exhibited, used, or discharged within the corporate limits of a city for 
use in connection with the conduct of concerts or public exhibitions. The county 
council may adopt a resolution granting the authority to the city, and it shall 
remain in effect until withdrawn by the county council adopting a subsequent 
resolution withdrawing the authority. If a ci