South Carolina S 386: Joe Washington Retirement

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 386 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 26, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 386

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 23-31-600, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF IDENTIFICATION CARDS TO 
QUALIFIED RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH 
QUALIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MAY CARRY CONCEALED WEAPONS, AND 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING TO QUALIFY TO CARRY FIREARMS THAT MUST BE OFFERED TO 
QUALIFIED RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, SO AS TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT 
RESTRICTS THE CARRYING OF CONCEALED WEAPONS ONTO CERTAIN PREMISES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 23-31-600 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
23-31-600. (A) For purposes of this 
section:

 (1) 
"Identification card" is a photographic identification card complying with 18 
U.S.C. Section 926C.

 (2) 
"Qualified retired law enforcement officer" shall have the same meaning as in 
18 U.S.C. Section 926C.

 (B) 
An agency or department within this State may comply with 18 U.S.C. Section 
926C, by issuing an identification card to any qualified retired law 
enforcement officer. If the agency or department currently issues credentials 
to active law enforcement officers, the agency or department may comply with 
the requirements of this section by issuing the same credentials to qualified 
retired law enforcement officers. If the same credentials are issued, then the 
agency or department must stamp the credentials with the word "RETIRED".

 (C)(1) Subject to 
the limitations of subsection (E), a A qualified 
retired law enforcement officer may carry a concealed weapon in this State if 
the qualified retired law enforcement officer possesses an identification card 
along with a certification that the qualified retired law enforcement officer 
has, not less recently than one year before the date the individual is carrying 
the firearm, met the standards established by the agency for training and 
qualification for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the 
same type as the concealed firearm.

 (2) 
The firearms certification required by this subsection may be reflected on the 
identification card or may be in a separate document carried with the 
identification card.

 (D) The restrictions 
contained in Section 23-31-220 are applicable to a person carrying a concealed 
weapon pursuant to this section. Carrying a concealed weapon into the 
residence or dwelling place of another person is prohibited without the 
expressed permission of the owner or person in legal control or possession of 
the premises, as appropriate.

 (E)(D) The agency or department must provide the qualified 
retired law enforcement officer with the opportunity to qualify to carry a 
firearm under the same standards for training and qualification for active law 
enforcement officers to carry firearms. However, the agency or department, as 
provided in 18 U.S.C. Section 926C, may require the qualified retired law 
enforcement officer to pay the actual expenses of the training and 
qualification.

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

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This web page was last updated on February 26, 2025 at 01:43 PM