South Carolina S 168: Concealed Weapon Permit Program

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 168 Text of Previous Version (Jan. 14, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 168

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 23-31-215(N), (P), AND (S), RELATING TO CONCEALABLE WEAPON PERMITS, SO 
AS TO REQUIRE THE PERMITS TO BE AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED UPON CERTAIN CONDITIONS 
AND TO REVISE THE MANNER IN WHICH OUT-OF-STATE PERMITS MUST BE HONORED.

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

SECTION 1. Section 23-31-215(N) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (N)(1) 
Valid out-of-state permits to carry concealable weapons held 
by a resident of a reciprocal state must be honored by this State, provided, that the reciprocal state requires an applicant to 
successfully pass a criminal background check and a course in firearm training 
and safety. A resident of a reciprocal state carrying a concealable weapon in 
South Carolina is subject to and must abide by the laws of South Carolina 
regarding concealable weapons. SLED shall maintain and publish a list of 
those states as the states with which South 
Carolina has reciprocity.

 (2) Notwithstanding the 
reciprocity requirements of item (1), South Carolina shall automatically 
recognize concealed weapon permits issued by Georgia and North Carolina.

 (3) The reciprocity 
provisions of this section shall not be construed to authorize the holder of 
any out-of-state permit or license to carry, in this State, any firearm or 
weapon other than a handgun.

SECTION 2. Section 23-31-215(P) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (P) Upon renewal, 
aA permit issued pursuant to this article is 
valid for five years. Subject to subsection (Q), 
SLED shall renew a currently valid permit upon: automatically issue a renewed permit to a permit holder at no 
cost as soon as is practicable prior to a permit's expiration date if it 
determines the permit holder has a valid South Carolina driver's license and a 
state and federal background check on the permit holder is favorable. A permit 
that is automatically renewed must use the information and photograph of the 
permit holder that is on the permit holder's driver's license, and it must be 
mailed to the address on the driver's license. Subject to subsection (Q), a 
permit that is not automatically renewed shall be renewed at no cost upon:

 (1) payment of a 
fifty-dollar renewal fee by the applicant. This fee must be waived for disabled 
veterans and retired law enforcement officers;

 (2)(1) completion of the renewal application; and

 (3)(2) picture identification or facsimile copy thereof.

SECTION 3. Section 23-31-215(S) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (S) At least thirty days before a 
permit issued pursuant to this article expires, SLED shall notify the permit 
holder by mail or online if permitted by subsection (H) at 
the permit holder's address of record, or online if 
permitted by subsection (H), that the permit is set to expire along with 
notification of the permit holder's opportunity to renew the permit pursuant to 
the provisions of subsections (P) and (Q). The 
notification in this subsection is not required to be sent to the holder of a 
permit that will be automatically renewed.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on January 14, 2025 at 12:30 PM