South Carolina H 4663: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4663 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 17, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4663

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 22-1-10, RELATING TO THE APPOINTMENT OF MAGISTRATES, SO AS 
TO REQUIRE THAT MAGISTRATES MUST BE LICENSED ATTORNEYS AND TO PROVIDE 
EXCEPTIONS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 22-1-10(B)(2) of the 
S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 (c) On and after July 1, 2026, no person is eligible for an initial 
appointment to hold the office of magistrate who is not at the time of his 
appointment: (i) a citizen of the United States and of this State, (ii) has not 
been a resident of this State for at least five years, (iii) has not attained 
the age of twenty-one years upon his appointment, and (iv) is not a licensed 
attorney in South Carolina. However, a county with a population of less than 
seventy-five thousand is exempt from the provisions of subsubitem (iv) and the 
magistrate must have received a four-year baccalaureate degree.

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 01:19 PM