South Carolina gun laws: a plain-English guide for buyers
South Carolina keeps its firearm rules short. There is no permit to purchase, no registry, no state waiting period, no magazine limit and no state ban on semi-automatic rifles, and since March 2024 most adults can carry a handgun without a permit. That does not mean there are no rules. This guide covers buying, owning, carrying and transporting firearms in South Carolina as of September 2026. It is general information, not legal advice; when in doubt, read the statute or ask a South Carolina attorney.
Buying from a licensed dealer
Every firearm you order from us ships to a federally licensed dealer (FFL) that you pick at checkout. At the counter you show a valid photo ID, fill out ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs a federal NICS background check. Federal law sets the dealer minimum age at 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns. South Carolina adds no purchase permit, no firearm owner card and no registration with any state or local agency.
There is also no state waiting period. Once NICS returns a proceed, the dealer can hand the firearm over the same day. If the check is delayed, federal rules apply and many dealers wait for a final answer before releasing the gun. A current South Carolina concealed weapons permit is accepted by many dealers in place of the NICS check, which can shorten the visit considerably. Our CWP guide walks through that permit.
Private sales
South Carolina does not require a background check when one resident sells a firearm to another. A few rules still apply:
- Prohibited buyers: Section 16-23-30 makes it unlawful to sell or deliver a handgun to a person convicted of a crime of violence, a fugitive from justice, a habitual drunkard or drug addict, or anyone adjudicated mentally incompetent.
- Minors: the same section bars delivering a handgun to a person under 18, with narrow exceptions for supervised training and military service.
- Out-of-state buyers: federal law requires a sale between residents of different states to run through a licensed dealer.
Plenty of private sellers still meet at a dealer and pay for a background check, because a paper trail protects both sides of the deal.
Age rules
At a dealer you must be 21 for a handgun and 18 for a rifle or shotgun. Under state law the floor for a private handgun transfer is 18. Permitless carry and the concealed weapons permit both start at 18 as well, which is unusual: most permitless-carry states set the line at 21.
Carrying after the 2024 law
The Constitutional Carry Act was signed on March 7, 2024. SLED's guidance describes it as allowing individuals 18 years old and older to carry firearms openly or concealed without a permit, so long as they are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm. The same act also lets you store a firearm anywhere in a vehicle, loaded or unloaded, whether the vehicle is occupied or not.
Section 16-23-20 still lists the places where a handgun may not be carried: law enforcement, detention and correctional facilities; courthouses and courtrooms while court is in session; polling places on election day; offices and meetings of county, municipal and school district governing bodies; school and college athletic events; daycare and preschool facilities; hospitals, medical clinics and doctors' offices; places of worship without express permission; private homes without the owner's permission; federal facilities where firearms are barred; and any property posted with a sign that meets Section 23-31-235. School and college property is off-limits under separate law.
What the state does not regulate
South Carolina has no assault weapon ban, no magazine capacity limit and no firearm registry. Suppressors and short-barrelled rifles and shotguns are legal to own once you complete the federal National Firearms Act process. Section 23-31-510 preempts local rules: no county, municipality or other political subdivision may enact an ordinance regulating the transfer, ownership, possession, carrying or transportation of firearms. That is why Columbia, Charleston and Greenville all follow the same purchase rules. Section 23-31-520 carves out one narrow exception, letting a local government temporarily restrict open carry on public property during a permitted protest, rally, parade, fair or festival.
Transporting a firearm
In a vehicle you may keep a handgun loaded or unloaded, openly or concealed, anywhere inside, with no permit. That is the largest practical change from the old law, which pushed most drivers toward a glove box or console. Federal rules still govern crossing state lines, and a neighbouring state may treat the same loaded handgun very differently, so check before you drive into North Carolina or Georgia.
Buying online and picking up
Ordering online does not skip a step. The firearm travels on a licensed-dealer-to-licensed-dealer shipment, and you complete the Form 4473 and the background check in person at the dealer you chose at checkout. Ammunition, optics, magazines, holsters and most parts ship straight to your address. Browse the full catalog, or start with the deer season rifle guide if you are shopping for the fall.
Hunting and firearms
A hunting license is separate from everything above. SCDNR sets the seasons, the legal weapons and the tagging rules, and SC Game Check reporting is required for deer, turkey and bear by midnight on the day of harvest. Our bird gun guide covers the non-toxic shot rule and the current season dates.
Where to read the current text
Gun law changes. SLED publishes its constitutional carry guidance and the CWP program online, and the South Carolina Legislature posts the full text of Title 16 Chapter 23 and Title 23 Chapter 31. If a range, employer or landlord tells you something different from the statute, ask them to point at the section. For questions specific to the capital, read the Columbia buying guide, and for the rest of the state see our city pages.
General information, not legal advice. Current as of September 2026. Laws change; check the official source before you act.
