South Carolina gun laws and regulations are lenient compared to numerous other states, especially those in the Northeast, Northwest and Midwest. The Palmetto State is considered a “shall-issue” concealed carry permit state. Gun permits are not required to purchase handguns, rifles, or shotguns in South Carolina.
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South Carolina gun laws also honor comparable concealed carry gun laws from other states by means of reciprocity. Residents of states upholding similar concealed carry laws may carry concealed guns in South Carolina if they own related permits from the state in which they live. As of 2014, these reciprocal carry states were Arizona, Alaska, Wyoming, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, Michigan, Louisiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Florida, and Arkansas.
South Carolina’s laws are friendly to gun ownership. South Carolina gun law does necessitate a background check before a firearm is transferred between “unlicensed individuals,” nor does it enforce a waiting period before a firearm is purchased. There is no limit on how many firearms are bought at one time, and firearm owners are not required to purchase a license, register their guns, or report when their guns are stolen or lost.
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Additionally, mental health information does not need to be reported to the U.S. federal database employed for background checks on firearm buyers, and state gun laws do not regulate ownership or transfer of larger-scale firearms, like .50 caliber rifles, assault weapons, or large-capacity ammunition magazines. Likewise, law enforcement has no discretion to block the sale of firearms when it suspects illegalities have occurred.
South Carolina gun laws also afford legal protection to residents who use firearms to defend their home, business, or automobiles from intruders. One of the few gun restrictions in South Carolina is prohibition against open carry. However, residents who legally obtain concealed carry permits may store a loaded handgun in the glove compartment or console or beneath a seat in an automobile. The open carry restriction also prohibits carrying firearms on public or private school property and inside publicly owned buildings without express permission. Yet, permit holders may carry firearms into bars.
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