Can You Carry a Gun in South Carolina State Parks?

Yes, you can carry a gun in South Carolina state parks. Any adult who is legally eligible to possess a firearm may carry a handgun — openly or concealed, with or without a permit — in a South Carolina state park, provided the handgun qualifies as a “concealable weapon” under state law, meaning it measures less than twelve inches at its greatest dimension. Long guns, posted buildings, and a handful of specific locations are treated differently, and those exceptions matter.

What the Statute Actually Says

Possessing a firearm in a state park is generally unlawful under South Carolina Code Section 51-3-145(G). The statute then carves out an exception for anyone “in possession or carrying a concealable weapon, as defined in Section 23-31-210(5).”¹ A concealable weapon is any firearm under twelve inches, carried openly or hidden.²

The older version of this exception applied only to Concealed Weapon Permit holders. Current law dropped that limitation. If you are at least 18, not a federally prohibited person, and you are carrying a qualifying handgun, the exception covers you.

A Concealed Weapon Permit is still worth having. It gives you reciprocity when traveling to states that require a permit, and South Carolina itself recognizes permits from Georgia, North Carolina, and other states whose permits require a background check and firearms training.² Applications go through the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, either online or by mail.³

Firearms Stored in Your Vehicle

If you would rather leave the gun in the car, the rules are simple. Section 16-23-20(D) says a person who is not otherwise prohibited from carrying a firearm “may lawfully store a firearm anywhere in a vehicle whether occupied or unoccupied.”⁴ Glove box, console, door pocket, under the seat, trunk. No locked container required, no case required.

Older guidance limiting storage to a closed glove compartment or trunk is out of date. That version of the law is no longer in effect.

Long Guns and Hunters

The concealable-weapon exception is written around the twelve-inch limit, which means rifles and shotguns don’t qualify. The general prohibition in 51-3-145(G) still reaches them. Licensed hunters get their own separate exception: during hunting season, they may bring firearms into a state park, but those firearms must be unloaded and kept in a case or in the trunk.¹

Hunting inside state parks is not permitted except in the narrow set of areas designated as Game Management Areas where hunting is specifically authorized. State parks and Wildlife Management Areas are managed by different agencies with different rules; carrying a loaded long gun into a general-use state park and calling it hunting won’t hold up.

Where Carry Is Still Off-Limits

Permitless carry does not mean carry anywhere. Section 16-23-20(A) lists locations where carrying a handgun is unlawful regardless of permit status. Several of these can appear inside or next to a state park:

Law enforcement offices, detention facilities, and jails, which can include a ranger station that also functions as a law enforcement office.
Publicly owned buildings where court is held, while court is in session.
Offices and business meetings of a county, municipality, school district, or special-purpose district governing body.
Daycare and preschool facilities, which occasionally operate inside park buildings.
Hospitals, clinics, and other facilities where medical procedures are performed, unless the employer expressly allows it.
Churches and religious sanctuaries, absent express permission from the church official or governing body.
Any location where federal law bars firearms.
Any premises posted with a sign prohibiting concealed weapons in compliance with Section 23-31-235.

Violating a posted no-carry sign is charged under Section 16-11-620, the trespass-after-notice statute, rather than the general firearms law.⁴

What isn’t on the list is worth reading too. Visitor centers, educational buildings, playgrounds, and swimming areas are not automatically prohibited. Unless one of those places falls into a listed category or displays a compliant no-carry sign, state law does not bar carry there.

Events and Temporary Restrictions

When a county, municipality, or political subdivision issues an event permit for a rally, fair, parade, festival, or similar organized gathering on public property, the governing body can temporarily restrict open carry within the event area. The restriction is limited to the event’s location and duration, and the host must post signs stating whether open carry is or isn’t allowed.⁵

Two limits on that power are worth knowing. The provision addresses open carry only; concealed carry isn’t covered. And the governing body cannot confiscate your firearm for violating the restriction unless you are being arrested for a separate offense.⁵

National Parks Are Different

South Carolina has national parks as well as state parks, and the rules aren’t identical. On National Park Service land, firearm possession follows the law of the state where the park sits, so a handgun that’s lawful in a South Carolina state park is generally lawful in Congaree National Park under the same conditions.⁶

Federal buildings inside the park are a different matter. Under 18 U.S.C. 930, firearms are prohibited in any building owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees regularly work. That covers NPS visitor centers, ranger stations, fee collection buildings, and administrative offices. A violation can bring up to one year in prison, or up to five years if the weapon was intended for use in a crime.⁷ Discharging a firearm inside a national park is prohibited by federal regulation except in areas where hunting is specifically authorized.⁶

Penalties If You Get It Wrong

The consequences depend on which law you violate. Breaking the state park firearms rule — for example, carrying an uncased long gun through the park — is a misdemeanor under Section 51-3-146, punishable by a fine between $25 and $200 or up to 30 days in jail.⁸

Carrying a handgun into a location prohibited by Section 16-23-20(A) is more serious, and the penalties escalate:⁹

First offense: misdemeanor, fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to one year, or both.
Second offense: misdemeanor, imprisonment up to three years.
Third or subsequent offense: felony, imprisonment up to five years.

Violations of other provisions in the same firearms chapter (outside Section 16-23-20) are felonies from the start, with fines up to $2,000 and up to five years in prison.⁹ In every case, the handgun is confiscated and turned over to the local police chief or county sheriff.

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 51 Chapter 3 Section 51-3-145 – Unlawful Acts at State Parks
2
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 23 Chapter 31 – Firearms
3
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Concealed Weapons Permit
4
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 16 Chapter 23 Section 16-23-20 – Unlawful Carrying of Handgun, Exceptions
5
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 23 Chapter 31 Section 23-31-520 – Lawful Open Carrying of a Firearm on Public Property During Certain Events, Temporary Restriction, Notice, Confiscation
6
National Park Service. Firearms in National Parks
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities
8
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 51 Chapter 3 – State Parks
9
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 16 Chapter 23 Section 16-23-50 – Penalties, Disposition of Fines, Forfeiture and Disposition of Handguns