Do You Still Need a South Carolina Concealed Carry Permit?

You do not need a South Carolina concealed carry permit to carry a handgun in the state. Since March 7, 2024, any adult 18 or older who can legally possess a firearm may carry openly or concealed without a permit. The Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) still exists, and it’s worth getting for one big reason: it lets you carry legally in about 35 other states. It also speeds up firearm purchases and shields you from a federal school-zone law.

What Constitutional Carry Changed in 2024

Governor McMaster signed H.3594 into law on March 7, 2024. The statute now says a permit is not required “to carry a concealable weapon” on your person, “whether openly or concealed, loaded or unloaded, in a manner not prohibited by law.”¹ It applies to anyone 18 or older who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law.

The law also added a protection for people carrying openly: visibly carrying a firearm, on its own, does not give an officer reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop, search, or arrest you.¹

Two things constitutional carry did not do: it did not shorten the list of places where firearms remain banned, and it did not extend your carry rights past the South Carolina border. Both gaps are why many people still apply for the permit.

Why Get a CWP If You Don’t Have To

Reciprocity is the biggest reason. Cross into another state without a recognized permit, and your South Carolina carry rights are gone. South Carolina currently has reciprocity agreements with roughly 35 states.² Without the CWP, carrying in any of them can be a criminal offense.

A CWP also qualifies as an alternative to the federal NICS check when you buy from a licensed dealer.³ Individual dealers can still choose to run a NICS check, but many will accept the permit and skip it. And the CWP is an exemption under the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act, which otherwise makes it a federal crime to knowingly carry within 1,000 feet of a school.

Who Can Apply

The minimum age dropped from 21 to 18 when the constitutional carry law took effect.⁴ Applicants must be South Carolina residents, active-duty military on permanent change-of-station orders, or nonresidents who own real property in the state.⁵

You cannot get a CWP if you are prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law. South Carolina’s prohibitions cover anyone convicted of a crime of violence, adjudicated mentally incompetent, a fugitive, a habitual drunkard, a drug addict, or found unfit to carry a firearm by a court.⁶ Federal law adds more categories, including domestic violence convictions, active protective orders, and dishonorable military discharge.

You’ll also need proof of adequate vision. An eye exam dated within six months works, and a valid South Carolina driver’s license satisfies the requirement on its own.⁴

The Training Course

Every applicant needs proof of an eight-hour handgun education course completed within the three years before applying.⁵ The course has to be run by a law enforcement agency or a nationally recognized gun safety organization, and it must include both classroom instruction and live-fire qualification.

Classroom content covers South Carolina’s handgun and deadly force laws, safe handling and storage (with attention to preventing accidental child access), holster technique, weapon retention, and de-escalation. The live-fire portion requires at least 25 rounds fired in the presence of an instructor.⁵ You’ll receive a signed training certificate to submit with your application.

Active and retired military and law enforcement may qualify for training waivers. The SLED application includes checkboxes for these categories, and disabled veterans or retired law enforcement need to provide documentation.⁷

How to Apply

You can apply online through the SLED Services Portal or by mailing a paper application to SLED headquarters in Columbia. The portal handles document uploads and links you to a third-party fingerprinting vendor.⁸ Mail applicants download the form from the SLED website and include two completed fingerprint cards.⁷

Either way, your packet needs:

The signed application
A copy of your South Carolina driver’s license or state ID
For nonresident property owners, proof of real property ownership in the state
Vision proof (recent eye exam or valid SC license)
Your signed training certificate
Fingerprints (through the vendor for online, or two cards for mail)

There is no application fee for an initial CWP. The only cost is fingerprinting: law enforcement agencies can charge up to $5, and third-party vendors used through the online portal may charge slightly more.⁴

Once SLED receives a complete application, a 90-day clock starts. The agency runs local, state, and federal fingerprint reviews plus a background check that includes input from your county sheriff. If the application is denied, SLED must give you a written explanation within that 90-day window.⁴

Where You Still Cannot Carry

Constitutional carry and a CWP are subject to the same location restrictions. A permit does not open any additional doors. Firearms remain banned in:

Police stations, sheriff’s offices, jails, and detention centers
Courthouses while court is in session
Polling places on election days
Offices and meetings of county, municipal, school district, or special purpose district governing bodies
School and college athletic events, unless the event is firearms-related
Daycare and preschool facilities
Federal buildings, post offices, and other places where federal law prohibits firearms
Churches and religious sanctuaries, unless leadership gives express permission
Hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices, unless the facility expressly authorizes it
Another person’s home, without express permission from the owner or person in legal control
Private property posted with a compliant “no weapons” sign

Willfully carrying in a restricted location is a misdemeanor punishable by at least a $1,000 fine, up to a year in jail, or both, and it triggers a five-year permit revocation. Posted private property is the one exception: ignoring the sign can only be charged as trespass, not as a firearms offense.²

Traveling Out of State

South Carolina honors resident permits from states that recognize its permits, provided the other state requires a background check and a firearms training course. South Carolina currently has reciprocity with roughly 35 states, and that map shifts regularly as states update their own laws. Confirm your destination state still honors the South Carolina CWP before every trip you take armed. And remember: constitutional carry ends at the South Carolina border. Without a valid permit, you have no fallback.

Renewal and Address Changes

A CWP is valid for five years from the date of issue. Renewal requires a completed renewal application, photo ID, and a $50 fee, waived for disabled veterans and retired law enforcement.⁴ You do not have to retake the training course.⁹

Recently expired permits can be renewed online for up to 18 months past the expiration date. After 18 months, you have to renew by mail.⁹ An expired permit gives you no reciprocity in states that require a valid credential, so renew before the expiration date if you travel armed.

If you move within South Carolina, notify SLED in writing within ten days and pay a $5 fee for an updated permit card.⁴ For lost, stolen, or damaged cards, submit the replacement form on the SLED website.¹⁰

1
South Carolina Legislature. 2023-2024 Bill 3594 – Constitutional Carry
2
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Constitutional Carry Guidance
3
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brady Permit Chart
4
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 23-31-215 – Issuance of Permits
5
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 23-31-210 – Definitions
6
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 16-23-30 – Sale or Delivery of Pistols
7
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Concealed Weapons Permit
8
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. SLED Services Portal
9
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. SLED Sponsored CWP Courses
10
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Concealed Weapon Permit Replacement Form