South Carolina Pols Approve Permitless Carry… But It's Not Finalized Yet
The dominos just keep falling, one after another. Only a few days after Louisiana’s state legislature approved permitless carry, South Carolina’s leaders approved a similar law, but it only applies to open carry.
Laws and Regulations @ TFB:
South Carolina’s state senators approved the so-called constitutional carry law on Wednesday, March 6, with a 28-18 majority. Earlier, the state’s legislature had approved the bill with an 86-33 majority, after back-and-forth on the bill’s wording between the senate and legislature. Now, just like Louisiana’s permitless concealed carry bill, the only step left is the governor’s stamp of approval. And just like in Louisiana, South Carolina’s governor is expected to sign off on the new law.
On social media, Governor Henry McMaster seemed to indicate his approval of the law after it passed:
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Note the words about penalties and illegality. South Carolina’s leadership had been debating a permitless carry law, allowing state residents to open-carry handguns with no permit, for a while. The bill that passed had tough-talking points tacked on, with penalties for people who carry in drinking establishments. There are also new penalties for people who are carrying while committing crimes, and as Governor McMaster’s social media post says above, the bill also targets repeat criminal offenders, cracking down on felons who continue to carry firearms after they’re banned.
Under the law, South Carolina residents aged 18 and older can open-carry with no permit, license or training—but the bill also requires authorities to set up monthly training sessions county-by-county, encouraging residents to acquire the skills needed to use their firearms. These sessions will be free, and run by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
If signed into law, South Carolina will be the 29th state to legalize some form of permitless firearm carry. However, the law may actually come into effect before Louisiana’s recent law, which would come into effect on July 4.
Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.
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It's constitutional carry and a great improvement over the previous law. But there are a significant number of "gun-free" zones along with substantial penalties for violating them. Also bad is that non-permit carriers are subject to harsher penalties for certain gun-related activities than carriers with permits.
Article is wrong. The law is finalized and signed, went into affect upon signature on the 7th. It applies TO ALL carry, open and concealed.
Credentials - I live there and have documentation from the State Law Enforcement Division.