When will loosened gun laws take effect in SC after governor signs?

If you’re older than 18 and want to carry a gun without a permit, you’ll soon be able to do so in South Carolina.

Gov. Henry McMaster signed ‘Constitutional Carry’ into law Thursday. Its provisions take effect as soon as the governor signs it, but details on when certain aspects of the bill, such as twice monthly free training will start, are still unknown. Sen. Shane Massey said SLED had already been thinking about and working on how to implement them.

The new law will allow anyone who is legally able to carry to do so in public without a concealed weapons permit or training. It also creates a free training program, put on twice monthly by SLED.

The bill includes stricter penalties for people who repeatedly carry guns into places they are not allowed to, including schools and courthouses. It also adds penalties for those who commit a crime with a concealed weapon who do not have a CWP.

A property owner, holder of a lease interest, or operator of a business can prohibit patrons from entering with a firearm by posting a “NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED.” A person convicted of knowingly carrying a firearm into a liquor, beer or wine store for consumption on the premises is guilty of a misdemeanor.

How it passed

The ‘Constitutional Carry’ bill that has been debated for more than a year passed through both the House on Tuesday and the Senate Wednesday after a joint conference committee met and worked through the finalized bill.

The bill went to the conference committee in February because the Senate added amendments some House Republicans felt “watered down” what true constitutional carry was. The House rejected all the Senate’s changes.

The major changes to the original House bill included changing the age from 21 to 18 to carry, include free training classes put on by SLED twice a month, but not requiring these classes, and adding penalties for anyone carrying a concealed weapon without a CWP.

The Senate also had an amendment that would allow members of the general assembly to carry anywhere in the state. However, the conference committee agreed to strike this part out of the final bill.

Lingering concerns

Concerns from opponents ranged from safety for everyday South Carolinian’s, lack of training, dangerous situations for law enforcement, rise in gun related deaths and fear and misunderstanding surrounding guns. Multiple senators and representatives emphasized that they didn’t know a single law enforcement member who wanted the bill to pass.

“When you go into a Kroger you’re not expecting to see someone strapped like that, especially with the number of mass shootings we have today,” Sen. Mia McLeod, I-Richland, said in February when the bill was being discussed. “Did you know that the public at large is not prepared or equipped to deal with seeing people just walk into stores?”

South Carolina passed a law in 2021 requiring a CWP to carry publicly. A Concealed Weapons Permit requires training on how to fire weapons and other gun safety aspects. Now, there is no requirement for a CWP.

“It is indeed a sad sad day in South Carolina,” said Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland, after Rep. Caskey, R-Lexington read through the report on the compromises Tuesday. “Today here we are going to vote on something that essentially is going to create more problems for all of us. What happened to backing the blue?”

In 2023, during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, police chiefs from Columbia, Anderson, Myrtle Beach and Conway raised concerns regarding untrained residents openly carrying.

Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, said Jan. 24 that he had not had one law enforcement officer tell him they supported the bill the whole time it has been under consideration. Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Horry, also said a number of people in law enforcement are concerned about taking away training.

“This is unjust, it is uncalled for, and I do not understand why were doing it,” Rep. Joe Jefferson, D-Berkeley, said Tuesday after Caskey had read through the finalized version of the bill.

South Carolina will be the 29th state to pass constitutional carry.