Open Carry Guidance & Signage
On March 7, 2024, Governor Henry D. McMaster signed the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024 (House Bill 3594) into law. This Act went into effect on March 7, 2024.
The act authorizes individuals 18 years of age and older who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, to legally possess a firearm openly or concealed regardless of whether or not they have received training or have a concealed weapons permit. Firearms are still prohibited in many locations including inside schools, churches, law enforcement facilities, detention and correctional facilities, medical facilities, courthouses, government buildings and places clearly marked with a sign prohibiting the carrying of a firearm (See SLED’s guidance).
Public or private employers and property owners, persons in legal possession or control of private property also have the right to prohibit a person from carrying a concealable weapon upon their premises.
The posting by the employer, owner, or person in legal possession or control of a sign stating ‘NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED’ shall constitute notice to a person holding a permit issued pursuant to this article that the employer, owner, or person in legal possession or control requests that concealable weapons, whether concealed or openly carried, not be brought upon the premises or into the workplace.
To assist those who would like to post such signage, the City is offering a template for download. Please follow the size and posting requirements listed below.
All signs must be posted at each entrance into a building where a concealable weapon permit holder is prohibited from carrying a concealable weapon, whether concealed or openly carried, and must be:
- Clearly visible from outside the building;
- Eight inches wide by twelve inches tall in size.
- Placed not less than forty inches and not more than sixty inches from the bottom of the building’s entrance door.
