Title 50, Fish, Game and Watercraft

The department shall suspend for one year the hunting and fishing privileges of a person who has eighteen or more points. The suspension begins the twenty-first day after the department mails written notice of the suspension, and ends the same day the following year.

(A) Upon determination that a person has accumulated sufficient points to warrant suspension of privileges, the department shall notify him in writing that his privileges are suspended, and the person shall return the license and any tags in the person's name to the department no…

After the expiration of the period of suspension, the person's record shall be cleared of points and the person starts anew with no points.

The department shall administer and enforce this article and may promulgate regulations necessary for its administration not inconsistent with the article. The department shall print and distribute at the time of selling hunting or fishing licenses a card or brochure explaining t…

Nothing contained in this article affects the action of the department in suspending, revoking, or canceling a license when the action is mandatory under the provisions of another law of this State.

A person who hunts or fishes while under suspension is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both, and must have his hunting and fishing privi…

The points and penalties assessed under this article are in addition to and not in lieu of any other civil remedies or criminal penalties which may be assessed.

For the purposes of this title: (1) "License sales vendor" means a business, not for profit entity, or unit of state or local government that has entered into an agreement with the department to offer for sale hunting and fishing licenses. (2) "License year" means the period begi…

(A) The duration for hunting and fishing licenses, permits, and tags for recreational purposes is as follows: (1) a temporary license, permit, or tag expires after the specified number of consecutive days inclusive of the start date and expiration date; (2) an annual license, per…

(A) For the purposes of obtaining: (1) a recreational license, permit, or tag with a duration of three years or less, "resident", unless otherwise specified, means a United States citizen or a citizen of a foreign country lawfully in the United States who: (a) has been domiciled …

The department shall establish programs in instruction on the safe use of firearms and archery tackle for hunting and hunter responsibility. The programs must include, but are not limited to, the selection, training, and certification of instructors, appropriate course materials …

No resident or nonresident born after June 30, 1979, may obtain a hunting license in this State unless he first exhibits the certificate of completion he receives pursuant to Section 50-9-310 to the authorized hunting license agent from whom he desires to buy a license. A certifi…

Lifetime hunting and lifetime combination licenses may be issued to persons required to be certified who have not completed the hunter education program pursuant to Section 50-9-310. However, a license issued under this section does not authorize the person to hunt until the prog…

A certificate of completion is not required for a hunting license to be used solely for hunting game on a specific shooting preserve of over ten thousand contiguous acres and including onsite hunting instruction and supervision provided for in Article 7, Chapter 11 of Title 50. A…

Any person licensed by another state as a resident for any purpose is not eligible to apply for, obtain, or hold any South Carolina resident license, permit, stamp, or tag required by this title. It is unlawful to obtain, attempt to obtain, or possess a license, permit, stamp, or…

To encourage the recruitment of persons as responsible hunters: (1) The certificate of completion requirement may be waived if a person obtains an apprentice hunting license. An apprentice hunting license may be issued if the applicant: (a) is at least sixteen years of age and ot…

(A) The department shall prescribe the form of the license and method by which licenses, permits, and tags must be distributed and sold. (B) The department shall establish procedures and agreements for allowing license sales vendors to sell and distribute certain department licen…

(A) For the privilege of taking nongame freshwater fish for a commercial purpose, a resident must purchase an annual freshwater commercial fishing license for fifty dollars, one dollar of which the issuing sales vendor may retain. (B) For the privilege of taking nongame freshwate…

A person taking shad, herring, or eels for commercial purposes: (1) in the salt waters of this State, must obtain a commercial saltwater fishing license and a commercial saltwater equipment license and related permits; (2) in the freshwaters of this State, must obtain a commercia…

The cost for a scientific collection permit is ten dollars.

An active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States whose home of record is South Carolina and who is stationed outside of the State, shall, upon presentation of his leave and earnings statement, be allowed to fish and hunt without purchasing a fishing or hunting licen…

(A) In addition to a valid state hunting license, an annual commercial fur license is required of all persons who sell or take by any means, for commercial purposes, and all persons who trap or who attempt to trap any fur bearing animals. The license is issued by the department a…

(A) An applicant for an alligator propagation facility permit must remit a nonrefundable fee of five hundred dollars with the application. (B) Upon approval of an alligator propagation facility permit, the applicant must remit a fee of one hundred dollars to obtain the permit. (C…

(A) Licenses, permits, tags, and stamps issued pursuant to this title must be carried on the person while exercising the privileges of the license, permit, tag, or stamp, and the person shall produce the license, permit, tag, or stamp to a law enforcement officer upon demand. (B)…

(A) For the privilege of hunting: (1) a resident must purchase: (a) an annual statewide hunting license for twelve dollars, one dollar of which the issuing sales vendor may retain; (b) a three year statewide hunting license for thirty-six dollars, three dollars of which the issui…

For the combined statewide privilege of: (1) hunting, including the privilege of hunting big game and freshwater fishing, a resident may purchase: (a) an annual combination license for twenty-five dollars, two dollars of which the issuing sales vendor may retain; or (b) a three y…

(A) A resident may obtain a lifetime statewide combination license from the department at its designated licensing locations, which grants the same privileges as an annual combination license. The license fee is based on the age of the applicant. If at the time of application the…

(A) A resident who is determined to be disabled and receiving benefits under a Social Security program, the Civil Service Retirement System, the South Carolina State Retirement System, the Railroad Retirement Board, the Veterans Administration, or Medicaid, or their successor age…

(A) A resident born before July 1, 1940, may obtain from the department at its designated licensing locations a gratis lifetime hunting and fishing license at no cost. (B) A resident born after June 30, 1940, who has attained the age of sixty-four years may obtain from the depart…

A resident who holds a lifetime hunting, lifetime combination, lifetime freshwater fishing, or lifetime saltwater recreational fishing license, upon attaining the age of sixty-four, may convert that license to a senior lifetime license for a fee of nine dollars, one dollar of whi…

(A) For the privilege of recreational statewide fishing in saltwater: (1) a resident must purchase: (a) a fourteen-day temporary saltwater fishing license for ten dollars, one dollar of which the issuing sales vendor may retain; (b) an annual saltwater fishing license for fifteen…

A person taking shad, herring, or eels for recreation: (1) in the saltwaters of this State must have a recreational saltwater fishing license; if using a gill net or eel pot, must have an annual recreational saltwater license and a saltwater commercial equipment license and relat…

(A) It is unlawful to hunt, take, or possess migratory game birds without first obtaining a migratory game bird permit. Migratory game birds include mourning dove, Wilson snipe, woodcock, the Anatidae (commonly known as goose, brant, and duck), and the Rallidae (commonly known as…

It is unlawful for a person to borrow or lend a license, permit, tag, or stamp issued pursuant to this title. A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned …

(A) In addition to the licenses required for freshwater fishing, each licensee attempting to take nongame freshwater fish must obtain: (1) a tag for each eel pot, at five dollars a tag for residents and fifty dollars a tag for nonresidents; (2) a tag for each fyke net, at ten dol…

(A) For the purposes of this section: (1) "Service" means the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and its' successors. (2) "Stamp" means a Federal Migratory Hunting and Conservation Stamp. (B) For the privilege of hunting migratory waterfowl in this State, a hunter also shall…

(A) For the privilege of hunting wild turkey, in addition to the required hunting license and big game permit, a person must possess a wild turkey tag issued in the person's name. The fee for a: (1) resident is twenty-five dollars for two tags, one dollar of which may be retained…

(A)(1) For the privilege of hunting and taking deer on property with a Deer Quota Program permit, a person must obtain the required hunting license, any other required permits, and have access and authorization to utilize Deer Quota Program tags for the property on which the pers…

Except pursuant to a person operating under a depredation permit: (1) For the privilege of taking an alligator, in addition to the required hunting license, a person first must apply to the department's Alligator Draw Hunt Program. The application fee is ten dollars. Successful s…

(A) For the privilege of hunting bear, in addition to the required hunting license and big game permit the licensee must obtain a bear tag issued in his name, and the fee: (1) for a resident is twenty-five dollars per tag, one dollar of which may be retained by the license sales …

(A) For the privilege of engaging in falconry, in addition to a statewide hunting license, a person must obtain a falconry permit. The fee for the permit is one hundred dollars, and the permit expires three years from the date of its issuance. (B) A person holding a valid federal…

It is unlawful to alter a license, permit, tag, or stamp issued pursuant to this title or issue, obtain, or attempt to obtain a license, permit, tag, or stamp by fraud. A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than tw…

(A) Except as required by law, children under sixteen years of age are not required to procure or possess a hunting or fishing license or any other permit or license required for hunting or fishing unless that child engages in the taking of wildlife or fish for commercial purpose…

The following are exempt from purchasing the recreational saltwater fishing license a: (1) fisherman fishing from a licensed charter fishing vessel or from a licensed public fishing pier; (2) drop net fisherman using no more than three drop nets; (3) fold up fisherman using no mo…

(A) The department may permit physically or mentally disabled persons, residents of an orphanage or another eleemosynary institution of this State, or a Boy or Girl Scout to hunt or fish for up to three consecutive days within a county of this State without obtaining a license to…

(A) A resident is not required to possess a license or permit for recreational fishing in the freshwaters of this State on the following days: (1) the fourth day of July; and (2) the date observed by the State for National Memorial Day. (B) The department also may designate depar…