Title 50, Fish, Game and Watercraft

An enforcement officer or department employee acting in their official capacity may inspect, at any reasonable hour, the vehicle, boat, processing house, and wholesale business which is connected with nongame commercial fishing activities and the records of a person required to b…

Except as otherwise provided, a person violating this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than fifty nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both. In addition to that penalty, the court may order t…

(A) In addition to any specific penalty provided in this article, any fish or fishing device taken or found to be in possession of a person charged with a violation of this article must be seized. The fish must be sold in the same manner as provided by law for the sale of perisha…

(A) Except for department personnel in their official capacity, it is unlawful for a person to fish, inspect, or use in any manner nongame fishing devices owned and tagged by another person or to remove any fish from a device unless under the immediate supervision of the owner. A…

Except as otherwise provided, there is no closed season for taking fish, however, when because of natural or other conditions fish are vulnerable to predation or are in distress and in the professional judgment of the department need temporary protection or in order to protect th…

(A) It is unlawful to take fish by snagging. Nothing in this section prohibits the use of lures or baited hooks. (B) It is unlawful to take trout by snagging.

As used in this article: (1) "Ecosystem" means a system of living organisms and their environment, each influencing the existence of the other and both necessary for the maintenance of life. (2) "Endangered species" means any species or subspecies of wildlife whose prospects of s…

The department may not release records in its possession that contain site-specific information including, but not limited to, unique numeric identifiers of precise geographic locations, telemetry, or other locational data, regarding the occurrence of federal- or state-listed rar…

(A) The department may promulgate regulations for the appropriate management of native reptile and amphibian species, including limitations on, and permitting for, the possession, transfer, sale, barter, trade, shipment, and removal from this State of native reptile and amphibian…

(A) The department shall conduct investigations on nongame wildlife in order to develop information relating to population, distribution, habitat, needs, limiting factors, and other biological and ecological data to determine management measures necessary for their continued abil…

(A) On the basis of investigations on nongame wildlife provided for in Section 50-15-20 and other available scientific and commercial data, and after consultation with other state agencies, appropriate federal agencies, and other interested persons and organizations, but not late…

As contained in this article: (1) "Alligator" means the species Alligator mississippiensis. (2) "Alligator propagation facility" means an enclosed area not located on public lands or waters, constructed so as to prevent the ingress and egress of alligators from surrounding public…

(A) Any person may apply to the department for a permit to engage in the business of propagating alligators for commercial purposes. A permit allows the purchase of live alligators or alligator eggs from legal sources, the sale of live alligators within the State to other departm…

(A) Upon payment of a nonrefundable application fee for applicants seeking a permit for the first time, the department shall investigate the applicant and the proposed facility. The department must prescribe applicant, facility, and operating requirements to applicants and may de…

(A) It is unlawful to possess, buy, sell, barter, ship, transport, or offer to buy, sell, barter, ship, or transfer alligator carcasses, skins, or parts unless tagged or labeled according to department regulations. (B) A person applying for an alligator propagator permit must fir…

(A) Permittees must maintain records related to the possession, source, and disposition of alligators and alligator eggs as prescribed by department regulations. These records must be kept on-site and are subject to inspection at any time by department personnel during reasonable…

Any retailer, including retail food businesses, possessing, buying, or selling alligator parts must maintain an invoice or bill of sale for each purchase or sale for a period of six months. These records must be made available for inspection at any and all reasonable hours by the…

(A) It is unlawful to alter or compromise the locking mechanism on any alligator tag. The possession of altered or fraudulent tags is unlawful. The possession of any alligator hide or carcass not tagged as prescribed by the department or any unskinned, untagged, frozen alligator …

(A) All raw alligator skins shipped within this State must be tagged. The accompanying bill of lading must show the number of skins in the shipment, the consignor, shipping point, consignee, and destination. The department must supply suitable tags to all shippers at a cost of te…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess the eggs of alligators, alligators, or their parts or skins in this State except as provided for in this article. The provisions of this section do not apply to legal finished products, alligators or their parts legally acquired …

(A) The department shall establish such programs, including acquisition of land or aquatic habitat, as are deemed necessary for management of nongame and endangered wildlife. The department shall utilize all authority vested in the department to carry out the purposes of this sec…

Notwithstanding the provisions of this article to the contrary, in the event federal or state law regulations or designations allowed by law places the alligator in the endangered species status, all permits issued pursuant to this article are null and void.

(A) Any alligator propagation facility that fails to renew the required permits or ceases operation for any reason shall have a period of three months in which to legally dispose of any remaining alligators in the facility. After three months, any remaining alligators in the faci…

(A) Unless otherwise provided for, a person who violates the provisions of this article or implementing regulations is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not more th…

(A) To the extent not provided for in other law or by other agency, the department may adopt regulations for the placement, construction, operation, and maintenance of alligator propagation facilities, to include the following: (1) the minimum distance among alligator propagation…

(A) The department shall promulgate regulations addressing criteria for designating land as certified management area for endangered species or of species in need of management in order to qualify a taxpayer for the income tax credit provided for in Section 12-6-3520. (B) Every f…

(A) The General Assembly finds that the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) was reclassified by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from endangered or threatened to "threatened due to similarity of appearance throughout the remainder of its range" pursuant to …

(A) It is unlawful for a person to release wildlife that is not native to this State from captivity in this State. (B) The department may promulgate regulations to prohibit or otherwise restrict certain species of nonnative wildlife in this State, including species that: (1) have…

The department shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this article.

(A) Except as otherwise provided in this article, it is unlawful for a person to possess, sell, barter, trade, ship, or remove from this State, or attempt to possess, sell, barter, trade, ship, or remove from this State the following native species of turtles, including parts, pr…

(A) A person who violates Section 50-15-15, 50-15-20, or 50-15-70, or who fails to procure or violates the terms of a permit issued under a regulation promulgated pursuant to these sections, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand…

None of the provisions of this article shall be construed to apply retroactively or to prohibit importation into the State of wildlife which may be lawfully imported into the United States or lawfully taken or removed from another state or to prohibit entry into the State or poss…

For the purpose of this chapter, "wildlife" means a member of the animal kingdom including without limitation a mammal, fish, bird, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, or other invertebrate.

(A) It is unlawful for a person to import, possess, or transport for the purpose of release or to introduce or bring into this State any live wildlife of the following types without a permit from the department: (1) a furbearer, a member of the family Cervidae, a nondomestic memb…

(A) It is unlawful to: (1) import, possess, buy, sell, offer for sale, transfer, or transport a live member of the family Suidae (pig) taken from the wild; or (2) release a live member of the family Suidae (pig) into the wild. (B) Each pig imported, bought, sold, offered for sale…

It is unlawful for a person to possess, transport, or otherwise bring into the State or release or introduce into the State any diseased wildlife or other animal that reasonably might be expected to pose a public health or safety hazard as determined by the South Carolina Departm…

Wildlife imported for exhibition purposes only by state wildlife departments, municipal zoos or parks, public museums, public zoological parks, and public scientific or educational institutions operated not for profit, and transient circuses are not required to procure a permit u…

The department may promulgate regulations to effectuate the provisions of this chapter.

The importation of the following wildlife for sale in the pet trade does not require a permit: 1. tropical fishes 2. rats and mice 3. rabbits 4. canaries 5. gerbils 6. shell parakeets 7. love birds 8. cockatiels 9. parrots 10. toucans 11. mynah birds 12. finches 13. hamsters 14. …

(A) A person violating the provisions of this chapter, or any condition of a permit issued pursuant to this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. The department m…

When used in this chapter: (1) "Aquaculture" means controlled cultivation of an aquatic species in confinement. (2) "Aquaculture business" means being involved in aquaculture for a commercial purpose. (3) "Aquacultured product" means any living or nonliving form, part, or portion…

(A) The Department of Natural Resources has regulatory authority for permitting and licensing pertaining to aquaculture and aquaculture businesses, as provided in this chapter. The Department of Natural Resources has authority for enforcement as it affects the public waters of th…

(A) Out-of-state aquaculturists who buy or sell in the State must acquire the permit and licenses required under this chapter unless selling to or buying from a permitted aquaculturist. (B) Common carriers who carry aquaculture products in transit through the State are not subjec…

Native or established freshwater game fish and regulated aquaculture products produced under permit as authorized by this chapter may be possessed, sold, offered for sale, bartered, trafficked, and purchased as provided in this chapter.

It is unlawful for a person to engage in aquaculture for a commercial purpose except as provided in this title.

(A) Except as provided in subsections (F) and (G) a person must first apply for and obtain an annual aquaculture permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources: (1) to engage in commercial aquaculture; (2) to wholesale or retail a live aquaculture product; (3) to engage in …