Getting a CCW in South Carolina (2026)

Requirements, costs, and steps for a South Carolina concealed carry permit · Updated October 18, 2026 · Not legal advice

This guide is general legal information, not individualized legal advice. Rules change; verify every step with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) before you apply. Prepared 2026-10-16.

Quick facts

Drawn from the site's live reciprocity data (ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json, retrieved 2026-10-16):

• Permit type: Shall-issue — Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) under S.C. Code § 23-31-210 et seq., issued by SLED.
• Constitutional carry: Yes — since March 7, 2024 (2024 Act No. 111 / H.3594), an eligible person 18+ who can lawfully possess a firearm may carry openly or concealed without a permit (S.C. Code § 16-23-20 as amended). The CWP remains valuable for reciprocity (32+ states), NICS-exempt purchases, and lower training burden when traveling.
• Minimum age: 18 — for both a CWP (S.C. Code § 23-31-215(A), as amended by 2024 Act No. 111, eff. March 7, 2024) and permitless carry; federal law requires 21 to buy a handgun from an FFL.
• Duty to inform: No — SLED's Constitutional Carry Guidance states a person carrying a firearm, with or without a permit, does not have a duty to notify a law enforcement officer that they are carrying (SLED guidance, accessed 2026-10-16). The former permit-holder disclosure duty was removed when 2024 Act No. 111 took effect.
• Open carry: Legal without a permit (2024 Act No. 111 legalized open carry; previously restricted). Note: state law also permits CWP holders to carry openly.

Who can apply

Under S.C. Code § 23-31-215 and SLED requirements (accessed 2026-10-16), an applicant must:

• Be a South Carolina resident or a qualified nonresident (§ 23-31-210(2)) at least 18 years of age (§ 23-31-215(A));
• Not be disqualified under § 23-31-215 (felonies, violent misdemeanors within look-back windows, DUI within 5 years, drug offenses, mental-health commitments, protective orders, etc.);
• Complete the required firearms training course (below) with an SLED-certified instructor;
• Provide a complete set of fingerprints (§ 23-31-215(A)(6)).

Step-by-step application process

Issuing authority: SLED (CWP Unit, Columbia).

1. Complete the 8-hour SLED-certified training course and obtain the certificate (it must be dated within 3 years of filing the application — § 23-31-210(4)).
2. Get fingerprinted at a SLED-approved vendor (or sheriff's office per local process).
3. Apply — SLED accepts online applications and paper applications (with notarized affidavit, training certificate, fingerprints, and fee).
4. SLED runs state and federal background checks.
5. Receive the CWP by mail (or a denial with reasons; denials are appealable).

Costs

From SLED and statute (accessed 2026-10-16):

• New CWP: FREE — since 2024 Act No. 111 (H.3594, eff. March 7, 2024), SLED cannot charge a fee for an initial permit, and the law requires at least two free training classes per county per month (SLED hosts these; § 23-31-215(C) also provides SLED may not charge a fee of any kind for a concealable weapon permit).
• Renewal: FREE — SLED may not charge a fee of any kind for a concealable weapon permit (§ 23-31-215(C); SLED, accessed 2026-10-16).
• Fingerprints: up to $5 at your local law enforcement agency.
• Training (private classes): commonly $75–$200, set by the instructor.
• Duplicate/address change: no SLED fee (§ 23-31-215(C); fees provision § 23-31-216). Note: stale fee text (§ 23-31-215(P)(1) $50 / (L) $5) remains on the books, but SLED collects nothing — initial, renewal, and duplicate permits are free.

Training requirement

Yes, for the CWP — an 8-hour SLED-approved course including classroom instruction and live-fire qualification (25-round course of fire; 50-question written test, 70% passing), taught by an SLED-certified instructor (S.C. Code § 23-31-210(4) "proof of training"; § 23-31-215, accessed 2026-10-16). The training certificate must be dated within 3 years of filing the application. Active/retired military and law enforcement may qualify via DD-214/academy proof instead. No training is required for permitless carry.

Timeline & renewal

• Processing: SLED has 90 days from a complete application to issue or deny (S.C. Code § 23-31-215) — if SLED does neither in that window, the permit issues by operation of law.
• Validity: 5 years from issuance (§ 23-31-215).
• Renewal: renew online or by mail 90–120 days before expiration (no fee — § 23-31-215(C)); renewal does not require new training or fingerprints (SLED guidance, accessed 2026-10-16).

Where to apply

• SLED CWP: https://sled.sc.gov/ (Concealed Weapons Permit section)
• Online application portal: https://catch.sled.sc.gov/ (linked from SLED's Concealed Weapons Permit page, accessed 2026-10-16)
• Statute text: S.C. Code Title 23, Chapter 31 — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t23c031.php

Sources

• S.C. Code § 23-31-210 et seq. (CWP), § 23-31-215 (issuance/eligibility, incl. 18-year age and no-fee provision), § 16-23-20 as amended by 2024 Act No. 111 (H.3594) (carry, eff. March 7, 2024) — South Carolina Legislature, https://www.scstatehouse.gov/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
• SLED — Constitutional Carry Guidance (no duty to notify) — https://sled.sc.gov/constitutional-carry-guidance (accessed 2026-10-16)
• SLED — Concealed Weapons Permit program pages (application, fees, training) — https://sled.sc.gov/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
• Site reciprocity data — ccw.workmanfirearms.com/data/reciprocity.json (retrieved 2026-10-16)