South Carolina State NFA Rules and Allowable NFA Items

South Carolina Law allows possession and ownership of machine guns, short barreled rifles, and short barreled shotguns as long as they are registered under the NFA. Silencers and AOW firearms are not mentioned in South Carolina law, and are therefore legal in South Carolina as long as they are owned in compliance with the NFA. Additionally you may hunt with a silencer in South Carolina.

Possession of NFA items:

Title 16 - Crimes and Offenses

CHAPTER 23.

OFFENSES INVOLVING WEAPONS

ARTICLE 3.

MACHINE GUNS, SAWED-OFF SHOTGUNS AND RIFLES

SECTION 16-23-210. Definitions.

When used in this article:

(a) "Machine gun" applies to and includes any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any combination or parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.

(b) "Sawed-off shotgun" means a shotgun having a barrel or barrels of less than eighteen inches in length or a weapon made from a shotgun which as modified has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches or a barrel or barrels of less than eighteen inches in length.

(c) "Shotgun" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each pull of the trigger. The term includes any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire a fixed shotgun shell but does not include an antique firearm as defined in this section.

(d) "Sawed-off rifle" means a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than sixteen inches in length or a weapon made from a rifle which as modified has an overall length of less than twenty-six inches or a barrel or barrels of less than sixteen inches in length.

(e) "Rifle" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger. The term includes any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire a fixed cartridge but does not include an antique firearm as described in this section.

(f) "Antique firearm" means any firearm not designed or redesigned for using rim fire or conventional center fire ignition with fixed ammunition and manufactured in or before 1898 (including any matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type of ignition system or replica thereof, whether actually manufactured before or after the year 1898) and also any firearm using fixed ammunition manufactured in or before 1898, for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.

(g) "Military firearm" means any military weapon, firearm, or destructive device, other than a machine gun, that is manufactured for military use by a firm licensed by the federal government pursuant to a contract with the federal government and does not include a pistol, rifle, or shotgun which fires only one shot for each pull of the trigger.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-121; 1952 Code Section 16-121; 1942 Code Section 1258-1; 1934 (38) 1288; 1975 (59) 135; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1; 1999 Act No. 71, Section 1.

SECTION 16-23-220. Unlawful transportation of machine gun, military firearm, or sawed-off shotgun or rifle within State.

It is unlawful for a person to transport from one place to another in this State or for any railroad company, express company, or other common carrier or any officer, agent, or employee of any of them or other person acting in their behalf knowingly to ship or to transport from one place to another in this State a machine gun or firearm commonly known as a machine gun, military firearm, sawed-off shotgun, or sawed-off rifle, except as provided in Sections 16-23-250 and 23-31-330.

A person who violates the provisions of this section, upon conviction, must be punished pursuant to Section 16-23-260.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-122; 1952 Code Section 16-122; 1942 Code Section 1258-1; 1934 (38) 1288; 1975 (59) 135; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 184, Section 42.

SECTION 16-23-230. Unlawful storing, keeping, or possessing of machine gun, military firearm, or sawed-off shotgun or rifle.

It is unlawful for a person to store, keep, possess, or have in possession or permit another to store, keep, possess, or have in possession a machine gun or firearm commonly known as a machine gun, military firearm, sawed-off shotgun, or sawed-off rifle, except as provided in Sections 16-23-250 and 23-31-330.

A person who violates the provisions of this section, upon conviction, must be punished pursuant to Section 16-23-260.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-123; 1952 Code Section 16-123; 1942 Code

Section 1258-1; 1934 (38) 1288; 1975 (59) 135; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 184, Section 43.

SECTION 16-23-240. Unlawful sale, rental, or giving away of machine gun, military firearm, or sawed-off shotgun or rifle; exceptions.

It is unlawful for a person to sell, rent, give away, or participate in any manner, directly or indirectly, in the sale, renting, giving away, or otherwise disposing of a machine gun, or firearm commonly known as a machine gun, military firearm, sawed-off shotgun, or sawed-off rifle, except as provided in Sections 16-23-250 and 23-31-330.

A person who violates the provisions of this section, upon conviction, must be punished pursuant to Section 16-23-260.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-124; 1952 Code Section 16-124; 1942 Code Section 1258-1; 1934 (38) 1288; 1975 (59) 135; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 184, Section 44.

SECTION 16-23-250. Exceptions to application of article.

The provisions of this article do not apply to the Army, Navy, or Air Force of the United States, the National Guard, and organizations authorized by law to purchase or receive machine guns, military firearms, or sawed-off shotguns or sawed-off rifles, from the United States or from this State and the members of these organizations. Any peace officer of the State or of a county or other political subdivision, state constable, member of the highway patrol, railway policeman or warden, superintendent, head keeper or deputy of a state prison, correction facility, workhouse, county jail, city jail, or other institution for the detention of persons convicted or accused of crime or held as witnesses in criminal cases or persons on duty in the postal service of the United States or a common carrier while transporting direct to a police department, military, or naval organization or person authorized by law to possess or use a machine gun, or sawed-off shotgun, or sawed-off rifle, may possess machine guns, or sawed-off shotguns, or sawed-off rifles, when required in the performance of their duties. The provisions of this section must not be construed to apply to machine guns, or sawed-off shotguns, or sawed-off rifles kept for display as relics and which are rendered harmless and not usable.

The provisions of this article do not apply to any manufacturer of machine guns or military firearms licensed pursuant to the provisions of 18 U. S. C. Section 921 et seq., any person authorized to possess these weapons by the United States Department of the Treasury, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or any other federal agency empowered to grant this authorization, any common or contract carrier transporting or shipping any machine gun or military firearm to or from the manufacturer if the transportation or shipment is not prohibited by federal law, or persons licensed pursuant to Section 23-31-370.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-125; 1952 Code Section 16-125; 1942 Code Section 1258-1; 1934 (38) 1288; 1975 (59) 135; 1978 Act No. 541 Section 3; 1986 Act No. 532, Section 1; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1; 2001 Act No. 106, Section 1.

SECTION 16-23-260. Penalties.

A person violating the provisions of this article is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 16-127; 1952 Code Section 16-127; 1942 Code Section 1258-1; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 184, Section 45.

SECTION 16-23-270. Article not applicable to antique firearms.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to antique firearms.

HISTORY: 1975 (59) 135; 1990 Act No. 564, Section 1.

Legal Disclaimer:

This information is provided as a service to the public. It is NOT intended as legal advice and should never be considered as such. This information was up to date at the time of publication.