Ask a question on the site
Questions
Lawyers
Blogs
Legislation
Contacts
Become a lawyer
Login Registration
Section 50-5-10. Citation of chapter. - This chapter may be cited as the "South Carolina Marine...
Section 50-5-15. Definitions. - As used in this title pertaining to saltwaters: (1) "Anadromous"...
Section 50-5-17. Flounder Population Study Program. - (A) There is established the Flounder Population Study Program to...
Section 50-5-20. Jurisdiction of Department of Natural Resources. - (A) The department has jurisdiction over all saltwater fish, fishing,...
Section 50-5-25. Powers and duties; deposit of revenues. - (A) The department shall enforce all laws for collection of...
Section 50-5-30. Promulgation of regulations; civil offenses; penalties; suspension of permit. - (A) The department may promulgate regulations for the government of...
Section 50-5-32. Closing salt water fishing seasons, areas, or activities in emergency; notice; penalty. - (A) The department has the authority to close any commercial...
Section 50-5-35. Notice of opening or closing of commercial fishing season; health and environmental protection. - (A) In opening or closing any commercial fishing season pursuant...
Section 50-5-40. Unauthorized tagging or marking and releasing of saltwater fish; penalty. - Unless authorized by the department, no person may tag or...
Section 50-5-45. Maintenance and publication of nonindigenous organisms list; introduction of organisms prohibited. - (A) The department shall maintain and publish a list of...
Section 50-5-50. Prosecutions for violations of chapter. - The department may prosecute for violations of this chapter for...
Section 50-5-55. Suspension of privileges; magistrates court jurisdiction; penalties and restitution orders. - (A) Any suspension of privileges under this chapter shall run...
Section 50-5-60. Conspiracy to violate provision of chapter. - A person who conspires to violate a provision of this...
Section 50-5-65. Seizure and disposition of contraband; separate offense defined. - (A) Any fish or fishery product taken or possessed in...
Section 50-5-70. Sale of confiscated device; redemption by owner. - The department shall sell any confiscated device not used or...
Section 50-5-75. Common areas for taking of fish. - The waters and bottoms of the bays, rivers, creeks, and...
Section 50-5-80. Dividing line between salt and fresh water on rivers. - The dividing line between salt water and freshwater on the...
Section 50-5-85. General Trawling Zone; subzones. - (A) The General Trawling Zone consists of the following subzones:...
Section 50-5-90. Authority to enter and inspect buildings or stop and search fishing vessels; penalty for refusal to comply with order. - (A) It is lawful for enforcement officers to enter and...
Section 50-5-95. Unlawful taking of saltwater fish; penalty. - It is unlawful to take or attempt to take saltwater...
Section 50-5-100. Knowingly obtaining saltwater fishery product taken or sold unlawfully. - It is unlawful for any person knowingly to obtain or...
Section 50-5-105. Unlawful activities affecting others; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful: (1) to remove, wilfully damage, or...
Section 50-5-110. Use of poison, explosive, or bang stick to take marine resources; penalty. - It is unlawful to use poison, an explosive, or a...
Section 50-5-115. Responsibility for determining location of commercial fishing vessel. - The operator of any vessel engaged in commercial fishing is...
Section 50-5-120. Boarding of vessel by law enforcement officers; penalty for failure to allow boarding and to cooperate. - (A) The operator and crew of any watercraft operating in...
Section 50-5-125. Use of vessel within 300 feet of public fishing pier; penalty. - It is unlawful to use a vessel within three hundred...
Section 50-5-300. Commercial saltwater fishing license requirement for residents; fee; striker exception. - (A) For the privilege of taking or landing anadromous fish,...
Section 50-5-305. Requirements for obtaining resident license; penalty. - (A) To be granted a resident commercial saltwater license authorized...
Section 50-5-310. Commercial saltwater fishing license for nonresidents; fee; striker exception. - (A) For the privilege of taking or landing anadromous fish,...
Section 50-5-315. Saltwater fishing without a license prohibited; penalty. - A person taking or attempting to take saltwater fish or...
Section 50-5-320. State Shellfish Ground licenses; fees. - For the privilege of taking molluscan shellfish from state-owned bottoms...
Section 50-5-325. Commercial equipment licenses and fees; specification of vessel on which used; tagging of equipment; penalties. - (A) Commercial equipment, excluding vessels, used in the salt waters...
Section 50-5-330. Recreational fishing exceptions; minnow traps for commercial purposes; retrieving unattended recreational equipment. - (A) A person may fish or use the following in...
Section 50-5-335. Channel net licenses; restrictions. - (A) The department may grant no more than a cumulative...
Section 50-5-340. Permits; use for commercial purposes and disposition of proceeds; violations and penalties. - (A) The department may grant permits for taking, holding, and...
Section 50-5-345. Commercial license a condition of permit; exceptions; revocation. - (A) In order to obtain any permit authorized under this...
Section 50-5-350. Display of licenses, permits, and vessel's identification decal; transfer of licenses; penalty. - (A) While exercising the privilege of a license or permit...
Section 50-5-355. Bait dealer licenses; fees; inspections; penalties. - (A) For the privilege of taking or landing any saltwater...
Section 50-5-360. Wholesale seafood dealer, peeler crab, and molluscan shellfish licenses; display of license; roadside vendors; brood stock exception; penalties. - (A) Except as provided in subsection (G), a person or...
Section 50-5-365. Licensing requirements applicable to sale or transportation of live or fresh fish or saltwater fishery products; penalties. - (A) A person or entity who: (1) offers for sale...
Section 50-5-366. Documents required to be in possession of persons selling shrimp; exceptions; conspiracies; penalties. - (A) Between September 1 and December 15 a person or...
Section 50-5-367. Sale, offer, or purchase of shrimp taken over bait; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful to sell or to offer for...
Section 50-5-370. Purchase or removal from State for commercial purpose of saltwater fishery products not handled by licensed wholesale seafood dealer; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful for a person not licensed as...
Section 50-5-375. Records of wholesale seafood dealers; inspection by department; penalties. - (A) Every wholesale seafood dealer must keep and retain accurate...
Section 50-5-380. Information or report by licensee or permittee to take saltwater fishery product for commercial or scientific purpose; confidentiality; penalties. - (A) A person or entity licensed or permitted by the...
Section 50-5-385. Expiration of licenses and permits. - Licenses authorized under this article expire on June 30th following...
Section 50-5-390. Denial of or limitations on nonresident licenses. - The department may deny issuance of any license or permit...
Section 50-5-500. Use of nets; penalties. - (A) No net may be used in inshore salt waters...
Section 50-5-505. Net use requirements and restrictions; mariculture impoundment net use permit. - (A) A gill net used in the salt waters of...
Section 50-5-510. Channel nets; season; observation of use by department; restrictions as to possession; requirements applicable to use of net and possession of license; penalties. - (A) The season for using channel nets shall be no...
Section 50-5-515. Channel nets to be used only in designated areas; Turtle Excluder Device requirements; penalties. - (A) It is unlawful to use channel nets in the...
Section 50-5-520. Channel net violations; forfeiture of license; seizure of equipment. - In addition to any other penalty, a person who violates...
Section 50-5-525. Unlawful deployment of net; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful to use or deploy any net...
Section 50-5-530. Placement of stationary and channel nets; time for setting and removal of channel nets; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful to set any stationary nets except...
Section 50-5-535. Placement of fishing equipment near public fishing pier or man-made jetty equipped with fishing walkway. - It is unlawful to set any fishing equipment within six...
Section 50-5-540. Use of seine or gill net in state park; shrimp net exception. - It is unlawful to use a seine or gill net...
Section 50-5-545. Commercial blue crab traps; escape vent requirements; peeler trap exemption. - (A) Except as provided in this section, from June 1...
Section 50-5-550. Trap buoy size, material, catch release feature and identification tag or other identifying information requirements; seizure of unmarked traps. - (A) Other than minnow traps not used for a commercial...
Section 50-5-555. Trap placement and attention requirements; department inspection, removal, seizure, and disposal. - (A) No trap may be placed within six hundred feet...
Section 50-5-560. Blue crab traps on Cooper River. - Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 13 of this title, traps...
Section 50-5-565. Time restrictions for placement of commercial traps. - It is unlawful to set, move, fish, retrieve, or remove...
Section 50-5-570. Use of live bait on lines with more than three hooks. - It is unlawful to use live bait in the salt...
Section 50-5-575. Violation of provision for which no penalty provided; seizure and disposal of unlawful devices. - (A) A person who violates a provision of this article...
Section 50-5-580. Gigging for fish in saltwaters of Georgetown County. - It is unlawful in Georgetown County for a person to...
Section 50-5-581. Gigging for flounder. - It is unlawful for a person to gig for flounder...
Section 50-5-700. Trawling prohibited. - It is unlawful to trawl in the waters of this...
Section 50-5-705. Trawling Zone established. - The following General Trawling Zone is established: Based on National...
Section 50-5-710. Restrictions on trawling for shrimp in General Trawling Zone; prohibition on trawling outside General Trawling Zone; penalties; seizure and disposition of contraband. - (A) Except as otherwise provided by law, it is lawful...
Section 50-5-715. Trawling restriction areas within General Trawling Zone. - (A) In the following areas trawling is restricted in the...
Section 50-5-720. Disposal of trawl bycatch; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful to dispose of trawl bycatch or...
Section 50-5-725. Trawling waters description references. - The description of trawling waters in this article refers to...
Section 50-5-730. Trawling near public fishing pier; penalty. - It is unlawful to trawl within one-half nautical mile of...
Section 50-5-735. Night trawling; finfish exception. - (A) Except as provided in this section it is unlawful...
Section 50-5-740. Blue crab trawling season; penalty for trawling out of season; seizure and disposal of contraband. - (A) The department annually may set the season for taking...
Section 50-5-745. Blue crab taken by legal shrimp trawlers. - The operator of a shrimp trawler may take, retain, and...
Section 50-5-750. Crab trawling equipment restrictions; penalty. - It is unlawful to trawl for crabs with equipment with...
Section 50-5-755. Permits to trawl or dredge for finfish, blue crabs, whelks, and horseshoe crabs; limitations and conditions as to equipment; penalty. - (A) The department may grant permits to licensed commercial saltwater...
Section 50-5-760. Illegal trawling. - The operator of any vessel operating in an area or...
Section 50-5-765. Use of turtle excluder devices; penalty. - (A) Except as provided in this section, a turtle excluder...
Section 50-5-770. Shrimp trawl requirements; penalties. - (A) A shrimp trawl made in part or in whole...
Section 50-5-900. Commercial shellfish culture or mariculture permits; term. - (A) The department may grant permits to any state resident...
Section 50-5-905. Permit applications; fee. - (A) A person or entity desiring to acquire a Shellfish...
Section 50-5-910. Permit requirements; lottery; sworn statement as to distribution through properly licensed wholesale seafood dealer. - (A) An applicant for Shellfish Culture Permits and Shellfish Mariculture...
Section 50-5-915. Review of applications; permit requirements or conditions; revocation duties delegated to deputy director for Marine Resources. - (A) In reviewing applications for Shellfish Culture Permits and Shellfish...
Section 50-5-920. Mitigation of adverse impacts on shellfish bottoms and waters. - (A) If this State authorizes any activity or use which...
Section 50-5-925. Publication of notice of application. - Upon conditional approval by the department of the shellfish culture...
Section 50-5-930. Preference. - If a person granted a Shellfish Culture Permit or a...
Section 50-5-935. Fees; late payment penalty. - Each person granted a Shellfish Culture Permit or a Shellfish...
Section 50-5-940. Replanting for Shellfish Culture permittees; notice to department; revocation of permit or reduction of acreage for failure to replant. - (A) Each Shellfish Culture permittee must plant fifty bushels of...
Section 50-5-945. Permit to take shellfish for replanting or use in mariculture; conditions. - (A) Shellfish Culture permittees must acquire a permit to take...
Section 50-5-950. Specification of other terms and conditions. - In addition to the requirements of this article, the department...
Section 50-5-955. Designation and maintenance of Public Shellfish Grounds; areas containing DHEC permitted structure; taking for commercial purpose prohibited. - (A) The Department of Natural Resources may designate and shall...
Section 50-5-960. Rules governing recreational shellfish bottom harvests. - (A) The following provisions apply to the taking and possessing...
Section 50-5-965. Taking shellfish from bottoms designated for commercial harvest; individual harvester permits; written approvals; penalties. - (A) A person who takes shellfish from bottoms or waters...
Section 50-5-970. Mechanical harvest permits; penalties. - It is unlawful to take or attempt to take shellfish...
Section 50-5-975. Commercial and personal harvest limited to areas specified on permit; penalties; voluntary surrender of commercial permit. - (A) A person permitted to harvest shellfish from state- owned...
Section 50-5-980. Erection and maintenance of signs; penalty. - It is unlawful for a person, without approval of the...
Section 50-5-985. Setting season for taking shellfish; bringing shellfish into State during closed season; night harvests; penalties. - (A) The department annually may set the season for taking...
Section 50-5-990. Size limitations for hard clams of the genus Mercenaria; permits for possession and sale of undersized clams; penalties. - (A) It is unlawful to take or attempt to take,...
Section 50-5-995. Shellfish mariculture operation permits. - The department may permit persons and entities engaged in shellfish...
Section 50-5-997. Shellfish mariculture permittees; out-of-season harvest permits. - (A) The department may issue an out-of-season harvest permit to...
Section 50-5-1000. Wholesale seafood dealer prohibited from purchasing from unlicensed fisherman or dealer; maintenance of records; penalties. - (A) It is unlawful for any wholesale seafood dealer to...
Section 50-5-1005. Shellfish importation permits; conditions; penalties. - (A)(1) The department may grant permits to persons to import...
Section 50-5-1010. Shell removal permits; conditions; remedy in event of significant ecological perturbations; payment. - (A) The department has jurisdiction over all natural shell deposits,...
Section 50-5-1015. Unlawful removal of shell; penalty. - It is unlawful to remove shell from any shell deposits...
Section 50-5-1020. Possession of undersized whelk of genus Busycon taken for commercial purpose prohibited. - It is unlawful to take, possess, sell, or purchase a...
Section 50-5-1100. Lawful and unlawful taking of shrimp; penalties. - (A) It is unlawful to catch or take shrimp by...
Section 50-5-1102. Persons who may not obtain or hold shrimp baiting license; penalty. - (A) Effective July 1, 2000, the following may not obtain...
Section 50-5-1105. Catch limits; bait dealer taking and possession requirements; penalties. - (A) When taking shrimp over bait, there is a catch...
Section 50-5-1110. Mesh size and stretch measure for shrimp cast nets. - Effective July 1, 2002, when taking shrimp over bait, no...
Section 50-5-1300. Taking of sponge crabs prohibited; import permits; penalties. - (A) It is unlawful for a person to take, possess,...
Section 50-5-1305. Blue crabs; commercial taking at night prohibited; penalties. - (A) Except as provided in this section, it is unlawful...
Section 50-5-1310. Size limitations for blue crabs; peeler crab and clam mariculture exceptions. - (A) Except as provided in this chapter, it is unlawful...
Section 50-5-1315. Importation of undersize blue crabs; penalties. - It is lawful for licensed wholesale seafood dealers to import...
Section 50-5-1320. Identification of vessels taking blue crabs by trap; buoy colors; penalty. - (A) Any vessel used in aid of taking blue crabs...
Section 50-5-1325. Stone crabs; claw size, removal and sale limitations; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful to take or possess a stone...
Section 50-5-1330. Horseshoe crab permits, taking and handling requirements; penalty. - (A) Taking or possessing horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) is unlawful...
Section 50-5-1335. Use of blue crab traps in certain locations. - It is unlawful to set a trap used for taking...
Section 50-5-1340. Repealed by 2012 Act No. 7, Section 12, March 22, 2013. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-1340 was entitled "Commercial use of...
Section 50-5-1500. Regulation of devices for taking shad, herring, or eels. - (A) This article governs specific diadromous fisheries in both freshwaters...
Section 50-5-1505. Taking of shad, herring, or sturgeon. - The department must monitor the various drainage basins and water...
Section 50-5-1506. Zones, seasons, times catch limits, size limits, methods, and equipment for taking shad. - In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions...
Section 50-5-1507. Zones, seasons, times, catch limits, size limits, methods, and equipment for taking herring. - In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions...
Section 50-5-1508. Zones, seasons, times, catch limits, size limits, methods, and equipment for taking sturgeon. - In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions...
Section 50-5-1510. Special provisions as to shad and herring. - (A) The following special provisions apply to shad and herring:...
Section 50-5-1515. Shad hook and line catch limits. - (A) Except as provided in this section, a person taking...
Section 50-5-1520. Herring catch limits. - A person not licensed as a commercial saltwater fisherman taking...
Section 50-5-1525. Unlawful taking of Atlantic sturgeon; penalties. - (A) Any sturgeon taken during the closed season or in...
Section 50-5-1530. Receiving Atlantic sturgeon; record keeping requirements; penalties. - A person who receives Atlantic sturgeon or any part or...
Section 50-5-1535. Taking of shortnose sturgeon prohibited; penalty. - Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, it is unlawful for...
Section 50-5-1540. Net placement. - (A) No shad, herring, or sturgeon net, including its cables,...
Section 50-5-1545. Removal of nets during off times and periods; penalties. - (A) During times and periods when taking of shad by...
Section 50-5-1550. Seizure of net or seine containing decomposed fish. - Any net or seine set in the waters of this...
Section 50-5-1555. Commercial eel taking permits; conditions; penalty. - (A) The department may grant permits to licensed commercial saltwater...
Section 50-5-1556. Striped bass. - (A) In the inshore waters, except for that portion of...
Section 50-5-1557. Shad, herring, or eel sale requirements. - A commercial fisherman who sells shad, herring, or eels must...
Section 50-5-1560. Penalty for offense for which no penalty prescribed; seizure and disposal of equipment. - (A) A person who violates a provision of this article...
Section 50-5-1700. Taking of saltwater game fish; importation by wholesale or retail seafood dealer of red drum or spotted seatrout. - (A) It is unlawful to sell, purchase, trade, or barter...
Section 50-5-1705. Catch limits. - (A) As used in this article, a day means sunrise...
Section 50-5-1707. Repealed by 2009 Act No. 47, Section 1, eff June 2, 2009. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-1707 was entitled "Shark catch limits"...
Section 50-5-1710. Size limits. - (A) The limits established in this article apply to all...
Section 50-5-1711. Repealed by 2007, Act No. 85, Section 4, eff June 15, 2007. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-1711 was entitled "Limits on taking,...
Section 50-5-1713. Cobia limits established. - (A) The following limits to cobia (Rachycentron canadum) are: (1)...
Section 50-5-1715. Penalties. - A person who violates this article is guilty of a...
Section 50-5-1900. Article title. - This article may be cited as the "South Carolina Recreational...
Section 50-5-1905, 50-5-1910. Repealed by 2009 Act No. 15, Section 10, eff July 1, 2009. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-1905 was entitled "Definitions" and was...
Section 50-5-1915. Charter fishing vessel and public pier logs; penalties. - (A) Charter fishing vessels shall maintain a log of the...
Section 50-5-1920, 50-5-1925. Repealed by 2009 Act No. 15, Section 10, eff July 1, 2009. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-1920 was entitled "Saltwater recreational fisheries...
Section 50-5-1930. Reciprocal recognition of recreational fisheries licenses issued by other coastal states. - If a coastal state which has or establishes a saltwater...
Section 50-5-1935. Commemorative stamps authorized. - The department may produce stamps as commemorative or collectors items...
Section 50-5-1940. Creation and design of stamps, licenses, prints, and related articles. - The department may create and design the stamp and license...
Section 50-5-1945. Repealed by 2009 Act No. 15, Section 10, eff July 1, 2009. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-1945 was entitled "Use of revenue...
Section 50-5-1950. Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee established; composition; compensation; term. - (A) A Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee is established to...
Section 50-5-2017. Repealed by 2010 Act No. 140, Section 3, eff March 31, 2010. - Editor's Note Former Section 50-5-2017 was entitled "Flounder Population Study...
Section 50-5-2100. Mariculture permits; penalty for failure to acquire. - (A) The department may grant mariculture permits for collection, importation,...
Section 50-5-2105. Permits for licensed wholesale seafood dealers to sell undersize fish grown in mariculture operation; identification of fish; penalty. - (A) The department may grant permits to licensed wholesale seafood...
Section 50-5-2300. Taking and possessing diamond-backed terrapins; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful to take or possess diamond-backed terrapin...
Section 50-5-2305. Permit to remove live wild rock; penalty. - (A) The department may grant permits to remove wild live...
Section 50-5-2310. Display of dolphins and whales prohibited; penalty. - (A) It is unlawful for a person, which includes a...
Section 50-5-2500. Point values for suspension of saltwater privileges; relation to other penalties. - (A) There are established the following point values to be...
Section 50-5-2505. Point system administration. - (A) Each time a person is convicted of a violation...
Section 50-5-2510. Suspension of saltwater privileges for accumulation of points. - (A) The department must suspend for one year the related...
Section 50-5-2515. Notice of suspension; request for review. - Upon determination by the department that a person or entity...
Section 50-5-2517. Mammalian dolphin or porpoise; prohibited activities; penalty. - Except when authorized by a federal permit, it is unlawful...
Section 50-5-2520. Appeals. - A person or entity whose saltwater privileges have been suspended...
Section 50-5-2525. Points cleared when suspension expires; concurrent running of suspensions. - After the expiration of a period of suspension of saltwater...
Section 50-5-2530. Administering of article. - The department shall administer and enforce this article and may...
Section 50-5-2535. Engaging in prohibited activities while under suspension; penalties. - A person engaging in activities prohibited by this chapter while...
Section 50-5-2536. Other violations while under suspension. - (A) While under suspension for recreational activities, any person found...
Section 50-5-2540. Activities prohibited while under commercial suspension. - (A) It is unlawful for a person whose commercial privileges...
Section 50-5-2545. Prior points and suspensions. - All points received prior to the effective date of the...
Section 50-5-2700. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact; members; term; vacancies. - In pursuance of Article III of the Atlantic States Marine...
Section 50-5-2705. Powers of Compact Commission and commissioners. - The Compact Commission and the compact commissioners thereof shall have...
Section 50-5-2710. State officials to cooperate and furnish information. - All officers of this State shall do all things falling...
Section 50-5-2715. Records, reports, and recommendations. - The Compact Commission shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts...
Section 50-5-2720. Audits. - The State Auditor may from time to time examine the...
Section 50-5-2725. Shark catch limits; boat or vessel permit to take sharks for commercial purposes; equipment requirements and prohibitions. - (A) Except as provided in this chapter, the size, catch,...
Section 50-5-2730. Federal fishing regulations declared to be law of State; exceptions. - (A) Unless otherwise provided by law, any regulations promulgated by...
Section 50-5-2740. Penalty for violation of article. - A person who violates this article is guilty of a...