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Chapter 1 - General Provisions
Section 54-1-10. Charleston designated State port. - The port of Charleston is hereby declared the State port...
Section 54-1-20. Discharge of oil or any oil product from vessel in harbor. - It shall be unlawful for any person, his agent, servant...
Section 54-1-30. Discharge of oil or other products into harbor of county containing city over 60,000. - It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or...
Section 54-1-40. Criminal liability for unskillful or negligent management of steamboat. - (A) It is unlawful for the captain, master, or other...
Chapter 3 - South Carolina State Ports Authority
Section 54-3-10. Creation and membership of State Ports Authority. - (A) There is created the South Carolina State Ports Authority....
Section 54-3-20. Appointment and terms of members; vacancies. - (A) The members of the board, except for the Secretary...
Section 54-3-30. Organization; officers; meetings. - The board shall elect one of its members to serve...
Section 54-3-40. Treasurer. - The board shall select one of its members to serve...
Section 54-3-50. Removal by Governor. - Members of the board of directors may be removed by...
Section 54-3-60. Board member qualifications. - (A) Each member of the board, except for the Secretary...
Section 54-3-70. Performance review of executive director. - The board shall conduct an annual performance review of the...
Section 54-3-80. Discharge of duties by members of board of directors. - (A) A member of the board of directors shall discharge...
Section 54-3-90. Conflict of interest transactions; burden of proof as to fairness; indirect interest of director; ratification of conflict of interest transaction. - (A) A conflict of interest transaction is a transaction with...
Section 54-3-101. Executive Director of Port Operations. - The board of directors shall employ an Executive Director of...
Section 54-3-102. Duties of executive director; appointment of division directors and staff. - (A) The executive director is charged with the affirmative duty...
Section 54-3-103. Approval of compensation of executive and division directors. - Compensation for the executive director and division directors shall be...
Section 54-3-104. Director of Port Operations for port of Georgetown. - The Executive Director of the Port Operations also shall employ...
Section 54-3-105. Affirmative duty of Director of Port Operations for port of Georgetown. - The Director of Port Operations for the port of Georgetown...
Section 54-3-110. Improvement of certain harbors or seaports. - Through the authority the State may engage in promoting, developing,...
Section 54-3-115. Development of port in Jasper County. - The authority shall take all action necessary to expeditiously develop...
Section 54-3-117. North Charleston container terminal. - The authority shall take all action necessary to expeditiously complete...
Section 54-3-118. Public-private partnerships to increase capital investments in port facilities. - It is the intent of the General Assembly that the...
Section 54-3-119. Sale of property on Daniel Island and Thomas (St. Thomas) Island; rights of first refusal granted certain former landowners. - (A) Except as provided in subsection (B), the State Ports...
Section 54-3-120. Jurisdiction of Authority. - The jurisdiction of the Authority in any of said harbors...
Section 54-3-130. Purposes of Authority. - The Authority is created as an instrumentality of the State...
Section 54-3-140. Powers of Authority. - In order to enable it to carry out the purposes...
Section 54-3-150. Acquisition of property. - For the acquiring of rights-of-way and property necessary for the...
Section 54-3-155. Sale of real property, building, terminals, or other permanent structures. - Without prior approval from the State Fiscal Accountability Authority or...
Section 54-3-160. Powers with respect to certain property. - The Authority may exercise in reference to any property, assets,...
Section 54-3-170. Use of certain State property. - The Authority may take, exclusively occupy, use and possess, in...
Section 54-3-180. Exchange of property; removal of structures. - The Authority may exchange any property acquired under the authority...
Section 54-3-190. Lease or grant of property to United States; reimbursing United States for certain acquisition costs. - The board of the Authority may assign, transfer, lease, convey,...
Section 54-3-200. Acquisition and operation of terminal railroads. - The Authority may acquire, own, lease, locate, install, construct, equip,...
Section 54-3-210. Contracts with railroad employees. - The Authority may make agreements as to the scale of...
Section 54-3-220. Connecting with or crossing other railroads. - The Authority may with its terminal railroads connect with or...
Section 54-3-230. Foreign-trade zones. - The South Carolina State Ports Authority is authorized to make...
Section 54-3-240. Inland ports. - The South Carolina State Ports Authority is authorized to establish...
Section 54-3-245. Seafood industrial port in Beaufort County. - In addition to the powers granted previously to the State...
Section 54-3-250. Inspection of motor vehicles prior to exportation. - No motor vehicle shall be exported to another country through...
Section 54-3-260. Construction of terminal or railroad on Daniel Island. - The authority must obtain the approval of the General Assembly...
Section 54-3-270. Cooper River terminal facility environmental study and permitting; indemnification of Port Authority members for Cooper River Bridge funding. - (A) The State Ports Authority is required to begin environmental...
Section 54-3-410. Authority shall have general supervision of wharves, warehouses and terminal facilities. - The Authority shall have general supervision in the port of...
Section 54-3-420. Examination of facilities. - The Authority may examine into all wharves, warehouses and terminal...
Section 54-3-430. Requiring repair or improvement of facilities. - Whenever in the judgment of the Authority it shall appear...
Section 54-3-440. Authority may order improvements to facilities on petition. - Upon the written petition of the city council of Charleston...
Section 54-3-450. Unsafe or unsuitable facilities. - The owners or occupiers of any wharf, warehouse or terminal...
Section 54-3-460. Penalties for violations of rules and regulations. - If any person having a wharf, warehouse or terminal facility...
Section 54-3-470. Appeals. - A person may appeal from an order, ruling, or requirement...
Section 54-3-480. Article inapplicable to portions of Charleston County. - The provisions of this article shall not apply to any...
Section 54-3-610. Powers of Authority as to erection or removal of wharves, docks and other structures. - The Authority may fix the lines along the bay and...
Section 54-3-620. Permit for construction of wharf or other obstruction. - No person shall build or extend any wharf or other...
Section 54-3-630. Penalty for building wharves or other obstructions beyond limits without authority. - No person shall build any wharf or other obstruction beyond...
Section 54-3-640. Duties of Authority as to repair of docks; owners liable for neglect. - The Authority shall examine, or cause to be examined, all...
Section 54-3-650. Authority shall prosecute for fines and penalties. - The Authority shall prosecute for fines and penalties under Sections...
Section 54-3-700. Sale of property; conditions and requirements of sale. - (A) The State Ports Authority has not had statutory responsibility...
Section 54-3-810. Jurisdiction and powers of Authority over harbor and bay of Charleston. - The South Carolina State Ports Authority shall have jurisdiction over...
Section 54-3-820. Deposit of excavated material. - When any dredging or excavation shall be done in said...
Section 54-3-830. Harbor master and port wardens. - The Authority may elect or appoint annually a harbor master...
Section 54-3-840. Fees and harbor or port charges. - The Authority may levy and collect from all vessels entering...
Section 54-3-850. Payment and disbursement of fees, harbor or port charges, fines and penalties. - All fees, harbor or port charges, fines and penalties collected...
Section 54-3-860. Authority shall report annually to General Assembly. - The Authority shall annually report to the General Assembly the...
Section 54-3-1010. Issuance of bonds. - As a means of raising the funds needed from time...
Section 54-3-1020. Disbursement of funds; surplus. - All funds of the Authority shall be deposited in a...
Section 54-3-1030. State port construction fund. - The Authority may accept contributions from all persons for the...
Section 54-3-1040. Annual financial statement. - At least once each year the authority shall furnish the...
Section 54-3-1050. Property of Authority exempt from taxation. - The property of the Authority shall not be subject to...
Section 54-3-1060. Transaction register. - (A) For the purposes of this section, "detailed description of...
Section 54-3-1300. Commission established.; membership; factors to be considered in making appointments; officers and meetings. - (A) There is hereby established a commission to be known...
Section 54-3-1310. Powers and duties. - The commission has the following powers and duties: (A) To...
Section 54-3-1320. Waiver of qualifications for board candidate. - The commission by a two-thirds vote of its membership, may...
Section 54-3-1330. Cooperation by state agencies. - State agencies must fully cooperate with requests from the commission...
Section 54-3-1340. Oversight report; performance review surveys. - (A) The oversight report required by this article must at...
Section 54-3-1350. Documents relating to sale of real property owned by commission; confidentiality. - In order to discharge their oversight responsibilities in regard to...
Section 54-3-1360. Mileage, subsistence, and per diem; reimbursement of certain expenses. - (A) Commission members are entitled to such mileage, subsistence, and...
Section 54-3-1370. Use of and employment of staff. - The commission must use clerical and professional employees of the...
Chapter 5 - Port And Terminal Utilities And Commissions In Cities
Section 54-5-10. Establishment and operation of port and terminal utilities. - All cities of this State having a population of fifty...
Section 54-5-20. Port utilities commissions; commissioners and their terms. - For the purpose of exercising the power vested in such...
Section 54-5-30. Elections for commissioners. - The election for the commissioners of the port utilities commission...
Section 54-5-40. Organization of commission. - The persons so elected, designated or appointed to such office...
Section 54-5-50. Vacancies in commission. - The mayor and alderman of any such city shall fill...
Section 54-5-60. General powers of commission. - The port utilities commission of any such city may in...
Section 54-5-70. Actions for injury or wrongful death from construction or operation of port or terminal facilities. - Any person who sustains injuries to his person or whose...
Section 54-5-80. Power of commission to incur indebtedness. - The commission shall have no power to incur any indebtedness...
Section 54-5-90. Monthly financial statement. - The port utilities commission of any such city shall make...
Section 54-5-100. Tax exemption of port and terminal utilities. - All property acquired by any city of this State for...
Section 54-5-110. Chapter is cumulative. - The powers conferred by this chapter upon such cities of...
Chapter 6 - Savannah River Maritime Commission
Section 54-6-10. Savannah River Maritime Commission; membership; period of existence - (A) In addition to the above provisions of this joint...
Chapter 7 - Shipwrecks And Salvage Operations
Section 54-7-10. Custody and notice of unclaimed stranded goods. - If any ship, vessel, goods or effects shall be stranded...
Section 54-7-20. Sale of unclaimed stranded goods. - If such goods be not claimed within sixty days after...
Section 54-7-30. Repelling entry into stranded vessels; carrying away saved goods. - Any person, not empowered, who shall enter or try to...
Section 54-7-40. Issuance of warrants for stolen goods; penalty for retention. - Any magistrate on information, upon oath, of any part of...
Section 54-7-50. Salvage allowed informer. - Any person discovering where any such goods are wrongfully bought,...
Section 54-7-60. Restoration of goods taken from vessel; reward; penalty for offering for sale. - If any person shall offer or expose for sale any...
Section 54-7-100. Hunley Commission established; coordinates exempt from disclosure. - (A) A committee of nine members of the "Hunley Commission"...
Section 54-7-110. Caption to be added to certain films relating to the Hunley. - The Hunley Commission and the South Carolina Educational Television Commission...
Section 54-7-120. Repealed by 2007 Act No. 98, Section 3. - Editor's Note Former Section 54-7-120 was entitled "CSS Pee Dee...
Section 54-7-610. Short title. - This article may be cited as the South Carolina Underwater...
Section 54-7-620. Definitions. - As used in this article: (1) "Artifact", "artifactual item", or...
Section 54-7-630. Title to all submerged paleontological property and submerged archaeological historic property and artifacts in state; may be conveyed to licensee. - (A) All submerged archaeological historic property and artifacts and all...
Section 54-7-640. Custodians of submerged archaeological historic property and artifacts, submerged paleontological material, and other things of value. - (A) The custodian of submerged archaeological historic property and artifacts...
Section 54-7-650. Licenses to conduct activities affecting submerged archaeological historic properties or paleontological properties; disposition of recovered property; permission to recover other property. - (A) A person desiring to conduct activities pursuant to this...
Section 54-7-660. No license required for non-disturbing inspection, study, and the like. - A person may inspect, study, explore, photograph, measure, record, conduct...
Section 54-7-670. Hobby licenses; reports of hobby divers as to finds; restrictions. - (A) A person desiring to conduct temporary, intermittent, recreational, small...
Section 54-7-680. Repealed by 2002 Act No. 364, Section 13, eff September 26, 2002. - Editor's Note Former Section 54-7-680 was entitled "Instructional licenses; reports;...
Section 54-7-690. Intensive survey licenses; data recovery licenses; waiver; applications. - (A) The institute may issue an intensive survey license or...
Section 54-7-700. Exclusive license for excavation or disturbance of submerged archaeological historic property and submerged paleontological property; conditions for issuance. - (A) The institute may issue an exclusive license for the...
Section 54-7-710. Criteria for determining whether to issue exclusive license; public hearing optional. - (A) The institute shall consider at least the following criteria...
Section 54-7-720. Delayed issuance of license; denial of license; reconsideration of denial. - (A)(1) The institute may approve an exclusive license application from...
Section 54-7-730. Provisions which must be shown on license issued by institute. - (A) Each license issued by the institute must contain at...
Section 54-7-740. Additional provisions applicable to licenses issued by State Archaeologist. - For each license issued by the State Underwater Archaeologist the...
Section 54-7-750. Additional provisions pertaining to intensive survey licenses. - (A) The conditions set forth in this section for intensive...
Section 54-7-760. Additional provisions pertaining to data recovery licenses. - (A) The conditions established in this section for data recovery...
Section 54-7-770. Modification of licenses; property disposition agreements. - Upon the written request of the licensee, or if considered...
Section 54-7-785. Finder of wreck other than licensed salvor; share of recovery. - If the finder of a wreck is other than the...
Section 54-7-790. License not required of institute or of museum. - (A) A license is not required of the institute for...
Section 54-7-800. Suspension of license; revocation or restoration; grounds for revocation; notice and hearing; appropriation of data and artifacts recovered as result of violation of Article. - (A) The institute may suspend operations under a license at...
Section 54-7-810. Violation of Article a misdemeanor; penalties. - (A)(1) A person who violates any of the provisions of...
Section 54-7-815. Excavation or salvage of certain sunken warships unlawful. - Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person may excavate...
Section 54-7-820. Retention and confidentiality of data provided to institute; exemption from liability; discovery of human remains or grave sites; issuance of licenses and administration of article; waivers and variances. - (A) The institute reserves the right to retain and distribute...
Section 54-7-830. Privately-owned land not subject to Article. - Nothing in this article may be construed to limit or...
Section 54-7-840. Educational program; underwater archaeologist on staff of institute. - The institute shall: (1) establish and maintain an educational program...
Section 54-7-850. Retention and use of license fees. - All license fees received by the institute pursuant to this...
Chapter 9 - Offenses Relating To Seamen
Section 54-9-10. Harboring deserting seamen or enticing them to desert. - Any person who shall be convicted of harboring deserting seamen...
Section 54-9-20. Magistrate may order search for harbored, secreted or detained seamen. - In case any such seamen or any boy apprenticed on...
Section 54-9-30. Provisions regarding harboring deserting seamen extend to all shipping agreements. - The provisions of Sections 54-9-10 and 54-9-20 shall extend to...
Section 54-9-40. Admissibility of articles of ship in evidence. - On the prosecution or trial of any indictment under the...
Section 54-9-50. Evidence of masters of vessels or other transient persons may be taken de bene esse. - When any prosecution shall be commenced against any person under...
Section 54-9-60. Procurers of seamen shall not board vessels without permission of master. - It shall not be lawful for any broker, shipping master...
Section 54-9-70. Master may arrest procurers boarding without permission. - The master or other person having the command of any...
Section 54-9-80. Repealed by 1993 Act No. 184, Section 264, eff January 1, 1994. - Editor's Note Former Section 54-9-80 was entitled "Impressing seamen" and...
Chapter 11 - Interference With Navigation
Section 54-11-10. Interfering with aids to navigation. - Any person who (a) shall moor any vessel of any...
Section 54-11-20. Anchoring vessel to range lights. - It shall be unlawful for any vessel to anchor on...
Section 54-11-30. Changing position of navigational aids. - Any person having charge of any raft passing any buoy,...
Section 54-11-40. Lien on cost of repairs or replacements of navigational aids. - The cost of repairing or replacing any such buoy, beacon...
Section 54-11-50. Destroying, damaging, or obstructing monuments or buildings of United States coast surveys. - If any person shall wilfully and maliciously destroy or in...
Chapter 13 - Trespass On Private Docks
Section 54-13-10. "Privately owned dock" defined. - For the purpose of this chapter, a privately owned dock...
Section 54-13-20. Exceptions. - The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to docking...
Section 54-13-30. Trespassing on privately owned docks unlawful; posting of notice. - It shall be unlawful, except as provided herein, for any...
Section 54-13-40. Certain rights not affected. - This chapter shall not be construed to prevent or to...
Chapter 15 - Pilots And Pilotage
Section 54-15-10. South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper Coastal Area; South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Lower Coastal Area; jurisdiction; regulations. - Subject to Section 8501 of Title 46 of the United...
Section 54-15-20. South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper Coastal Area; appointment of members; terms; vacancies. - (A) The South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper...
Section 54-15-30. South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper Coastal Region; election of officers. - The South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper Coastal...
Section 54-15-40. South Carolina Commissioners for the Lower Coastal Area; members; terms; vacancies. - There is created the South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for...
Section 54-15-50. Board of examination for Upper Coastal Area; duties. - The South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper Coastal...
Section 54-15-60. Board of examiners for Lower Coastal Area; examination and licensing of applicants. - (A) The South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Lower...
Section 54-15-70. Omitted by 2006 Act No. 237, Section 1, eff March 17, 2006. - Editor's Note Former Section 54-15-70 was entitled "Board of examiners...
Section 54-15-80. Examination fee. - The Commissioners of Pilotage for each area shall set by...
Section 54-15-90. Apprentices for Upper Coastal Area. - Apprentices for the Upper Coastal Area must be taken by...
Section 54-15-100. Apprentices for Lower Coastal Area. - Apprentices for the Lower Coastal Area are taken only by...
Section 54-15-110. Licenses or branches and oath of pilots and apprentices. - The respective boards shall give to the applicants approved by...
Section 54-15-120. Prerequisites to licensing in Lower Coastal Area. - (A) An apprentice in the Lower Coastal Area shall serve...
Section 54-15-130. Number of pilots. - The number of pilots shall not be less than the...
Section 54-15-140. Promulgation of regulations. - The South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for the Upper and...
Section 54-15-150. Registers of pilots. - The South Carolina Commissioners of Pilotage for each port shall...
Section 54-15-160. Pilot ground for Charleston. - The pilot ground of the bar of Charleston shall extend...
Section 54-15-170. Pilot boats at Charleston shall be approved by commissioners. - All boats used in the pilotage for the port and...
Section 54-15-180. Repealed by 1991 Act No. 56, Section 5. - Editor's Note Former Section 54-15-180, which was derived from 1962...
Section 54-15-190. Boats used for pilotage; identification. - All boats used for pilotage at Charleston, Port Royal, and...
Section 54-15-200. Repealed by 1991 Act No. 56, Section 6. - Editor's Note Former Section 54-15-200, which was derived from 1962...
Section 54-15-210. Pilots shall not discontinue duties without permission. - Except for reasons of health, satisfactory evidence of which shall...
Section 54-15-220. Pilot shall offer services to nearest vessel; exceptions. - Every pilot cruising or standing out to sea shall offer...
Section 54-15-230. Pilot shall remain on vessel if required. - A licensed pilot, if required by the master or commander...
Section 54-15-240. Payment of pilots detained beyond time appointed. - Every master of an outward bound vessel who shall engage...
Section 54-15-250. Penalty for carrying off pilots. - If any master or commander of a vessel shall carry...
Section 54-15-260. Duty of pilots during war or under special orders. - In case of war no pilot shall bring in or...
Section 54-15-270. Pilot requirements for vessels entering ports. - All vessels entering into the pilotage area of a port...
Section 54-15-280. Unauthorized pilotage. - No person shall be authorized or permitted to conduct and...
Section 54-15-290. Rates and fees; publication thereof. - All rates and fees for all pilotage services for each...
Section 54-15-300. Investigation of marine disasters; subpoena of witnesses. - (A) On the occasion of any marine disaster or if...
Section 54-15-310. Designation of hearing officer or hearing panel; disciplinary proceedings. - (A) The results of an investigation must be presented to...
Section 54-15-320. Discipline of licensees. - (A) Upon a determination by the South Carolina Commissioners of...
Section 54-15-330. Appeal of administrative decision. - A person aggrieved by a final action of the South...
Section 54-15-340. Collection of costs and fines. - (A) In an order issued in resolution of a disciplinary...
Section 54-15-350. Limit on liability for damages caused by pilots. - A licensed ship's pilot is not liable for damages in...
Section 54-15-360. Owners and operators also liable. - When a pilot boards a vessel he becomes a servant...
Chapter 17 - South Carolina Maritime Security Act
Section 54-17-10. Short title. - This chapter may be cited as the "South Carolina Maritime...
Section 54-17-20. Definitions. - As used in this chapter: (1) "Commission" means the group...
Section 54-17-30. Maritime Security Commission created; membership; terms; vacancies. - There is created a Maritime Security Commission composed of nine...
Section 54-17-40. South Carolina Naval Militia reestablished. - The South Carolina Naval Militia is reestablished. The Maritime Security...
Section 54-17-50. Purpose of Naval Militia; command; divisions; rights of personnel; joint service task force. - (A) The Naval Militia is an organized, structured, trained, and...
Section 54-17-60. Commission and Naval Militia activities coordinated with federal, state, and local agencies. - The Maritime Security Commission and the Naval Militia must coordinate...
Section 54-17-70. Promulgation of regulations to enforce homeland security measures for maritime protection. - The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is authorized to promulgate...