Sheriff candidate qualifications

2025-2026 Bill 4681: Sheriff candidate qualifications - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 4681
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Pedalino, Pope, Chumley, Edgerton and White
Document Path: LC-0348CM26.docx
Introduced in the House on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the House
Summary: Sheriff candidate qualifications
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/16/2025

House

Prefiled

12/16/2025

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 55
)

1/13/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
House Journal-page 55
)

1/20/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: White

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/17/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
23-11-110
, RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS FOR SHERIFFS AND CANDIDATES FOR
THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF, SO AS TO PROVIDE persons SEEKING THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF
MUST BE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY IN WHICH THEY SEEK THE OFFICE WHEN THEY FILE AS
CANDIDATES.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
23-11-110
(A) of the S.C. Code is amended to
read:

(
A) All sheriffs and candidates for
sheriff in this State must have the following qualifications:

(
1)
be a citizen of the United States;

(
2)
be a resident of the county in which he seeks the office of sheriff
for at least one year immediately preceding

on
the date
he files as a candidate
of the election
for
the office of

sheriff;

(
3)
be a registered voter;

(
4)
have attained the age of at least twenty-one years prior to the date of his
qualifying for election to the office;

(
5)
have:

(
a)
obtained a high school diploma, its recognized equivalent in educational
training as established by the State Department of Education, and have at least
five years experience as a Class 1 certified law enforcement officer; or

(
b)
obtained a two-year associate degree and three years experience as a Class 1
certified law enforcement officer; or

(
c)
obtained a four-year baccalaureate degree and one year experience as a Class 1
certified law enforcement officer; or

(
d)
served as a summary court judge for at least ten years.

F
or purposes of this
section, a "Class 1 certified law enforcement officer" is a person who has been
issued a certificate as a Class 1 law enforcement officer by the South Carolina
Law Enforcement Training Council. A sheriff holding office on the effective
date of this section is not required to have obtained the necessary experience
as a certified law enforcement officer in this State;

(
6)
have not been convicted of or pled guilty to a violation of Section
56-1-460
or
56-5-2930
, or both, within the past ten years or a felony in this State or
another state;

(
7)
have not been convicted of or pled guilty to a felony or a crime of moral
turpitude in this State or another state;

(
8)
be fingerprinted and have the State Law Enforcement Division make a search of
local, state, and federal fingerprint files for any criminal record.
Fingerprints are to be taken under the direction of any law enforcement agency
and must be made available to SLED no later than one hundred thirty days prior
to the general election. The results of the records search are to be filed with
the county executive committee of the person's political party. A person
seeking nomination by petition must file the records search with the county
election commission in the county of his residence; and

(
9)
be eligible to be issued a certificate as a Class 1 law enforcement officer by
the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council upon the commencement of
the term of office. A sheriff holding office on the effective date of this
section is exempt from the provisions in this item.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM