Deer tags

2025-2026 Bill 5217: Deer tags

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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A207, R261, H5217

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Reps. Hixon, Haddon, Forrest and Luck

Document Path: LC-0204PH26.docx

Introduced in the House on February 19, 2026

Introduced in the Senate on April 15, 2026

Last Amended on May 13, 2026

Governor's Action: May 18, 2026, Signed

Summary: Deer tags

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/19/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 15
)

2/19/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 15
)

4/2/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 7
)

4/14/2026

House

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Luck

4/14/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 45
)

4/14/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-110 Nays-1 (
House Journal-page 45
)

4/15/2026

House

Read third time and sent to Senate (
House Journal-page 16
)

4/15/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 42
)

4/15/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Fish, Game and Forestry
(
Senate Journal-page 42
)

5/7/2026

Senate

Recalled from Committee on
Fish, Game and Forestry
(
Senate Journal-page 4
)

5/12/2026

Senate

Amended (
Senate Journal-page 56
)

5/12/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 56
)

5/13/2026

Senate

Amended (
Senate Journal-page 60
)

5/13/2026

Senate

Read third time and returned to House with amendments (
Senate Journal-page 60
)

5/13/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 60
)

5/14/2026

House

Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (
House Journal-page 42
)

5/14/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-113 Nays-0 (
House Journal-page 42
)

5/15/2026

Ratified R 261

5/18/2026

Signed By Governor

6/5/2026

Effective date 01/02/27

6/2/2026

Act No. 207

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

02/19/2026
04/02/2026
05/07/2026
05/12/2026
05/13/2026

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

NOTE: THIS IS A TEMPORARY VERSION. THIS DOCUMENT WILL REMAIN IN THIS VERSION UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(A207, R261, H5217)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 50-9-650, RELATING TO DEER HUNTING, SO AS TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OF DEER TAGS ISSUED.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Deer tags

SECTION 1. Section 50-9-650(B)(2) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(2)(a) With the purchase of a South Carolina hunting license and a big game permit, a resident shall be issued three individual antlerless deer tags, two unrestricted individual antlered deer tags, and one antler restriction individual antlered deer tag valid for deer with a minimum of four points on one antler or a minimum twelve-inch inside antler spread. Persons under the age of sixteen, lifetime, and gratis licensees may receive these tags upon request to the department. Residents, including persons under the age of sixteen, lifetime, and gratis licensees also may purchase:

(i) two antler restriction individual antlered deer tags valid for deer with a minimum of four points on one antler or a minimum twelve-inch inside antler spread for five dollars per tag; and

(ii) additional individual antlerless deer tags for five dollars per tag.

(b) Fees for nonresident deer tags are as follows:

(i) fifty dollars for the first antlered deer tag and twenty dollars for each additional antlered deer tag up to a maximum of four tags; two of which must be an antler restriction individual antlered deer tag valid only for deer with a minimum of four points on one antler or a minimum twelve-inch inside antler spread; and

(ii) ten dollars per individual antlerless deer tag.

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect on January 2, 2027.

Ratified the 15th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 18th day of May, 2026.

__________

This web page was last updated on
June 3, 2026 at 11:45 AM