Coroner Qualifications

2025-2026 Bill 753: Coroner Qualifications - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 753
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Zell, Stubbs, Grooms and Blackmon
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3048
Document Path: SR-0444KM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Coroner Qualifications
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

12/10/2025

Senate

Prefiled

12/10/2025

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary

1/13/2026

Senate

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

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 42
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
12/10/2025

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING
SECTION
17-5-130
, RELATING TO CORONER QUALIFICATIONS, SO AS TO REVISE CORONER
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRE A FINGERPRINT AND BACKGROUND CHECK OF CORONERS
BEFORE THE GENERAL ELECTION.

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

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
17-5-130
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
17-5-130
.
(
A)
(
1) A coroner in this State shall have
all of the following qualifications, the person shall:

(
a)
be a citizen of the United States;

(
b)
be a resident of the county in which the person seeks the office of coroner for
at least one year before qualifying for the election to the office;

(
c)
be a registered voter;

(
d)
have attained the age of twenty-one years before the date of qualifying for
election to the office;

(
e)
have obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent by the State
Department of Education;
and

(
f)
have not been convicted of a felony offense or an offense involving moral
turpitude contrary to the laws of this State, another state, or the United
States
.
; and

(
g) be fingerprinted and have the State
Law Enforcement Division (SLED) 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 at
the time the candidate files to seek the office. The results of the records
search are to be filed by the candidate 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.

(
2)
In addition to the requirements of subsection (A)(1), a coroner in this State
shall have at least one of the following qualifications, the person shall:

(
a)
have at least three years of experience in death investigation with a law
enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner agency;

(
b)
have a two-year associate degree and two years of experience in death
investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner
agency;

(
c)
have a four-year baccalaureate degree and one year of experience in death
investigation with a law enforcement agency, coroner, or medical examiner
agency;

(
d)
be a law enforcement officer, as defined by Section
23-23-10
(E)(1), who is
certified by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council with a minimum
of two years of experience;

(
e)
have completed a recognized forensic science degree or certification program or
be enrolled in a recognized forensic science degree
or
certification program to be completed within one year of being elected to the
office of coroner
;

(
f)
be a medical doctor; or

(
g)
have a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

(
B)
(
1) A person who offers his candidacy
for the office of coroner, no later than the close of filing, shall file a
sworn affidavit with the county executive committee of the person's political
party.

(
2)
The county executive committee of a political party with whom a person has
filed his affidavit must file a copy of the affidavit with the appropriate
county election commission by noon on the tenth day following the deadline for
filing affidavits by candidates. If the tenth day falls on a Saturday, Sunday,
or holiday, the affidavit must be filed by noon the following day.

(
3)
A person who seeks nomination by petition for the office of coroner, no later
than the close of filing, shall file a sworn affidavit with the county election
commission in the county of his residence.

(
4)
The affidavit required by the provisions of this subsection must contain the
following information:

(
a)
the person's date and place of birth;

(
b)
the person's citizenship;

(
c)
the county the person is a resident of, and how long the person has been a
resident of that county;

(
d)
whether the person is a registered voter;

(
e)
the date the person obtained a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent
by the State Department of Education;

(
f)
whether the person has been convicted of a felony offense or an offense
involving moral turpitude contrary to the laws of this State, another state, or
the United States;

(
g)
the date the person obtained an associate or baccalaureate degree, if
applicable;

(
h)
the date the person completed a recognized forensic science degree or
certification program
, or information regarding the
person's enrollment in a recognized forensic science degree or certification
program, if applicable
; and

(
i)
the number of years of experience the person has as a death investigator,
certified law enforcement officer, or licensed private investigator, if
applicable.

(
C)
Each person serving as coroner in the person's first term is required to
complete a basic training session to be determined by the South Carolina
Criminal Justice Academy. This basic training session must be completed no
later than the end of the calendar year following the person's election as
coroner. A person appointed to fill the unexpired term in the office of coroner
shall complete a basic training session to be determined by the South Carolina
Criminal Justice Academy within one calendar year of the date of appointment.
This section must not be construed to require an individual to repeat the basic
training session if the person has successfully completed the session prior to
the person's election or appointment as coroner. A coroner who is unable to
attend this training session when offered because of an emergency or
extenuating circumstances, within one year from the date the disability or
cause terminates, shall complete the standard basic training session required
of coroners. A coroner who does not fulfill the obligations of this subsection
is subject to suspension by the Governor until the coroner completes the
training session.

(
D) A
person holding the office of coroner or deputy coroner who was elected,
appointed, or employed prior to January 1, 1994, and who has served
continuously since that time shall attend a minimum of sixteen hours training
annually as may be selected by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Training
Council on or before December 31, 1995. Each year, all coroners and deputy
coroners shall complete a minimum of sixteen hours training annually as
selected by the council. Certification or records of attendance or training
must be maintained as directed by the council.

(
E)
(
1) The basis for the minimum annual
requirement of in-service training is the calendar year. A coroner who
satisfactorily completes the basic training session in accordance with the
provisions of subsection (C) is excused from the minimum annual training
requirements of subsection (D) for the calendar year in which the basic
training session is completed.

(
2)
The Board of Directors of the South Carolina Coroners Association, in its
discretion, may grant a waiver of the requirements of the annual in-service
training upon presentation of evidence by a coroner that he was unable to
complete the training due to an emergency or extenuating circumstances.

(
3)
A coroner who fails to complete the minimum annual in-service training required
by this section may be suspended from office, without pay, by the Governor for
ninety days. The Governor may continue to suspend a coroner until the coroner
completes the annual minimum in-service training required in this section. The
Governor shall appoint, at the time of the coroner's suspension, a qualified
person to perform as acting coroner during the suspension.

(
F) A
coroner in office on the effective date of this section is exempt from the
provisions of this section except for the provisions of subsection (D).

(
G)
(
1) The Director of the South Carolina
Criminal Justice Academy shall appoint a Coroners Training Advisory Committee
to assist in the determination of training requirements for coroners and deputy
coroners and to determine those forensic science degree and certification
programs that qualify as 'recognized' pursuant to the requirements of this
section. Also, the committee shall assist in determining annual training
requirements as set forth in this section. The committee must consist of no
fewer than five coroners and at least one physician trained in forensic
pathology as recommended by the South Carolina Coroners Association. The
members of the committee shall serve without compensation.

(
2)
The Coroners Training Advisory Committee shall govern the qualifications of all
coroners, deputy coroners, and candidates for coroner as set forth in this
section. Also, the committee must certify all coroners. The committee may
require a coroner or a deputy coroner to appear before it for performance
review. Failure to appear before the committee or failure to follow state law
relating to the performance of official duties may result in sanctioning in the
form of a private or public reprimand. Also, the committee may recommend
suspension to the Governor and loss of funding to the county council. A person
may appeal an action of the committee pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 23,
Title 1. The committee may hire an administrative assistant if it is determined
necessary.

(
H)
Expenses of all training authorized or required by this section must be paid by
the county the coroner or deputy coroner serves, and the South Carolina Law
Enforcement Training Council is authorized to set and collect fees for this
training.

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

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 1:09 PM