Red drum, saltwater fish, deer hunting

2025-2026 Bill 961: Red Drum

South Carolina General Assembly

126th Session, 2025-2026

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A231, R242, S961

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill

Sponsors: Senator Campsen

Document Path: SFGF-0025BC26.docx

Introduced in the Senate on February 26, 2026

Introduced in the House on March 24, 2026

Last Amended on May 12, 2026

Governor's Action: May 19, 2026, Signed

Summary: Red drum, saltwater fish, deer hunting

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/26/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 3
)

2/26/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Fish, Game and Forestry
(
Senate Journal-page 3
)

3/4/2026

Scrivener's error corrected

3/11/2026

Senate

Committee report: Favorable
Fish, Game and Forestry
(
Senate Journal-page 12
)

3/17/2026

Senate

Read second time (
Senate Journal-page 34
)

3/17/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-39 Nays-1 (
Senate Journal-page 34
)

3/19/2026

Senate

Read third time and sent to House (
Senate Journal-page 20
)

3/24/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 43
)

3/24/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 43
)

5/6/2026

House

Committee report: Favorable with amendment
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
(
House Journal-page 9
)

5/7/2026

House

Amended (
House Journal-page 90
)

5/7/2026

House

Read second time (
House Journal-page 90
)

5/7/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-98 Nays-3 (
House Journal-page 91
)

5/7/2026

House

Unanimous consent for third reading on next
legislative day (
House Journal-page 92
)

5/8/2026

House

Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments (
House Journal-page 2
)

5/12/2026

Senate

House amendment amended (
Senate Journal-page 17
)

5/12/2026

Senate

Roll call Ayes-40 Nays-0 (
Senate Journal-page 17
)

5/12/2026

Senate

Returned to House with amendments (
Senate Journal-page 17
)

5/14/2026

House

Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled (
House Journal-page 26
)

5/14/2026

House

Roll call Yeas-104 Nays-6 (
House Journal-page 27
)

5/15/2026

Ratified R 242

5/19/2026

Signed By Governor

6/5/2026

Effective date See Act for Effective Date

6/3/2026

Act No. 231

View the latest
legislative information
at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

02/26/2026
03/04/2026
03/11/2026
05/06/2026
05/07/2026
05/12/2026

(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.

(A231, R242, S961)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 50-5-1705, RELATING TO CATCH LIMITS FOR CERTAIN SALTWATER GAME FISH, SO AS TO REVISE THE CATCH LIMIT FOR RED DRUM; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-5-1710, RELATING TO SIZE LIMITS FOR CERTAIN SALTWATER GAME FISH, SO AS TO REVISE THE SIZE LIMIT FOR RED DRUM; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-5-1700, RELATING TO EQUIPMENT FOR THE CATCHING OF SALTWATER GAME FISH, SO AS TO REQUIRE A NONOFFSET, NONSTAINLESS STEEL CIRCLE HOOK WHEN USING A HANDHELD HOOK AND LINE AND A HOOK SIZE OF 4/0 OR LARGER; AND BY AMENDING SECTION
50-9-650
, RELATING TO DEER HUNTING, SO AS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ANTERLESS DEER TAGS ISSUED.

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

Catch limits

SECTION 1. Section 50-5-1705(D) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(D) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than one red drum in any one day, not to exceed two red drum in any one day on any boat.

Size limits

SECTION 2. Section 50-5-1710(B)(3) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(3) red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) (channel bass or spottail bass) of less than eighteen inches in total length, or more than twenty-five inches in total length;

Methods of taking saltwater game fish

SECTION 3. Section 50-5-1700(B) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

(B)(1) It is unlawful to take or attempt to take saltwater gamefish in the waters of this State, except by:

(a) hand-held hook and line, to include rod and reel and pole, and when using natural bait with a hook size of 4/0 or larger, the hook must be a nonoffset, nonstainless steel circle hook; or

(b) gigging during legal periods.

(2) Any saltwater gamefish taken by any other means must be returned immediately to the water.

Deer hunting

SECTION 4.A. 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 and three unrestricted individual antlered deer tags. 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.

B. This SECTION takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Time effective

SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided in this act, this act takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Ratified the 15th day of May, 2026.

Approved the 19th day of May, 2026.

__________

This web page was last updated on
June 3, 2026 at 12:11 PM