2022 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 50 - Fish, Game and Watercraft
Chapter 5 - Marine Resources Act
Section 50-5-1705. Catch limits.

(A) As used in this article, a day means sunrise on one day to sunrise on the following day.

(B) The limits established in this article apply to all state waters.

(C) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than ten spotted seatrout in any one day.

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

(E) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess more than one tarpon in any one day or a tarpon of less than seventy-seven inches in fork length.

(F) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than five black drum (Pogonias cromis) in any one day.

Text of (G) effective until June 30, 2024. See, also, text of (G) effective June 30, 2024.

(G) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess more than five flounder (Paralichthys species) taken by means of gig, spear, hook and line, or similar device in any one day, not to exceed ten flounder in any one day on any boat.

Text of (G) effective June 30, 2024. See, also, text of (G) effective until June 30, 2024.

(G) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess more than ten flounder (Paralichthys species) taken by means of gig, spear, hook and line, or similar device in any one day, not to exceed twenty flounder in any one day on any boat.

(H) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than one weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) in any one day.

(I) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess more than ten sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) in any one day, not to exceed thirty sheepshead in any one day on any boat.

(J) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess in any one day more than fifty of a combination of the following: spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), whiting (Menticirrhus spp.), and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) taken by hook and line.

(K) It is unlawful to take or possess hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis) or gafftopsail catfish (Bagre marinus).

(L) It is unlawful to gig for spotted seatrout or red drum from December first through the last day of February, inclusive.

(M) It is unlawful to take or possess a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Any great white shark that is caught must be released immediately and must remain completely in the water at all times while being released.

(N) The possession limits do not apply to the possession or sale of properly identified fish imported by seafood dealers or produced by permitted mariculture operations, or to possession as allowed under permit authorized by this chapter.

(O) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than ten spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) in any one day, not to exceed thirty spadefish in any one day on any boat.

(P) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than three tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis) in any one day, not to exceed nine tripletail in any one day on any boat.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 245, Section 9; 2001 Act No. 105, Section 2; 2007 Act No. 85, Section 2, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature on June 15, 2007); 2010 Act No. 169, Section 1, eff July 1, 2010; 2012 Act No. 210, Section 1, eff June 7, 2012; 2013 Act No. 7, Section 10, eff March 22, 2013; 2013 Act No. 50, Section 1, eff July 1, 2014; 2013 Act No. 72, Section 1, eff June 13, 2013; 2014 Act No. 205 (H.4551), Section 1, eff June 2, 2014; 2014 Act No. 211 (H.4945), Section 1, eff June 2, 2014; 2017 Act No. 72 (H.3665), Section 2, eff July 1, 2017; 2018 Act No. 203 (S.933), Section 1, eff July 1, 2018; 2020 Act No. 118 (S.474), Section 1, eff March 24, 2020; 2020 Act No. 119 (S.475), Section 1, eff March 24, 2020; 2021 Act No. 91 (H.3957), Section 1, eff July 1, 2021.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments made by 2014 Act No. 205 and 2014 Act No. 211 were read together. Subsection (L) added by 2014 Act No. 205, was redesignated subsection (M), and former subsection (M) was redesignated subsection (N).

Editor's Note

2021 Act No. 91, Sections 5, 6, provide as follows:

"SECTION 5. SECTION 1 of this act is repealed on June 30, 2024, and the text amended by that SECTION shall revert back to the language contained in the South Carolina Code of Laws as of January 1, 2020.

"SECTION 6. The Department of Natural Resources shall furnish a written report to the General Assembly on South Carolina's stock of flounder by December 31, 2023. The report must provide future projections."

Effect of Amendment

The 2007 amendment deleted subsection (A) relating to saltwater gamefish; redesignated subsections (B) to (E) as subsections (A) to (D); in subsection (C), substituted "three" for "two"; added subsection (E) relating to black drum Pogonias cromis; in subsection (F), added ", not to exceed forty flounder in any one day on any boat"; added subsection (G) relating to weakfish Cynoscion regalis and subsection (H) relating to catfish; and redesignated subsections (G) and (H) as subsections (I) and (J).

The 2010 amendment in subsection (G) substituted "one" for "ten".

The 2012 amendment added subsection (H), relating to sheepshead, and renumbered prior subsections (I) and (J) as (J) and (K).

The 2013 amendment by 2013 Act No. 7, added subsection (B) and redesignated former subsections (B) through (K) as (C) through (L); and added parentheses around species names.

The 2013 amendment by 2013 Act No. 72, in subsection (E), substituted "possess" for "have in possession" and added at the end "or a tarpon of less than seventy-seven inches in fork length".

The 2013 amendment by 2013 Act No. 50, substituted "fifteen" for "twenty" and "thirty" for "forty" in paragraph (G).

2014 Act No. 205, Section 1, added subsection (M), relating to a great white shark, and redesignated former subsection (M) as subsection (N).

2014 Act No. 211, Section 1, added subsection (J), relating to limits for spot, whiting, and Atlantic croaker, and redesingated the subsections accordingly.

2017 Act No. 72, Section 2, in (G), substituted "more than ten flounder" for "more than fifteen flounder" and "twenty flounder" for "thirty flounder".

2018 Act No. 203, Section 1, in (D), substituted "two red drum" for "three red drum", and added ", not to exceed six red drum in any one day on any boat" at the end.

2020 Act No. 118, Section 1, added (O), relating to limits for spadefish.

2020 Act No. 119, Section 1, added (P), relating to the tripletail catch limit.

2021 Act No. 91, Section 1, in (G), substituted "five flounder" for "ten flounder" and "ten flounder" for "twenty flounder".