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South Carolina

Visitors register only after a month or more, or never.

Visitors register after30+ days or never

South Carolina has no separate visitor registry, but someone present a total of 30 days in a 12-month period counts as a resident and must register. Working, studying, volunteering, or owning property can trigger registration within three business days regardless of days present. There is no statewide ban on being at schools, parks, or playgrounds, and no Halloween rule; the 1,000-foot rule limits where certain people may reside.

Registering as a visitor

When it's required
After 30 days, counted in total over a 12 months.
Deadline
Within three business days of establishing residence, acquiring property, gaining employment, or enrolling; presence of 30 total days in a 12-month period makes a person a resident, and a stay of 10 or more consecutive days is treated as a reportable temporary residence.
Where
In person with the sheriff of each county where they reside, own property, work, or attend/volunteer at a school, during that office's designated registration hours
Also required if
  • Acquiring or owning real property in a county
  • Employment, including volunteer or unpaid work, exceeding 14 days or an aggregate of 30 days in a calendar year
  • Attending, enrolling in, volunteering, interning, or working at any public or private school, from kindergarten through college or vocational school

Public registry

The law doesn't clearly say whether visitors appear on the public registry.

Registry information is open to public inspection and posted by SLED on its public website, which feeds the National Sex Offender Public Website. There is no statutory exemption for non-residents or short-term registrants, and South Carolina law does not provide for removal when a visitor leaves; removal runs only through the administrative or court processes in §§ 23-3-462 and 23-3-463.

Places registrants can't go

  • School, daycare center, children's recreational facility, park, or public playgroundUnlawful to reside within 1,000 feet (straight-line, property line to property line); this is a residence restriction only and does not bar visiting these places. Enforcement is notice-based with 30 days to vacate. Exceptions include grandfathered residences, shelters, and care facilities.Applies to: Only those convicted of CSC with a minor 1st or 2nd degree, assault with intent to commit CSC with a minor, kidnapping a person under 18, or trafficking a person under 18
  • Campus student housing at state-supported institutions of higher learningProhibited from living in campus student housing (§ 23-3-465)Applies to: All persons required to register

Laws cited

Last checked September 19, 2026 · full review September 19, 2026

Research notes

The 3-business-day deadline is not expressly reconciled with the 30-day residency definition; the cautious reading is to register before day 30. The 10-consecutive-day 'temporary residence' definition in § 23-3-460(D) is written for intercounty moves, not as a standalone visitor trigger. Full text of §§ 23-3-450, 460(D)-(G), 465, 470, 490, 530, and 535 was read from a county sheriff's compilation predating 2022 Act No. 128 and 2025 acts, not the state code site; only §§ 23-3-430(B) and 23-3-460(A),(C) were verified against official enacted text. Presence-type rules outside Article 7 (Title 16/59 school trespass, municipal park ordinances) were not checked. Probation/parole and Interstate Compact supervision conditions routinely restrict movement and contact with minors and are likely the real constraint for supervised travelers. Pending 2025-26 bills H.4560 and S.631 would extend § 23-3-535 to bus stops and HOA amenities; status unverified and apparently not law. [Reviewer 2026-09-19: public listing changed from long_term to unknown: the statute is silent on removing visitors, which isn't evidence that they stay listed.]

Common questions

Do registered sex offenders have to register when visiting South Carolina?

Visitors must register after 30 days, counted in total over a 12 months. Within three business days of establishing residence, acquiring property, gaining employment, or enrolling; presence of 30 total days in a 12-month period makes a person a resident, and a stay of 10 or more consecutive days is treated as a reportable temporary residence.

Will a visiting registrant appear on South Carolina's public registry?

South Carolina's law doesn't clearly say whether visitors appear on the public registry.

Are there places registrants can't go in South Carolina?

The state restricts registrants from: school, daycare center, children's recreational facility, park, or public playground; campus student housing at state-supported institutions of higher learning. Details and who they apply to are listed on this page.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules may add requirements. Confirm with the state registry agency or an attorney before you travel.