South Carolina currently has only two drone-specific statutes, plus a pending bill that could reshape the entire regulatory landscape. Here is what is actually on the books today, followed by what may be coming.
| Restriction | Statute | Penalty |
|---|
| Flying within 500 ft horizontal or 250 ft vertical of a corrections facility | S.C. Code 24-1-300 | Misdemeanor: up to $500 fine + 30 days jail. Drone confiscation. |
| Drone-based voyeurism/peeping | S.C. Code 16-17-470 | Misdemeanor (voyeurism) to felony (aggravated): up to $5,000 + 10 years |
| Feral hog/coyote management by drone | S.C. Code 50-1-130 | N/A (permissive statute) |
| PENDING: Comprehensive drone regulation | H4679 (introduced Jan 2026) | Weaponization: up to $25,000 + 10 years |
The corrections facility buffer zone
S.C. Code 24-1-300 prohibits operating any drone within 500 feet horizontally or 250 feet vertically of a Department of Corrections facility without written consent from the Director. This is a misdemeanor carrying up to $500 fine and/or 30 days imprisonment. The Department can also confiscate the drone itself.
This law exists because South Carolina has had a serious prison drone smuggling problem. In November 2022, a drone carrying 38 grams of methamphetamine crashed during a contraband delivery attempt at a federal prison in the Broad River area. Three individuals were convicted: Tyree O'Bryant Russell received 2 years, and Antoinette Tyeisha Ricks received more than 3 years in federal prison. In 2023, 18 additional individuals were arrested across multiple SCDC facilities for drone contraband smuggling, prompting the department to deploy Dedrone counter-drone detection systems statewide.
Warning: The corrections facility buffer zone applies even if you have no intention of delivering contraband. Flying a recreational drone too close to a prison is enough to trigger the misdemeanor charge under S.C. Code 24-1-300. Check your flight path against SCDC facility locations before takeoff.
The feral hog hunting exception
S.C. Code 50-1-130 explicitly authorizes the use of drones for counting, photographing, relocating, capturing, and hunting feral hogs and coyotes. This is unusual among states. Most states either ban or do not address using drones for hunting. South Carolina's permissive stance reflects the severity of its feral hog problem, which causes significant agricultural damage statewide.
The Aiken privacy gap
In the Gem Lakes neighborhood of Aiken, resident Bill Busser contacted the Aiken Department of Public Safety after drones repeatedly flew over his neighborhood. Police determined that no South Carolina law was being violated. There was simply no statute on the books prohibiting someone from flying a drone over residential property. State Rep. Bill Taylor (R-Aiken) publicly called for legislative action, and this incident became part of the momentum behind H4679.
H4679: the pending Drone Regulation Act
Introduced on January 13, 2026, and currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee, H4679 (the South Carolina Drone Regulation and Public Safety Act) would add Section 55-1-110 to the state code. Key provisions include codifying FAA registration and Part 107 compliance at the state level, prohibiting surveillance and recording in locations with a reasonable expectation of privacy, prohibiting weaponizing drones (penalty: up to $25,000 fine and/or 10 years imprisonment), and preempting local ordinances that conflict with state or FAA rules. The bill exempts law enforcement, emergency responders, military operations, FAA-authorized commercial work, and state-approved research and agricultural operations. If passed, South Carolina would jump from one of the least regulated states to having one of the more comprehensive drone frameworks in the country.
For more on privacy law, see our drone spying laws guide and flying over private property guide.
