AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA DRONE REGULATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACT" BY ADDING ARTICLE 3 TO CHAPTER 1, TITLE 55 SO AS TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL OPERATION OF DRONES, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR THE UNLAWFUL OPERATION OF DRONES; AND BY REPEALING SECTIONS 24-1-300 AND 24-5-175 RELATING TO THE UNLAWFUL OPERATION OF UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES NEAR CERTAIN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND LOCAL DETENTION FACILITIES.
H4679 enacts the “South Carolina Drone Regulation and Public Safety Act,” creating a new set of state rules for unmanned aircraft systems (drones). The bill defines key terms such as drone, commercial and recreational operator, controlled airspace, military installation, correctional facility, and weaponized drone, and it requires drone operators to comply with applicable FAA registration, safety, and authorization requirements. It also makes clear that the act does not supersede federal authority over airspace regulation.
The bill prohibits intentional or knowing drone operation, takeoff, or landing in controlled airspace without proper FAA authorization, and within 1,500 feet of correctional facilities or military installations without written consent from the relevant authority. It also criminalizes operating an unregistered drone in certain circumstances, using a drone to deliver contraband to detention facilities, using a drone to surveil sensitive facilities for unlawful purposes, and weaponizing a drone or using it to threaten or harm persons or property. Penalties range from misdemeanors for registration and airspace violations to felonies for contraband delivery, surveillance, and weaponization, with possible fines, imprisonment, and seizure or forfeiture of the drone.
The bill would also limit local regulation by preempting county and municipal ordinances that conflict with the act or FAA rules, while still allowing reasonable local restrictions on takeoff and landing sites and drone operations on or above public property not otherwise covered by the act. It exempts military, detention, and correctional personnel acting within the scope of their duties, and it repeals two existing code sections related to drone-related offenses. The act is scheduled to take effect January 1, 2027.
The overall sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly supportive and bipartisan, with unanimous or near-unanimous approval at each recorded stage: 104-0 in the House for passage, 46-0 in the Senate on second reading, and 88-0 in the House concurrence on Senate amendments. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate opposition in the available materials.
The main points of potential contention are the breadth of the no-fly and no-operation zones around military and correctional facilities, the criminal penalties for drone misuse, and the preemption of local ordinances. Even so, the unanimous votes suggest that lawmakers broadly viewed the bill as a public safety and security measure aimed at preventing contraband delivery, unlawful surveillance, and weaponized drone use while preserving FAA primacy over airspace regulation.
The bill adds a new Article 3 to Chapter 1 of Title 55 of the South Carolina Code, establishing statewide drone operation standards, criminal offenses, penalties, seizure procedures, and limited local authority over drone takeoff and landing on public property. It also repeals Sections 24-1-300 and 24-5-175, and directs the Code Commissioner to restyle existing Title 55 provisions. The act would affect drone operators, law enforcement, correctional facilities, military installations, and local governments, and it becomes effective January 1, 2027.
The recorded vote history shows overwhelming support and no recorded opposition: the House passed the bill 104-0, the Senate advanced it 46-0 on second reading, and the House concurred in Senate amendments 88-0. With no committee transcripts available, the public record provided here suggests the bill was viewed as a straightforward public safety and security measure with broad bipartisan backing.
The most notable areas of potential disagreement are the scope of the restricted zones around military installations and detention facilities, the felony penalties for contraband delivery and surveillance, and the extent to which the bill preempts local drone ordinances. These provisions could raise concerns among recreational drone users, commercial operators, and local governments, but the unanimous votes indicate that any such concerns did not produce visible opposition in the available legislative history.