Open Carry of Handguns in South Carolina

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We hold that all citizens who may lawfully purchase a handgun be allowed to carry openly in public in the State of South Carolina except for those places prohibited by law. We also call for state preemption of all handgun laws concerning open carry in South Carolina.

1. Every individual has the right and responsibility to defend their self against unjustified threats of death or serious bodily injury.

2. The Constitution of the United States guarantees the right of individuals to keep and bear arms.

3. Criminals are not deterred by rules, regulations or laws forbidding the possession of weapons. A man bent on mass murder will not be stopped by a rule forbidding him to have a gun.

4. It is well known that the requirement to conceal a handgun for the purpose of protecting self, friends, and family can be difficult especially in South Carolina with our extreme heat since a person will usually have to wear a jacket to properly conceal a handgun and to avoid "printing.

5. The requirement to conceal a handgun can make it difficult to draw the weapon should the life of the carrier or the life of someone else be in danger.

6. A criminal will not open carry a weapon because he does not want to draw attention to himself. We believe that a citizen openly carrying a handgun lawfully will be a deterrent for crime.

7. Ten states including Arizona, Alaska, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, and Wyoming all allow open carry of handguns without a license. Twelve states including Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and Tennessee allow open carry of handguns with a license. In fact, South Carolina is one of only SIX states in the entire United States that completely bans open carry of handguns in public.

8. In these states, Open Carry is very common and it does not alarm law enforcement or other citizens.

For the foregoing reasons, we residents of the State of South Carolina affirm and assert that all citizens who may lawfully purchase a handgun be allowed to carry openly in public in the State of South Carolina except for those places prohibited by law. We also call for state preemption of all handgun laws concerning open carry in South Carolina.


4659 Signatures

  • Jay H
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Additional Comments.
    • Will be purchasing a handgn soon.
  • Jason G
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • David M. R
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Tommy C
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • James B
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Additional Comments.
    • This would be a great because we should have this right because there have been many occasions during the hot months I was not able to carry my weapon because of the light weight clothes I wear during the summer months.
  • Lee M
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Joseph B B
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • CHARLES H. W
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • James M. Timmons J
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
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  • Warren D. L
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Additional Comments.
    • В
  • Mario D
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Paul S. M
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Jerry M B
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Mike P
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Patrick S
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Gregory R
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • David R W
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Raymond L. Marr, J
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Bradley J
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Joseph H
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Barry E
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Dax E
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Stephen S
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Rosemary E
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Fred Van D
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • dan s
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Matthew O
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Lindy M
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Bryan B
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Thomas K
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Ryan L
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • lloyd b. h
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • William L
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • James Christopher B
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Jimmy L
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Todd C
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Blake d
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Additional Comments.
    • cwp holder
  • Jonathan C
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Gerie C. M
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Stanton B
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Rose Marie S
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Kenneth D A
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Wade J
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Additional Comments.
    • CWP# 45594
  • timothy b
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • John M W
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Steve C
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Shane W
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • jerald k
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • jerry k
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
  • Corey S
    • Are you a resident of the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you registered to vote in the State of South Carolina?
    • No
    • Are you a legal handgun owner in the State of South Carolina?
    • No