South Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee

S 458 — trespass

Last action — Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 18, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 22% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 5 sponsors

    5 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-600, RELATING TO NOTICE OF TRESPASSING, SO AS TO INCLUDE ENCLOSING THE LAND WITH A FENCE AS NOTICE FOR A TRESPASS VIOLATION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-620, RELATING TO ENTERING PREMISES AFTER WARNING OR REFUSING TO LEAVE ON REQUEST, SO AS TO MAKE IT A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE FOR A PERSON TO KNOWINGLY WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, INVITATION, OR LEGAL CAUSE ENTER THE DWELLING HOUSE, PLACE OF BUSINESS, OR STRUCTURE OF ANOTHER PERSON OR FAIL TO LEAVE WHEN REQUESTED AND TO PROVIDE GRADUATED PENALTIES FOR CONVICTION.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

65 added · 6 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent changes to Bill S 458 in South Carolina include new provisions about how landowners can notify others about trespassing. Specifically, it now states that enclosing land with a fence counts as notification against trespassing, alongside the existing requirement to post warning signs. Additionally, the bill makes it a misdemeanor for individuals to enter someone else's property without permission or to refuse to leave when asked, with penalties that vary based on the severity of the offense. These amendments aim to clarify property rights and enhance protection for landowners.

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2025-2026 Bill 458 Text of Previous Version (Mar.
18, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online South Carolina General Assembly126th Session, 2025-2026Bill 458Indicates Matter StrickenIndicates New Matter(Text matches printed bills.
Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)                 A bill   TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-600, RELATING TO NOTICE OF TRESPASSING, SO AS TO INCLUDE ENCLOSING THE LAND WITH A FENCE AS NOTICE FOR A TRESPASS VIOLATION;
AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-620, RELATING TO ENTERING PREMISES AFTER WARNING OR REFUSING TO LEAVE ON REQUEST, SO AS TO MAKE IT A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE FOR A PERSON TO KNOWINGLY WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, INVITATION, OR LEGAL CAUSE ENTER THE DWELLING HOUSE, PLACE OF BUSINESS, OR STRUCTURE OF ANOTHER PERSON OR FAIL TO LEAVE WHEN REQUESTED AND TO PROVIDE GRADUATED PENALTIES FOR CONVICTION.
  Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
  SECTION 1.  Section 16-11-600(B) of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      Section 16-11-600.
(B) The owner or tenant of any lands may accomplish the posting of notice as follows:
       (1) by posting a notice in four conspicuous places on the borders of such land prohibiting entry thereon;
 or        (2) by enclosing the land with a fence;
or        (2) (3) by marking boundaries with a clearly visible purple-painted marking, consisting of one vertical line not less than eight inches in length and two inches in width, and the bottom of the mark not less than three nor more than six feet from the ground or normal water surface.  These marks must be affixed to immovable, permanent objects that are not more than one hundred yards apart and readily visible to any person approaching the property.
  SECTION 2.  Section 16-11-620 of the S.C.
Code is amended to read:
      Section 16-11-620.
(A) It is unlawful for any Any person whoto, without authorization, invitation, or legal cause or good excuse, knowingly enters enter into the dwelling house as defined by Section 16-11-10, place of business, or on the premises of another person after having been warned not to do so or any or structure of another person.
    (B) It is unlawful for any person towho, having entered into the dwelling house, place of business, or structure of another person, or on the premises of another person without having been warned fails and refuses, without good cause or good excuselegal cause, to leave immediately upon being ordered or requested to do so by the person in possession or his agent or representative.
    (C) A person violating the provisions of this section shall, on conviction, for a first offense, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than two hundred dollars or be imprisoned for not more than thirty days;
for a second offense, be fined not more than five hundred dollars or be imprisoned for not more than ninety days;
for a third and subsequent offense, be fined not more than one thousand dollars and be imprisoned for not more than one year.
     (D) All municipal courts of this State as well as those of magistrates may try and determine criminal cases involving violations of this section occurring within the respective limits of such municipalities and magisterial districts.  All peace officers of the State and its subdivisions shall enforce the provisions hereof within their respective jurisdictions.
     (E) The provisions of this section shall be construed as being in addition to, and not as superseding, any other statutes of the State relating to trespass or entry on lands of another.
  SECTION 3.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
----XX---- This web page was last updated on March 18, 2025 at 12:27 PM
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Action History

  1. Referred to Committee on Judiciary

  2. Introduced and read first time

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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5 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 165 not signed on

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (165)

165 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 165 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 458 do?
A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-600, RELATING TO NOTICE OF TRESPASSING, SO AS TO INCLUDE ENCLOSING THE LAND WITH A FENCE AS NOTICE FOR A TRESPASS VIOLATION; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 16-11-620, RELATING TO ENTERING PREMISES AFTER WARNING OR REFUSING TO LEAVE ON REQUEST, SO AS TO MAKE IT A MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE FOR A PERSON TO KNOWINGLY WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, INVITATION, OR LEGAL CAUSE ENTER THE DWELLING HOUSE, PLACE OF BUSINESS, OR STRUCTURE OF ANOTHER PERSON OR FAIL TO LEAVE WHEN REQUESTED AND TO PROVIDE GRADUATED PENALTIES FOR CONVICTION.
Who sponsors S 458?
S 458 is sponsored by Senator Allen Blackmon, Senator Greg Hembree, Senator A. Shane Massey, Senator Michael Johnson, and Senator Brian Adams.
What is the current status of S 458?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced March 18, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track S 458?
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