South Carolina Gun Laws & Firearms Safety Practice Exam 2025 – Your All-In-One Guide to Exam Success

In South Carolina, open carry of handguns is indeed permitted, but only for individuals who hold a valid concealed weapons permit. This law reflects the state's approach to balancing the rights of individuals to carry firearms while ensuring that there is some degree of regulation in place concerning the carrying of firearms in public.

Holding a permit not only signifies a level of training and knowledge about firearm safety—addressing the state's concerns regarding responsible gun ownership—but also helps to promote a safer environment overall. The requirement for a permit acts as a means of ensuring that individuals carrying firearms have undergone a background check and have completed the necessary training.

The other choices provide differing interpretations of the law. Not allowing open carry at all, as one option suggests, overlooks the state's recognition of open carry as permissible with a permit. Similarly, suggesting that open carry is allowed without a permit or only in rural areas fails to capture the requirement for a permit that governs the practice statewide.