South Carolina § 40-18-60 - Proprietary security business license; applications; qualifications of licensee; display of license; renewal; inspection of employment records; exemptions.

§ 40-18-60. Proprietary security business license; applications; qualifications of licensee; display of license; renewal; inspection of employment records; exemptions.

(A) An employer who uses a person who is armed, uniformed, or has been delegated arrest authority for work on the employer's premises in connection with the affairs of the employer must make application to SLED for a proprietary security business license and pay an annual license fee, set by SLED regulation.

(1) If the applicant is an association or corporation, then the chief executive officer of the association or corporation must be the applicant or must designate in writing the corporate officer or principal who is the applicant.

(2) If the applicant is a partnership, then all partners must complete an application form.

(3) If the applicant is a public school district, then the district board of trustees must designate in writing that the superintendent is the applicant. If the applicant is a charter school authorized by the South Carolina Public Charter School District or an approved public or independent institution of higher learning, the authorizer must designate in writing that the superintendent of the authorizer of the charter school is the applicant. SLED shall develop standards and guidelines applicable to the provisions of private security in schools. SLED shall only approve those school districts or charter schools who have demonstrated that the applicant and all employees intended to be used in this capacity have the requisite training, background, and experience to successfully and safely provide private security and exercise law enforcement authority in a school setting and can operate in a manner that ensures public safety.

(4) The application for license must be made, under oath, on a form approved by SLED. The application must state the applicant's full name, age, date and place of birth, current residence address, residence addresses for the past ten years, employment for the past ten years, including names and addresses of employers, the applicant's current occupation with the name and address of the current employer, the date and place of any arrests, any convictions for violations of federal or state laws, and any additional information as SLED may require. Each applicant must submit with the application one complete set of the applicant's fingerprints on forms specified and furnished by SLED and one color photograph of the applicant's full face, without head covering, taken within six months of the application.

(B) SLED may grant a license to a person who:

(1) is at least twenty-one years of age;

(2) has a high school diploma or equivalent;

(3) is a citizen of the United States;

(4) has not been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude;

(5) is of good moral character;

(6) has not been discharged from military service with other than an honorable discharge;

(7) does not unlawfully use drugs;

(8) does not use alcohol to such a degree as to affect adversely his ability to perform competently the duties of a security company licensee, has not been adjudicated an incapacitated person without being restored to legal competency, and who has no physical or mental impairment which would prevent him from competently performing the duties of a security company licensee;

(9) has satisfied SLED that the applicant and company are financially responsible;

(10) has satisfied SLED that the person or company has or will have a competent, certified training officer and an adequate training program with a curriculum approved by SLED, or that adequate training will be obtained from another approved source; and

(11) has met other qualifications SLED may establish by regulation.

(C) SLED must grant a license to the applicant to employ security officers upon satisfaction of the competency and integrity of an applicant, or, if the applicant is an officer of an association, partnership, or corporation, upon satisfaction of the competency and integrity of the officers and principals.

(D) Immediately upon receipt of a license, the licensee must post and at all times display the license in a conspicuous location at his place of business and at each location where security personnel are posted.

(E) Issuance of the license authorizes the licensee to post persons performing the duties of security officers at each location of company property owned by the licensee. The licensee must immediately notify SLED of the address of each site where security officers are assigned and where assignments are discontinued.

(F) Licensure is for one year and application for renewal must be on a form approved by SLED.

(G) A licensee who is arrested must report the custodial arrest to SLED within seventy-two hours of the arrest.

(H) Licensees must make employment records available for inspection during normal business hours. The Chief of SLED or his designee may conduct inspections as necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter and SLED regulations.

(I) A person is exempt from the provisions of this section if he receives compensation for private employment on an individual, independent contractor basis as a patrolman, guard, or watchman and if he has full-time employment as a law enforcement officer with a state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency. For this exemption to be valid, the person must not be employed by another law enforcement officer.

(J) A person is exempt from the provisions of this section if:

(1) the person is employed solely as a nonuniformed, unarmed fire watchman, gatekeeper, or security officer;

(2) the person is without delegated or assigned arrest authority; and

(3) the employer is not a private investigation or security business.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 372, SECTION 1; 2025 Act No. 36 (S.269), SECTION 2, eff May 12, 2025.

Effect of Amendment

2025 Act No. 36, SECTION 2, added (A)(3) and made nonsubstantive and conforming changes.