South Carolina Private Security and Private Investigation Licensing Guide

South Carolina maintains a centralized, statewide licensing regime for private investigation and private security services under S.C. Code Ann. Title 40, Chapter 18. Licensing is administered by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

The statute provides for licensure of private investigation agencies and private investigators. It also provides for licensure of private security businesses and registration or licensing of individual security officers as defined by statute.

Licensure or registration is required prior to engaging in regulated services. Both business entities and individual personnel are regulated at the state level.

Firearms registration and armed security authorization are addressed within the Title 40, Chapter 18 framework and related regulations. Separate concealed weapons permitting is governed under Title 23 and is not itself a private security or private investigation license.

Regulation of private investigation and private security services is centralized at the state level.

South Carolina regulates private investigation and private security under a unified statutory framework administered by SLED.

Private security businesses and private investigation agencies must be licensed. Individual security officers and private investigators must be registered or licensed as required under Title 40, Chapter 18.

Armed security authorization is administered within the Chapter 18 framework and does not replace required business licensure or individual registration.