South Carolina Firearm Bill of Sale Form

For the basics, read the guide to the bill of sale and the firearm bill of sale, or browse every state bill of sale forms. Selling something other than a gun? See the boat bill of sale, or look through the state PDF forms.

South Carolina Laws on Buying and Selling a Firearm

Both state law and federal law limit who can get a gun and what a licensed dealer must do before a sale. The rules below are quoted from the state code and the United States Code, so you can check each one at the source.

On handgun sales, the state code says:

It is unlawful for a person to knowingly sell, offer to sell, deliver, lease, rent, barter, exchange, or transport for sale into this State any handgun to: (1) a person who has been convicted of a crime of violence in any court of the United States, the several states, commonwealths, territories, possessions, or the District of Columbia or who is a fugitive from justice or a habitual drunkard or a drug addict or who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent.

In plain terms, you may not knowingly sell a handgun to:

• a person convicted of a crime of violence,
• a fugitive from justice,
• a habitual drunkard,
• a drug addict, or
• a person adjudicated mentally incompetent.^[1]

Federal law adds two rules for licensed dealers:

• Age. Under 18 USC 922, a licensed dealer may not sell a firearm or ammunition to anyone the dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than eighteen years of age. The limit rises to less than twenty-one years of age when the firearm is other than a shotgun or rifle.^[2.1]
• Background check. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(t)(1), a licensed importer, manufacturer or dealer who transfers a firearm to someone who is not licensed must contact the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) before the completion of the transfer.^[2.2]

Firearm Purchase Rules at a Glance

Download a Free South Carolina Firearm Bill of Sale Form

The free template is a five-page form. It has lines for the seller, the buyer, the gun, the price and the payment method. It also lists statements from each side, with signature lines for both parties and a witness, and ends with an acknowledgment page. Create it online, or download the printable PDF and fill it in with the PDF editor.

The form is laid out in this order:

• The date line and the names of the seller and the buyer, with their addresses and contact details.
• A description of the gun, followed by the purchase date, the purchase price and the method of payment.
• The seller's and the buyer's disclosures, then the miscellaneous provisions.
• The signature page for the seller, the buyer and a witness, and a final acknowledgment page.

Create a free South Carolina Firearm Bill of Sale online in under 5 minutes!

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How to Fill Out a South Carolina Firearm Bill of Sale

Work down the form from the top: the date, both parties, the firearm, the price and payment, the disclosures, the signatures and the acknowledgment. The steps below follow the SC firearm bill of sale form from FormsPal, and each one names the page it is on.

Before you start, have these details at hand. You need the full names and contact details of the seller and the buyer and a description of the firearm. You also need the purchase date and price, how the buyer will pay, and a witness for the signature page.

1. Date. Enter the date on the DATE line at the top of page 1.
   
2. Seller's and Buyer's Information. On page 1, fill in these lines for the seller, then again for the buyer:
   • Name
   • Street Address
   • City, State, Zip Code
   • Telephone Number
   • Email Address
     
3. Description. Still on page 1, write the seller's and buyer's names in the sentence that opens this part. Then describe the firearm:
   • Make (manufacturer)
   • Type or model
   • Caliber
   • Serial number
   • Other information
     
4. Purchase Date, Purchase Price and Method. On page 2, enter the purchase date and the total price in U.S. dollars. Then tick one way of paying:
   • All at once on the purchase date. The buyer hands over the full price and the seller hands over the firearm.
   • A deposit now and the balance later. Fill in the deposit amount and date, and the date the balance is due.
   • A gift. No consideration is paid.
   • A trade-in. Describe the buyer's firearm in the same way, and add a payment if one is part of the deal.
   Then tick how the buyer pays:
   • Cash
   • Check (add the check number)
   • Cashier's check
   • Money order
     
5. Disclosures and Miscellaneous Provisions. Pages 2 to 4 hold a list of statements from the seller and a list from the buyer, followed by the miscellaneous provisions. Each side signs under its own list on page 3. The form states that the firearm is sold "as is" with no express or implied warranties, and that the buyer accepts all liability for it as of the sale date.
   
6. Signatures. On page 4, fill in the date lines. The seller and the buyer each sign and print a name, and the witness signs and prints a name.
   
7. Acknowledgment. Page 5 holds the acknowledgment, with blanks for the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and the name of the person who appears before the officer.
   

Frequently Asked Questions

What does South Carolina law say about firearms and prohibited persons?

Under Section 16-23-30 of the S.C. Code Ann., it is unlawful to knowingly sell a handgun to certain people. They include anyone convicted of a crime of violence, a fugitive from justice, a habitual drunkard, a drug addict, and anyone adjudicated mentally incompetent. The law also covers offering to sell, delivering, leasing, renting, bartering, exchanging or transporting a handgun for sale into South Carolina.^[1]

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. S.C. Code Ann. § 16-23-30.
2. 18 USC 922 §§ 18 USC 922 to 922(t)(1).
   • 2.1 18 USC 922
   • 2.2 § 922(t)(1)

Mara Erlach

Writer & Attorney

Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.