Federal law requires firearms dealers to obtain a license from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), although resource limitations prevent the ATF from properly overseeing all its licensees.

In 2012, South Carolina repealed its law governing handgun dealers.¹ South Carolina formerly required that any retail dealer selling handguns must possess a dealer license and comply with certain conditions.

For laws:

• Applicable to both licensed and unlicensed firearm sellers, please see the South Carolina Universal Background Checks section;

• Requiring firearm dealers to conduct a background check on purchasers, see the South Carolina Background Checks  section;

• Requiring firearm dealers to ensure that purchasers possess a locking device, see the South Carolina Locking Devices section; and

• Prohibiting dealers from selling unsafe handguns, see the section entitled Design Safety Standards for Handguns.

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1. 2012 S.C. Act No. 285, § 2.[↩]