Keeping South Carolina Homes Safe

The home is the most common environment for children, those with dementia, or those with mental health challenges to cause accidental harm with firearms. Together, we can make our homes and neighborhoods safer.

  • Ensure your firearms are stored securely in a safe or lockbox.

  • If a safe or lockbox is not available, firearms should have trigger locks and stored out of view and reach of children.

  • Store ammunition separately from the firearm.

  • Talk to your young children about staying away from any firearm and reporting an unlocked firearm to a responsible adult.

  • Ask other parents, family members, and neighbors about how they store their firearms ahead of playdates, sleepovers, and parties.

  • Teach older children about the Four Cardinal Rules of Gun Safety and have them complete South Carolina Safe Carry online course.

Home Defense and Gun Safety

With modern technology, having a gun for home defense and keeping it locked up for safety is much easier than it used to be! Modern safes, lockboxes, and trigger locks use fingerprints and rapid codes that allow fast access while maintaining firearm safety in the home.

Questions to Ask:

Before Dropping Kids at a Playdate: “My kid’s very curious. Do you have an unsecured firearm in the home?”

Teens Taking a First Babysitting Job: “Are there any unsecured firearms in the home?”

With Aging Family Members: “Maybe we should think about how we store your guns around the house, especially now that the kids will be visiting?”

Mental Health Issues

If someone in your home or community is having mental health issues - especially if they may have access to a firearm - you have resources available:

  • If the individual in your community is an immediate threat to others, call 911 to dispatch a police officer urgently.

  • If the individual is experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, call the South Carolina Mental Health Mobile Crisis Line: 833 364 2274

  • Other resources available include:

    • South Carolina Crisis Text Line: Text “Hope4SC” to 741741

    • National Suicide Lifeline: text or call 988

    • Veteran’s Crisis Line: call 988 and press option 1

  • Yes. On average, 8 children a day are killed or injured with an unlocked or unsupervised gun in the home.

  • Teaching your children about firearms is a personal decision that is based on several factors, but if your children are asking about firearms, then you should think about addressing it.  Making firearms a secret can sometimes increase their curiosity, and they’ll seek answers on their own.  Do you remember trying to find the Christmas presents your parents hid when you were young? Same concept.  Hiding firearms, putting them up high, and not addressing their curiosities can lead to unintended results.

  • Online retailers can deliver them to your home, and gun stores/ranges carry a variety of good home storage solutions.  Local Sheriff’s Offices and Police Departments frequently offer free gun locks to their citizens, so inquiring to your local law enforcement agency is a good first step.

  • Practice, practice, practice.  If it’s a keyed lock, make sure your key is kept in a consistent place.  If it’s a combination or code, practice opening it under stress or time. Also, think about how you are storing the firearm… Do you keep a round in the chamber when it’s in the safe?  If you don’t, make sure to practice racking the slide when you get it out, or you won’t do it under stress when you need to.

  • Antique guns should be secured like any other firearm.

  • No, guns are not your only option for home defense. Home defense starts with a secure home. Make sure that all windows and doors are locked. Consider installing motion activated flood lights or a camera/security system. In the event you need to intervene, there are less lethal options, such as pepper spray, pepper guns, stun guns, and impact weapons. Regardless of what method you plan to use as an intervention, ensure that you get the proper training to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Ready to Learn More?

SCSafeCarry.com is a great place to learn about the basics of gun safety.

Taking the entire online course will teach you about firearm best practices, laws around gun ownership and more.

The in-person Safe Carry course will allow you to ask questions to a certified instructor and get your hands on sample safes.

For in-person training that includes time on a range with a certified instructor, you can sign up for a full Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) course.

All of these options are provided for free by the State of South Carolina.

Complete Online Course
Register for In-Person Safe Carry Course
Register for Concealed Weapons Permit Course