Guides · Feral hog laws by state · Checked September 30, 2026
Feral hog laws in South Carolina
In South Carolina, there is no closed season and no bag limit for feral hogs on private land. Night hunting is allowed only on properties registered each year with SCDNR.
The rules at a glance
- Legal status
- Wild hogs are not protected in South Carolina. source
- Season
- No closed season on private land statewide during daylight hours. source
- License
- A hunting license is required to hunt feral hogs. source
- Bag limit
- None on private land. source
- Trapping
- Year-round on private land without a license or permit, but cable restraints (snares) are not legal traps on land, so any hog trap using a snare is illegal. Deer or bear caught in a hog trap must be released immediately, and trap identification and permission-to-trap rules apply. source
- Moving live hogs
- It is illegal to remove a hog from the wild alive. Live swine may travel on public roads or waterways only with official identification or a document such as a bill of sale; swine without it are presumed taken from the wild. source
- Night hunting
- Only on properties registered each year with SCDNR, with lights, night vision and any legal firearm, bow or crossbow. Not on unregistered property except under a DNR depredation permit, not within 300 yards of a residence without the occupant's permission, not from or across a paved public road, and not for anyone convicted of night hunting deer, bear or turkey in the past five years. source
- Eradication or bounty
- Not stated by SCDNR
What makes South Carolina different
By 2008, wild pigs were documented in all 46 South Carolina counties.
Where to report hogs
Whoever registers a property for night hunting must report the number of feral hogs taken there within 30 days after the 12-month registration ends, or before registering again. No sighting line is published on the pages read.
Every state also has a USDA Wildlife Services office. The federal feral swine program (Squeal on Pigs!) links to yours.
Knowing the rules is half of it
Whether you hunt, trap or call it in, it helps to know what is actually on your land.
HogSight reads the trail-camera photos you already have and maps the sounder: group size, timing, and which individuals keep coming back. See how HogSight reads your camera roll →
Sources
Checked against these official pages on September 30, 2026. Due for a re-check by September 30, 2027.
Rules next door
This guide is informational. Wildlife and animal-health rules change and can vary by county. Always confirm current rules with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources before acting.