South Carolina Dumb Laws

Sunday Dancing

In South Carolina, dance halls are not allowed to open on Sundays. Specifically, they must close at midnight on Saturday and remain shut until the clock strikes midnight again on Sunday night. This blue law dates back to more conservative times when Sunday was legally reserved for rest and religious observance. Some places still follow the rule, even if unofficially. Source

No Pinball for Kids

South Carolina law prohibits anyone under 18 from playing pinball. This regulation, which many believe is still on the books, dates to an era when pinball was viewed as a shady, gambling-adjacent activity. While it may sound absurd now, it’s a leftover from a time when even arcade games were seen as corrupting influences. Source

No Dynamite Fishing

If you’re thinking about going fishing in South Carolina, leave the explosives at home. State law explicitly bans using dynamite, gunpowder, or other explosive devices to catch fish. It’s an environmental safeguard that also serves as a reminder that blowing up a lake to score a catfish dinner is wildly illegal. Source

False Promises of Marriage

South Carolina law makes it a crime for a man over 16 to seduce an unmarried woman by promising to marry her. Though this law is rooted in outdated gender norms and Victorian moral codes, it technically remains on the books. Enforcement is rare, but the statute is still cited in legal references. Source

Do Bring Your Gun to Church

An early colonial law in South Carolina once required every able-bodied man to carry a rifle to church on Sundays, presumably to guard against attacks. Long repealed, the statute offers a glimpse into the frontier mindset of early settlers and the idea that even church wasn’t exempt from preparedness. Source