New in SC Law | Firing a Gun Into a Home or Car Is Now a Violent Offense

South Carolina raised the penalties for discharging a firearm into a dwelling or an occupied vehicle, and reclassified both as violent offenses. Effective May 15, 2026.

A bullet goes through the wall of an occupied house. A round is fired into a car with people inside. These are not abstract crimes. They happen in moments of anger, in disputes that escalate, in the seconds after something goes wrong.

South Carolina has significantly changed how it treats both. As of May 15, 2026, under H.3650, the penalties are steeper, and both offenses are now classified as violent crimes.

What the law covers

The law covers two situations. The first is discharging a firearm into a dwelling, building, or other structure that is regularly occupied by people. The second is discharging a firearm into a vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or other conveyance or equipment while it is occupied.

There is an exception for self-defense. The law does not apply when the discharge is in defense of a person's own property, themselves, or someone else, as South Carolina's self-defense laws allow.

One narrow note the law spells out: for these purposes, an unmanned aerial vehicle does not count as an aircraft. A drone is not covered the way an occupied aircraft is.

The penalties

The penalties now turn on whether anyone was hurt.

If the firearm is discharged but no occupant is struck and no one suffers bodily injury, it carries up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to twenty thousand dollars.

If an occupant is struck or bodily injury occurs, it carries up to fifteen years and a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars.

Under the old law, these crimes topped out at ten years and a one thousand dollar fine. The maximum fine is now twenty times what it was, and the injury tier adds five more years of exposure.

The bigger change: violent offenses

The steeper numbers are not the most significant part. Under the new law, both offenses are added to South Carolina's list of violent crimes in Section 16-1-60.

That classification does more than it may appear to. A violent-offense designation changes where a person is housed within the prison system, and it changes the parole-eligibility date, generally requiring more time served before release can be considered.

Two people can receive the same sentence and serve very different amounts of actual time, depending on whether the offense is classified as violent. For anyone facing one of these charges, that classification is as consequential as the sentence length.

If you are facing a charge

These are serious felonies now, and the violent-offense label follows a conviction well past sentencing. The facts of a case, including whether self-defense applies and whether anyone was injured, shape the exposure in a big way.

If this happened to you or someone you love, it is worth a conversation. And follow the series for more updates to South Carolina law.

Common Questions

Is shooting into a house a felony in South Carolina?

Yes. Discharging a firearm into a dwelling or other regularly occupied structure is a felony under Section 16-23-440. As of May 15, 2026, it carries up to ten years if no one is injured, and up to fifteen years if an occupant is struck or bodily injury occurs. It is also classified as a violent offense.

What is the penalty for firing a gun into an occupied vehicle in SC?

Up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to twenty thousand dollars if no one is hit, and up to fifteen years and up to fifty thousand dollars if an occupant is struck or injured. The same penalties apply to discharging a firearm into an occupied aircraft, watercraft, or other equipment.

Is discharging a firearm into a dwelling a violent crime in South Carolina?

Yes. A 2026 law added both discharging into a dwelling and discharging into an occupied vehicle to South Carolina's list of violent offenses in Section 16-1-60. That affects prison housing and parole eligibility, not just the length of the sentence.