(A) It is the intent of the General Assembly (GA) to codify the common law Castle Doctrine which recognizes that a person's home is his castle and to extend the doctrine to include an occupied vehicle and the person's place of business.
(B) The GA finds that it is proper for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, their families, and others from intruders and attackers w/o fear of prosecution or civil action for acting in defense of themselves and others.
(C) The GA finds that Section 20, Article I of the SC Constitution guarantees the right of the people to bear arms, and this right shall not be infringed.
(D) The GA finds that persons residing in or visiting this State have a right to expect to remain unmolested and safe within their homes, businesses, and vehicles.
(E) The GA finds that no person or victim of crime should be required to surrender his personal safety to a criminal, nor should a person be required to needlessly retreat in the face of intrusion or attack.
Section 16-11-440
(C) A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in another place where he has a right to be, including but not limited to, his place of business, has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, if he reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily injury to himself or another person or to prevent the commission of a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60.
(D) A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter a person's dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle is presumed to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60.
Section 16-11-450
(B) A LEA may use standard procedures for investigating the use of deadly force as described in subsection (A), but the agency may not arrest the person for using deadly force unless probable cause exists that the deadly force was unlawful.
(C ) The court shall award reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of a civil action brought by a plaintiff if the court finds that the defendant is immune from prosecution as provided in subsection (A).
From the section on firearms:
Section 23-31-520. The article does not affect the authority of any county, municipality, or political subdivision to regulate the careless or negligent discharge or public brandishment of firearms, nor does it prevent the regulation of public brandishment of firearms during the times of or a demonstrated potential for insurrection, invasions, riots, or natural disasters. This article denies any county, municipality, or political subdivision the powers to confiscate a firearm or ammunition unless incident to arrest.
