South Carolina — Code Adoption Summary
Adoption model: Statewide-mandatory (SC Building Codes Council, LLR). 2024 code cycle in active modification process as of mid-2026. Last verified: 2026-07-03 Confidence: verified Primary sources: SC LLR Building Codes Council — https://llr.sc.gov/BCC/codes.aspx · ICC SC
Statewide adopted codes — current (2026; 2021-cycle, 2024-cycle in progress)
| Code family | Adopted edition | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | 2021 SC Building Code (2021 IBC, 1st printing Oct 2022) | llr.sc.gov | |
| Electrical (NEC) | NEC 2023 (current) | seed guess of 2017 was stale — corrected | llr.sc.gov / codes basis |
| Plumbing | IPC 2021 | SC = IPC | llr.sc.gov |
| Energy | IECC 2021, adopted 2023 | (seed guess of 2009 was stale — corrected) | llr.sc.gov |
In progress: SC published Notice of Intent to modify/adopt 2024 codes (State Register, 2025-01-24), with 2024 Code Modifications published 2026-05-22 — the 2024 cycle is actively rolling out now. Confirm effective date before relying on 2021-cycle values for new permits.
Adoption model & precedence
- Codes are statewide-mandatory; the Building Codes Council administers, locals enforce.
- Local amendments are limited/more-stringent only.
- AHJ = local building department, applying the current statewide edition.
Major cities / counties
| Jurisdiction | County | Notes | Building dept. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Richland | statewide code | columbiasc.gov |
| Charleston | Charleston | statewide code + coastal/wind provisions | charleston-sc.gov |
| Greenville | Greenville | statewide code | greenvillesc.gov |
AHJ fallback (when local adoption is unverified)
- State baseline (current): 2021 SC Building Code, NEC 2023, IPC 2021, IECC 2021.
- Action: confirm whether the 2024 code cycle (in active rollout as of May 2026) has taken effect for the permit date.
Change log
- 2026-07-03 — created; corrected stale seed guesses (was NEC~2017/IECC 2009) to verified NEC 2023 / IECC 2021 (2021 SC Building Code cycle); flagged active 2024-cycle rollout.