POSSESSION
1. A person may possess no more than two diamond-backed terrapin for a noncommercial purpose
2. Any person transporting more than ten yellowbelly turtle (Trachemys scripta) species or common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) species must be in possession of a permit.
3. It is unlawful to possess the Bog Turtle, Gopher Tortoise or any Sea Turtle
4. S.C. law requires a permit for anyone to “take, possess, transport, import, expert, process, sell, offer for sale, ship or receive for shipment, any Spotted Turtle
5. It does not appear that the state regulates the buying and selling of native species as well as non-native species for personal use
TAKING FROM THE WILD
1. Currently in South Carolina there is no permit needed to harvest turtles for personal use
2. It is unlawful for a person, or a group of individuals traveling in one vehicle, to remove, or attempt to remove from this State more than ten, either in one species or a combination of species, of the named species of turtles at one time with a maximum of twenty turtles of these species, either individually or in combination in any one year:
- yellowbelly turtle (Trachemys scripta),
- Florida cooter (Pseudemys floridana),
- river cooter (Pseudemys concinna),
- chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia),
- eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina),
- eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta),
- spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera),
- Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox)
- common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina).
3. Translocation is not permitted in South Carolina
COMMERCIAL
1. A person selling, offering to sell, or purchasing Yellow Belly Sliders and Common Snapping Turtles must have documentation from the aquaculture facility as to the origin of the turtles.
2. The sale or possession, take or transport of seven native turtles for commercial purposes is illegal. The seven protected species are: yellowbelly turtle, river cooter, Florida cooter, chicken turtle, snapping turtle, Florida softshell turtle and spiny softshell turtle.