A. The Greenville County Council hereby declares the following:
(i) Greenville County, South Carolina, is a “Right to Keep and Bear Arms” jurisdiction.
(ii) It is the intent of Greenville County Council to uphold the Right to Keep and Bear Arms for the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Greenville County.
(iii) The policy of Greenville County is that public funds of the County not be used to knowingly and willfully participate in actions that unlawfully restrict the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Greenville County, or to aid federal or state agencies to knowingly and willingly engage in the unlawful restriction of said rights.
(iv) Greenville County Council opposes any unlawful infringement on the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms using such legal means as may be expedient, including court action.
(v) An unlawful infringement shall consist of any act ordering the confiscation of firearms, firearms accessories, or ammunition from citizens; any registration or tracking of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition; any registration or tracking of the owners of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition; any prohibition, regulation, and/or use restriction related to ownership or the constitutionally guaranteed lawful use or carry of non-fully automatic firearms.
(vi) No employee of Greenville County, while acting in their official capacity, shall knowingly and willingly participate in any way in the enforcement of any of these prohibited acts, as defined herein, regarding personal firearms, firearms accessories, or ammunition.
B. Exceptions.
(i) The protections provided to citizens by this article do not apply to persons who have been convicted of felony crimes or who are prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
(ii) This article is not intended to prohibit or affect in any way the prosecution of any crime for which the use of, or possession of, a firearm is an aggravating factor or enhancement to an otherwise independent crime.
(iii) This article does not permit or otherwise allow possession of firearms in federal buildings.
(iv) This article does not prohibit individuals in Greenville County from voluntarily participating in, assisting in permitting, licensing, registration or other processing of applications for concealed carry permits, or other firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition licensing or registration processes that may be required by law.
(Ord. 5335, passed 9-21-2021)