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Committee amends and advances civil ordinance to limit unsafe firearm discharges in unincorporated Beaufort County
Summary
After extended debate about buffers, penalties and enforcement, the committee amended a civil ordinance to prohibit negligent or careless firearm discharges in unincorporated areas, raised the maximum magistrate fine to up to $500 per violation, added a firearm-safety-course element, and agreed to forward the ordinance to council for first reading.
The Beaufort County Community Service & Public Safety Committee on March 16 debated two versions of an ordinance to prohibit reckless or negligent discharge of firearms in unincorporated areas and voted to amend and move a civil-penalty version forward to county council for first reading.
Staff presented two options: keep a criminal ordinance that includes a 500-foot buffer around schools and playgrounds, or adopt a civil enforcement ordinance modeled on examples such as York County. The civil version defines unlawful conduct as intentionally, negligently, or carelessly discharging a firearm in a manner likely to cause bodily injury, death, or property damage and initially proposed escalating civil penalties of $200, $300 and $500 for repeat violations. The county attorney noted the civil approach uses a lower negligence standard and is more enforceable administratively.
Law-enforcement and code-enforcement roles: the sheriff’s office confirmed deputies will respond to all "shots fired" calls, document incidents, and hand civil matters over to code enforcement when no criminal law violation is identified. The sheriff’s office representative explained the civil standard (preponderance/negligence) is easier to meet than criminal negligence (proof beyond a reasonable doubt).
Key points of debate included whether to keep a 500-foot buffer, whether to exempt large landowners, the appropriate penalty amount given magistrate limits, and how to enforce compliance without putting code officers at risk. Multiple members raised recent incidents and safety concerns; one member asked for stronger fines to deter unsafe behavior.
Amendments and outcome: the committee amended the civil ordinance to remove the controversial paragraph 5 (farm exclusion language as drafted), set the civil penalty at "not more than $500 for each violation" (the jurisdictional maximum at magistrate court), and added language to require or encourage a firearms-safety course as part of adjudication or as a condition considered by the magistrate. The committee approved moving the amended civil ordinance forward to council; staff said both versions will be presented to council at first reading and the council can choose which to adopt.
What happens next: staff will take the amended civil ordinance and the criminal alternative to full county council for first reading; enforcement procedures and possible further amendments were left for later consideration.
