Is it illegal to drink alcohol on SC beaches? Here’s what the law says

A marketing firm looked into what types of legal questions people are asking Google about.

Sleeping in a car, dumpster diving, driving barefoot.

For South Carolina, Abogados NOW said the most searched question was “Is it illegal to drink alcohol on the beach?”

Here’s the answer. Yes, it is illegal to drink alcohol on public beaches in South Carolina. Most beach towns have ordinances prohibiting it.

Isle of Palms Police Chief Kevin Cornett said, “I don’t think that a lot of people realize it is prohibited by municipal ordinances.”

If you’re found with alcohol on the beach, the fine is $500 (plus court costs) or 30 days in jail or both, Cornett said.

Other cities like Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, and Folly Beach have similar ordinances, with fines exceeding $1,000.

Hilton Head prohibits alcohol, wine or beer on any beach, nature preserve or park used by the general public.

Pawleys Island is an exception. You can drink beer and wine but no glass bottles. It’s a $250 fine per bottle, Only Pawleys Island website says.

Some state parks with beaches permit alcohol in day-use areas, but not on the beach itself.

The reason is simple. Stop rowdy behavior, keep glass that could injure people out of the sand and generally protect the ecosystem, especially beach animals like loggerhead sea turtles or shore birds.

Cornett said Isle of Palms has signs on most of its beach access paths to tell people alcohol is illegal on the sand. This applies to beer, wine and alcohol, the ordinance says.

He said tickets are not issued, but warnings are given.

“The most common enforcement method is to take action when a violation is observed by a member of our team that is patrolling the beach,” he said. “Sometimes, officers will respond to a call for service related to a violation or will notice this type of violation when responding to a different call.”

Abogados NOW, a Long Beach, California, marketing firm that helps law firms reach potential clients in the Hispanic community, said the point of the study was to see what issues Americans are most unsure about.

“Is it illegal to sleep in your car?” was the most searched phrase and the leading inquiry in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

“The search appears to capture a mix of travel, housing, road trip, and public parking concerns, especially in states with large populations, major tourism economies, or popular outdoor destinations,” the company said in a news release.

Dumpster diving was most searched in Alaska, Maine, Montana, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Driving barefoot Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, and South Dakota.

Right on red in Ohio and texting in Georgia. Tennesseans wanted to know if they could drive with the lights on inside their car.

In Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, people wanted to know if they could quit their job without notice and in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska the top search was if they could leave their kids home alone.

In Connecticut and New Jersey, people were less concerned with driving and child care.

There, they wanted to know “Is it illegal to use someone else’s Netflix account?”