S.C. Beachfront Management Act — OCRM Baseline / Setback Line Overlay (SC)
Tracked preemption from the South Carolina overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsSouth Carolina overlay roll-upSouth Carolina zoning wikiSouth Carolina building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Yes
Effective
1988-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:SC
Other South Carolina preemptions
S.C. Short-Term Rentals — No State Preemption (explicit non-preemption)S.C. ADU / Density / Design Review — No State Preemption (explicit non-preemption)S.C. Military Installation Compatibility — AICUZ / JLUS CoordinationS.C. §6-29-1145 — Manufactured Housing Zoning Parity RuleS.C. Brownfields / Voluntary Cleanup Program — §44-56-710 et seq.S.C. Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 — Procedural FloorS.C. Scenic Rivers Act of 1989 — Designated Scenic, Recreational, and Natural RiversS.C. Tax Increment Financing Law — Municipal Redevelopment Districts
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
OR
city.is_in_eight_coastal_counties==Trueparcel.in_beachfront_management_jurisdiction==Trueparcel.geometrygeographic match
Preempted fields
4 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].oceanfront_setback_ft | floor_at | forty_times_annual_erosion_rate_ft | §48-39-280: setback line is established 40× the annual erosion rate landward of the baseline, with a 20-ft minimum. SCDES Bureau of Coastal Management publishes erosion rates and baselines per 2018 Act 173 update cycle. |
base_districts[*].seaward_of_baseline_new_habitable_construction | waive | — | §48-39-290(A): no new habitable structures seaward of the baseline. Pools, decks, HVAC pads regulated separately as non-habitable accessories per 2018 amendments. |
base_districts[*].new_seawall_revetment_bulkhead_seaward_of_setback | waive | — | §48-39-290(B) (retreat policy §48-39-250): new hard erosion-control structures (seawalls, bulkheads, revetments) seaward of the setback line are prohibited. Narrow exceptions for existing structures and emergency sandbags. |
review_type | require | scdes_bcm_ocrm_permit | OCRM (now SCDES Bureau of Coastal Management) permit is required IN ADDITION to local zoning approval. OCRM denial overrides any favorable local approval; OCRM approval does not override locally prohibited uses — the regimes stack. |
Citation
Authority source
S.C. Code Ann. §§48-39-10 through 48-39-360 (Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act 1977 + Beachfront Management Act 1988; amended by Act 173 of 2018, Act 202 of 2024); S.C. Code of Regulations Chapter 30 (OCRM rules)
§ §§48-39-10 — 48-39-360; specifically §48-39-250 (retreat), §48-39-280 (baseline/setback), §48-39-290 (construction prohibition)
Research notes
Applies to the eight coastal counties (Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper). Beachfront-specific provisions apply to oceanfront municipalities — Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Atlantic Beach, Garden City, Pawleys Island, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Edisto Beach, Hilton Head Island, Hunting Island. Administered by SCDES Bureau of Coastal Management (legacy 'OCRM' under former SCDHEC; agency split July 1, 2024). Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council, 505 U.S. 1003 (1992) arose under the 1988 Act and constrains aggressive enforcement via the 'background principles of nuisance' exception. Federal CZMA federal-consistency review applies to federal actions in the coastal zone.