2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 15 - Civil Remedies and Procedures › Chapter 7 - Venue › Section 15-7-30. Actions that must be tried in county where defendant resides; definitions; factors to consider in determining venue of actions against resident and nonresident individuals and domestic and foreign corporations.

(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Domestic corporation" means a "domestic corporation" as defined in Section 33-1-400.
(2) "Domestic limited partnership" means a "domestic limited partnership" as defined in Section 33-42-20.
(3) "Domestic limited liability company" means a " domestic limited liability partnership" as defined in Section 33-41-1110 with its principal place of business within this State.
(4) "Domestic limited liability partnership" means a " domestic limited liability partnership" as defined in Section 33-41-1110 with its principal place of business within this State.
(5) "Foreign corporation" means a "foreign corporation" as defined in Section 33-1-400.
(6) "Foreign limited partnership" means a "foreign limited partnership" as defined in Section 33-42-20.
(7) "Foreign limited liability company" means a "foreign limited liability partnership" as defined in Section 33-41-1150 with its principal place of business outside this State.
(8) "Foreign limited liability partnership" means a " foreign limited liability partnership" as defined in Section 33-41-1150 with its principal place of business outside this State.
(9) "Nonresident individual" means a person who is not domiciled in this State.
(10) "Principal place of business" means:
(a) the corporation's home office location within the State from which the corporation's officers direct, control, or coordinate its activities;
(b) the location of the corporation's manufacturing, sales, or purchasing facility within the State if the corporation does not have a home office within the State; or
(c) the location at which the majority of corporate activity takes place if the corporation has multiple offices, centers of manufacturing, sales, or purchasing located within the State if the corporation does not have a home office within the State and has more than one manufacturing, sales, or purchasing facility within the State. The following factors may be considered when determining the location at which the majority of corporate activity takes place:
(i) the number of employees located in any one county;
(ii) the authority of the employees located in any one county; or
(iii) the tangible corporate assets that exist in any one county.
(11) "Resident individual" means a person who is domiciled in this State.
(B) In cases not provided for in Sections 15-7-10, 15-7-20, or 15-78-100, the action must be tried in the county where it properly may be brought and tried against the defendant according to the provisions of this section. If there is more than one defendant, the action may be tried in any county where the action properly may be maintained against one of the defendants pursuant to this section. This section is subject to the power of the court in the county where the action properly may be maintained according to this section to change the place of trial as provided in Section 15-7-100 or as otherwise provided by law.
(C) A civil action tried pursuant to this section against a resident individual defendant must be brought and tried in the county in which the:
(1) defendant resides at the time the cause of action arose; or
(2) most substantial part of the alleged act or omission giving rise to the cause of action occurred.
(D) A civil action tried pursuant to this section against a nonresident individual defendant must be brought and tried in the county in which the:
(1) most substantial part of the alleged act or omission giving rise to the cause of action occurred; or
(2) plaintiff resides at the time the cause of action arose, or if the plaintiff is a domestic corporation, domestic limited partnership, domestic limited liability company, domestic limited liability partnership, foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, foreign limited liability company, or foreign limited liability partnership, at its principal place of business at the time the cause of action arose.
(E) A civil action tried pursuant to this section against a domestic corporation, domestic limited partnership, domestic limited liability company, or domestic limited liability partnership, must be brought and tried in the county in which the:
(1) corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or limited liability partnership has its principal place of business at the time the cause of action arose; or
(2) most substantial part of the alleged act or omission giving rise to the cause of action occurred.
(F) A civil action tried pursuant to this section against a foreign corporation required to possess and possessing a certificate of authority under the provisions of Section 33-15-101 et seq., a foreign limited partnership required to possess and possessing a certificate of authority under the provisions of Section 33-15-101 et seq., a foreign limited liability company required to possess and possessing a certificate of authority under the provisions of Section 33-15-101 et seq., or a foreign limited liability partnership required to possess and possessing a certificate of authority under the provisions of Section 33-15-101 et seq. must be brought and tried in the county in which the:
(1) most substantial part of the alleged act or omission giving rise to the cause of action occurred; or
(2) foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, foreign limited liability company, or foreign limited liability partnership has its principal place of business at the time the cause of action arose.
(G) A civil action tried pursuant to this section against a foreign corporation, except a foreign corporation described in subsection (F); a foreign limited partnership, except a foreign limited partnership described in subsection (F); a foreign limited liability company, except a foreign limited liability company described in subsection (F); or a foreign limited liability partnership, except a foreign limited liability partnership described in subsection (F); must be brought and tried in the county in which the:
(1) most substantial part of the alleged act or omission giving rise to the cause of action occurred;
(2) plaintiff resides at the time the cause of action arose, or if the plaintiff is a domestic corporation, domestic limited partnership, domestic limited liability company, domestic limited liability partnership, foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, foreign limited liability company, or foreign limited liability partnership, at its principal place of business at the time the cause of action arose; or
(3) foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, foreign limited liability company, or foreign limited liability partnership has its principal place of business at the time the cause of action arose.
(H) Owning property and transacting business in a county is insufficient in and of itself to establish the principal place of business for a corporation for purposes of this section.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 10-303; 1952 Code Section 10-303; 1942 Code Section 422; 1932 Code Section 422; Civ. P. '22 Section 378; Civ. P. '12 Section 174; Civ. P. '02 Section 146; 1870 (14) 453 Section 148; 1875 (15) 913; 1898 (22) 687; 1905 (24) 848; 2005 Act No. 27, Section 3, eff July 1, 2005, applicable to causes of action arising on or after that date.
Effect of Amendment
The 2005 amendment, added subsection (A); designated the original text as subsection (B) and rewrote it; and added subsections (C) to (H).