2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 1 - Administration of the Government › Chapter 1 - General Provisions › Section 1-1-10. Jurisdiction and boundaries of the State.

The sovereignty and jurisdiction of this State extends to all places within its bounds, which are declared to be as follows:
The northern line beginning at a point at the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern shore of Bird Island and then following the line as recorded by a set of 51 signed plats as follows:
Section between Horry County, SC and Brunswick/Columbus counties, NC: 1 plat sheet, signed by Sidney C. Miller 9/29/14 and Gary W. Thompson 2/24/15; Section between Dillon County, SC and Robeson County, NC: 2 plat sheets, signed by Sidney C. Miller and Gary W. Thompson 10/7/13; Section between Marlboro, Chesterfield and Lancaster counties, SC and Scotland, Richmond, Anson and Union counties, NC: 5 plat sheets, signed by Sidney C. Miller and Gary W. Thompson 10/7/13; Section between Lancaster and York counties, SC and Union and Mecklenberg counties, NC: 3 plat sheets, signed by Sidney C. Miller and Gary W. Thompson 10/7/13; Section of Lake Wylie: 1 plat sheet, signed by Sidney C. Miller and Gary W. Thompson 3/23/12; Section between York, Cherokee and Spartanburg counties, SC and Gaston, Cleveland, Rutherford and Polk counties, NC: 4 plat sheets, signed by Sidney C. Miller and Gary W. Thompson 10/7/13 (Section between Greenville and Pickens counties, SC and Polk, Henderson and Transylvania counties, NC: 34 plat sheets, signed by Sidney C. Miller and Gary W. Thompson dated 12/20/2005; Section between Pickens and Oconee counties, SC and Transylvania and Jackson counties, NC: 1 plat sheet, prepared by Concord Engineering & Surveying, Inc. dated May 2005 to the most westward point on those plats marked by the "+" in the inscription "LAT 35, AD 1813, NC + SC" chiseled on Commissioners' Rock on the east bank of the Chattooga River; thence following a geodetic line with a geodetic azimuth of 270 degrees to the centerline of the Chattooga River. (Plats on file with the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the South Carolina Geodetic Survey and filed for record as applicable in the respective county offices where deeds are recorded in Horry, Dillon, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Lancaster, York, Cherokee, Spartanburg, Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties).
The lateral seaward boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina from the low-water mark of the Atlantic Ocean shall be and is hereby designated as a continuation of the North Carolina-South Carolina boundary line as described by monuments located at latitude 33° 51' 50.7214" N., longitude 78° 33' 22.9448" W., at latitude 33° 51' 36.4626" N., longitude 78° 33' 06.1937" W., and at latitude 33° 51' 07.8792" N., longitude 78° 32' 32.6210" W., (coordinates based on North American Datum 1927), in a straight line projection of said line to the seaward limits of the states' territorial jurisdiction, such line to be extended on the same bearing insofar as a need for further delimitation may arise.
From the state of Georgia, this State is divided by the Savannah River, at the point where the northern edge of the navigable channel of the Savannah River intersects the seaward limit of the state's territorial jurisdiction; thence generally along the northern edge of the navigable channel up the Savannah River; thence along the northern edge of the sediment basin to the Tidegate; thence to the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers; thence up the Tugaloo River to the confluence of the Tallulah and the Chattooga Rivers; thence up the Chattooga River to the 35th parallel of north latitude, which is the boundary of North Carolina, the line being midway between the banks of said respective rivers when the water is at ordinary stage, except in the lower reaches of the Savannah River, as hereinafter described. And when the rivers are broken by islands of natural formation which, under the Treaty of Beaufort, are reserved to the state of Georgia, the line is midway between the island banks and the South Carolina banks when the water is at ordinary stage, except in the lower reaches of the Savannah River, as hereinafter described.
The boundary between Georgia and South Carolina along the lower reaches of the Savannah River, and the lateral seaward boundary, is more particularly described as follows and depicted in "Georgia-South Carolina Boundary Project, Lower Savannah River Segment, Portfolio of Maps" prepared by the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Geodetic Survey, Remote Sensing Division-2001 (copies on file at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the South Carolina Geodetic Survey):
Beginning at a point where the thread of the northernmost branch of the Savannah River equidistant between its banks intersects latitude 32° 07' 00" N., (North American Datum 1983-86), located in the Savannah River, and proceeding in a southeasterly direction down the thread of the Savannah River equidistant between the banks of the Savannah River on Hutchinson Island and on the mainland of South Carolina including the small downstream island southeast of the aforesaid point, at ordinary stage, until reaching the vicinity of Pennyworth Island;
Proceeding thence easterly down the thread of the northernmost channel of the Savannah River known as the Back River as it flows north of Pennyworth Island, making the transition to the said northernmost channel using the equidistant method between Pennyworth Island, the Georgia bank on Hutchinson Island, and the South Carolina mainland bank, thence to the thread of the said northernmost channel equidistant from the South Carolina mainland bank and Pennyworth Island at ordinary stage, around Pennyworth Island;
Proceeding thence southeasterly to the thread of the northern channel of the Savannah River equidistant from the Georgia bank on Hutchinson Island and the South Carolina mainland bank, making the transition utilizing the equidistant method between Pennyworth Island, the Georgia bank on Hutchinson Island, and the South Carolina mainland bank;
Proceeding thence southeasterly down the thread of the Savannah River equidistant from the Hutchinson Island and South Carolina mainland banks of the river at ordinary stage, through the tide gates, until reaching the northwestern (farthest upstream) boundary of the "Back River Sediment Basin", as defined in the "Annual Survey-1992, Savannah Harbor, Georgia, U. S. Coastal Highway, No. 17 to the Sea", U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District as amended by the Examination Survey-1992 charts for the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project, Drawings No. DSH 1 12/107, (hereinafter the "Channel Chart");
Proceeding thence along the said northwestern boundary to its intersection with the northern boundary of the Back River Sediment Basin; thence southeasterly until said northern boundary intersects the northern boundary of the main navigational channel as depicted on the Channel Chart at the point designated as SR-34 (latitude 32° 05' 01.440" N., longitude 081° 02' 17.252" W., North American Datum (NAD 1983-86);
Proceeding thence toward the mouth of the Savannah River along the northern boundary of the main navigational channel at the new channel limit as depicted on the Channel Chart, via Oglethorpe Range through point SR-33 (latitude 32° 05' 17.168" N., longitude 081° 01' 34.665" W., NAD 1983-86), Fort Jackson Range through point SR-32 (latitude 32° 05' 30.133" N., longitude 081° 01' 17.750" W., NAD 1983-86), the Bight Channel through points SR-31 (latitude 32° 05' 55.631" N., longitude 081° 01' 02.480" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-30 (latitude 32° 06' 06.272" N., longitude 081° 00' 44.802" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-29 (latitude 32° 06' 09.053" N., longitude 081° 00' 31.887" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-28 (latitude 32° 06' 08.521" N., longitude 081° 00' 15.498" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-27 (latitude 32° 06' 01.565" N., longitude 080° 59' 58.406" W., NAD 1983-86), Upper Flats Range through points SR-26 (latitude 32° 05' 41.698" N., longitude 080° 59' 31.968" W., NAD 1983-86) and SR-25 (latitude 32° 05' 02.819" N., longitude 080° 59' 12.644" W., NAD 1983-86), Lower Flats Range through points SR-24 (latitude 32° 04' 46.375" N., longitude 080° 59' 00.631" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-23 (latitude 32° 04' 40.209" N., longitude 080° 58' 49.947" W., NAD 1983-86), SR-22 (latitude 32° 04' 28.679" N., longitude 080° 58' 18.895" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-21 (latitude 32° 04' 22.274" N., longitude 080° 57' 34.449" W., NAD 1983-86), Long Island Crossing Range through points SR-20 (latitude 32° 04' 13.042" N., longitude 080° 57' 14.511" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-19 (latitude 32° 02' 30.984" N., longitude 080° 55' 30.308" W., NAD 1983-86) and New Channel Range following the northern boundary of the Rehandling Basin and the northern boundary of the Oyster Bed Island Turning Basin back to the northern edge of the main navigational channel, thence through points SR-17 (latitude 32° 02' 07.661" N., longitude 080° 53' 39.379" W., NAD 1983-86) and SR-16 (latitude 32° 02' 07.533" N., longitude 080° 53' 31.663" W., NAD 1983-86), to a point at latitude 32° 02' 08" N., longitude 080° 53' 25" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy "24") near the eastern end of Oyster Bed Island;
Proceeding thence from a point at latitude 32° 02' 08" N., longitude 080° 53' 25" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy R "24") on a true azimuth of 0° 0' 0" (true north) to the mean low low-water line of Oyster Bed Island; thence easterly along the said mean low low-water line of Oyster Bed Island to the point at which the said mean low low-water line of Oyster Bed Island intersects the Oyster Bed Island Training Wall;
Proceeding thence easterly along the mean low low-water line of the southern edge of the Oyster Bed Island Training Wall to its eastern end; thence continuing the same straight line to its intersection with the Jones Island Range line;
Proceeding thence southeasterly along the Jones Island Range line until reaching the northern boundary of the main navigational channel as depicted on the Channel Chart;
Proceeding thence southeasterly along the northern boundary of the main navigational channel as depicted on the Channel Chart, via Jones Island Range and Bloody Point Range, to a point at latitude 31° 59' 16.700" N., longitude 080° 46' 02.500" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy "6"); and finally,
Proceeding from a point at latitude 31° 59' 16.700" N., longitude 080° 46' 02.500" W., NAD 1983-86 (now marked by Navigational Buoy "6") extending southeasterly to the federal-state boundary on a true azimuth of 104 degrees (bearing of S76°E), which describes the line being at right angles to the baseline from the southernmost point of Hilton Head Island and the northernmost point of Tybee Island, drawn by the Baseline Committee in 1970.
Should the need for further delimitation arise, the boundary shall further extend southeasterly on above-described true azimuth of 104 degrees (bearing of S76°E).
Provided, further, that nothing in this section in any way shall be considered to govern or affect in any way the division between the states of the remaining assimilative capacity that is, the capacity to receive wastewater and other discharges without violating water quality standards, of the portion of the Savannah River described in this section.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 39-1; 1952 Code Section 39-1; 1942 Code Section 2038; 1932 Code Section 2038; Civ. C. '22 Section 1; Civ. C. '12 Section 1; Civ. C. '02 Section 1; G. S. 1; R. S. 1; 1923 (33) 114; 1970 (56) 2051; 1978 Act No. 413, Section 1; 1978 Act No. 414, Section 1; 1978 Act No. 416, Section 1; 1996 Act No. 375, Section 1; 1998 Act No. 341, Section 1; 2008 Act No. 264, Section 1, eff June 4, 2008; 2016 Act No. 270 (S.667), Section 2, eff January 1, 2017.
Editor's Note
In 2016, to correct a typographical error, in the eighth paragraph from the end, substituted "Long Island Crossing Range through points SR-20 (latitude 32° 04' 13.042" N., longitude 080° 57' 14.511" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-19 (latitude 32° 02' 30.984" N., longitude 080° 55' 30.308" W., NAD 1983-86)" for "Long Island Crossing Range through points SR-20 (latitude 32° 04' 13.042" N., longitude 080° 57' 14.511" W., NAD 1983-86), and SR-19 (latitude 32° 02' 30.984" N., longitude 080° 55' 30.308' W., NAD 1983-86)".
2016 Act No. 270, Sections 1, 3, provide as follows:
"SECTION 1. The provisions of Section 1-1-10 of the 1976 Code are amended to clarify the original location of the boundary between North and South Carolina along Horry, Dillon, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Lancaster, York, Cherokee, and Spartanburg counties and to provide additional information about the plats describing the location of the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina along Greenville, Pickens, and Oconee counties so that the northern line will be as described by those plats."
"SECTION 3. This part defines the legislative intent and purpose of the amendments and additions in this act to Title 12 of the 1976 Code.
"The General Assembly recognizes that the state of a business's location, or portion of it, may change as a result of the boundary clarification and this change can have tax and licensing consequences.
"It is the intent of the General Assembly that when, as a result of the boundary clarification, an individual's residence or a business location is determined to be located in South Carolina rather than North Carolina where the residence or business had previously been taxed, the individual or business should not be liable for back taxes to South Carolina solely as a result of the clarification. The intention of this act is only to address the effects on persons whose residences and businesses who are determined to be located in South Carolina rather than North Carolina as a result of the boundary clarification. This act does not apply to persons whose residences and businesses are not affected by the boundary clarification."
Effect of Amendment
The 2008 amendment substantially rewrote the second undesignated paragraph; in the fifth undesignated paragraph, added the clause at the end starting with "and depicted in"; and made changes in the fifteenth and sixteenth undesignated paragraphs.