South Carolina school drill law

Which drills does South Carolina require, and how often?

All public schools, including charter schools whose instruction is not mainly delivered online, must conduct fire, active shooter/intruder, and severe weather/earthquake drills.

A State Board of Education regulation requires each school to hold at least one emergency drill within the first month of school. The same regulation requires a plan to protect students in any disaster, such as a tornado, hurricane or fire. Periodic practice of a school's cardiac emergency response plan may include drills with members of the school's cardiac emergency response team. Drills are allowed for that practice, not required.

Do fire codes add more fire drills?

The State Fire Marshal and Department of Education's model guidelines say fire code officials expect schools to hold fire drills monthly during the school year, beyond the statute's two. The guidelines give the reason that the South Carolina Fire Code requires monthly fire drills in school buildings. The State Fire Marshal's regulations apply to state, county, municipal and private buildings, unless the regulations or a state statute exclude them.

Is a school bus drill required?

The drill statute, § 59-63-910(A), lists fire, active shooter/intruder and severe weather/earthquake drills only. It sets no school bus drill. The State Board's first-month drill rule, Reg. 43-166(D), sets no school bus drill either.

Who documents the drills?

The principal or charter school leader of each school must follow the drill requirements and document compliance.

What training guidance applies to intruder drills?

The State Department of Education and SLED (the State Law Enforcement Division) must write guidelines for active shooter/intruder training, plus developmentally appropriate training materials. They must consult school-employed mental health professionals and the State Fire Marshal when creating and updating those guidelines. The guidelines must be included in annual teacher professional development. The State Fire Marshal and Department of Education's model guidelines recommend that districts keep working with local law enforcement, and with SLED when needed, on all active shooter/intruder drills. This is guidance, not a requirement.

Who is covered?

The drill law covers all public schools, including charter schools whose instruction is not mainly delivered online. The drill statute names only those schools. It sets no drill duty for private schools. The first-month drill regulation does not name private schools. It comes from the State Board of Education, whose rulemaking power covers its own government and the free public schools.

What changed recently, and what bills were filed?

The current drill requirement was enacted by 2018 Act No. 256 (S.709), effective July 2, 2018. The drill section's history note lists no amendment after that 2018 act, and the online Code is current through the 2026 session, so the drill section was not changed in 2025 or 2026. A 2025–2026 bill, H 5201, would require at least one full-scale, in-person fire, active shooter/intruder, and severe weather/earthquake drill each academic year. Under H 5201, online, virtual or tabletop-only drills could not count in place of the required live drills. H 5201 would also require every drill to be followed by an after-action report identifying problems. H 5201 passed the House and was sent to the Senate on April 24, 2026. Its last recorded action is referral to the Senate Education Committee on April 28, 2026. As of October 27, 2026, the Legislature's bill page shows H 5201 as "In Committee - Senate Education".