Bamberg County requires permits for nonferrous metal sales

Bamberg County residents and businesses who transport or sell nonferrous metals must obtain a permit from the Bamberg County Sheriff's Office before doing business with secondary metals recyclers. The requirement comes from state statutes that make clear who must be permitted, how long permits last, and what conduct is unlawful when dealing in scrap metal.

Under Section 16-17-680(C)(1), anyone who wants to transport or sell nonferrous metals to a secondary metals recycler must have a permit to do so. Section 16-17-680(C)(2) assigns responsibility to the sheriff of the county in which a South Carolina resident or in-state entity resides or maintains a secondary residence to issue that permit. Permits are valid statewide, and Section 16-17-680(C)(8) sets the expiration: a permit expires on the permittee’s birth date in the second calendar year after the year in which it was issued, or for entities, on the date of issuance in that second calendar year.

The law also restricts buyers. Section 16-17-680(D)(1) makes it unlawful to purchase nonferrous metals for recycling unless the purchaser is a secondary metals recycler with a valid permit and the seller holds a valid permit to transport and sell those metals. In addition, Section 16-11-523(B) criminalizes willfully and maliciously cutting, mutilating, defacing, or otherwise injuring personal or real property, including fixtures or improvements, for the purpose of obtaining nonferrous metals.

For locals, the rules matter whether you haul scrap from a farm, sell copper wiring removed during a renovation, or operate a small recycling business. The permit system creates a paper trail intended to deter metal theft and ensure lawful commerce, but it also imposes administrative steps on people who have long relied on selling scrap for extra income. Property owners gain clearer legal protections against the intentional destruction of their property for metal resale.

To obtain a permit or to ask questions, visit the Bamberg County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff’s office accepts FOIA requests by email at sheriff@bambergcounty.sc.gov and posts records policies on the county website. Public-records fees are $15.00 per hour for search, retrieval and redaction of records; $15.00 per hour for dispatch 911 call search and retrieval; $5.00 per DVD/CD if transferred; and $0.25 per paper copy. No deposit is required, but the full balance must be paid before records are released.

The takeaway? If you buy or sell scrap metal in Bamberg County, treat the permit as part of doing business: check that both buyer and seller are permitted, keep documentation, and contact the sheriff’s office at sheriff@bambergcounty.sc.gov or through the county website for next steps. Our two cents? A little paperwork now helps avoid bigger headaches later—protect your property and your pocket.