Palmetto Plain

South Carolina · H.4248 / Act 254

Imported shrimp signs (H.4248, Act 254): what SC restaurants must post starting Oct. 28

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The short version

  • Starting October 28, 2026, South Carolina restaurants and other food service establishments that serve shrimp imported into the United States must post a disclaimer on their menu, if they have one, and on a sign at their main entrance.
  • If a place serves both imported and domestic shrimp, the required wording is: "Some items served at this establishment may contain foreign imported shrimp. Ask for more information." If it serves only imported shrimp, the sign says items "contain" foreign imported shrimp.
  • Places that serve only domestic shrimp (caught and landed in U.S. or state waters) do not need a disclaimer, according to the S.C. Department of Agriculture.
  • The Department of Agriculture enforces the law: a first violation gets a warning and three days to fix it; a second or later violation carries a civil fine of $100 to $5,000 for each day.
Status
Law. Signed by the Governor June 30, 2026; ratified as R271, Act No. 254. Takes effect October 28, 2026.
Official source
SC Legislature, 2025-2026 Bill 4248 (Act No. 254)
SC Department of Agriculture guidance: New Shrimp Disclaimer Law (PDF)

What it does

H.4248 adds a new Section 39-25-175 to the S.C. Code. The act’s title says it requires “food service establishments that serve foreign imported shrimp to provide disclaimers.” (Act No. 254, title and Section 1)

The law defines three terms (§ 39-25-175(A)):

  • Domestic shrimp: “shrimp caught and landed in waters of a state or waters of the United States.”
  • Foreign imported shrimp: “shrimp imported into the United States.”
  • Food service establishment: “an establishment engaged in the business of selling ready-to-eat food to the public including, but not limited to, a restaurant, cafeteria, food stand, or food truck.”

What has to be posted, “conspicuously,” on the menu (if there is one) and on a sign visible to the public at the main entrance:

  • Serves both imported and domestic shrimp: “Some items served at this establishment may contain foreign imported shrimp. Ask for more information.” (§ 39-25-175(B))
  • Serves imported shrimp but no domestic shrimp: “Some items served at this establishment contain foreign imported shrimp. Ask for more information.” (§ 39-25-175(C))

Who it affects

  • Diners. If you eat out in South Carolina, you may see this notice on menus and at the door of places that serve imported shrimp. (§ 39-25-175(B)–(C))
  • Restaurants, cafeterias, food stands and food trucks that serve imported shrimp. The Department of Agriculture’s guidance says this includes “restaurants, mobile food units, cafeterias, or seafood retailers that steam or cook shrimp,” and that the law “does not apply to retail food establishments that only sell raw shrimp.” (SCDA guidance, “Who is impacted by this law?”)
  • Places that serve only domestic shrimp: the Department says “no disclaimer is required,” but if they begin serving imported shrimp, the disclaimer must be displayed. (SCDA guidance, “Which disclaimer do I use?”)

What it means for you

  • The notice tells you that some items may contain, or do contain, imported shrimp. The law does not require the menu to say which dishes, and it does not spell out what information an establishment must give you when you “ask for more information.” (§ 39-25-175)
  • No sign does not necessarily mean a violation: places that serve only domestic shrimp, or no shrimp, are not required to post one. (SCDA guidance)
  • For a mobile unit such as a food truck, the Department says the sign should be visible from the serving window. On menus, it says the disclaimer should be legible and similar in font size to other menu disclaimers, and a temporary sticker or insert is acceptable until new menus are printed. (SCDA guidance, “How do I meet these requirements?”)

Cost and impact

The act sets no fee and includes no cost estimate. Penalties for an establishment that violates the section (§ 39-25-175(D)):

  • First offense: a warning from the Department of Agriculture, with three days to fix the problem.
  • Second or later offense: a civil fine of no less than $100 and no more than $5,000 for each day the violation occurs.

The Department says inspectors will check for the disclaimers during unannounced routine inspections and complaint investigations, may ask to see supplier invoices or other records to verify where shrimp came from, and may also cite a missing disclaimer under the state’s retail food regulation (Regulation 61-25, 3-601.12, “Honestly Presented”). (SCDA guidance, “How will this be enforced?”)

Current status

The House passed the bill 103–0 on second reading on April 14, 2026. The Senate amended it and approved it 42–0 on second reading on April 30, 2026. After the two chambers disagreed on amendments, a conference committee’s report was adopted on June 25, 2026, by votes of 95–0 in the House and 33–5 in the Senate. It was ratified June 29 and signed by the Governor on June 30, 2026, as Act No. 254. (Bill history)

What happens next

The act takes effect 120 days after the Governor’s approval, which the official bill page lists as October 28, 2026. (Act Section 2; bill history) The Department of Agriculture says its inspectors will begin verifying compliance on that date. (SCDA guidance)

Sources

Legislators connected to this bill

Current members listed as sponsors on the official bill page, or with a sourced public statement about it. Details and sources are on each member page.

SC House

Every statement above is drawn from the official source text linked here; section references are shown in grey. This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. Spot an error? Tell us.