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South Carolina · H.4270 / Act 214

Eviction records (H.4270, Act 214): SC to remove old eviction filings from public view after seven years

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The short version

  • Starting January 1, 2027, South Carolina eviction filings and records must be removed from the public index and any publicly accessible files seven years after the final disposition or filing, if no additional filing is recorded.
  • It covers eviction cases filed under the state's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act or its law on ejecting tenants, including cases that ended in an order of eviction or writ of ejectment, were settled, or were resolved when the judgment was later paid.
  • The "responsible agency" must remove qualifying records that are at least seven years old with no later filings. The act does not name the agency.
  • H.4270 was signed by the Governor on May 19, 2026, and is Act No. 214.
Status
Law. Signed by the Governor May 19, 2026; ratified as R194, Act No. 214. Takes effect January 1, 2027.
Official source
SC Legislature, 2025-2026 Bill 4270 (Act No. 214)
Ratified text of Act No. 214 (Word)

What it does

The act adds a new Section 30-2-60 to the S.C. Code, in the chapter on family and personal identifying information privacy. (Act No. 214, Section 1) The full new section reads:

“Eviction filings and records made pursuant to Section 27-40-10 or 27-37-10, including those concluded by Orders of Eviction or Writ of Ejectment, cases resolved by settlement, or resolved by subsequent payment for the judgment that satisfied any debt that includes personal information of a defendant, must be removed from the public index and any publicly accessible files available for public record seven years after the final disposition or filing if no additional filing is recorded.” (§ 30-2-60)

Section 27-40-10 is the short-title section of the South Carolina Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and Section 27-37-10 sets the grounds for ejecting a tenant. (S.C. Code §§ 27-40-10, 27-37-10)

A second section says eviction filings and records “that are at least seven years old and have no subsequent filings” and meet Section 1 “are to be removed from the public index by the responsible agency.” (Act Section 2)

Who it affects

  • Renters who have had an eviction case filed against them, whether the case ended in an eviction order, a settlement, or a later payment of the judgment. (§ 30-2-60)
  • Landlords and anyone who looks up eviction cases in the public index: qualifying cases older than seven years will no longer appear in the public index. (§ 30-2-60; Act Section 2)
  • The agency that keeps the public index, which the act calls “the responsible agency” without naming it. (Act Section 2)

What it means for you

  • If you had an eviction case filed against you, the act says it must come off the public index seven years after the final disposition or filing, if no additional filing is recorded. The act does not define what counts as an “additional filing.” (§ 30-2-60)
  • Removal is described as something the responsible agency does; the act does not describe an application you have to file. (Act Section 2)
  • The act does not change how evictions are filed or decided, does not address cases less than seven years old, and does not mention tenant-screening companies, credit reports, or copies of records held by anyone other than the public index and publicly accessible files. (Act No. 214, Sections 1–3)

Cost and impact

The act does not set any fee for residents and does not include a cost estimate. It does not say how many records will be affected. (Act No. 214)

Current status

The House approved the bill 77–23 on second reading on April 23, 2026, and sent it to the Senate on April 28. The Senate amended it and approved it 38–4 on second reading on April 30, 2026, then returned it to the House, which agreed to the Senate’s amendment 81–28 on May 13, 2026. It was ratified May 14 and signed by the Governor on May 19, 2026, as Act No. 214. (Bill history)

What happens next

The act takes effect on January 1, 2027. (Act Section 3) It does not set a deadline for the responsible agency to finish removing older records.

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.