Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person may excavate or salvage any sunken warship submerged in the waters of the Atlantic ocean within three miles of the South Carolina coast where there are, or it is believed that there are, human remains without the approval of the State Department of Administration. A person violating this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined in the discretion of the court or sentenced to a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, or both.
S.C. Code Ann. § 54-7-815
Excavation or salvage of certain sunken warships unlawful
Known as the South Carolina Underwater Antiquities Act
The act spans §§ 54-7-610–54-7-850 (25 sections).
1995 Act No. 83, SECTION 56, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature on June 7, 1995).
Official source: South Carolina Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain South Carolina statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.