S.C. Code Ann. § 50-5-1525: Unlawful taking of Atlantic sturgeon; penalties.

(A) Any sturgeon taken during the closed season or in closed areas or with unauthorized equipment must be released immediately back into the waters where taken.

(B) A person taking or possessing any Atlantic sturgeon or any part or product thereof, except as allowed by regulations set by the department, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

(C) A person taking or possessing for a commercial purpose, buying, or selling any Atlantic sturgeon or any part or product thereof, except as allowed by regulations set by the department, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one thousand dollars and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days and must have his saltwater privileges suspended for twelve months.