Emergency excavations or demolitions exempt from notice requirement; liability for damages.
S.C. Code Ann. § 58-36-80
in effectSection effective May 22, 2026. See, also, section 58-36-80 effective until May 22, 2026. (A) An excavator performing an emergency excavation or demolition is exempt from the notice requirements in Section 58-36-60. However, the excavator must, as soon as practicable, provide notice of the emergency to the notification center and oral notice to any affected facility operators. The excavator must provide a description of the circumstances to the notification center and request emergency assistance from each affected operator in locating and providing immediate protection to the facilities. (B) All operators within the delineated emergency excavation or demolition area are required to respond in the notification center's positive response system within three hours from the notification center's notice of the emergency. (C) The person responsible for the emergency excavation or demolition shall either be on-site or in communication with the operator, their contract locator, or their representative through the notification center's positive response system. This communication must be made within three hours after the transmission of the notice of the emergency excavation or demolition by the notification center. (D) The declaration of an emergency excavation or demolition does not relieve any party of liability for causing damage to an operator's facilities, even if those facilities are unmarked. (E) Any person who falsely claims that an emergency exists requiring excavation or demolition shall have violated the provisions of this chapter. Effect of Amendment 2025 Act No. 65, SECTION 1, rewrote the section.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t58c036.phpFetched: 10/17/2026