The so-called open-carry bill was approved by the South Carolina House on Wednesday by a vote of 82-33.
The bill will allow a licensed gun owner to openly carry their firearm while keeping them visible to the public. The state is just one of five without open carry law.
Many Republicans and conservatives supported the bill, believing that it strengthens Second Amendment rights.
Laws against pointing a gun at or threatening anyone with a gun without a legal justification will be upheld.
While many Republicans backed the bill, some Democrats argued that allowing open carry would increase violence and death in the state.
Some law enforcement officials have also expressed concern that the bill could lead to an increase in gun violence and domestic homicides in a state. They believed that open carry would make it harder for police to identify who is committing a crime and that fights would escalate more easily to shootings.
Later this spring, the House would discuss further measures to ease gun permit restrictions.
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