A new South Carolina law buried a requirement that could cost your restaurant $100–$5,000 per day if you miss it.
Most South Carolina restaurant owners have never heard of H4248. But if you serve shrimp—especially imported shrimp—this bill contains a provision that will directly affect your operations, your menus, and your legal exposure.
Here's what's happening: South Carolina has passed a food labeling bill that includes a mandate requiring every food service establishment serving foreign imported shrimp to post a disclaimer. This isn't optional. It's law. And the penalties for non-compliance are real.
Under Section 39-25-175(C) of H4248, any food service establishment—that includes restaurants, cafeterias, food stands, and food trucks—that serves foreign imported shrimp must:
Post a physical disclaimer at the main entrance of the establishment
This means a visible sign at the door where customers enter.
Include the disclaimer on the menu
Any menu item featuring foreign shrimp must carry the required language.
The law does not specify the exact wording of the disclaimer in the publicly available bill text, so you'll want to confirm the precise language requirement with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) or your state restaurant association once the rule is finalized.
If you serve any shrimp dishes and source from overseas suppliers—which is common in the seafood industry—you are covered by this law. This includes:
If you source only domestic shrimp, you may not be affected—but you should verify your supplier documentation to be certain.
Non-compliance carries escalating consequences:
This is a per-day penalty structure, meaning a single failure to post or update signage could accumulate significant fines quickly if not corrected immediately upon notice.
H4248 becomes effective 120 days after the Governor's approval. Once that window closes, the law is in force and enforcement can begin. You should not wait until the deadline to prepare.
Contact your seafood suppliers and confirm whether your shrimp is domestically sourced or imported. If imported, begin preparing your signage and menu updates now. Reach out to your state restaurant association or DHEC for the final disclaimer language and any additional guidance on compliance.
This is a straightforward compliance obligation, but it requires action before the effective date. The cost of a sign and menu revision is minimal compared to the cost of daily fines.
Source: South Carolina H4248, Section 39-25-175(C), Bill Text Page 1.