What Parents Answer For
S.C. Code 63-5-60 — up to $5,000 for a child's malicious or wilful harm
Up to $5,000. The state, a school district or any other person may recover actual damages of up to $5,000 in a civil action from the parents or legal guardian of a minor under eighteen who lives with them and maliciously or wilfully causes personal injury, or destroys, damages or steals property.
The parents' liability is joint and several with the minor's, as long as the minor would have been liable as an adult, and does not relieve the minor of personal liability. It is in addition to any other liability the law imposes.
The section does not apply to people or agencies with custody of a child under the authority of a state agency or county social services department, and it does not limit the family purpose doctrine. A particular claim is a question for a licensed South Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- S.C. Code 63-5-60 — Parental civil liability for damage to State property
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Carolina attorney.