Home › Open Data › South Carolina State Symbols Dataset
South Carolina's Code of Laws names 64 official state symbols, from the Great Seal (1777) to 3 added in 2026. Search them by name, section or year; every row cites its Code section.
- Official symbols64Title 1, Chapter 1
- Oldest1777Great Seal
- Newest20263 added
- Busiest decade2000s19 adopted
What This Page Is For
Use it to: look up an official South Carolina state symbol, its Code section and the year it was adopted.
Where the figures come from: the South Carolina Code of Laws, Title 1, Chapter 1, Article 6 (scstatehouse.gov), read on October 26, 2026. Years come from the Code’s history notes.
Reuse: the facts on this page can be repeated anywhere. The tables and wording are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to It’s South Carolina and a link to this page, including by AI assistants and researchers.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit to It’s South Carolina and a link to this page.
Every Official State Symbol
| Symbol | Designation | Code section | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Seal | Great Seal of South Carolina | 1777 | |
| Pledge to State Flag | 'I salute the flag of South Carolina and pledge to the Palmetto State love, loyalty and faith.' | 1-1-670 | 1966 |
| State American Folk Dance | Square dance | 1-1-700 | 1994 |
| State Amphibian | Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) | 1-1-699 | 1999 |
| State Animal | White-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) | 1-1-650 | 1972 |
| State Beverage | Milk | 1-1-690 | 1984 |
| State Bird | Carolina Wren | 1-1-630 | 1948 |
| State Botanical Garden | Botanical Garden of Clemson University | 1-1-675 | 1992 |
| State Butterfly | Tiger swallowtail | 1-1-647 | 1994 |
| State Carnivorous Plant | Venus flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) | 1-1-661 | 2023 |
| State Choral Anthem | Dum Spiro Spero (While I Breathe, I Hope) | 1-1-614 | 2026 |
| State Color | Indigo blue | 1-1-710 | 2008 |
| State Dance | Shag | 1-1-665 | 1984 |
| State Dog | Boykin Spaniel | 1-1-655 | 1985 |
| State Duck | Wood duck (Aix sponsa) | 1-1-711 | 2009 |
| State Emblem of Service and Sacrifice (U.S. Armed Forces who gave their lives in the line of duty) | Honor and Remember Flag | 1-1-713A | 2012 |
| State Fish | Striped bass or rockfish | 1-1-640 | 1972 |
| State Flag | Blue field with white palmetto tree and crescent | 1861 | |
| State Flower | Yellow Jessamine | 1924 | |
| State Folk Art and Crafts Center | South Carolina Artisans Center, Walterboro | 1-1-708 | 2000 |
| State Fossil | Columbian Mammoth | 1-1-691 | 2014 |
| State Fruit | Peach | 1-1-680 | 1984 |
| State Gem Stone | Amethyst | 1-1-610 | 1969 |
| State Grass | Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) | 1-1-677 | 2001 |
| State Hall of Fame | South Carolina Hall of Fame, Myrtle Beach Convention Center | 1-1-707 | 2001 |
| State Heritage Horse | Marsh Tacky | 1-1-714 | 2010 |
| State Heritage Work Animal | Mule | 1-1-714A | 2010 |
| State Hospitality Beverage | South Carolina grown tea | 1-1-692 | 1995 |
| State Insect | Carolina mantid, Stagmomantis carolina, or praying mantis | 1-1-645 | 1988 |
| State Language | English | 1-1-696 | 1987 |
| State Lowcountry Handcraft | Sweet grass basket | 1-1-676 | 2006 |
| State Marine Mammal | Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) | 1-1-712 | 2009 |
| State Migratory Bird | Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) | 1-1-613 | 2026 |
| State Migratory Marine Mammal | Northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) | 1-1-713 | 2009 |
| State Military Academy | Camden Military Academy | 1-1-706 | 2001 |
| State Motto (1 of 2) | Animis Opibusque Parati | 1777 | |
| State Motto (2 of 2) | Dum Spiro Spero | 1777 | |
| State Music | The spiritual | 1-1-688 | 1999 |
| State Nickname | The Palmetto State | not stated | |
| State Opera | Porgy and Bess | 1-1-693 | 2001 |
| State Pecan Festival | South Carolina Pecan Festival, Florence County | 1-1-674 | 2011 |
| State Picnic Cuisine | Barbecue | 1-1-683 | 2014 |
| State Poet Laureate | Office of Poet Laureate | 1-3-230 | 1934 |
| State Popular Music | Beach music | 1-1-689 | 2001 |
| State Poultry Festival | South Carolina Poultry Festival, Lexington County | 1-1-686 | 2024 |
| State Railroad Museum | South Carolina Railroad Museum, Fairfield County | 1-1-705 | 1997 |
| State Reptile | Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) | 1-1-625 | 1988 |
| State Rural Drama Theater | Abbeville Opera House | 1-1-709 | 2001 |
| State Seabird | Eastern brown pelican | 1-1-612 | 2024 |
| State Shell | Lettered Olive (Oliva sayana) | 1-1-695 | 1984 |
| State Snack Food | Boiled peanuts | 1-1-682 | 2006 |
| State Song | South Carolina on My Mind | 1-1-685 | 1984 |
| State Song | Carolina When I Die (by Patrick Davis) | 1-1-687 | 2026 |
| State Song | Carolina (poem by Henry Timrod, music by Anne C. Burgess) | 1911 | |
| State Spider | Carolina Wolf Spider (Hogna carolinensis) | 1-1-701 | 2000 |
| State Stone | Blue granite | 1-1-620 | 1969 |
| State Tapestry | From the Mountains to the Sea | 1-1-702 | 2000 |
| State Tartan | Carolina Tartan | 1-1-703 | 2002 |
| State Tobacco Museum | South Carolina Tobacco Museum | 1-1-694 | 2004 |
| State Tree | Palmetto tree | 1-1-660 | 1939 |
| State Vegetable | Collard greens | 1-1-681 | 2011 |
| State Waltz | The Richardson Waltz | 1-1-667 | 2000 |
| State Wild Game Bird | South Carolina Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) | 1-1-635 | 1976 |
| State Wildflower | Goldenrod (solidago altissima) | 1-1-704 | 2003 |
No rows match.
What We Could Not Confirm
Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.
- State Nickname: the year is not stated in the Code text we read.
FAQ
How many state symbols does South Carolina have?
64 in the Code of Laws, Title 1, Chapter 1, as read on October 26, 2026.
What is the South Carolina state hospitality beverage?
South Carolina grown tea, per the Code (section 1-1-692), not sweet tea by name.
What were the newest state symbols?
State Choral Anthem: Dum Spiro Spero (While I Breathe, I Hope), State Migratory Bird: Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), State Song: Carolina When I Die (by Patrick Davis) (2026).
Related: the state symbols guide, South Carolina history, sweet tea and SC grown tea.
Sources
Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “South Carolina State Symbols Dataset”, itssouthcarolina.com/data/sc-state-symbols/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.