General Policy
Advance permission to link to SC.GOV is not necessary. You are granted a limited, revocable, and nonexclusive right to create a hyperlink to the home page of the Site so long as you abide by this Linking Policy. Be aware that SC.GOV subpages may change or be deleted at any time without notice. Entities and individuals linking to SC.GOV are encouraged to verify link accuracy periodically.
Entities and individuals linking to SC.GOV shall not capture SC.GOV pages within frames, present SC.GOV content as its own, or otherwise misrepresent SC.GOV content. They shall not misinform users about the origin or ownership of SC.GOV content, or in any way attempt to modify the content and present it as the content of SC.GOV. Some information on SC.GOV may be protected by trademark and copyright laws and otherwise protected as intellectual property. Protected intellectual property must be used in accordance with state and federal laws and must reflect the proper ownership of the intellectual property.
Any link to the SC.GOV site should be a full forward link that passes the client browser to SC.GOV without barriers. The "back" button should return the visitor to original site if the visitor wishes to back out.
Links from SC.GOV
SC.GOV reserves the right to link to external websites including those that would provide a service to the citizen.
Any link to third party web sites is provided solely for the purpose of your convenience. Links made to other sites are made at your own risk and SC.GOV accepts no liability for any linked sites.
External Web Sites
Upon leaving SC.GOV and linking to an external site, the policies governing SC.GOV no longer apply and users are subject to the external site’s policies. Questions and concerns regarding the information or services provided by a linked site must be directed to the entity or individual responsible for that site, rather than to SC.GOV. Further, a link to a third-party web site does not mean that SC.GOV endorses or accepts any responsibility for the content or the use of such web site. SC.GOV has not tested any content, software feature, or links found on any sites linked to and do not give any representation regarding the quality, safety, suitability, or reliability of any of them or any of the material contained in them. Users must take their own precautions when using the Internet.
Acceptance Criteria
SC.GOV links to federal, state, and local governments that provide information and services that benefit South Carolina citizens and businesses. At its discretion, SC.GOV will consider link requests to non-governmental websites that contain information and/or services that further the purpose of SC.GOV. Any link suggestion to SC.GOV must undergo review to determine its relevance and appropriateness with respect to SC.GOV.
Links may be added by South Carolina Interactive if it determines that the link will be consistent for the SC.GOV web portal, which is to provide a public service to citizens and businesses by:
- Expanding business and citizen access to government services and government information;
- Offering an easy and convenient process to conduct transactions with state government online;
- Improving the level of customer service from state government; extending electronic government services to citizens of cities and county government; providing a comprehensive informational resource about services and functions related to state government.
SCI will provide links to federal, state, and local government websites and educational institutions that provide information or services related to topics covered on the SC.GOV web portal or that users of the SC.GOV site may find of interest. SCI may, at its discretion, provide links to websites of non-profit organizations and private or commercial entities if they offer information or services related to topics covered on the SC.GOV website, and are consistent with the purpose of the SC.GOV website. All requests for links to non-governmental sites will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
SCI will determine whether the external website fits with the purpose of the SC.GOV web portal and where the link should be placed within the SC.GOV web portal's content structure. Links may be removed or replaced at the discretion of SCI, at any time and without notice.
Links to sites containing the following types of content are not considered appropriate to the SC.GOV web portal:
- Sites that exhibit hate, bias, discrimination, pornography, libelous, or otherwise defamatory content;
- Affiliation or advocacy of a political party, organization, or candidate running for office;
- Content not suitable for readers or viewers of all ages, although we may link to websites that prohibit use by children under the age of 13;
- Content that infringes on any trademark, copyright, or patent rights of another;
- Content that a reasonable citizen may not consider to maintain the dignity and decorum appropriate for government.
To request a link on the SC.GOV portal, you may use the Suggest a Link feature found throughout the site or email support@portal.SC.GOV. To request a link on a state agency website, please contact the relevant agency directly.
Linking Policy Contact Information
For questions and concerns regarding the linking policy, email us at support@portal.SC.GOV.
Updated 12-16-2019
