S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-560 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-560
SECTION 56-9-560. Certificate of insurance as proof; certificate furnished by nonresident; effect of default by unauthorized insurer.
Status: in_force

The nonresident owner of a motor vehicle not registered in this State may give proof of financial responsibility by filing with the Department of Motor Vehicles written certificates of an insurance carrier authorized to transact business in the state in which the motor vehicle or motor vehicles described in the certificate is registered or, if the nonresident does not own a motor vehicle, then in the state in which the insured resides, provided the certificate otherwise conforms with the provisions of this chapter, and the Department shall accept it upon condition that the insurance carrier complies with the following provisions with respect to the policies certified: (1) The insurance carrier shall execute a power of attorney authorizing the Department to accept service on its behalf of notice or process in any action arising out of a motor vehicle accident in this State; and (2) The insurance carrier shall agree in writing that the policies shall be construed to conform with the laws of this State relating to the terms of motor vehicle liability policies issued in this State. If any insurance carrier not authorized to transact business in this State, which has qualified to furnish proof of financial responsibility, defaults in any of these undertakings or agreements, the Department shall not thereafter accept as proof any certificate of that carrier whether formerly filed or thereafter tendered as proof, so long as the default continues.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6350 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 45 / Section 56-5-6350
SECTION 56-5-6350. Application of article to certain private roads.
Status: in_force

Nothing contained in this article shall affect the application of this chapter to private roads in any county which complied with any laws in effect prior to the effective date of this article but such roads shall be governed by the provisions of this article as it applies to termination.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-610
SECTION 56-3-610. Biennial payment of registration and license fees required.
Status: in_force

(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), the owner of every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, and special mobile equipment vehicle required to be registered and licensed under this chapter shall pay to the Department of Motor Vehicles at the time of registering and licensing the vehicle and biennially after that time registration and license fees as set forth in this article. (B) A large commercial motor vehicle or bus on which is imposed the road use fee provided pursuant to Article 23, Chapter 37, Title 12 is required to be registered and licensed annually pursuant to this chapter and the scheduled fees adjusted as provided pursuant to Section 56-3-660(E). Editor's Note 2017 Act No. 40, SECTIONS 8.L, 8.M, provide as follows: "L. (1) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary within this SECTION, a person who registers a vehicle for use in this State pursuant to Article 23, Chapter 37, Title 12, as amended by this act, must register his vehicle during calendar year 2019 and is required to pay the road fees calculated based on the fair market value of the vehicle as specified in Sections 12-37-2820 and 12-37-2850 at the time the vehicle's registration fees are paid. "(2) Notwithstanding the provisions in Section 12-37-2865(B) and (C), as contained in this SECTION, to the contrary, during calendar year 2019, the first four hundred thousand dollars of fee revenue collected pursuant to Section 12-37-2865 must be retained by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray programming costs. "(3) The initial millage required by Section 12-37-2850 must be calculated on or before June 1, 2018. "M. This SECTION takes effect January 1, 2019, except that the Department of Revenue, in consultation with the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, shall calculate the millage to be used to calculate the road use fee provided in Section 12-37-2850 by July 1, 2018." Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 40, SECTION 8.D, inserted the paragraph identifiers; in (A), substituted "Except as provided in subsection (B), the" for "The"; and added (B), relating to large commercial motor vehicles required to be registered.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5070 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-5070
SECTION 56-5-5070. Red electric lanterns shall be carried in vehicles transporting inflammable liquids or gases.
Status: in_force

No person shall operate at the time and under the conditions stated in Section 56-5-5060 any motor vehicle used in the transportation of inflammable liquids in bulk or transporting compressed inflammable gases unless there shall be carried in such vehicle three red electric lanterns meeting the requirements stated in Section 56-5-5060, and there shall not be carried in any such vehicle any flare, fusee or signal produced by a flame.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-310 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-310
SECTION 56-1-310. Suspension or revocation of nonresident's driving privilege.
Status: in_force

The privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the highways of this State given to a nonresident under this article shall be subject to suspension or revocation by the Department of Motor Vehicles in like manner and for like cause as a driver's license issued under the laws of this State may be suspended or revoked.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-355 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 4 / Section 56-9-355
SECTION 56-9-355. Driver or owner involved in accident may not obtain license or registration without compliance with article.
Status: in_force

In the event the driver or the owner of a vehicle of a type subject to registration under the laws of this State, involved in an accident within this State, has no license or registration in this State, such driver shall not be allowed a license nor shall such owner be allowed to register any vehicle in this State until he has complied with the requirements of this article to the same extent that would be necessary if, at the time of the accident, he had held a license or been the owner of a vehicle registered in this State.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-30 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-30
SECTION 56-16-30. Obligation to fulfill warranty agreement.
Status: in_force

Every manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division shall fulfill any warranty agreement and compensate each of its motorcycle dealers for labor and parts. In determination of what constitutes reasonable compensation under this section, the principal factor to be given consideration is the prevailing wage rates paid by dealers in the community in which the dealer is doing business. The hourly labor rate paid to a dealer for warranty services must not be less than the rate charged by the dealer for like service to nonwarranty customers for nonwarranty service and repairs unless the rate is determined to be unreasonable. Dealers must be reimbursed for the current manufacturer suggested retail price for parts used on warranty work. All claims made by motorcycle dealers hereunder and under Section 56-16-20 for labor and parts must be paid within thirty days following their approval. All such claims are either approved or disapproved within thirty days after their receipt. When any claim is disapproved the motorcycle dealer who submits it must be notified in writing of its disapproval within such period, and each notice shall state the specific grounds upon which the disapproval is based. Any special handling of claims required by the manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, which is not uniformly required of all dealers of the type make, may be enforced after thirty days' notice in writing and upon good and sufficient reason.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2780 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 21 / Section 56-5-2780
SECTION 56-5-2780. Penalties for unlawfully passing a stopped school bus.
Status: in_force

(A) A driver of a vehicle violating Section 56-5-2770 (A) or (C) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or forfeiture of bail for a first offense must be fined not less than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days. In lieu of imprisonment, the court may require that the individual complete an appropriate term of community service of not fewer than ten days upon terms and conditions the court considers proper. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a first offense for a violation of Section 56-5-2770 (A) or (C) may be tried in magistrate's court. Upon conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or forfeiture of bail for a second or subsequent violation of Section 56-5-2770 (A) or (C), a person is guilty of a misdemeanor and must be fined not less than two thousand dollars or more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned for not fewer than thirty days and not more than sixty days. (B) If a driver of a vehicle violates Section 56-5-2770 (A) or (C), and the violation proximately causes great bodily injury or death to a pedestrian, the person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or forfeiture of bond, the person must be: (1) fined not less than five thousand dollars or more than ten thousand dollars and imprisoned for not less than sixty days or more than one year when great bodily injury results; (2) fined not less than ten thousand dollars or more than twenty-five thousand dollars and imprisoned for not less than one year or more than five years when death results. As used in this subsection, "great bodily injury" means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the driver's license of a person who is convicted or who receives a sentence upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere pursuant to this subsection for the term of imprisonment plus one year.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2090 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2090
SECTION 56-1-2090. Application; change of licensee's name or address; penalties for falsifying information.
Status: in_force

(A) The application for a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit must include: (1) the full name and both the current mailing and residential address of the person; (2) a physical description of the person including sex, height, and weight; (3) date of birth; (4) the applicant's Social Security number; (5) the person's signature; (6) the person's consent to be photographed; (7) certifications including those required by 49 C.F.R. part 383.71(a); (8) any other information required by the Department of Motor Vehicles; (9) a consent to release driving record information; and (10) a nonrefundable application fee of fifteen dollars, except for public school bus drivers. (B) When the holder of a commercial driver license changes his name, mailing address, or residence, an application for a renewal license must be made as provided in Section 56-1-230. (C) No person who has been a resident of this State for thirty days or longer may drive a commercial motor vehicle under the authority of a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit issued by another state. (D) A person who knowingly falsifies information or certifications required under subsection (A) of this section is subject to cancellation of his commercial driver license and may not obtain a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit for at least sixty consecutive days after the time he otherwise would be eligible for a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit. (E) The fees collected pursuant to this section must be credited to the Department of Transportation State Non-Federal Aid Highway Fund as provided in the following schedule based on the actual date of receipt by the Department of Motor Vehicles:
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-10-551 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 10 / Article 5 / Section 56-10-551
SECTION 56-10-551. Cancellation or termination of insurance policy certified under this chapter; notice to department.
Status: in_force

When any insurance policy certified under this chapter is canceled or terminated, the insurer shall report the fact to the Department of Motor Vehicles within fifteen days after the cancellation electronically or on a form prescribed by the department. Editor's Note 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 40(B), provides as follows: "[SECTION 40.](B) SECTION 5 takes effect on the first day of the fiscal year following twelve months after approval by the Governor." Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 5, substituted "fact to the Department of Motor Vehicles" for "fact to the director", inserted "electronically or", and substituted "department" for "director".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 1 / Section 56-9-10
SECTION 56-9-10. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter may be cited as the "Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 5 / Section 56-11-450
SECTION 56-11-450. Tax credit; refunds.
Status: in_force

(A) Every motor carrier subject to the tax imposed under this chapter is entitled to a credit on the tax equivalent to the user fee imposed pursuant to Section 12-28-310 on all gasoline or other motor fuel purchased by the carrier within this State for use in operations either within or without this State and upon which gasoline or other motor fuel the tax imposed by the laws of this State has been paid by the carrier. Evidence of the payment of the tax in such form as may be required by or is satisfactory to the Department of Motor Vehicles must be furnished by each carrier claiming the credit. (B) When the amount of the credit exceeds the amount of the tax for which the carrier is liable for the same quarter, the excess may, under regulations of the department, be allowed as a credit on the tax for which the carrier would be otherwise liable for another quarter or quarters. The department is authorized to refund the amount of the credit herein allowed if within its discretion the refund is preferable to the credit. The refund must be made only if the carrier has fully complied with all the rules and regulations of the department and the provisions of this chapter. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 40, SECTION 3.B, in (A), substituted "the user fee imposed pursuant to Section 12-28-310" for "sixteen cents per gallon".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-614 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-614
SECTION 56-5-614. Divided highway defined.
Status: in_force

A highway divided into two or more roadways by leaving an intervening space or divided by a physical barrier or by a clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic is a "divided highway".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 1 / Section 56-3-10
SECTION 56-3-10. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and cited as the "South Carolina Motor Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1780 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 9 / Section 56-1-1780
SECTION 56-1-1780. Applicability of Sections 56-1-100 and 56-1-230 to holders of moped operator's licenses.
Status: in_force

The provisions of Sections 56-1-100 and 56-1-230 apply to persons with moped operator's licenses.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4660 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4660
SECTION 56-5-4660. Spot lamps.
Status: in_force

Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed one spot lamp, and every lighted spot lamp shall be so aimed and used upon approaching another vehicle that no part of the high-intensity portion of the beam will be directed to the left of the prolongation of the extreme left side of the vehicle nor more than one hundred feet ahead of the vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-180 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-180
SECTION 56-5-180. Bus defined.
Status: in_force

Every motor vehicle designed for carrying more than ten passengers and used for the transportation of persons and every motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, designed and used for the transportation of persons for compensation is a "bus."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-420 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 4 / Section 56-15-420
SECTION 56-15-420. Promulgation of regulations.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall promulgate regulations to implement the provisions contained in this article.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-3040 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 3 / Section 56-2-3040
SECTION 56-2-3040. Application requirements.
Status: in_force

(A) An application for registration and licensing of a moped must contain: (1) the name, bona fide residence and mailing address of the owner or business address of the owner if a firm, association or corporation; (2) a description of the moped including, insofar as this exists with respect to a given moped, the make, model, type of body, serial number or other identifying number, whether the vehicle is new or used, and the date of sale by the manufacturer or seller to the person intending to operate the moped; and (3) other information that reasonably may be required by the department to enable the department to determine whether the moped is lawfully entitled to registration and licensing. (B) The application shall be accompanied by a bill of sale and a vehicle registration certificate, manufacturer's certificate of origin, or an affidavit from the applicant certifying that he is the legal and rightful owner of the moped. The documentation provided must list the vehicle specifications, including the total cubic centimeters of the engine or wattage of the engine, as applicable.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4720 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4720
SECTION 56-5-4720. Use of oscillating, rotating or flashing red lights on Department of Transportation vehicles.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-5-4700, any Department of Transportation vehicle may use oscillating, rotating or flashing red lights during any emergency. The Department of Transportation personnel shall determine when an emergency exists.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-810 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 7 / Section 56-19-810
SECTION 56-19-810. Peace officers shall report theft or recovery of vehicles.
Status: in_force

A peace officer who learns of the theft of a vehicle not since recovered or of the recovery of a vehicle whose theft or conversion he knows or has reason to believe has been reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles shall forthwith report the theft or recovery to the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4450
SECTION 56-5-4450. Times when vehicles must be equipped with lights.
Status: in_force

(A) Every vehicle upon a street or highway within this State shall display lighted lamps and illuminating devices, excluding parking lights, from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, and at any other time when windshield wipers are in use as a result of rain, sleet, or snow, or when inclement weather or environmental factors severely reduce the ability to clearly discern persons and vehicles on the street or highway at a distance of five hundred feet ahead as required in this article for different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions with respect to parked vehicles as provided in this article; provided, however, the provisions of this section requiring use of lights in conjunction with the use of windshield wipers shall not apply to instances when windshield wipers are used intermittently in misting rain, sleet, or snow. (B) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined up to twenty-five dollars. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 27, inserted the paragraph identifiers, and deleted the second paragraph of (A), which had related to warning tickets for failure to display the lights of a vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5050 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-5050
SECTION 56-5-5050. Toilets or other devices hazardous to health.
Status: in_force

No motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer shall be equipped with an open toilet or other device that may be hazardous from a health and sanitation standpoint.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2933 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 23 / Section 56-5-2933
SECTION 56-5-2933. Driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration; penalties; enrollment in Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program; prosecution.
Status: in_force

(A) It is unlawful for a person to drive a motor vehicle within this State while his alcohol concentration is eight one-hundredths of one percent or more. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of the offense of driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration and, upon conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or of nolo contendere, or forfeiture of bail must be punished as follows: (1) for a first offense, by a fine of four hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than forty-eight hours nor more than thirty days. However, in lieu of the forty-eight hour minimum imprisonment, the court may provide for forty-eight hours of public service employment. The minimum forty-eight hour imprisonment or public service employment must be served at a time when the person is not working and does not interfere with his regular employment under terms and conditions the court considers proper. However, the court may not compel an offender to perform public service employment in lieu of the minimum forty-eight hour sentence. If the person's alcohol concentration is at least ten one-hundredths of one percent but less than sixteen one-hundredths of one percent, then the person must be punished by a fine of five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than seventy-two hours nor more than thirty days. However, in lieu of the seventy-two hour minimum imprisonment, the court may provide for seventy-two hours of public service employment. The minimum seventy-two hour imprisonment or public service employment must be served at a time when the person is not working and does not interfere with his regular employment under terms and conditions as the court considers proper. However, the court may not compel an offender to perform public service employment in lieu of the minimum sentence. If the person's alcohol concentration is sixteen one-hundredths of one percent or more, then the person must be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars or imprisonment for not less than thirty days nor more than ninety days. However, in lieu of the thirty-day minimum imprisonment, the court may provide for thirty days of public service employment. The minimum thirty days imprisonment or public service employment must be served at a time when the person is not working and does not interfere with his regular employment under terms and conditions as the court considers proper. However, the court may not compel an offender to perform public service employment instead of the thirty-day minimum sentence. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, and 22-3-550, a first offense charged for this item may be tried in magistrates court; (2) for a second offense, by a fine of not less than two thousand one hundred dollars nor more than five thousand one hundred dollars, and imprisonment for not less than five days nor more than one year. However, the fine imposed by this item must not be suspended in an amount less than one thousand one hundred dollars. If the person's alcohol concentration is at least ten one-hundredths of one percent but less than sixteen one-hundredths of one percent, then the person must be punished by a fine of not less than two thousand five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand five hundred dollars and imprisonment for not less than thirty days nor more than two years. However, the fine imposed by this item must not be suspended in an amount less than one thousand one hundred dollars. If the person's alcohol concentration is sixteen one-hundredths of one percent or more, then the person must be punished by a fine of not less than three thousand five hundred dollars nor more than six thousand five hundred dollars and imprisonment for not less than ninety days nor more than three years. However, the fine imposed by this item must not be suspended in an amount less than one thousand one hundred dollars; (3) for a third offense, by a fine of not less than three thousand eight hundred dollars nor more than six thousand three hundred dollars, and imprisonment for not less than sixty days nor more than three years. If the person's alcohol concentration is at least ten one-hundredths of one percent but less than sixteen one-hundredths of one percent, then the person must be punished by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars nor more than seven thousand five hundred dollars and imprisonment for not less than ninety days nor more than four years. If the person's alcohol concentration is sixteen one-hundredths of one percent or more, then the person must be punished by a fine of not less than seven thousand five hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars and imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than five years; or (4) for a fourth or subsequent offense, by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years. If the person's alcohol concentration is at least ten one-hundredths of one percent but less than sixteen one-hundredths of one percent, then the person must be punished by imprisonment for not less than two years nor more than six years. If the person's alcohol concentration is sixteen one-hundredths of one percent or more, then the person must be punished by imprisonment for not less than three years nor more than seven years. (B) No part of the minimum sentences provided in this section may be suspended. Instead of public service employment the court may invoke another sentence provided in this section. For a second or subsequent offense of this section, the service of the minimum sentence is mandatory. However, the judge may provide for the sentence to be served upon terms and conditions as he considers proper including, but not limited to, weekend service or nighttime service in any fashion he considers necessary. (C) The fine for a first offense must not be suspended. The court is prohibited from suspending a monetary fine below that of the next preceding minimum monetary fine. (D) For the purposes of this chapter a conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or of nolo contendere, or forfeiture of bail for the violation of a law or ordinance of this or another state or a municipality of this or another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, drugs, or narcotics, including, but not limited to, Section 56-5-2930, or prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle with an unlawful alcohol concentration, including, but not limited to, this section, constitutes a prior offense of this section. Only those violations which occurred within a period of ten years including and immediately preceding the date of the last violation constitute prior violations within the meaning of this section. (E) Upon imposition of a sentence of public service, the defendant may apply to the court to be allowed to perform his public service in his county of residence if he has been sentenced to public service in a county where he does not reside. (F) One hundred dollars of each fine imposed pursuant to this section must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Public Safety for the Highway Patrol. (G) Two hundred dollars of the fine imposed pursuant to subsections (A)(3) must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the State Law Enforcement Division to offset the costs of administration of the breath testing devices, breath testing site video program, and toxicology laboratory. (H) A person convicted of violating this section, whether for a first offense or subsequent offense, must enroll in and successfully complete an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program certified by the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. An assessment of the extent and nature of the alcohol and drug abuse problem of the applicant must be prepared and a plan of education or treatment, or both, must be developed for the applicant. The Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program shall determine if the applicant successfully has completed the services. The applicant must attend the first Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program available after the date of enrollment. The Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services shall determine the cost of services provided by each certified Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. Each applicant shall bear the cost of services recommended in the applicant's plan of education or treatment. The cost may not exceed five hundred dollars for education services, two thousand dollars for treatment services, and two thousand five hundred dollars in total for all services. An applicant may not be denied services due to an inability to pay. Inability to pay for services may not be used as a factor in determining if the applicant successfully has completed services. An applicant who is unable to pay for services shall perform fifty hours of community service as arranged by the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, which may use the completion of this community service as a factor in determining if the applicant successfully has completed services. The court must be notified whether an offender failed to enroll in a certified program within thirty days or failed to participate in the plan of education or treatment. The court may hold the individual in contempt of court if the individual cannot show cause as to why no enrollment occurred within the mandated thirty days or why no progress has been made on the plan of education or treatment. (I) A person charged for a violation of Section 56-5-2930 may be prosecuted pursuant to this section if the original testing of the person's breath or collection of other bodily fluids was performed within two hours of the time of arrest and reasonable suspicion existed to justify the traffic stop. A person may not be prosecuted for both a violation of Section 56-5-2930 and a violation of this section for the same incident. A person who violates the provisions of this section is entitled to a jury trial and is afforded the right to challenge certain factors including the following: (1) whether or not the person was lawfully arrested or detained; (2) the period of time between arrest and testing; (3) whether or not the person was given a written copy of and verbally informed of the rights enumerated in Section 56-5-2950; (4) whether the person consented to taking a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950, and whether the: (a) reported alcohol concentration at the time of testing was eight one-hundredths of one percent or more; (b) individual who administered the test or took samples was qualified pursuant to Section 56-5-2950; (c) tests administered and samples obtained were conducted pursuant to Section 56-5-2950 and regulations adopted pursuant to Section 56-5-2951(O) and Section 56-5-2953(F); and (d) machine was working properly. (J) Nothing contained in this section prohibits the introduction of: (1) the results of any additional tests of the person's breath or other bodily fluids; (2) any evidence that may corroborate or question the validity of the breath or bodily fluid test result including, but not limited to: (a) evidence of field sobriety tests; (b) evidence of the amount of alcohol consumed by the person; and (c) evidence of the person's driving; (3) a video recording of the person's conduct at the incident site and breath testing site taken pursuant to Section 56-5-2953 which is subject to redaction under the South Carolina Rules of Evidence; or (4) any other evidence of the state of a person's faculties to drive which would call into question the results of a breath or bodily fluid test. At trial, a person charged with a violation of this section is allowed to present evidence relating to the factors enumerated above and the totality of the evidence produced at trial may be used by the jury to determine guilt or innocence. A person charged with a violation of this section must be given notice of intent to prosecute under the provisions of this section at least thirty calendar days before his trial date. (K) For the purpose of this section, any offense carrying a penalty of imprisonment of ninety days or less may be tried in magistrates court. (L) In cases in which enhanced penalties for higher levels of alcohol concentration may be applicable, upon the determination of guilt, the finder of fact shall determine the alcohol concentration and the judge shall apply the appropriate penalty.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-28-70 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 28 / Section 56-28-70
SECTION 56-28-70. Limitation of actions.
Status: in_force

Any action brought under this chapter must be commenced within three years following the date of original delivery of the motor vehicle to the consumer.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1370 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1370
SECTION 56-3-1370. Defacement of license plates; seizure of misused, altered, or defaced plates.
Status: in_force

No person shall, with intent to defraud, deface or cause to be defaced in any manner any vehicle license plate issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Any duly authorized agent of the Department may take up, repossess or recover any license plate if it is being improperly used or if it has been altered or defaced, and the Department may revoke the registration and license of the vehicle involved.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2460 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 27 / Section 56-3-2460
SECTION 56-3-2460. Affidavit as to registration records of Department of Motor Vehicles as evidence of ownership.
Status: in_force

In any case tried in any court of competent jurisdiction in this State in which the ownership of any motor vehicle is in issue an affidavit by a duly authorized officer or agent of the Department of Motor Vehicles showing what the registration records of the Department show or fail to show relative to the ownership of the motor vehicle in question shall be admissible in evidence on the sole issue of ownership of the motor vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-370 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-370
SECTION 56-19-370. Procedures for voluntary transfer; dealer purchasing vehicle for resale.
Status: reserved

(A) If a dealer buys a vehicle and holds it for resale and procures the certificate of title from the owner within forty-five days after delivery to him of the vehicle, he need not send the certificate to the Department of Motor Vehicles, but, upon transferring the vehicle to another person other than by the creation of a security interest, promptly shall execute the assignment and warranty of title by a dealer, showing the names and addresses of the transferee and of any lienholder holding a security interest created or reserved at the time of the resale and the date of his security agreement, in the spaces provided on the certificate or as the department prescribes, and mail or deliver the certificate to the department with the transferee's application for a new certificate. (B)(1) The dealer must properly title and, if applicable, register the vehicle within forty-five days after the sale. A dealer who receives in a timely manner a title lien release from a financial institution, titling agent, or another state department of motor vehicles, or its equivalent, and who fails to either properly title or, if applicable, register the vehicle the dealer sold within forty-five days after the sale may be assessed points against his dealer record pursuant to Section 56-37-30. (2) If the department has reason to believe that the dealer knowingly did not properly title, or if applicable, register the vehicle within forty-five days after the sale, the dealer is guilty of a misdemeanor and must be fined not less than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both, and is further subject to the provisions of Section 56-15-350. (3) If a title is in suspended status, the department must make the information regarding the reason for suspension available in a timely manner through the third-party provider pursuant to Section 56-3-210. (4) No dealer may be prosecuted for not properly titling or registering a vehicle within forty-five days if the department has placed the title in suspended status or if a financial institution has not released the lien in a timely manner. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the reference in (B)(1) to "Section 56-37-370" was changed to "Section 56-37-30" to correct a scrivener's error. Editor's Note 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 40(D), provides as follows: "[SECTION 40.](D) SECTIONS 15 through 28 take effect on January 1, 2024. Any dealership applying for or renewing licenses, or operating on a currently issued license on or after January 1, 2024, is subject to the provisions of SECTIONS 15 through 28." Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 28, inserted the (A) designator, and added (B).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4210 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 33 / Section 56-5-4210
SECTION 56-5-4210. Reduced load, weight, and speed limits; special regulation or prohibition of specified classes or sizes of vehicles; posting of notices.
Status: in_force

Anything in this article to the contrary notwithstanding, the Department of Transportation with respect to state highways and local authorities with respect to highways under their jurisdiction may prescribe, by notice as herein provided, loads and weights and speed limits lower than the limits prescribed in this chapter and other laws, whenever in their judgment any road or part thereof or any bridge or culvert shall by reason of its design, deterioration, rain or other climatic or natural causes be liable to be damaged or destroyed by motor vehicles, trailers or semitrailers, if the gross weight or speed limit thereof shall exceed the limits prescribed in such notice. And the Department of Transportation or such local authority may, by like notice, regulate or prohibit, in whole or in part, the operation of any specified class or size of motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer on any highways or specified parts thereof under its jurisdiction, whenever in its judgment, such regulation or prohibition is necessary to provide for the public safety and convenience on such highways or parts thereof by reason of traffic density, intensive use thereof by the traveling public or other reasons of public safety and convenience. The notice or the substance thereof shall be posted at conspicuous places at terminals of and all intermediate cross-roads and road junctions with the section of highway to which such notice shall apply. After any such notice shall have been posted, the operation of any motor vehicle or combination contrary to its provisions shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-90 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 1 / Section 56-5-90
SECTION 56-5-90. Driving limitations for intrastate motor carrier driver.
Status: in_force

(A) For motor carriers subject to this title, an intrastate motor carrier driver may not drive: (1) more than twelve hours following eight consecutive hours off duty; (2) for any period after having been on duty sixteen hours following eight consecutive hours off duty; (3) after having been on duty seventy hours in seven consecutive days; (4) more than eighty hours in eight consecutive days. (B) An intrastate driver is determined by his previous seven days of operation.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-910 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 7 / Section 56-5-910
SECTION 56-5-910. Approval by Department of Transportation of stop signs or traffic-control signals placed by local authorities.
Status: in_force

No local authority shall erect or maintain any stop sign or traffic-control signal at any location so as to require the traffic on any state highway to stop before entering or crossing any intersecting highway unless approval in writing has first been obtained from the Department of Transportation.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1280 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1280
SECTION 56-5-1280. When driver unable to report, other occupant or owner shall report.
Status: in_force

Whenever the driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of making an immediate or a written report of an accident as required in Section 56-5-1260 and there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of making a report, such occupant shall make or cause to be made such report not made by the driver. Whenever the driver is so physically incapable of making a written report as required in Section 56-5-1270 and such driver is not the owner of the vehicle, then the owner of the vehicle involved in such accident shall within five days after learning of the accident make such report not made by the driver.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-9000 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 90 / Section 56-3-9000
SECTION 56-3-9000. Sertoma International special license plates authorized.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names, which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, or other symbol approved by Sertoma International and the department. Sertoma International may submit to the department for approval of the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for its respective special license plate. Before a design is approved, however, Sertoma International must submit to the department written authorization for the use of a copyrighted or registered logo, trademark, or design. Sertoma International also may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol once the existing supply has been exhausted. The fee for each special license plate is seventy dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (B) The fees collected pursuant to this section, after the costs to produce and administer the distribution of the special license plate have been satisfied, must be distributed to the "Camp Sertoma Fund" created by Sertoma International for the continued support of Camp Sertoma. The fund must be administered by Sertoma International and may be used only for Camp Sertoma. Any funds collected must be deposited in an appropriate nonprofit account designated by Sertoma International. (C) Before the department produces and distributes the Sertoma International special license plate pursuant to this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the respective license plate, the department must retain the deposit; (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate which must be approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate, it may not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-310 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-310
SECTION 56-5-310. Solid tire defined.
Status: in_force

Every tire of rubber or other resilient material which does not depend upon compressed air for the support of the load is a "solid tire."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5130 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-5130
SECTION 56-5-5130. Requirements as to flares, fusees, and other warning devices.
Status: in_force

The flares, fusees, lanterns and flags to be displayed as required in Sections 56-5-5090 to 56-5-5110 shall conform with the requirements of Section 56-5-5060 applicable thereto.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2005 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2005
SECTION 56-1-2005. Administration of South Carolina Commercial Driver's License program.
Status: in_force

The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles shall administer the South Carolina Commercial Driver's License Program in accordance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The rules adopted by and regulations promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) relating to safety of operation and to equipment (49 CFR Parts 380, 382-385, and 390-399 and amendments thereto) and the rules adopted by and regulations promulgated by the USDOT relating to hazardous material (49 CFR Parts 171-180 and amendments thereto) must be adopted and enforced in South Carolina.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-460 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-460
SECTION 56-5-460. Roadway defined.
Status: in_force

A "roadway" is that portion of a highway improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the shoulder or berm. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term "roadway" as used in this chapter shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1270 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1270
SECTION 56-3-1270. Procedures upon transfer of ownership of vehicle; application for transfer and issuance of new card; fee.
Status: in_force

Whenever any person other than a duly licensed motor vehicle dealer receives by purchase, gift, trade, or otherwise a vehicle which was registered and licensed in this State for the then current registration and license year, the person so receiving such vehicle shall within thirty days after the transfer of ownership make application to the Department of Motor Vehicles for registration and a license plate for such vehicle. The Department, upon being satisfied as to the genuineness and regularity of the application and with proof of the ad valorem tax being paid as required in Section 12-37-2610, shall issue a new registration card and license plate to the new owner.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1330 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1330
SECTION 56-5-1330. Garages or repair shops shall report accidents or bullet damages.
Status: in_force

The person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been involved in an accident of which report must be made as provided in Section 56-5-1270 or struck by any bullet shall report to the Department of Public Safety within twenty-four hours after such motor vehicle is received, giving the engine number, registration number and the name and address of the owner or operator of such vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3130 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 25 / Section 56-5-3130
SECTION 56-5-3130. Pedestrians' right-of-way in crosswalks.
Status: in_force

(a) When traffic-control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to yield to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger. (b) No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. (c) Subsection (a) shall not apply under the conditions stated in subsection (b) of Section 56-5-3150. (d) Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7800 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 75 / Section 56-3-7800
SECTION 56-3-7800. South Carolina Aquarium special license plates.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Aquarium" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles registered in their names. The requirements for production and distribution of the plate are those set forth in Section 56-3-8100. The biennial fee for this plate is the regular registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title plus an additional fee of fifty dollars. Any portion of the additional fifty-dollar fee not set aside by the Comptroller General to defray costs of production and distribution must be distributed to the South Carolina Aquarium.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7200 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 61 / Section 56-3-7200
SECTION 56-3-7200. Arts Awareness special license plates; deposition of fees.
Status: in_force

(A) The department may issue Arts Awareness special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles registered in their names to establish a special fund to be used by the South Carolina Arts Commission for the purpose of funding activities that support a thriving arts environment in South Carolina. The biennial fee for the special license plates is seventy dollars in addition to the regular motor vehicle license plate fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates, must be imprinted with artwork to be selected through a process conducted by the South Carolina Arts Commission, and numbers as the department may determine. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (B) Of the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of the department in producing and administering this special license plate. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be deposited in a separate fund for the South Carolina Arts Commission and be used solely to support activities that build a thriving arts environment in South Carolina. (C) Before the department produces and distributes the Arts Awareness special license plates pursuant to this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department shall refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the respective license plate, the department shall retain the deposit; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate which must be approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for this special license plate, it may not produce additional special license plates in this series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of this series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-340 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-340
SECTION 56-5-340. Explosive defined.
Status: in_force

An "explosive" is any chemical compound or mechanical mixture that is commonly used or intended for the purpose of producing an explosion and which contains any oxidizing and combustive units or other ingredients in such proportions, quantities or packing that an ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion or by detonator of any part of the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are capable of producing destructive effects on contiguous objects or of destroying life or limb.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-25-40 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 25 / Section 56-25-40
SECTION 56-25-40. Violations for which person not entitled to release on personal recognizance; penalty for failure to appear as required by citation.
Status: in_force

(a) No person shall be entitled to be released on personal recognizance pursuant to Section 56-25-30 if the officer requires the person to appear before a magistrate, recorder or other judicial officer or if the offense is: (1) One which would result in the suspension or revocation of a person's license or privilege to drive under the laws of this State; (2) A violation of Section 56-1-440 prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license; (3) A violation of a highway weight limitation. (b) Any person who willfully fails to appear before the court as required by a uniform traffic citation without having posted such bond as may be required by the court or been granted a continuance by the court shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-21-50 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 21 / Section 56-21-50
SECTION 56-21-50. Jurisdiction of courts within area of state institutions; duty of county treasurer receiving fines or forfeitures.
Status: in_force

The recorder, judge or the magistrate having jurisdiction within the area where such State institution is situate shall have jurisdiction to hear, try and determine violations of the provisions of Sections 56-21-10 to 56-21-60. The county treasurer who receives fines or bail forfeitures collected by the recorder, judge or magistrate for violations of the provisions of Sections 56-21-10 to 56-21-60 shall remit such fines or forfeitures to the institutions concerned.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 1 / Section 56-19-20
SECTION 56-19-20. Administration and enforcement.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles is hereby vested with the power and is charged with the duty of observing, administering and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and Chapter 21 of Title 16.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-37-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 37 / Section 56-37-10
SECTION 56-37-10. Application of chapter.
Status: in_force

This chapter applies to any dealer licensed under Title 56 regardless of the dealer license type. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, "chapter" was substituted for "article" to correct a scrivener's error. Editor's Note 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 40(D), provides as follows: "[SECTION 40.](D) SECTIONS 15 through 28 take effect on January 1, 2024. Any dealership applying for or renewing licenses, or operating on a currently issued license on or after January 1, 2024, is subject to the provisions of SECTIONS 15 through 28."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-10
SECTION 56-15-10. Definitions.
Status: reserved

As used in this chapter the following words shall, unless the text otherwise requires, have the following meanings: (a) "Motor vehicle", means any motor driven vehicle required to be registered pursuant to Section 56-3-110. This definition does not include motorcycles, new recreational vehicles as defined in Section 56-14-10, or mopeds. (b) "Manufacturer," any person engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling new and unused motor vehicles. (c) "Factory branch," a branch office maintained by a manufacturer which manufactures or assembles motor vehicles for sale to distributors or motor vehicle dealers or which is maintained for directing and supervising the representatives of the manufacturer. (d) "Distributor branch", a branch office maintained by a distributor who or which sells or distributes new motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers. (e) "Factory representative," a representative employed by a manufacturer or employed by a factory branch for the purpose of making or promoting the sale or motor vehicles or for supervising, servicing, instructing or contracting with motor vehicle dealers or prospective motor vehicle dealers. (f) "Distributor representative", a representative employed by a distributor branch or distributor. (g) "Distributor", any person who sells or distributes new motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers or who maintains distributor representatives within the State. (h) "Dealer" or "motor vehicle dealer", any person who sells or attempts to effect the sale of any motor vehicle. These terms do not include: (1) manufacturers, distributors, or wholesalers; (2) receivers, trustees, administrators, executors, guardians, or other persons appointed by or acting under the judgment or order of any court; (3) public officers while performing their official duties; (4) persons disposing of motor vehicles acquired for their own use and so used in good faith and not for the purpose of avoiding the provisions of law. Any person who effects or attempts to effect the sale of more than five motor vehicles in any one calendar year is considered a dealer or wholesaler, as appropriate, for purposes of this chapter; (5) finance companies or other financial institutions who sell repossessed motor vehicles and insurance companies who sell motor vehicles they own as an incident to payments made under policies of insurance; or (6) a South Carolina dealer that conducts the auction of investment grade or collector motor vehicles not more than three days per year and that: (a) has obtained a surety bond in the amount of one million dollars; (b) provides this service for an entity organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (c) possesses during the event all vehicle titles unencumbered by liens; and (d) is responsible for ensuring all taxes are paid and all vehicles have been registered and titled property. This subitem shall not permit any other temporary retail auctions or any other retail auctions of consignment vehicles. (i) "Franchise," an oral or written arrangement for a definite or indefinite period in which a manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler grants to a motor vehicle dealer a license to use a trade name, service mark, or related characteristic, and in which there is a community of interest in the marketing of motor vehicles or services related thereto at wholesale, retail, leasing or otherwise. (j) "Franchisor" a manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler who grants a franchise to a motor vehicle dealer. (k) "Franchisee," a motor vehicle dealer to whom a franchise is offered or granted. (l) "Sale", shall include the issuance, transfer, agreement for transfer, exchange, pledge, hypothecation, mortgage in any form, whether by transfer in trust or otherwise, of any motor vehicle or interest therein or of any franchise related thereto; and any option, lease, subscription or other contract, or solicitation, looking to a sale, or offer or attempt to sell in any form, whether spoken or written. A gift or delivery of any motor vehicle or franchise with respect thereto with, or as, a bonus on account of the sale of anything shall be deemed a sale of such motor vehicle or franchise. (m) "Fraud," shall include, in addition to its normal legal connotation, the following: a misrepresentation in any manner, whether intentionally false or due to gross negligence, of a material fact; a promise or representation not made honestly and in good faith; and an intentional failure to disclose a material fact. (n) "Person," a natural person, corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, and, in case of an entity, it shall include any other entity in which it has a majority interest or effectively controls as well as the individual officers, directors and other persons in active control of the activities of each such entity. (o) "New motor vehicle," a motor vehicle which has not been previously sold to any person except a distributor or wholesaler or motor vehicle dealer for resale. (p) "Wholesaler" or "motor vehicle wholesaler", any person who sells or attempts to effect the sale of any used motor vehicle exclusively to motor vehicle dealers or to other wholesalers. (q) Reserved. (r) "Due cause" means a material breach by a dealer of a lawful provision of a franchise or selling agreement that is not cured within a reasonable period of time after being given prior written notice of the specific material breach. (s) "Material breach" means a contract violation that is substantial and significant. (t) "Investment grade vehicle", a motor vehicle not currently sold by a franchised motor vehicle dealer and not in current production with a value that exceeds two hundred fifty thousand dollars. (u) "Collector motor vehicle", a motor vehicle that is at least twenty years old. (v) "Charity vehicle", a donated vehicle for which the net proceeds go to charity. (w) "Special interest vehicle", a unique vehicle of rarity, originality, unique or special coachwork, or previous ownership of significance that is not or has not been mass produced. (x) "Consumer data" has the same meaning as "nonpublic personal information", as defined in 15 U.S.C. Section 6809(4), and that is collected by a dealer and provided directly to a manufacturer or third party acting on behalf of a manufacturer. "Consumer data" does not include the same or similar data obtained by a manufacturer from any source other than the dealer or dealer's data management system. (y)(1) "Data management system" means a computer hardware or software system that: (a) is owned, leased, or licensed by a dealer, including a system of web-based applications, computer software, or computer hardware; (b) is located at the dealership or hosted remotely; and (c) stores and provides access to consumer data collected or stored by a dealer. (2) "Data management system" includes, but shall not be limited to, dealership management systems and customer relations management systems. (z) "New motor vehicle dealer" means a dealer that: (1) buys, sells, exchanges, offers, or attempts to negotiate a sale or exchange of an interest in new, or new and used, motor vehicles; or (2) engages, wholly or in part, in the business of selling new, or new and used, motor vehicles. (aa) "Relevant market area" means: (1) an area within a ten mile radius around an existing dealer, for purposes of the relocation of an existing dealership; and (2) an area within a fifteen mile radius around an existing dealer, for purposes of the addition of a new dealer to the market. (bb) "Stop-Sale Order" means a notification issued by a manufacturer to its franchised new motor vehicle dealers stating that certain used vehicles in inventory may not be sold or leased, at either retail or wholesale, due to a federal safety recall for a defect or noncompliance, or a federal emissions recall. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments in (a) made by 2017 Act No. 51, SECTION 2, effective November 19, 2017, and 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 29, effective November 19, 2018, were read together. Editor's Note 2017 Act No. 51, SECTION 7, provides: "This act takes effect six months after approval by the Governor and applies to manufacturer/dealer agreements entered into on or after July 1, 2018." 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 14, provides as follows: "SECTION 14. This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor and applies to all current and future franchises and other agreements in existence between any franchisee located in this State and a franchisor as of the effective date of this act." Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 51, SECTION 2, in (a), substituted "pursuant to" for "under", and added ", or new recreational vehicles as defined in Section 56-14-10". 2017 Act No. 51, SECTION 3, reserved (q), which had related to the definition of "motor home". 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 29, in (a), inserted "or mopeds". 2018 Act No. 225, SECTION 1, in (h), added (6), revising the definition of "dealer" to exclude certain persons conducting auctions of investment grade or collector motor vehicles, and made nonsubstantive changes. 2018 Act No. 225, SECTION 2, added (t) to (w), relating to the definitions of "Investment grade vehicle", "Collector motor vehicle", "Charity vehicle", and "Special interest vehicle", respectively. 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 1, in (h)(1), substituted "manufacturers, distributors," for "distributors"; in (j), substituted "Franchisor" for "Franchiser" and made a nonsubstantive change; and in (l), in the first sentence, inserted "lease," following "and any option,". 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 2, added (x) to (bb).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5670 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 39 / Section 56-5-5670
SECTION 56-5-5670. Duties of demolishers; disposal of vehicle to demolisher or secondary metals recycler; records; penalties.
Status: reserved

(A) For purposes of this section, "vehicle" has the same meaning as defined by Section 56-5-120 and includes, but is not limited to, a "trailer", as defined by Section 56-5-240, a "semitrailer", as defined by Section 56-5-250, and a "pole trailer", as defined by Section 56-5-260. (B)(1) Except as provided by subsections (C), (D), and (E), a person or entity may not dispose of a vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler without a valid title certificate for the vehicle in the person or entity's name. The person or entity shall provide the vehicle's title certificate to the demolisher or secondary metals recycler. (2) The demolisher or secondary metals recycler is not required to obtain a certificate of title for the vehicle in the demolisher or secondary metals recycler's own name. After the vehicle has been demolished, processed, or changed so that the vehicle physically is no longer a vehicle, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall surrender the certificate of title to the Department of Motor Vehicles for cancellation. (3) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue forms and regulations governing the surrender of certificates of title as appropriate. (4) A demolisher or secondary metals recycler who purchases or otherwise acquires a vehicle with a title certificate pursuant to this subsection may wreck, dismantle, demolish, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle after the transaction has taken place. The demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall report the vehicle to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System in compliance with federal laws and regulations. (C)(1) A person or entity may dispose of a vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler with a valid magistrate's order of sale in lieu of a title certificate, if the person or entity purchases the vehicle at a public auction pursuant to Section 56-5-5640. The person or entity shall provide the magistrate's order of sale to the demolisher or secondary metals recycler. (2) The demolisher or secondary metals recycler is not required to obtain a certificate of title for the vehicle in the demolisher or secondary metals recycler's own name. After the vehicle has been demolished, processed, or changed so that the vehicle physically is no longer a vehicle, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall surrender the magistrate's order of sale to the Department of Motor Vehicles. (3) The Office of Court Administration shall design a uniform magistrate's order of sale for purposes of this subsection and Section 56-5-5640, and shall make the order available for distribution to the magistrates. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue forms and regulations governing the surrender of magistrates' orders of sale as appropriate. (4) A demolisher or secondary metals recycler who purchases or otherwise acquires a vehicle with a magistrate's order of sale pursuant to this subsection may wreck, dismantle, demolish, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle after the transaction has taken place. The demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall report the vehicle to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System in compliance with federal laws and regulations. (D)(1) A person or entity may dispose of a vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler with a valid sheriff's disposal authority certificate in lieu of a title certificate, if the vehicle is abandoned upon the person or entity's property or into the person or entity's possession and the vehicle does not meet the requirements of subsection (E)(1). The person or entity shall provide the sheriff's disposal authority certificate to the demolisher or secondary metals recycler. (2) The person or entity shall apply to the sheriff of the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is located for a disposal authority certificate to dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler. The application must provide, at a minimum, the person or entity's name and address, the year, make, model, and identification number of the vehicle, if ascertainable, along with any other identifying features, and must contain a concise statement of the facts surrounding the abandonment. The person or entity shall execute an affidavit stating that the facts alleged are true and that no material fact has been withheld. If the sheriff determines that the application is executed in proper form, and the application demonstrates that the vehicle has been abandoned upon the person or entity's property or into the person or entity's possession, the notification procedures set forth in Section 56-5-5630 must be followed. If the vehicle is not reclaimed pursuant to Section 56-5-5630, the sheriff shall give the applicant a certificate of authority to dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler. A disposal authority certificate may contain multiple listings. (3) The demolisher or secondary metals recycler is not required to obtain a certificate of title for the vehicle in the demolisher or secondary metals recycler's own name. After the vehicle has been demolished, processed, or changed so that the vehicle physically is no longer a vehicle, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall surrender the sheriff's disposal authority certificate to the Department of Motor Vehicles. (4) The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division shall design a uniform sheriff's disposal authority certificate for purposes of this subsection and shall make the certificate available for distribution to the sheriffs. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue forms and regulations governing the surrender of sheriffs' disposal authority certificates as appropriate. (5) A demolisher or secondary metals recycler who purchases or otherwise acquires a vehicle with a sheriff's disposal authority certificate pursuant to this subsection may wreck, dismantle, demolish, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle after the transaction has taken place. The demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall report the vehicle to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System in compliance with federal laws and regulations. (E)(1) A person or entity may dispose of a vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler without a title certificate, magistrate's order of sale, or sheriff's disposal authority certificate, if: (a) the vehicle is abandoned upon the person or entity's property or into the person or entity's possession, or if the person or entity is the owner of the vehicle and the vehicle's title certificate is faulty, lost, or destroyed; and (b) the vehicle: (i) is lawfully in the person or entity's possession; (ii) is twelve model years old or older; (iii) does not have a valid registration plate affixed; and (iv) has no engine or is otherwise totally inoperable. (2) The person or entity shall complete and sign a form affirming that the vehicle complies with the requirements of subsection (E)(1). The demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall maintain the original form affidavit in the transaction records as required by this section. (3) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall develop a form affidavit for purposes of this subsection and shall make the form affidavit available for distribution to the demolishers and secondary metals recyclers. (4) Prior to completion of the transaction, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall verify with the Department of Motor Vehicles whether the vehicle has been reported stolen. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall develop an electronic system for demolishers and secondary metals recyclers to use to verify at the time of a transaction whether a vehicle has been reported stolen. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall not charge a demolisher or secondary metals recycler a fee for verifying whether a vehicle has been reported stolen. If the Department of Motor Vehicles indicates to the demolisher or secondary metals recycler that the vehicle has been reported stolen, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall not complete the transaction and shall notify the appropriate law enforcement agency. The demolisher or secondary metals recycler is under no obligation to apprehend the person attempting to sell the vehicle. If the Department of Motor Vehicles indicates to the demolisher or secondary metals recycler that the vehicle has not been reported stolen, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler may proceed with the transaction. In such case, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler is not criminally or civilly liable if the vehicle later turns out to be a stolen vehicle, unless the demolisher or secondary metals recycler had some other knowledge that the vehicle was a stolen vehicle. (5) The demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall report the vehicle to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System in compliance with federal laws and regulations at the time of the transaction or no later than the end of the day of the transaction. A demolisher or secondary metals recycler who reports vehicles to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System through a third party consolidator and complies with the requirements of this item if the demolisher or secondary metals recycler reports the vehicle to the third party consolidator so that the third party consolidator is able to transmit the vehicle information to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System in compliance with federal laws and regulations no later than the end of the day of the transaction. (6) A demolisher or secondary metals recycler who purchases or otherwise acquires a vehicle with a form affidavit pursuant to this subsection shall not wreck, dismantle, demolish, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle until at least three business days after the transaction has taken place. (F) A demolisher or secondary metals recycler who purchases or otherwise acquires nonferrous metals, as defined by Section 16-17-680, shall comply with and is subject to the provisions of Section 16-17-680. (G)(1) A demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall keep an accurate and complete record of all vehicles purchased or received by the demolisher or secondary metals recycler in the course of business. A demolisher, but not a secondary metals recycler, also shall keep an accurate and complete record of all vehicle parts with a total weight of twenty-five pounds or more purchased or received by the demolisher in the course of business. These records must contain, at a minimum: (a) the demolisher or secondary metals recycler's name and address; (b) the name of the demolisher or secondary metals recycler's employee entering the information; (c) the name and address of the person or entity from whom the vehicle or vehicle parts, as applicable, were purchased or received; (d) a photo or copy of the person's driver's license or other government issued picture identification card that legibly shows the person's name and address. If the vehicle or vehicle parts, as applicable, are being purchased or received from an entity, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall obtain a photo or copy of the entity's agent's driver's license or other government issued picture identification card. If the demolisher or secondary metals recycler has a photo or copy of the person or entity's agent's identification on file, the demolisher or secondary metals recycler may reference the identification on file without making a photocopy for each transaction; (e) the date when the purchases or receipts occurred; (f) the year, make, model, and identification number of the vehicle or vehicle parts, as applicable and if ascertainable, along with any other identifying features; and (g) a copy of the title certificate, magistrate's order of sale, sheriff's disposal authority certificate, or an original form affidavit, as applicable. (2) The records must be kept open for inspection by any law enforcement officer at any time during normal business hours. All vehicles on the demolisher or secondary metals recycler's property or otherwise in the possession of the demolisher or secondary metals recycler must be available for inspection by any law enforcement officer at any time during normal business hours. (3) Records required by this section must be kept by the demolisher or secondary metals recycler for at least one year after the transaction to which it applies. A demolisher or secondary metals recycler may maintain records in an electronic database provided that the information is legible and can be accessed by law enforcement upon request. (H)(1) A person who violates the provisions of this section for a first offense is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars for each offense not to exceed five thousand dollars for the same set of transactions or occurrences, or imprisoned for not more than sixty days, or both. Each violation constitutes a separate offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars for each offense not to exceed ten thousand dollars for the same set of transactions or occurrences, or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both. Each violation constitutes a separate offense. (2) A person who falsifies any information on an application, form, or affidavit required by this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one thousand dollars nor more than five thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not less than one year nor more than three years, or both. (3) In lieu of criminal penalties, the Department of Motor Vehicles' director, or the director's designee, may issue an administrative fine not to exceed one thousand dollars for each violation, whenever the director, or the director's designee, after a hearing, determines that a demolisher or secondary metals recycler has unknowingly and unwilfully violated any provisions of this section. The hearing and any administrative review must be conducted in accordance with the procedure for contested cases under the Administrative Procedures Act. The proceeds from the administrative fine must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of implementing this section. (4) A vehicle used to transport a vehicle or vehicle parts, as applicable, illegally disposed of in violation of this section may be seized by law enforcement and is subject to forfeiture; provided, however, that no vehicle is subject to forfeiture unless it appears that the owner or other person in charge of the vehicle is a consenting party or privy to the commission of the crime, and a forfeiture of the vehicle encumbered by a security interest is subject to the interest of the secured party who had no knowledge of or consented to the act. The seizure and forfeiture must be accomplished in accordance with the provisions of Section 56-29-50. (I) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall convene a working group chaired by the Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the director's designee, for the purpose of assisting in the development of a form affidavit to be used for the disposal of vehicles to demolishers or secondary metals recyclers, the development of an electronic system for demolishers and secondary metals recyclers to use to verify at the time of a transaction whether a vehicle has been reported stolen, and assisting in the development of forms and regulations pursuant to this section. The working group must consist of representatives from the demolishing industry, secondary metals recycling industry, the trucking industry, law enforcement agencies, and other relevant agencies, organizations, or industries as determined by the director, or the director's designee. Editor's Note Section 56-5-120 was reserved by 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 17, effective November 19, 2018. For the definition of "vehicle", see Section 56-1-10.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-560 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-560
SECTION 56-5-560. Railroad sign or signal defined.
Status: in_force

Any sign, signal or device erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train is a "railroad sign or signal."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-9200 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 92 / Section 56-3-9200
SECTION 56-3-9200. In God We Trust license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "In God We Trust" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles registered in their names. The fee for each special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (B) Before the department produces and distributes the "In God We Trust" special license plates pursuant to this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department shall refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the respective license plate, the department shall retain the deposit; (2) a plan to market the sale of these special license plates which must be approved by the department. (C) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate, it may not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-3010 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 3 / Section 56-2-3010
SECTION 56-2-3010. Moped registration required; special moped license plates; insurance; taxes.
Status: in_force

(A) A moped operated on a public highway must be registered and licensed with the department in the same fashion as passenger vehicles pursuant to this title. (B) The department shall establish for mopeds a special size and class of license plates with distinctive numbering and/or lettering so as to be identifiable to law enforcement. (C) Mopeds are not required to be titled or insured in this State. (D) Mopeds are exempt from ad valorem property taxes in this State. (E) If a manufacturer's certificate of origin states the vehicle is a "motor scooter", "motor-driven cycle", or any similar term, the definitions of "motorcycle" and "moped", as shown in Section 56-1-10, must be used to determine whether the vehicle must be registered as a moped or must be titled and registered as a motorcycle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-450
SECTION 56-9-450. Suspension of driver's license or privilege and registration for nonpayment of judgment; exception when insurance coverage proved.
Status: in_force

Any person whose license, registration or nonresident's operating privilege has been suspended or is about to be suspended or shall become subject to suspension under the provisions of this article may be relieved from the effect of the judgment as prescribed in this article by filing with the Department of Motor Vehicles an affidavit stating that at the time of the accident upon which the judgment has been rendered the affiant was insured, that the insurer is liable to pay the judgment and the reason, if known, why the insurance company has not paid the judgment. He shall also file the original policy of insurance or a certified copy thereof, if available, and other documents which the Department may require to show that the loss, injury or damage for which the judgment was rendered was covered by the policy of insurance. If the Department is satisfied from these papers that the insurer was authorized to issue the policy of insurance at the time and place of issuing the policy and that the insurer is liable to pay the judgment, at least to the extent and for the amounts required in this chapter the Department shall not suspend the license or registration or nonresident's operating privilege or if already suspended shall reinstate them.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6160 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 43 / Section 56-5-6160
SECTION 56-5-6160. Evidence of conviction inadmissible in civil action.
Status: in_force

No evidence of conviction of any person for any violation of this chapter shall be admissible in any court in any civil action.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-500 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 5 / Section 56-11-500
SECTION 56-11-500. Use of revenue funds from tax, penalties, and interest; State Highway Fund.
Status: in_force

As to revenue collected under this chapter or other road taxes on motor carriers, the Department of Motor Vehicles must withhold from the State Highway Fund monies not to exceed the actual or projected costs associated with administering and enforcing the provisions of this chapter. The State Treasurer and the Comptroller General shall establish accounts as necessary to facilitate the efficient and effective operation of this chapter and deposit from the State Highway Fund initial monies as may be necessary to operate this program. All remaining taxes and penalties and interest collected by the department pursuant to the provisions of this chapter must be deposited in the State Highway Fund.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-750 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 3 / Section 56-1-750
SECTION 56-1-750. Computation of points.
Status: in_force

In computing the total number of points charged to any person after a particular violation, those accrued as a result of violations which have occurred during the twelve months' period including and immediately preceding the last violation shall be counted at their full value, those accrued from twelve to twenty-four months preceding the last violation shall be counted at one half their established value and those resulting from violations which occurred more than twenty-four months prior to the last violation shall not be counted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1740 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 9 / Section 56-1-1740
SECTION 56-1-1740. Examination of applicants for moped operator's license; fees; expiration and renewal of license.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall examine every applicant for a moped operator's license. The examination shall include a test of the applicant's eyesight and, as pertains to the operation of a moped, a test of his ability to read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic and his knowledge of the traffic laws of this State. The Department may require further physical and mental examination as it considers necessary to determine the applicant's fitness to operate a moped upon the highways, the further examination to be at the applicant's expense. The Department shall make provisions for giving an examination in the county where the applicant resides. The Department shall charge a fee of two dollars for each complete examination or reexamination required in this article. The expiration and renewal of moped operator's licenses must be in accordance with Sections 56-1-210, 56-1-220, and 56-1-225.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-420 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 5 / Section 56-11-420
SECTION 56-11-420. Calculation of tax as affected by reporting period; applicability of nationally recognized standards.
Status: in_force

The amount of tax due must be calculated upon the amount of gasoline or other motor fuel used by the motor carrier in its operation within this State during the reporting period. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall develop forms to reflect the tax due in accordance with nationally recognized standards.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-46 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-46
SECTION 56-15-46. Notice of intent to establish or relocate competing dealership; injunction.
Status: in_force

(A) A franchisor that intends to establish a new dealership or to relocate a current dealership for a particular line-make motor vehicle within the relevant market area of an existing dealership of the same line-make motor vehicle shall give at least sixty-days' prior written notice of that intent by certified mail to the existing dealership. The notice must include the: (1) specific location of the additional or relocated dealership; (2) date of commencement of operation of the additional or relocated dealership at the new location; (3) identities of all existing dealerships located in the market area of the new or relocated dealership; and (4) names and addresses of the dealer and principals in the new or relocated dealership. (B) If a franchisor intends to establish a new dealership or to relocate an existing dealership within the relevant market area of an existing dealership, then that existing dealership may petition the court, within sixty days of the receipt of the notice, to enjoin or prohibit the establishment of the new or relocated dealership within the relevant market area of the existing dealership. The court shall enjoin or prohibit the establishment of the new or relocated dealership within the relevant market area of the protesting dealership unless the franchisor shows by a preponderance of the evidence that the existing dealership is not providing adequate representation of the line-make motor vehicle and that the new or relocated dealership is necessary to provide the public with reliable and convenient sales and service within that area. The burden of proof in establishing adequate representation is on the franchisor. In determining if the existing dealership is providing adequate representation and if the new or relocated dealership is necessary, the court may consider, but is not limited to, considering: (1) the impact the establishment of the new or relocated dealership will have on consumers, the public interest, and the protesting dealership, except that financial impact may be considered only with respect to the protesting dealership; (2) the size and permanency of investment reasonably made and the reasonable obligations incurred by the protesting dealership to perform its obligation pursuant to the dealership's franchise agreement; (3) the reasonably expected market penetration of the line-make motor vehicle, after consideration of all factors which may affect the penetration including, but not limited to, demographic factors such as age, income, education, size class preference, product popularity, retail lease transactions, and other factors affecting sales to consumers; (4) actions by the franchisor in denying its existing dealership of the same line make the opportunity for reasonable growth, market expansion, or relocation, including the availability of line-make motor vehicles in keeping with reasonable expectations of the franchisor in providing an adequate number of dealerships; (5) attempts by the franchisor to coerce the protesting dealership into consenting to an additional or relocated dealership of the same line make within a ten-mile radius of the protesting dealership; (6) distance, travel time, traffic patterns, and accessibility between the protesting dealership of the same line make and the location of the proposed new or relocated dealership; (7) the likelihood of benefits to consumers from the establishment or relocation of the dealership, which benefits may not be obtained by other geographic or demographic changes or other expected changes within a ten-mile radius of the protesting dealership; (8) if the protesting dealership is in substantial compliance with its franchise agreement; (9) if there is adequate interbrand and intrabrand competition with respect to the line-make motor vehicles, including the adequacy of sales and service facilities; (10) if the establishment or relocation of the proposed dealership appears to be warranted and justified based on economic and market conditions pertinent to dealerships competing within a ten-mile radius of the protesting dealership, including anticipated changes; and (11) the volume of registrations and service business transacted by the protesting dealership. (C) This section does not apply to the: (1) relocation of an existing new motor vehicle dealer within two miles of the existing site of the new motor vehicle dealership if the franchise has been operating on a regular basis from the existing site for a minimum of three years immediately preceding the relocation; or (2) relocation of an existing new motor vehicle dealer if the proposed site of the relocated new motor vehicle dealership is further away from all other new motor vehicle dealers of the same line make in that relevant market area. Editor's Note 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 14, provides as follows: "SECTION 14. This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor and applies to all current and future franchises and other agreements in existence between any franchisee located in this State and a franchisor as of the effective date of this act." Effect of Amendment 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 6, rewrote the section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6420 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 47 / Section 56-5-6420
SECTION 56-5-6420. Transportation of children in the front seat of a motor vehicle.
Status: in_force

If a motor vehicle lacks a rear passenger seat or if all of its rear seating positions are occupied by children under eight years of age, a child under eight years of age may be transported in the front seat of the motor vehicle if the child is secured properly in an appropriate child passenger safety restraint system or belt-positioning booster seat as described in Section 56-5-6410(1), (2), or (3). Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 78, SECTION 2, rewrote the section, providing that a child under eight years of age may be transported in the front seat of a motor vehicle under certain circumstances.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1270 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1270
SECTION 56-5-1270. Operators, owners, and law enforcement officers shall make written reports of certain accidents and investigations.
Status: in_force

The operator or owner of a motor vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or total property damage to an apparent extent of one thousand dollars or more which was not investigated by a law enforcement officer, within fifteen days after the accident, shall forward a written report and verification of liability insurance coverage of the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the proof and report to be in a manner prescribed by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public Safety. The completed and verified form must be returned by the operator or owner to the Department of Motor Vehicles within fifteen days from the accident date. Failure to forward the accident report verified in the proper manner in respect to liability insurance coverage for the operation of the vehicle involved in the accident is prima facie evidence that the vehicle was uninsured. Every law enforcement officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a motor vehicle accident that results in injury to or death of any person or total property damage to an apparent extent of one thousand dollars or more either at the time of and at the scene of the accident or after the accident by interviewing participants or witnesses, within twenty-four hours after completing the investigation, must forward a written report of the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles including the names of interviewed participants and witnesses. If a two-wheeled motorized vehicle is involved in the accident and the operator or a passenger of the vehicle suffers a head injury, the injury must be indicated on the report.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-120 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-120
SECTION 56-16-120. Imposition of restrictions on motorcycle dealer or franchisee.
Status: in_force

It is unlawful directly or indirectly to impose unreasonable restrictions on the motorcycle dealer or franchisee relative to transfer, sale, right to renew, termination, discipline, noncompetition covenants, site-control (whether by sublease, collateral pledge of lease, or otherwise), right of first refusal to purchase, option to purchase, compliance with subjective standards, and assertion of legal or equitable rights.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-590 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 5 / Section 56-15-590
SECTION 56-15-590. Establishment and retention of records.
Status: in_force

(A) A wholesale motor vehicle auction shall establish and retain at its primary place of business complete records in an order appropriate for business requirements and that permits systematic retrieval for five years following the date of sale of each motor vehicle. The records must show the name of the most recent owner other than the wholesale motor vehicle auction, the name of the buyer, the vehicle identification number, and the odometer reading on the date which the wholesale motor vehicle auction took possession of the motor vehicle. (B) The records kept by the wholesale motor vehicle auction must be maintained in a reasonably organized and orderly fashion with all entries being legible to the ordinary person upon inspection. Records which are illegible or incapable of accurate interpretation by the recordkeeper or the Department of Motor Vehicles' inspector or agent are not in compliance with this section. (C) If a wholesale motor vehicle auction fails to keep the required records or fails to make them available to the department or its authorized agents immediately upon a reasonable request, the wholesale motor vehicle auction is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, is subject to the provisions of Chapter 54 of Title 12.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-480 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-480
SECTION 56-9-480. Satisfaction of judgments; payments sufficient to satisfy requirements.
Status: in_force

Judgments referred to in this article must, for the purpose of this article only, be considered satisfied: (1) when twenty-five thousand dollars has been credited upon any judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of bodily injury to or death of one person as the result of any one accident; (2) when, subject to the limit of twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person, the sum of fifty thousand dollars has been credited upon any judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons as the result of any one accident; or (3) when twenty-five thousand dollars has been credited upon any judgments rendered in excess of that amount because of injury to or destruction of property of others as a result of any one accident. Payments made in settlement of any claims because of bodily injury, death, or property damage arising from a motor vehicle accident must be credited in reduction of the amounts provided for in this section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2370 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 17 / Section 56-5-2370
SECTION 56-5-2370. Highway construction and maintenance.
Status: in_force

(a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any authorized vehicle or pedestrian actually engaged in work upon a highway within any highway traffic construction or maintenance area indicated by official traffic-control devices. (b) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to any authorized vehicle obviously and actually engaged in work upon a highway whenever such vehicle displays flashing lights meeting the requirements of Section 56-5-4650.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5850 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 41 / Section 56-5-5850
SECTION 56-5-5850. Tagging and removal of unattended vehicles; disposition.
Status: in_force

(A) When any vehicle is left unattended on a highway or on other public or private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property, an officer may place a colored tag on the vehicle which is notice to the owner, the person in possession of the vehicle, or any lienholder that it may be considered to be derelict or abandoned and is subject to forfeiture to the State. (B) The colored tag serves as the only legal notice that the vehicle will be moved to a designated place to be sold if the vehicle is not removed by the owner or person in control of the vehicle. The vehicle must be removed within the following times from the date the tag is placed on the vehicle: (1) forty-eight hours if it is located on a highway, or (2) seven days if it is located on other public or private property. (C) A vehicle that has had at least two colored tags previously placed on it is an abandoned vehicle for purposes of this article and may be removed immediately by a law enforcement agency to a designated place to be sold. (D) Abandoned or derelict vehicles must be disposed of pursuant to Sections 29-15-10 and 56-5-5635.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1010 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 7 / Section 56-5-1010
SECTION 56-5-1010. Railroad signs at grade crossings.
Status: in_force

All railroad companies operating railroads in the State shall place and maintain at every crossing of a highway and railroad at grade standard cross-buck signs in accordance with the requirements of the manual of standards and specifications for uniform traffic-control devices referred to in Section 56-5-920.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-3050 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 3 / Section 56-2-3050
SECTION 56-2-3050. Title issued with moped registration.
Status: in_force

The department, at the request of the owner, may issue a title for the moped in conjunction with the moped registration, provided that the owner makes application for title on the appropriate form and provides the department with a manufacturer's certificate of origin or a prior title. If an owner cannot provide a manufacturer's statement of origin or prior title, the moped may be registered, but not titled.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-100 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 1 / Section 56-9-100
SECTION 56-9-100. Chapter is supplemental and cumulative.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall in no respect be considered as a repeal of any other provision contained in this Title or the motor vehicle laws of this State but shall be construed as supplemental and cumulative thereto.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-21-110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 21 / Section 56-21-110
SECTION 56-21-110. Fines and forfeitures shall go to State Hospital or Midlands Center.
Status: in_force

All fines and bail forfeitures collected under the provisions of Sections 56-21-70 to 56-21-100 shall be credited to the general fund of the State Hospital or Midlands Center, dependent upon where the violation occurred. All fines and bail forfeitures resulting from the enforcement of Sections 56-21-70 to 56-21-100 shall be forthwith forwarded by the city recorder or magistrate to the State Hospital or Midlands Center to be credited to their respective general funds.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4970 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4970
SECTION 56-5-4970. Sirens, whistle, or bell on authorized emergency vehicles.
Status: in_force

Any authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren, whistle or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred feet and of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety, but such siren shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in which latter event the driver of such vehicle shall sound such siren when necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-11420 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 114 / Section 56-3-11420
SECTION 56-3-11420. Size and design of Historic special license plate; expiration.
Status: in_force

The special license plate must be of the same size and general design as a regular motor vehicle or motorcycle license plate. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall imprint the special license plates with the word "Historic", with numbers the department may determine. The license plate must be for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4530 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4530
SECTION 56-5-4530. Illumination of rear registration plate.
Status: in_force

Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate and render it clearly legible from a distance of fifty feet to the rear. Any tail lamp or tail lamps, together with any separate lamp for illuminating the rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be lighted whenever the head lamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4420 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4420
SECTION 56-5-4420. Special rules for implements of husbandry, farm tractors, and road machinery.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this article with respect to equipment on vehicles shall not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery or farm tractors except as herein made applicable. Every farm tractor equipped with an electric-lighting system shall at all times mentioned in Section 56-5-4450 display a red tail lamp and either a multiple-beam or single-beam road-lighting equipment meeting the requirements of Sections 56-5-4510 to 56-5-4530, 56-5-4770 and 56-5-4790, respectively.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-320 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-320
SECTION 56-1-320. Suspension or revocation of resident's license or nonresident's driving privilege upon conviction in another state.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may, in its discretion, suspend or revoke the license of any resident of this State or the privilege of a nonresident to drive a motor vehicle in this State upon receiving notice of the conviction of the person in another state of an offense therein which, if committed in this State, would be grounds for the suspension or revocation of the South Carolina license. However, if a resident of this State has his driver's license revoked or suspended for a motor vehicle violation in another jurisdiction, the department must review the revocation or suspension period for the out-of-state conviction and apply the laws of this State if the out-of-state revocation or suspension period exceeds the revocation or suspension period provided under the laws of this State for that offense. If the laws of this State are applied to an out-of-state conviction, the department must restore the person's privilege to drive in South Carolina once the person has cleared the suspension pursuant to this title, regardless of whether the person's privilege to drive has been restored in the state where the conviction occurred, provided the person is otherwise eligible for the issuance or renewal of a South Carolina license. If the laws of this State, which are applied to an out-of-state conviction, permit the issuance of a special route restricted driver's license for transportation between home and work, college, or university, the department shall permit a special route restricted license according to the requirements of this state's applicable law. If another state restores limited or restricted driving privileges to the person whose license has been suspended or revoked, the restoration of privileges shall also be valid in this State, and the department must issue a driver's license to the person under the same terms and conditions under which driving is authorized in the state of conviction. (B) The department may not refuse to issue or renew a driver's license to a person who: (1) is still under suspension or revocation in another jurisdiction for an out-of-state conviction which was not reported to the department within the one-year period provided for in Section 56-1-650(C); (2) has received notice of clearance from the jurisdiction where the revocation or suspension has terminated or that all requirements necessary for reissuance of driving privileges in that jurisdiction are met; or (3) does not have a letter of clearance from the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred and is still under suspension or revocation in that jurisdiction for a conviction which was not reported to the department within the one-year period provided for in Section 56-1-650(C).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-870 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-870
SECTION 56-3-870. Procedure if uncertified check is returned unpaid.
Status: in_force

If an uncertified check is accepted by the Department of Motor Vehicles as payment for the fees due on account of the issuance of license plates and such check is returned to the Department unpaid for any cause whatsoever, the Department may suspend or cancel the registration and license purchased by check and repossess the registration card, license plates or other documents issued by the Department, and the applicant-owner shall pay to the Department the amount of ten dollars to cover the cost of repossession and collection if the license and registration are suspended or cancelled.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-500 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-500
SECTION 56-9-500. Suspension of registration upon suspension or revocation of license; continuation of suspensions until financial responsibility proved.
Status: in_force

Whenever the Department of Motor Vehicles, under any law of this State, suspends or revokes the license of any person upon receiving a record of conviction or forfeiture of bail and in all cases where the Department suspends or revokes the driver's license of any person under lawful authority possessed by the Department, except in those cases provided for in Section 56-1-270, in which case the license only shall be suspended and not the registration, the Department shall also suspend the registration for all motor vehicles registered in the name of that person, except that it shall not suspend the registration, unless otherwise required by law, if that person has previously given or shall immediately give and thereafter maintain proof of financial responsibility with respect to all motor vehicles registered by him. The license and registration shall remain suspended or revoked and shall not at any time thereafter be renewed nor shall any license be thereafter issued to that person nor shall any motor vehicle be thereafter registered in the name of that person until permitted under the motor vehicle laws of this State and not then until he shall give and thereafter maintain proof of financial responsibility. When such responsibility is provided for under the provisions of Section 56-9-550, certification shall be furnished by the insurance company to the Department within fifteen days.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-9500 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 95 / Section 56-3-9500
SECTION 56-3-9500. God Bless America special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "God Bless America" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 and motorcycles registered in their names. The special license plates must bear the words "God Bless America", the United States Flag, and the silhouette of the State of South Carolina. Before this special license plate is produced, the department must receive written authorization for the use of any copyrighted words, registered logos, trademarks, or designs that appear on this license plate. The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of sixteen dollars. (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be designated for use by the South Carolina National Guard for homeland security. (C) Before the Department of Motor Vehicles produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the license plate, then the department must retain the deposit; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate that must be approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate authorized under this section, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-430 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-430
SECTION 56-3-430. Cities between 55,000 and 70,000 shall not require local licenses or charge inspection or registration fees.
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful for any city of this State having a population of fifty-five thousand or more but less than seventy thousand directly or indirectly to require any license, registration plate or other identification tag of or for motor-driven vehicles other than required by the laws of the State relating to motor vehicles or to charge or accept any fee or compensation for the inspection or registration of any motor-driven vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-740 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-740
SECTION 56-3-740. Fees for trackless trolley buses.
Status: in_force

For every trackless trolley bus the biennial registration fee is four hundred dollars for each bus weighing not over fifteen thousand pounds, exclusive of passengers, and for each bus weighing more than fifteen thousand pounds, exclusive of passengers, an additional forty dollars for each additional one thousand pounds of weight or fraction. The Department of Motor Vehicles must include under this classification every bus propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2510 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 19 / Section 56-5-2510
SECTION 56-5-2510. Stopping, standing, or parking outside of business or residential district.
Status: in_force

(A) No person shall stop, park, or leave standing a vehicle, whether attended or unattended, upon the roadway outside a business or residential district when it is practicable to stop, park, or leave the vehicle off the roadway. An unobstructed width of the highway opposite a standing vehicle must be left for the free passage of other vehicles and a clear view of the stopped vehicle must be available from a distance of two hundred feet in each direction upon the highway. (B) This section and Sections 56-5-2530 and 56-5-2560 do not apply to the driver of a vehicle which is disabled making it impossible to avoid stopping and temporarily leaving the vehicle in the roadway. (C) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a vehicle used solely for the purpose of collecting municipal solid waste as defined in Section 44-96-40(46) or recovered materials as defined in Section 44-96-40(34) may stop or stand on the road, street, or highway for the purpose of collecting solid waste or recovered materials. The vehicle shall maintain flashing hazard lights when engaged in stopping or standing to collect solid waste or recovered materials.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4670 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4670
SECTION 56-5-4670. Fog lamps.
Status: in_force

Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two fog lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than twelve inches nor more than thirty inches above the level surface upon which the vehicle stands and so aimed that, when the vehicle is not loaded, none of the high-intensity portion of the light to the left of the center of the vehicle shall at a distance of twenty-five feet ahead project higher than a level of four inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6540 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 48 / Section 56-5-6540
SECTION 56-5-6540. Penalty; nature of offense; issuance of citations at checkpoints; admissibility as evidence of negligence in civil action; searches; probable cause that violation has occurred; trial; appeals.
Status: in_force

(A) A person who is adjudicated to be in violation of the provisions of this article must be fined not more than twenty-five dollars, no part of which may be suspended. No court costs, assessments, or surcharges may be assessed against a person who violates a provision of this article. A person must not be fined more than fifty dollars for any one incident of one or more violations of the provisions of this article. A custodial arrest for a violation of this article must not be made, except upon a warrant issued for failure to appear in court when summoned or for failure to pay an imposed fine. A violation of this article does not constitute a criminal offense. Notwithstanding Section 56-1-640, a violation of this article must not be: (1) included in the offender's motor vehicle records maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles or in the criminal records maintained by SLED; or (2) reported to the offender's motor vehicle insurer. (B) A law enforcement officer must not issue a citation to a driver or a passenger for a violation of this article when the stop is made in conjunction with a driver's license check, safety check, or registration check conducted at a checkpoint established to stop all drivers on a certain road for a period of time, except when the driver is cited for violating another motor vehicle law. The driver and any passenger shall be required to buckle up before departing the checkpoint and should the driver or the passenger refuse, then the person refusing may be charged with a primary violation. (C) A violation of this article is not negligence per se or contributory negligence, and is not admissible as evidence in a civil action. (D) A vehicle, driver, or occupant in a vehicle must not be searched, nor may consent to search be requested by a law enforcement officer, solely because of a violation of this article. (E) A law enforcement officer must not stop a driver for a violation of this article except when the officer has probable cause that a violation has occurred based on his clear and unobstructed view of a driver or an occupant of the motor vehicle who is not wearing a safety belt or is not secured in a child restraint system as required by Article 47 of this chapter. (F) A person charged with a violation of this article may admit or deny the violation, enter a plea of nolo contendere, or be tried before either a judge or a jury. If the trier of fact is convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the person was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the incident, the penalty is a civil fine pursuant to Section 56-5-6540. If the trier of fact determines that the State has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person was not wearing a safety belt, no penalty shall be assessed. (G) A person found to be in violation of this article may bring an appeal to the court of common pleas pursuant to Section 18-3-10 or Section 14-25-95.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-340 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 3 / Section 56-9-340
SECTION 56-9-340. Surrender of license and registration; failure to surrender.
Status: in_force

Any person (a) whose license and registration has been suspended as provided in this chapter, (b) whose policy of insurance or bond, when required under this chapter, has been canceled or terminated, or (c) who has neglected to furnish other proof upon request of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall immediately return his license and registration to the department. If any person fails to return to the department his license or registration as provided in this section, the department may secure possession by a commissioned highway patrolman. Any person wilfully failing to return his license or registration as required in this section must be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days and, upon conviction if a second offense, be fined two hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days, or both, and for a third and subsequent offenses must be imprisoned for not less than forty-five days nor more than six months. Only convictions which occurred within five years including and immediately preceding the date of the last conviction constitute prior convictions within the meaning of this section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-110
SECTION 56-15-110. Suits for damages.
Status: in_force

(1) In addition to temporary or permanent injunctive relief as provided in Section 56-15-40(3)(c), any person who shall be injured in his business or property by reason of anything forbidden in this chapter may sue therefor in the court of common pleas and shall recover double the actual damages by him sustained, and the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee. (2) When such action is one of common or general interest to many persons or when the parties are numerous and it is impracticable to bring them all before the court, one or more may sue for the benefit of the whole, including actions for injunctive relief. (3) In an action for money damages, if the jury finds that the defendant acted maliciously, the jury may award punitive damages not to exceed three times the actual damages. (4) A final judgment, order or decree rendered against a person in any civil, criminal or administrative proceeding under the United States antitrust laws, under the Federal Trade Commission Act, or under this chapter shall constitute prima facie evidence against such person subject to the conditions of the United States Antitrust Law (15 U.S.C. 16).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-21-80 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 21 / Section 56-21-80
SECTION 56-21-80. Enforcement of traffic and parking regulations at State Hospital and Midlands Center; summonses.
Status: in_force

Marshals employed at both institutions shall enforce the laws, rules and regulations mentioned in Section 56-21-70 and shall issue summonses to all violators in the same manner as provided for highway patrolmen.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-280 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-280
SECTION 56-1-280. Mandatory suspension or revocation.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall revoke or suspend the license of any driver upon receiving a record of such driver's conviction of any offense for which revocation or suspension is required by law. The department shall revoke the driver's license of any person upon receiving notice of the conviction of such person for: (1) Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle; or (2) Any felony under the laws of this State in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1130 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 5 / Section 56-1-1130
SECTION 56-1-1130. Notification of potential offenders.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall send a written notice to any person who it determines is in danger of becoming an habitual offender.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-650 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 5 / Section 56-19-650
SECTION 56-19-650. Procedure when owner creates security interest.
Status: in_force

If an owner creates a security interest in a vehicle: (1) The owner immediately shall execute the application, in the space provided for on the certificate of title or on a separate form the Department of Motor Vehicles prescribes, to name the lienholder on the certificate, showing the name and address of the lienholder and the date of his security agreement, and cause the certificate, application, and the required fee to be delivered to the lienholder. (2) The lienholder immediately shall cause the certificate, application, and the required fee to be mailed or delivered to the department. (3) If the certificate of title is in the possession of a lienholder and a supplemental lien is created by the owner, the subsequent lienholder shall secure the title from the first lienholder and forward to the department the required application and the title for perfecting the lien, together with the required fee. The department when satisfied that the application is in order shall issue a new certificate of title containing the name and address of the new lienholder and mail the certificate to the first lienholder named on it. The delivery of the certificate does not affect the rights of the first lienholder under his security agreement.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2775 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 21 / Section 56-5-2775
SECTION 56-5-2775. Violation of Section 56-5-2735 as misdemeanor; penalty.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle violating the provisions of Section 56-5-2735 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one hundred dollars or more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-285 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-285
SECTION 56-1-285. Revocation or refusal to renew license for nonpayment of fees.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may revoke or refuse to renew the driving privilege of a person for failure to remit a tax or fee administered by the department. Upon payment of all taxes and fees administered by the department, and the payment of any applicable fee, the department may reinstate a person's driving privilege.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3840 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 31 / Section 56-5-3840
SECTION 56-5-3840. Coasting prohibited.
Status: in_force

The driver of any motor vehicle when traveling upon a downgrade shall not coast with the gears of such vehicle in neutral. The driver of a commercial motor vehicle when traveling upon a downgrade shall not coast with the clutch disengaged.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4850 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4850
SECTION 56-5-4850. Brake equipment.
Status: in_force

Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer and any combination of such vehicles operating upon a highway within this State, shall be equipped with brakes in compliance with the requirements of this chapter. (a) Every such vehicle and combination of vehicles, except special mobile equipment, shall be equipped with service brakes complying with the performance requirements of Section 56-5-4860 and adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such vehicle under all conditions of loading, and on any grade incident to its operation. (b) Every such vehicle and combination of vehicles, except motorcycles and motor-driven cycles, shall be equipped with parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a surface free from snow, ice, or loose material. The parking brakes shall be capable of being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements by the driver's muscular effort or by spring action or by equivalent means. Their operation may be assisted by the service brakes or other source of power provided that failure of the service brake actuation system or other power assisting mechanism will not prevent the parking brakes from being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements. The parking brakes shall be so designed that when once applied they shall remain applied with the required effectiveness despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of any kind. The same brake drums, brake shoes and lining assemblies, brake shoe anchors and mechanical brake shoe actuation mechanism normally associated with the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking brakes. If the means of applying the parking brakes and the service brakes are connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part shall not leave the vehicle without operative brakes. (c) Every vehicle, manufactured or assembled after June 7, 1949, shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels except: (1) Trailers, semitrailers or pole trailers, of a gross weight not exceeding three thousand pounds, provided that: (a) The total weight on and including the wheels of the trailer shall not exceed forty per cent of the gross weight of the towing vehicle when connected to the trailer, and (b) The combination of vehicles, consisting of the towing vehicle and its total towed load, is capable of complying with the performance requirements of Section 56-5-4860. (2) Any vehicle being towed in driveaway or towaway operations, provided the combination of vehicles is capable of complying with the performance requirements of Section 56-5-4860. (3) Trucks and truck-tractors having three or more axles need not have brakes on the front wheels, except that when such vehicles are equipped with at least two steerable axles, the wheels of one steerable axle need not have brakes. However, such trucks and truck-tractors must be capable of complying with the performance requirements of Section 56-5-4860. (4) Special mobile equipment. (5) The wheel of a sidecar attached to a motorcycle or to a motor-driven cycle, or the front wheel of a motor-driven cycle need not be equipped with brakes, provided that such motorcycle or motor-driven cycle is capable of complying with the performance requirements of Section 56-5-4860. (d) Every trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer, equipped with air or vacuum actuated brakes and every trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer, with a gross weight in excess of three thousand pounds, shall be equipped with brakes acting on all wheels and of such character as to be applied automatically and promptly, and remain applied for at least fifteen minutes, upon breakaway from the towing vehicle. (e) Every motor vehicle, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964 and used to tow a trailer, semitrailer or pole trailer equipped with brakes, shall be equipped with means for providing that in case of breakaway of the towed vehicle, the towing vehicle will be capable of being stopped by the use of its service brakes. (f) Air brakes systems, installed on trailers manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, shall be so designed that the supply reservoir used to provide air for the brakes shall be safeguarded against backflow of air from the reservoir through the supply line. (g)(1) Every towing vehicle, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, when used to tow another vehicle equipped with air controlled brakes, in other than driveaway or towaway operations, shall be equipped with two means for emergency application of the trailer brakes. One of these means shall apply the brakes automatically in the event of a reduction of the towing vehicle air supply to a fixed pressure which shall be not lower than twenty pounds per square inch nor higher than forty-five pounds per square inch. The other means shall be a manually controlled device for applying and releasing the brakes, readily operable by a person seated in the driving seat, and its emergency position or method of operation shall be clearly indicated. In no instance may the manual means be so arranged as to permit its use to prevent operation of the automatic means. The automatic and the manual means required by this section may be, but are not required to be, separate. (2) Every towing vehicle, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, used to tow other vehicles equipped with vacuum brakes, in operations other than driveaway or towaway operations, shall have, in addition to the single control device required by item (h), a second control device which can be used to operate the brakes on towed vehicles in emergencies. The second control shall be independent of brake air, hydraulic and other pressure, and independent of other controls, unless the braking system be so arranged that failure of the pressure upon which the second control depends will cause the towed vehicle brakes to be applied automatically. The second control is not required to provide modulated braking. (h) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, and every combination of such vehicles, except motorcycles and motor-driven cycles equipped with brakes, shall have the braking system so arranged that one control device can be used to operate all service brakes. Trailers, equipped with special automatic braking systems actuated by forward pressure on the towing hitch when the towing vehicle is braked, shall be considered as satisfying this requirement, provided the performance capabilities of the trailer brake system meet the requirements of Section 56-5-4860. This requirement does not prohibit vehicles from being equipped with an additional control device to be used to operate brakes on the towed vehicles. This regulation does not apply to driveaway or towaway operations unless the brakes on the individual vehicles are designed to be operated by a single control on the towing vehicle. (i)(1) Every bus, truck or truck-tractor with air operated brakes shall be equipped with at least one reservoir sufficient to insure that, when fully charged to the maximum pressure as regulated by the air compressor governor cut-out setting, a full service brake application may be made without lowering such reservoir pressure by more than twenty per cent. Each reservoir shall be provided with means for readily draining accumulated oil or water. (2) Every truck with three or more axles equipped with vacuum assistor type brakes, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, and every truck-tractor and truck, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, used for towing a vehicle equipped with vacuum brakes, shall be equipped with a reserve capacity or a vacuum reservoir sufficient to insure that, with the reserve capacity or reservoir fully charged and with the engine stopped, a full service brake application may be made without depleting the vacuum supply by more than forty per cent. (3) All motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers and pole trailers, when equipped with air or vacuum reservoirs or reserve capacity as required by this section, shall have such reservoirs or reserve capacity so safeguarded by a check valve or equivalent device that in the event of failure or leakage in its connection to the source of compressed air or vacuum, the stored air or vacuum shall not be depleted by the leak or failure. (j)(1) Every bus, truck or truck-tractor, using compressed air for the operation of its own brakes or the brakes on any towed vehicle, shall be provided with a warning signal, other than a pressure gauge, readily audible or visible to the driver, which will operate at any time the air reservoir pressure of the vehicle is below fifty per cent of the air compressor governer cut-out pressure. In addition, each such vehicle shall be equipped with a pressure gauge visible to the driver, which indicates in pounds per square inch the pressure available for braking. (2) Every motor vehicle, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, and used for towing a vehicle equipped with vacuum operated brakes and every truck, manufactured or assembled after July 1, 1964, with three or more axles using vacuum in the operation of its brakes, except those in driveaway or towaway operations, shall be equipped with a warning signal, other than a gauge indicating vacuum, readily audible or visible to the driver, which will operate at any time the vacuum in the vehicle's supply reservoir or reserve capacity is less than eight inches of mercury. (3) When a vehicle required to be equipped with a warning device is equipped with both air and vacuum power for the operation of its own brakes or the brakes on a towed vehicle, the warning devices may be, but are not required to be, combined into a single device which will serve both purposes. A gauge indicating pressure or vacuum shall not be deemed to be an adequate means of satisfying this requirement.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-37-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 37 / Section 56-37-20
SECTION 56-37-20. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this title: (1) "Immediate family" means spouse, parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sister, brother, grandparent, and grandchild. (2) "Suspend" means temporarily prevent from continuing. (3) "Revoke" means prevent from continuing for at least ten years. (4) "Violation" means a single found incident leading to the issuance of points. For purposes of this chapter, a violation could be a single sale, a single vehicle, a single document, or other similar items. (5) "Out-of-trust" means a dealer selling a vehicle without paying the complete financial obligation needed to obtain the title for the sold vehicle. (6) "Open title" means, upon the purchase of a vehicle by a dealer and the seller has completed his portion of the certificate of title, the dealer or purchaser intentionally leaves the buyer or purchaser assignment blank on the title. (7) "Dealer" means any entity licensed as a dealer under this title without regard to the type of dealer license issued by the department. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, "chapter" was substituted for "article" to correct a scrivener's error. Editor's Note 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 40(D), provides as follows: "[SECTION 40.](D) SECTIONS 15 through 28 take effect on January 1, 2024. Any dealership applying for or renewing licenses, or operating on a currently issued license on or after January 1, 2024, is subject to the provisions of SECTIONS 15 through 28."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1105 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 5 / Section 56-1-1105
SECTION 56-1-1105. Penalties for driving while license cancelled, suspended, or revoked.
Status: in_force

(A) For purposes of this section: (1) "Great bodily injury" means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. (2) "Habitual offender" has the same meaning as in Section 56-1-1020. (B) An habitual offender who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of this State when the offender's license to drive has been canceled, suspended, or revoked, and when driving does any act forbidden by law or neglects any duty imposed by law in the driving of the motor vehicle, which act or neglect proximately causes great bodily injury or death to a person other than himself, is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, guilty plea, or nolo contendere plea must be punished: (1) by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars and imprisonment for not more than ten years when great bodily injury results; or (2) by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars and imprisonment for not more than twenty years when death results. (C) The Department of Motor Vehicles must suspend the driver's license of an habitual offender who is convicted, pleads guilty, or pleads nolo contendere pursuant to this section for a period to include incarceration plus two years when great bodily injury results and three years when death results. The period of incarceration must not include any portion of a suspended sentence such as probation, parole, supervised furlough, or community supervision. For suspension purposes of this section, convictions arising out of a single incident shall run concurrently.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-300 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-300
SECTION 56-1-300. Suspension or revocation of license without preliminary hearing.
Status: in_force

In addition to other authority of law, the Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend or revoke the license of a driver without preliminary hearing upon a showing by its records or other sufficient evidence that licensee: (1) Has been convicted of an offense for which mandatory revocation or suspension is required upon conviction; or (2) Has been convicted of an offense in another state which if committed in this State would be grounds for suspension or revocation.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-3090 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 3 / Section 56-2-3090
SECTION 56-2-3090. Law governing operation of mopeds posted in seller's place of business.
Status: in_force

A person selling mopeds shall post, in a conspicuous place in his business, a sign that contains a brief explanation of the provisions of law governing the operation of mopeds, including, but not limited to, age restrictions, maximum speeds, and the definition of a moped.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2170 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 22 / Section 56-3-2170
SECTION 56-3-2170. Transfer and return of plates.
Status: in_force

The license plate issued pursuant to this article may be transferred to another vehicle of the same weight class owned by the same person upon application being made to and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is unlawful for a person to whom this plate has been issued to knowingly permit it to be displayed on a vehicle except the one authorized by the department. If a holder of this plate ceases to be a member of the municipal or county council or ceases to be county coroner, or mayor he immediately shall return the plate to the department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2920 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 23 / Section 56-5-2920
SECTION 56-5-2920. Reckless driving; penalties; suspension of driver's license for second or subsequent offense.
Status: in_force

Any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. The Department of Motor Vehicles, upon receiving satisfactory evidence of the conviction, of the entry of a plea of guilty or the forfeiture of bail of any person charged with a second and subsequent offense for the violation of this section shall forthwith suspend the driver's license of any such person for a period of three months. Only those offenses which occurred within a period of five years including and immediately preceding the date of the last offense shall constitute prior offenses within the meaning of this section. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or forfeiture of bail, be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-250 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-250
SECTION 56-5-250. Semitrailer defined.
Status: in_force

Every vehicle, with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and so constructed that some part of its weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle is a "semitrailer."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2830 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 31 / Section 56-3-2830
SECTION 56-3-2830. Transfer and return of plates.
Status: in_force

A license plate issued pursuant to this article may be transferred to another vehicle of the same weight class owned by the same person upon application being made therefor, in a manner and upon forms which must be prescribed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and upon approval of the application by the Department. It is unlawful for any person to whom a plate has been issued pursuant to this article knowingly to permit it to be displayed on any vehicle except that one authorized by the Department. If a holder of the plate ceases to be a volunteer fireman he must immediately return the plate to the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 12 / Section 56-3-1610
SECTION 56-3-1610. Issuance of special license plates to emergency medical technicians; fee.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to emergency medical technicians for private passenger motor vehicles registered in the name of the technicians. The biennial fee for the special license plates is thirty dollars in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by Article 5 of this chapter. Only one special plate may be issued to a person.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7340 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 66 / Section 56-3-7340
SECTION 56-3-7340. Native American special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Native American" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. The requirements for production and distribution of the plate are those set forth in Section 56-3-8100. The biennial fee for this plate is the regular registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title plus an additional fee of thirty dollars. Any portion of the additional thirty-dollar fee not set aside by the Comptroller General to defray costs of production and distribution must be distributed to the Native American Prison Program of South Carolina. Effect of Amendment 2024 Act No. 178, SECTION 4, in (A), in the first sentence, inserted "or motorcycles".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-95 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-95
SECTION 56-15-95. Termination or cancellation of franchise or selling agreement; determination of due cause.
Status: in_force

(A) A manufacturer may not terminate or cancel a franchise or selling agreement of a motor vehicle dealer without due cause. (B) The nonrenewal of a franchise or selling agreement, without due cause, shall constitute an unfair termination or cancellation regardless of the terms of the franchise or selling agreement. (C) In determining whether due cause exists, the court shall take into consideration: (1) the motor vehicle dealer's sales in relation to the business available to the motor vehicle dealer; (2) the motor vehicle dealer's investments and obligations; (3) whether the motor vehicle dealer was provided adequate inventory; (4) injury to the public welfare; (5) the adequacy of the motor vehicle dealer's sales and service facilities, equipment, and parts; (6) the qualifications of the management, sales, and service personnel to provide the consumer with reasonably good service and care of new motor vehicles; (7) the motor vehicle dealer's failure to comply with the requirements of the franchise agreement; (8) the opportunity to cure the alleged breach; and (9) the harm caused to the manufacturer or distributor.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7890 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 77 / Section 56-3-7890
SECTION 56-3-7890. Our Farms-Our Future special license plates; distribution of fees.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles registered in their names which shall have imprinted on the plate "Our Farms-Our Future" and which may have a design representative of agriculture. The South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation shall submit to the department for its approval a design it desires to be used for this special license plate. The South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation may request a change in the design not more than once every five years. The fee for this special license plate is seventy dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56. This special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. This special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. (B) The fees collected pursuant to this section above the cost of the regular motor vehicle registration fee must be distributed to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation "Ag in the Classroom" fund. (C) The guidelines for the production of a special license plate under this section must meet the requirements of Section 56-3-8100.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-3960 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 40 / Section 56-3-3960
SECTION 56-3-3960. Transfer of special license plate to another vehicle; unauthorized use.
Status: in_force

A special license plate issued pursuant to this article may be transferred to another vehicle of the same weight class owned by the same person upon application being made and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is unlawful for any person to whom such a commemorative license plate has been issued knowingly to permit the plate to be displayed on any vehicle except the one authorized by the department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-12610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 126 / Section 56-3-12610
SECTION 56-3-12610. South Carolina Wildlife Federation special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Wildlife Federation" or "Palmetto Wild" or both, special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names which may have imprinted on them an emblem, seal, symbol, or design of the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation must submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, symbol, or design it wishes to display on the plates. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation must submit to the department written authorization for use of any copyrighted or registered logos, trademarks, or designs. The South Carolina Wildlife Federation may request a change in the emblem, seal, or symbol not more than once every five years. The plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. The fee for the plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of thirty dollars. (B) Notwithstanding another provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses of the department in producing and administering the plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation for conservation programs in South Carolina. (C) The guidelines for the production of a special license plate under this section must meet the requirements of Section 56-3-8100.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-110
SECTION 56-3-110. Vehicles required to be registered and licensed.
Status: in_force

Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer and special mobile equipment vehicle driven, operated or moved upon a highway in this State shall be registered and licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. It shall be a misdemeanor for any person to drive, operate or move upon a highway or for the owner knowingly to permit to be driven, operated or moved upon a highway any such vehicle which is not registered and licensed and the required fee paid as provided for in this chapter.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4880 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4880
SECTION 56-5-4880. Inspection of brakes; effect of disapproval.
Status: in_force

(a) The Department of Public Safety is authorized to require an inspection of the braking system on any motor-driven cycle and to disapprove any such braking system on a vehicle which it finds will not comply with the performance ability standard set forth in Section 56-5-4860, or which in its opinion is equipped with a braking system that is not so designed or constructed as to insure reasonable and reliable performance in actual use. (b) The Department of Motor Vehicles may refuse to register or may suspend or revoke the registration of any vehicle referred to in this section when the Department of Public Safety determines that the braking system thereon does not comply with the provisions of this section. (c) No person shall operate on any highway any vehicle referred to in this section in the event the Department of Public Safety has disapproved the braking system upon such vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-80 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-80
SECTION 56-1-80. Application for license or permit.
Status: in_force

(A) An application for a driver's license or permit must: (1) be made upon the form furnished by the department; (2) be accompanied by the proper fee and acceptable proof of date and place of birth; (3) contain the full name, date of birth, sex, race, and residence address of the applicant and briefly describe the applicant; (4) state whether the applicant has been licensed as an operator or chauffeur and, if so, when and by what state or country; (5) state whether a license or permit has been suspended or revoked or whether an application has been refused and, if so, the date of and reason for the suspension, revocation, or refusal; (6) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose a permanent medical condition, provided that the disclosure is made on a form prescribed by the department and includes a certification from a physician licensed in this State, as defined in Chapter 47, Title 40 that affirms the existence of the medical condition. The medical condition must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record. The motor vehicle record of a driver may not contain more than three permanent medical conditions unless item (8) or (9) applies; (7) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose that he is an organ and tissue donor, which must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record; (8) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose that he is autistic, which must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record. The applicant must provide documentation that he is autistic from a physician licensed in this State, as defined in Section 40-47-20; (9) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose blood type, provided that the disclosure is made on a form prescribed by the department and includes a certification from a physician or medical provider. Blood type must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record. The department may use the same symbol used to indicate voluntary disclosure of a permanent medical condition; and (10) include a statement that certain driver's license and driver's record information may be released, upon request, pursuant to subsection (B). (B)(1) The information contained on a driver's license and in the driver's department records pertaining to a person's permanent medical condition, as provided for in subsection (A)(6) or (8), or blood type, as provided for in subsection (A)(9), must be made available, upon request only to: (a) law enforcement, emergency medical services, and hospital personnel; (b) the medical advisory board pursuant to Section 56-1-221; (c) permitted entities pursuant to the Driver Privacy Protection Act, 18 U.S.C. 2721; and (d) the person to whom the records of the permanent medical condition applies. (2) The information contained on a driver's license and in the driver's department records pertaining to a person's organ and tissue donor status, as provided for in subsection (A)(7), must be made available, upon request only to: (a) law enforcement, emergency medical services, and hospital personnel; and (b) the South Carolina Donor Referral Network, as provided for in Section 44-43-910. (3) The information contained on a driver's license and in the driver's department records pertaining to a person's permanent medical condition, as provided for in subsection (A)(6) or subsection (8), and pertaining to a person's organ and tissue donor status, as provided for in subsection (A)(7), or blood type, as provided for in subsection (A)(9), may not be sold and is exempt from disclosure pursuant to Chapter 4, Title 30, the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act. (4) No cause of action may arise nor may liability be imposed against any person, government entity, or government entity officer, agent, or employee arising from any action taken by any person in reliance upon an inaccurate blood type indicated on a person's driver's license or driver's record when the license holder, physician, or medical provider provided the inaccurate blood type on the forms required pursuant to this section. (C)(1) Whenever an application is received from a person previously licensed or permitted in another state, the Department of Motor Vehicles may request a copy of the applicant's record from the other state. When received, the record becomes a part of the driver's record in this State with the same effect as though entered on the operator's record in this State in the original instance. Every person who obtains a driver's license or permit for the first time in South Carolina and every person who renews his driver's license or permit in South Carolina must be furnished a written request form for completion and verification of liability insurance coverage. (2) The completed and verified form or an affidavit prepared by the department showing that neither he, nor a resident relative, owns a motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this chapter, must be delivered to the department at the time the license or permit is issued or renewed. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, an incorrect reference to a subsection in Section 40-47-20 was removed. Editor's Note 2010 Act No. 277, SECTION 5, provides: "The requirements of Section 56-1-80 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Section 3 of this act, must be met upon the renewal of an existing driver's license or special identification card of a person convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3) in this State on or after July 1, 2011." 2010 Act No. 277, SECTION 7, provides: "This act takes effect July 1, 2011, and applies to all persons convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3)." 2022 Act No. 217, SECTION 3, provides as follows: "SECTION 3. (A) SECTION 1 takes effect July 1, 2022. "(B) SECTION 2 takes effect one year after the approval by the Governor." Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 19, SECTION 1, in (A), added (8), relating to autism designations placed on a driver's license, and made other nonsubstantive changes. 2022 Act No. 217, SECTION 1, in (A), rewrote (6), made nonsubstantive changes in (7) and (8), and added (9); and rewrote (B). 2024 Act No. 167, SECTION 1, in (A), in (6), in the third sentence, inserted "or (A)(9)"; inserted (9) and redesignated former (9) as (10); in (B), in (1) and (3), inserted "or blood type, as provided for in item (A)(9),", and inserted (4); in (C), inserted the (1) designator, and inserted the (2) designator in the last undesignated paragraph; and made a nonsubstantive change.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1330 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1330
SECTION 56-3-1330. Suspension, cancellation, or revocation of cards, and plates.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend, cancel, or revoke the registration and license of a vehicle, or the registration card, license plate, revalidation sticker, or other document issued by the department as authorized under this chapter in any of the following events when the: (1) department determines to its satisfaction that such registration and license, registration card, license plate, revalidation sticker, or other document was fraudulently or erroneously issued; (2) department determines to its satisfaction that a registered and licensed vehicle is mechanically unsafe or unfit to be operated or moved upon a highway; (3) vehicle registered and licensed has been dismantled or wrecked; (4) department determines that the required fee has not been paid and is not paid upon reasonable notice and demand; (5) registration card, license plate, revalidation sticker, or other document is knowingly displayed upon a vehicle other than the one for which it was issued; (6) department determines to its satisfaction that the owner has committed any offense under this chapter involving such registration card, license plate, revalidation sticker, or other document; (7) department is so authorized under any other provisions of law.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1560 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 11 / Section 56-5-1560
SECTION 56-5-1560. Minimum speed limits.
Status: in_force

(a) Impeding traffic by slow speed prohibited. —No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law. (b) Establishing minimum speed zones; signs. Whenever the Department of Transportation or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the Department of Transportation or local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which no person shall drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law, when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected along the part of the highway for which a minimum speed limit is established. Also any minimum speed limit adopted by a municipality for a section of the state highway within the municipality shall not be effective until such minimum speed has been approved by the Department of Transportation.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-14610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 146 / Section 56-3-14610
SECTION 56-3-14610. Powering the Palmetto State special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Powering the Palmetto State" special license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, and motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. The fee for each special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56. The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., shall submit to the department for its approval the proposed design it desires to be used for this special license plate honoring the work of South Carolina's electrical linemen. (B) Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design as regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (C) The guidelines for the production, collection, and distribution of fees for a special license plate under this section must meet the requirements of Section 56-3-8100. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, Section 56-3-14310, as added by 2017 Act No. 65, Section 2, was redesignated as Section 56-3-14610 to accommodate the redesignation of Section 56-3-14310 added by 2017 Act No. 65, Section 1.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2030 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2030
SECTION 56-1-2030. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this article: (1) "Commercial driver's license" means a license issued in accordance with the requirements of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (Title XII of Public Law 99-570) to an individual which authorizes the individual to drive a class of commercial motor vehicle. (2) "Commercial Driver's License Information System" means the information system established pursuant to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse for locating information related to the licensing and identification of commercial motor vehicle drivers. (3) "Commercial driver's instruction permit" means a permit issued pursuant to Section 56-1-2080(D) of this article. (4) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle designed or used to transport passengers or property if the vehicle: (a) has a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one or more pounds; (b) is designed to transport sixteen or more persons, including the driver; or (c) is transporting hazardous materials and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 CFR Part 172, subpart F. (5) "CMVSA" means the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (Title XII of Public Law 99-570). (6) "Controlled substance" means a substance classified under Section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)) listed on Schedules I through V of 21 CFR Part 1308, as revised. (7) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court, the payment of a fine or court cost, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated. (8) "Disqualification" means a withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle. (9) "Drive" means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle. (10) "Driver" means a person who drives a commercial motor vehicle or who is required to hold a commercial driver's license. (11) "Driver's license" means a license issued to an individual which authorizes the individual to drive a motor vehicle. (12) "Employer" means a person, including the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle. (13) "Endorsement" means a special authorization to drive certain types of vehicles or to transport certain types of property or a certain number of passengers. (14) "Felony" means an offense under state or federal law that is punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year. (15) "Foreign jurisdiction" means a jurisdiction other than a state of the United States. (16) "Gross vehicle weight rating" means the weight or the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination vehicle. The gross vehicle weight rating of a combination vehicle (commonly referred to as the "gross combination weight rating") is the gross vehicle weight rating of the power unit plus the gross vehicle weight rating of a towed unit. (17) "Hazardous materials" means any material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 C.F.R. Section 383.5 and 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under 49 C.F.R. Part 172, subpart F or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 C.F.R. Part 73. (18) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle which is self- propelled and a vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails, except a vehicle moved solely by human power and motorized wheelchairs. (19) "Out-of-service order" means declaration by an authorized enforcement officer of a federal, state, Canadian, Mexican, or local jurisdiction that a person, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor carrier operation is out of service pursuant to 49 CFR Sections 386.72, 390.5, 392.5, 395.13, 396.9, or compatible laws, or the North American Uniform Out-of-Service Criteria. For purposes of this article, regulations requiring disqualifications for violations of out-of-service orders affect all vehicles with a gross combination weight rating or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, as contained in 49 CFR Sections 383, 390.5, and 393 of the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations. (20) "Recreational vehicle" means a self-propelled or towed vehicle that is equipped to serve as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel purposes and is used solely as a family/personal conveyance. (21) "Restriction" means a prohibition against driving certain types of vehicles or a requirement that the driver comply with certain conditions when driving a motor vehicle. (22) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction when operating a motor vehicle of: (a) excessive speeding, involving a single charge for a speed fifteen miles an hour or more above the speed limit; (b) reckless driving, including charges of driving a commercial motor vehicle in a wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property; (c) improper or erratic traffic lane changes; (d) following the vehicle ahead too closely; (e) a violation of a state or local law related to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, arising in connection with an accident or collision resulting in death or serious bodily injury to a person; (f) driving a commercial motor vehicle without obtaining a commercial driver's license; (g) driving a commercial motor vehicle without a commercial driver's license in the driver's possession. A person who provides proof to the law enforcement authority that issued the citation, by the date the individual must appear in court or pay any fine for the violation, that the individual held a valid commercial driver's license on the date the citation was issued, is not guilty of this offense; or (h) driving a commercial motor vehicle without the proper class of commercial driver's license, or endorsements for the specific vehicle group being operated or for the passengers or type of cargo being transported, or both. (23) "School bus" means a commercial motor vehicle used to transport pre-primary, primary, or secondary students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events. School bus does not include a bus used as a common carrier. (24) "State" means a state or territory of the United States and the District of Columbia and the federal government and a province or territory of Canada. (25) "Tank vehicle" means a commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport a liquid or gaseous material within a tank that either is attached permanently or temporarily to the vehicle or its chassis. These vehicles include, but are not limited to, cargo tanks and portable tanks as defined in 49 CFR Part 171. This definition does not include portable tanks having a rated capacity under one thousand gallons. (26) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia. (27) "Farm related vehicle" means a vehicle used: (a) in custom harvester operations; (b) in livestock feeding operations; or (c) by an agri-chemical business or a company which hauls agri-chemical products to a farm. (28) "Seasonal restricted commercial driver's license" means a commercial driver's license issued under the authority of the waiver promulgated by the Federal Department of Transportation (57 Federal Register 13650) by the department to an individual who has not passed the knowledge or skill test required of other commercial driver's license holders. This license authorizes operation of a commercial motor vehicle only on a seasonal basis, stated on the license, by a seasonal employee of a custom harvester, livestock feeder, agri-chemical operation, and company hauling agri-chemical products to a farm within one hundred fifty miles of the place of business. (29) "Traffic violation" means the offenses contained in 49 CFR 383.51(d) regarding driving disqualifications for violating railroad-highway grade crossing violations.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2170 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 15 / Section 56-5-2170
SECTION 56-5-2170. Method of giving hand and arm signals.
Status: in_force

All signals herein required given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner, and such signals shall indicate as follows: (1) Left turn, hand and arm extended horizontally; (2) Right turn, hand and arm extended upward; and (3) Stop or decrease speed, hand and arm extended downward.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-50 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-50
SECTION 56-16-50. Compensation of dealer upon termination, nonrenewal, or cancellation of franchise by manufacturer or distributor.
Status: in_force

(a) Upon the termination, nonrenewal, or cancellation of any franchise by the manufacturer or distributor, pursuant to this section, the new motorcycle dealer must be allowed fair and reasonable compensation by the manufacturer for the: (1) new motorcycle inventory which has been acquired from the manufacturer within eighteen months, at a price not to exceed the original manufacturer's price to the dealer, which has not been altered or damaged, and which has not been driven more than two hundred miles, and for which no certificate of title has been issued; (2) unused, undamaged, and unsold supplies and parts purchased from the manufacturer, at a price not to exceed the original manufacturer's price to the dealer, if the supplies and parts are currently offered for sale by the manufacturer or distributor in its current parts catalogs and are in salable condition; (3) equipment and furnishings which have not been altered or damaged and which have been required by the manufacturer or distributor to be purchased by the new motorcycle dealer from the manufacturer or distributor, or their approved sources; (4) special tools which have not been altered or damaged and which have been required by the manufacturer or distributor to be purchased by the new motorcycle dealer from the manufacturer or distributor, or their approved sources, within five years immediately preceding the termination, nonrenewal, or cancellation of the franchise. (b) Fair and reasonable compensation for the above must be paid by the manufacturer within ninety days of the effective date of termination, cancellation, or nonrenewal, if the new motorcycle dealer has clear title to the inventory and has conveyed title and possession to the manufacturer.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-430 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-430
SECTION 56-5-430. Street defined; highway defined.
Status: in_force

The entire width between boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel is a "street" or "highway."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4440 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4440
SECTION 56-5-4440. Image display devices.
Status: in_force

(A) As used in this section, "image display device" means equipment capable of displaying to the driver of a motor vehicle: (1) a broadcast television image; or (2) a visual image, other than text, from a digital video disc or other storage device. (B) Except as provided in subsection (E) of this section, no person shall drive a motor vehicle equipped with any image display device which is located in the motor vehicle at any point forward of the back of the driver's seat, or which is visible, directly or indirectly, to the driver while operating the motor vehicle. (C) Except as provided in subsection (E) of this section, no person may install in a motor vehicle an image display device intended to be visible to a driver in the normal driving position when the vehicle is in motion and when restrained by the vehicle seat belts adjusted in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. (D) A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or be imprisoned for not more than thirty days. (E) Subsections (B) and (C) of this section do not apply to the following: (1) emergency vehicles; (2) image display devices that are displaying images that provide the driver with navigation and related traffic, road, and weather information; (3) image display devices providing vehicle information or information related to the driving task; (4) image display devices used to enhance or supplement the driver's view forward, behind, or to the sides of the motor vehicle; (5) image display devices that permit the driver to monitor vehicle occupants seated rearward of the driver; (6) image display devices that do not display images to the driver while the vehicle is in motion; or (7) any use of an image display device while a vehicle is parked.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-14980 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 149 / Section 56-3-14980
SECTION 56-3-14980. Special license plates showing support for military-related private organizations.
Status: in_force

(A) The department may issue the following types of special license plates showing support for military-related private organizations for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to members of the general public that will financially benefit the following organizations: (1) Blue Star Family (2) Veterans of Foreign Wars (3) American Legion (4) Disabled American Veterans (5) American Veterans (6) Marine Corps League (7) Chief Petty Officer (8) Support Our Troops. (B) License plates for the organizations specified in subsection (A) are subject to the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56 and a special motor vehicle license plate fee set by the sponsoring organization. These special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. (C) License plates authorized under subsection (A) are subject to the provisions contained in Section 56-3-8100. Editor's Note 2022 Act No. 216, SECTION 9, provides as follows: "SECTION 9. SECTION 1 of this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. SECTIONS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of this act take effect May 6, 2022." Effect of Amendment 2022 Act No. 216, SECTION 5, in (A), made a nonsubstantive change in (7) and added (8).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-10010 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 100 / Section 56-3-10010
SECTION 56-3-10010. "Parrot Head" special license plate authorized.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles or light pickups having an empty weight of six thousand pounds or less and a gross weight of nine thousand pounds or less registered in their names that shall have imprinted on the plate an emblem, seal, or other symbol associated with the South Carolina Parrot Head Club Council. The South Carolina Parrot Head Club Council must submit to the department written authorization to use a copyrighted or registered logo, trademark, or design on the special license plate. The South Carolina Parrot Head Club Council may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol not more than once every five years. The fee charged for the special license plate shall be adjusted as necessary to account for any additional expenses associated with a change in design. The fee for this special license plate is thirty dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. This special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. The special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. (B) From the fees collected pursuant to this article, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses associated with producing and administering the distribution of the license plate. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee shall be distributed to the South Carolina Parrot Head Club Council, which shall only use the funds to support the Palmetto Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and the Upstate South Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. (C) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in Section 56-3-8100, before the Department of Motor Vehicles produces and distributes a special license plate pursuant to this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the plate approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for the special license plate authorized by this article, it may not produce additional special license plates in this series. However, the department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-3020 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 3 / Section 56-2-3020
SECTION 56-2-3020. Mopeds of nonresidents.
Status: in_force

(A) A privately owned and operated moped of a nonresident, otherwise subject to registration and license as provided by this chapter, may be operated within this State without being registered and licensed provided that the moped: (1) is duly registered or licensed in the state, territory, district, or country of residence of the owner; and (2) has displayed or issued a valid registration, registration card, license plate or decal, or other indicia satisfactorily evidencing compliance with the requirements of the owner's home jurisdiction. (B) The moped of a nonresident must be registered and licensed pursuant to this chapter upon the earlier of a nonresident's: (1) establishment of domicile in this State; or (2) operation of the moped in this State for an accumulated period exceeding one hundred and eighty days.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1630 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 12 / Section 56-3-1630
SECTION 56-3-1630. Size and design of plates; period of validity.
Status: in_force

The special license plates must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates upon which must be imprinted the letters "EMT" and numbers the Department of Motor Vehicles may determine. The special plates are for biennial periods which expire twenty-four months from the month it is issued.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-300 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-300
SECTION 56-5-300. Pneumatic tire defined.
Status: in_force

Every tire in which compressed air is designed to support the load is a "pneumatic tire."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-170 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-170
SECTION 56-3-170. Reciprocity with respect to the operation of vehicles licensed out of state.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter, the Department of Motor Vehicles may grant to any other state, country, territory or district reciprocity with respect to the operation of any vehicles in this State without being registered and licensed under the provisions of this chapter if such other state, country, territory or district extends under its laws, rules and regulations like privileges to vehicles registered and licensed in this State, subject to the conditions that every such vehicle is at all times, when operated in this State, duly registered or licensed in such state, territory, district or country in accordance with the lawful requirements of such state, country, territory or district and that there is displayed thereon a valid registration card and registration or license plate or plates.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-8700 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 87 / Section 56-3-8700
SECTION 56-3-8700. Short title.
Status: in_force

This article may be cited as the Denny Woodall Neilson NASCAR Special License Plates Act.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-500 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-500
SECTION 56-1-500. Penalties for violations of article.
Status: in_force

It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of this article unless such violation is by this article or other law of this State declared to be a felony. Every person convicted of a misdemeanor for a violation of any of the provisions of this article for which another penalty is not provided shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1260 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1260
SECTION 56-5-1260. Immediate report of accidents resulting in personal injury or death.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person shall immediately by the quickest means of communication, whether oral or written, give notice of such accident to the local police department if such accident occurs within a municipality, otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-35-60 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 35 / Section 56-35-60
SECTION 56-35-60. Diesel idling reduction fund; idling awareness program.
Status: in_force

(A) There is established by the State Treasurer a fund separate and distinct from the general fund and all other funds entitled the Diesel Idling Reduction Fund. Fifty dollars of the fines pursuant to this section must be credited to it and a balance in the fund at the end of a fiscal year does not lapse to the general fund but is instead carried forward to the succeeding fiscal year. The monies in the fund must be used only to cover costs associated with the idling awareness program operated by the Department of Health and Environmental Control. (B) The Department of Health and Environmental Control, as funds become available, may develop and operate an idling awareness program that promotes the benefits of idling reductions. The program must encourage businesses and vehicle operators to develop practices to reduce idling.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-7-12 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 7 / Section 56-7-12
SECTION 56-7-12. Verification of insurance coverage upon issuance of traffic ticket; form; penalty.
Status: in_force

(A) When the operator or owner of an individual private passenger automobile as defined in Section 38-77-30(5.5) is issued a traffic ticket for a moving violation by a law enforcement officer, he may be furnished a written request form to be completed by him and his insurance company or the agent issuing the policy to verify liability insurance coverage. The form must be prescribed by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public Safety. (B) The completed and verified form must be returned by the operator or owner to the local law enforcement agency issuing the traffic ticket within fifteen days from the date he receives it. Failure to return the form verified in the proper manner is prima facie evidence that the vehicle was uninsured. (C) The director or his designee of the department shall waive the reinstatement fee or per diem fine, or both, imposed upon the owner or operator of the motor vehicle pursuant to this section for his failure to complete and return the insurance verification form if he has liability insurance coverage when determined to be uninsured by the department. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall document its reasons for waiving the fees or fines in the records of the department. (D) No person knowingly may furnish or aid another in the submission of false or misleading information in the completed and verified form. A person who knowingly furnishes or aids another in submitting false or misleading information regarding the verification of liability insurance is subject to the penalties in Section 56-10-260. (E) This section applies only to owners and operators of motor vehicles registered under the laws of South Carolina. (F) Motor vehicles determined to be uninsured under this section are subject to Sections 56-10-240 and 56-10-245. (G) The operator of the motor vehicle shall present the written request form for verification of liability insurance coverage to the owner of the vehicle. Failure by the operator to give the form to the owner is prima facie evidence that the operator knowingly furnished false and misleading information to the department. However, the form must have the following sentence on its face in bold type, all capitals, and large print: "THE OWNER OR OPERATOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE WHO IS ISSUED THIS FORM SHALL COMPLETE AND RETURN THE FORM TO THE ISSUING AGENCY WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS OR IS SUBJECT TO A TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR REINSTATEMENT FEE AND FIVE DOLLAR A DAY FINE PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA LAW. IF YOU ARE NOT THE OWNER OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE, YOU SHALL PRESENT THIS FORM TO THE OWNER OR YOU ARE SUBJECT TO FINE AND IMPRISONMENT." The officer shall read aloud this sentence to the owner or operator of the motor vehicle upon furnishing the written request form to verify liability insurance coverage.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4920 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4920
SECTION 56-5-4920. Bumpers; warranty as to energy absorption system and ability to sustain shock; automobiles manufactured on and after August 1, 1972.
Status: in_force

Every private passenger automobile manufactured on and after August 1, 1972, sold and licensed in the State of South Carolina, shall be sold subject to the manufacturer's warranty that it is equipped with an appropriate energy absorption system and that, without compromising existing standards of passenger safety, it can be driven front directly into a standard Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE-J-850) test barrier at a speed of five miles per hour, rear directly into a standard Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE J-850) test barrier at a speed of two and one-half miles per hour without sustaining any damage to the automobile.