S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2951 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 23 / Section 56-5-2951
SECTION 56-5-2951. Suspension of license for refusal to submit to testing or for certain level of alcohol concentration; contested case hearing request; Ignition Interlock Device Program enrollment; temporary alcohol license; administrative hearing; restricted driver's license; penalties.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege of, or deny the issuance of a license or permit to, a person who drives a motor vehicle and refuses to submit to a test provided for in Section 56-5-2950 or has an alcohol concentration of fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more. The arresting officer shall issue a notice of suspension which is effective beginning on the date of the alleged violation of Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945. (B)(1) Within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension, the person may: (a) request a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings pursuant to its rules of procedure; and, either: (b) enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2941; or (c) obtain a temporary alcohol license from the Department of Motor Vehicles. A one hundred dollar fee must be assessed for obtaining a temporary alcohol license and such fee must be held in trust by the Department of Motor Vehicles until final disposition of any contested case hearing. Should the temporary suspension provided for in this subsection be upheld during the contested case hearing, twenty-five dollars of the fee must be distributed by the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Department of Public Safety for supplying and maintaining all necessary vehicle videotaping equipment, while the remaining seventy-five dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167. The temporary alcohol license allows the person to drive without any restrictive conditions pending the outcome of the contested case hearing provided for in subsection (F), this section, or the final decision or disposition of the matter. If the suspension is upheld at the contested case hearing, the temporary alcohol license remains in effect until the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings issues the hearing officer's decision and the Department of Motor Vehicles sends notice to the person pursuant to subsection (H). (2) At the contested case hearing, if: (a) the suspension is upheld, the person's driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege must be suspended or the person must be denied the issuance of a license or permit for the remainder of the suspension period provided for in subsection (I). Within thirty days of the issuance of the notice that the suspension has been upheld, the person shall enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2990 and must enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2941; (b) the suspension is overturned, the person must have the person's driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege reinstated and the person must be reimbursed by the Department of Motor Vehicles in the amount of the fees provided for in subsection (B)(1)(c). (3) If the suspension is overturned, the person's driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege must be reinstated. (4) The provisions of this subsection do not affect the trial for a violation of Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945. (C) The period of suspension provided for in subsection (I) begins on the day the notice of suspension is issued, or at the expiration of any other suspensions, and continues until the person applies for a temporary alcohol license and requests a contested case hearing. (D) If a person does not request a contested case hearing, the person waives the person's right to the hearing, and the person's suspension must not be stayed but continues for the period provided for in subsection (I). (E) The notice of suspension must advise the person: (1) of the person's right to obtain a temporary alcohol driver's license and to request a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings; (2) that, if the person does not request a contested case hearing within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension, the person waives the person's right to the contested case hearing, and the suspension continues for the period provided for in subsection (I); and (3) that, if the suspension is upheld at the contested case hearing or the person does not request a contested case hearing, the person shall enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. (F)(1) A contested case hearing must be held after the request for the hearing is received by the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings. The scope of the hearing is limited to whether the person: (a) was lawfully arrested or detained; (b) was given a written copy of and verbally informed of the rights enumerated in Section 56-5-2950; (c) refused to submit to a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950; or (d) consented to taking a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950, and the: (i) reported alcohol concentration at the time of testing was fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more; (ii) individual who administered the test or took samples was qualified pursuant to Section 56-5-2950; (iii) tests administered and samples obtained were conducted pursuant to Section 56-5-2950; and (iv) machine was working properly. (2) Nothing in this section prohibits the introduction of evidence at the contested case hearing on the issue of the accuracy of the breath test result. (3) A written order must be issued to all parties either reversing or upholding the suspension of the person's license, permit, or nonresident's operating privilege, or denying the issuance of a license or permit. If the suspension is upheld, the person must receive credit for the number of days the person's license was suspended before the person received a temporary alcohol license and requested the contested case hearing and must receive credit for the number of days, if any, the person maintained an ignition interlock restriction on the temporary alcohol license. (4) The Department of Motor Vehicles and the arresting officer shall have the burden of proof in contested case hearings conducted pursuant to this section. If neither the Department of Motor Vehicles nor the arresting officer appears at the contested case hearing, the hearing officer shall rescind the suspension of the person's license, permit, or nonresident's operating privilege regardless of whether the person requesting the contested case hearing or the person's attorney appears at the contested case hearing. (G) A contested case hearing is governed by the Administrative Procedures Act, and a person has a right to appeal the decision of the hearing officer pursuant to that act to the Administrative Law Court in accordance with the Administrative Law Court's appellate rules. The filing of an appeal stays the suspension until a final decision is issued on appeal. (H) If the person did not request a contested case hearing or the suspension is upheld at the contested case hearing, the person shall enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2990. (I)(1) Except as provided in item (3), the period of a driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege suspension for, or denial of issuance of a license or permit to, an arrested person who has no previous convictions for violating Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945, or a law of another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs within the ten years preceding a violation of this section, and who has had no previous suspension imposed pursuant to Section 56-1-286, 56-5-2951, or 56-5-2990, within the ten years preceding a violation of this section is: (a) six months for a person who refuses to submit to a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950; or (b) one month for a person who takes a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950 and has an alcohol concentration of fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more. (2) The period of a driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege suspension for, or denial of issuance of a license or permit to, a person who has been convicted previously for violating Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945, or another law of this State or another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or another drug within the ten years preceding a violation of this section, or who has had a previous suspension imposed pursuant to Section 56-1-286, 56-5-2951, or 56-5-2990, within the ten years preceding a violation of this section is: (a) for a second offense, nine months if the person refuses to submit to a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950, or two months if the person takes a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950 and has an alcohol concentration of fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more; (b) for a third offense, twelve months if the person refuses to submit to a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950, or three months if the person takes a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950 and has an alcohol concentration of fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more; and (c) for a fourth or subsequent offense, fifteen months if the person refuses to submit to a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950, or four months if the person takes a test pursuant to Section 56-5-2950 and has an alcohol concentration of fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more. (3)(a) In lieu of serving the remainder of a suspension or denial of the issuance of a license or permit, a person may enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2941, end the suspension or denial of the issuance of a license or permit, and obtain an ignition interlock restricted license pursuant to Section 56-1-400. The ignition interlock device is required to be affixed to the motor vehicle equal to the length of time remaining on the person's suspension or denial of the issuance of a license or permit. If the length of time remaining is less than three months, the ignition interlock device is required to be affixed to the motor vehicle for three months. (b) The person must receive credit for the number of days the person maintained an ignition interlock restriction on the temporary alcohol license. (c) Once a person has enrolled in the Ignition Interlock Device Program and obtained an ignition interlock restricted license, the person is subject to Section 56-5-2941 and cannot subsequently choose to serve the suspension. (J) A person's driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege must be restored when the person's period of suspension or ignition interlock restricted license requirement pursuant to subsection (I) has concluded, even if the person has not yet completed the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. After the person's driving privilege is restored, the person shall continue the services of the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. If the person withdraws from or in any way stops making satisfactory progress toward the completion of the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, the person's license must be suspended until the completion of the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. A person shall be attending or have completed an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2990 before the person's driving privilege can be restored at the conclusion of the suspension period or ignition interlock restricted license requirement. (K) When a nonresident's privilege to drive a motor vehicle in this State has been suspended pursuant to the provisions of this section, the department shall give written notice of the action taken to the motor vehicle administrator of the state of the person's residence and of any state in which the person has a license or permit. (L) The department shall not suspend the privilege to drive of a person under the age of twenty-one pursuant to Section 56-1-286, if the person's privilege to drive has been suspended pursuant to this section arising from the same incident. (M) A person whose driver's license or permit is suspended pursuant to this section is not required to file proof of financial responsibility. (N) An insurer shall not increase premiums on, add surcharges to, or cancel the automobile insurance of a person charged with a violation of Section 56-1-286, 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, 56-5-2945, or a law of another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs based solely on the violation unless the person is convicted of the violation. (O) The department shall administer the provisions of this section. (P) Nothing in this section shall prevent the prosecuting authority from waiving or dismissing the charge. Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 55, SECTION 8, rewrote the section. 2024 Act No. 130, SECTION 2, in (B), in (1), in (a), inserted "and, either:" at the end, in (c), in the fifth sentence, substituted "pursuant to subsection (H)" for "that the person is eligible to receive a restricted license pursuant to subsection (H); and" and made a nonsubstantive change, and deleted (2) and redesignated former (3) to (5) as (2) to (4).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1320 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 7 / Section 56-1-1320
SECTION 56-1-1320. Provisional drivers' licenses.
Status: in_force

(A) A person with a South Carolina driver's license, a person who had a South Carolina driver's license at the time of the offense referenced below, or a person exempted from the licensing requirements by Section 56-1-30, who is or has been convicted of a first offense violation of a law of this State that prohibits a person from operating a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, drugs, or narcotics, including Sections 56-5-2930 and 56-5-2933, whose license is not presently suspended for any other reason, and whose offense date is prior to the effective date of this section, may apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a provisional driver's license of a design to be determined by the department to operate a motor vehicle. The person shall enter an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program pursuant to Section 56-1-1330, and shall pay to the department a fee of one hundred dollars for the provisional driver's license. The provisional driver's license is not valid for more than six months from the date of issue shown on the license. The determination of whether or not a provisional driver's license may be issued pursuant to the provisions of this article as well as reviews of cancellations or suspensions under Sections 56-1-370 and 56-1-820 must be made by the director of the department or his designee. (B) Ninety-five dollars of the collected fee must be credited to the state's general fund for use of the Department of Public Safety in the hiring, training, and equipping of members of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Transportation Police and in the operations of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Transportation Police. Five dollars of the collected fee must be placed by the Comptroller General into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167. Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 55, SECTION 5, in (A), in the first sentence, inserted "and whose offense date is prior to the effective date of this section," and made a nonsubstantive change.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-70 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-70
SECTION 56-1-70. Temporary driver's permit.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may, in its discretion, issue a temporary driver's permit to an applicant for a motor vehicle driver's license permitting him to operate a motor vehicle while the Department is completing its investigation and determination of all facts relative to such applicant's right to receive a driver's license. Such permit must be in his immediate possession while operating a motor vehicle, and it shall be invalid when the applicant's license has been issued or for good cause has been refused.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 1 / Section 56-19-10
SECTION 56-19-10. Definitions.
Status: reserved

For the purposes of this chapter and Chapter 21, Title 16, the following terms are defined as follows: (1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means vehicles of the fire department, police vehicles, and the ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations designated or authorized by the chief of police or governing body of a municipality. (2) "Bicycle" means a device propelled solely by pedals, operated by one or more persons, and having two or more wheels, except childrens' tricycles. (3) "Bus" means 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. (4) "Dealer" or "motor vehicle dealer" means both "dealer" and "wholesaler", as defined in Chapter 15 of this title. (5) Reserved. (6) "Essential parts" means all integral and body parts of a vehicle of a type required to be registered under this title, the removal, alteration, or substitution of which would tend to conceal the identity of the vehicle or substantially alter its appearance, model, type, or mode of operation. (7) Reserved. (8) "Farm tractor" means every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, mowing machines, and other implements of husbandry. (9) "Foreign vehicle" means every vehicle of a type required to be registered under this title brought into this State from another state, territory, or country, other than in the ordinary course of business by or through a manufacturer or dealer, and not registered in this State. (10) "House trailer" means: (a) a trailer or semitrailer which is designed, constructed, and equipped as a dwelling place, living abode, or sleeping place, either permanently or temporarily, and is equipped for use as a conveyance on streets and highways; or (b) a trailer or a semitrailer whose chassis and exterior shell is designed and constructed for use as a house trailer, as defined in subitem (a) of this item, but which is used instead permanently or temporarily for the advertising, sales, display, or promotion of merchandise or services or for another commercial purpose except the transportation of property for hire or the transportation of property for distribution by a private carrier. (11) "Identifying number" means the numbers and letters, if any, on a vehicle designated by the Department of Motor Vehicles for the purpose of identifying the vehicle. (12) "Implement of husbandry" means every vehicle, including mobile barns, designed and adapted exclusively for agricultural, horticultural, or livestock-raising operations or for lifting or carrying an implement of husbandry and in either case not subject to registration if used upon the highways. (13) "Lienholder" means a person holding a security interest in a vehicle. (14) "Mail" means to deposit in the United States mail, properly addressed and with postage prepaid. (15) "Manufacturer" means every person engaged in the business of constructing or assembling vehicles of a type required to be registered under this title at an established place of business in this State. (16) Reserved. (17) Reserved. (18) Reserved. (19) Reserved. (20) Reserved. (21) Reserved. (22) "Pole trailer" means every vehicle without motive power designed to be drawn by another vehicle and attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach or pole or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregularly shaped loads such as poles, pipes, or structural members capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections. (23) "Previously registered vehicle" means a vehicle registered in this State on January 1, 1958, or a vehicle whose last registration before that date was in this State. (24) "Reconstructed vehicle" means every vehicle of a type required to be registered under this title materially altered from its original construction by the removal, addition, or substitution of essential parts, new or used. (25) "Registration" means the registration certificate or certificates and registration plates issued under the laws of this State pertaining to the registration of vehicles. (26) "Road tractor" means every motor vehicle designed and used for drawing other vehicles and not constructed to carry any load on it, either independently or any part of the weight of a vehicle or load drawn. (27) "School bus" means every motor vehicle owned by a public or governmental agency and operated for the transportation of children to or from school, or privately owned and operated for compensation for the transportation of children to or from school. (28) "Security agreement" means a written agreement which reserves or creates a security interest. (29) "Security interest" means an interest in a vehicle reserved or created by agreement and which secures payment or performance of an obligation, conditional sale contract, conditional lease, chattel mortgage, or other lien or encumbrance, except taxes or attachment liens provided for in Section 29-15-20. The term includes the interest of a lessor under a lease intended as security. A security interest is "perfected" when it is valid against third parties generally, subject only to specific statutory exceptions. (30) "Semitrailer" means 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 constructed so that some part of its weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle. (31) "Special mobile equipment" means every vehicle not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and only incidentally operated or moved over a highway including, but not limited to: ditch-digging apparatus, well-boring apparatus, and road construction and maintenance machinery, such as asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, tractors other than truck tractors, ditchers, leveling graders, finishing machines, motor graders, road rollers, scarifiers, earth-moving carryalls and scrapers, power shovels and draglines, and self-propelled cranes and earth-moving equipment. The term does not include house trailers, dump trucks, truck-mounted transit mixers, cranes, or shovels, or other vehicles designed for the transportation of persons or property to which machinery has been attached. (32) "Specifically constructed vehicle" means every vehicle of a type required to be registered under this title not originally constructed under a distinctive name, make, model, or type by a generally recognized manufacturer of vehicles and not materially altered from its original construction. (33) "Trackless trolley coach" means every motor vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails. (34) "Trailer" means 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 constructed so that no part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle. (35) "Transporter" means every person engaged in the business of delivering vehicles of a type required to be registered under this title from a manufacturing, assembling, or distributing plant to dealers or sales agents of a manufacturer. (36) "Truck" means every motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property. (37) "Truck tractor" means every motor vehicle designed and used primarily for drawing other vehicles and not constructed to carry a load other than a part of the weight of the vehicle and load drawn. (38) Reserved. (39) "Mobile home" means every vehicle which is designed, constructed, and equipped principally as a permanent dwelling place and is equipped to be moved on streets and highways, but which exceeds the size limitations prescribed in Section 56-3-710 and which cannot be licensed and registered by the Department of Motor Vehicles as a "house trailer". (40) "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation; it does not include an auxiliary instrument designed to be reset by the operator of the motor vehicle for the purpose of recording the distance traveled on trips. (41) "Odometer reading" means actual cumulative distance traveled disclosed on the odometer. (42) "Odometer disclosure statement" means a statement, as prescribed by item (d) of subsection (1) of Section 56-19-240, certified by the owner of the motor vehicle to the transferee or to the Department of Motor Vehicles as to the odometer reading. (43) Reserved. (44) Reserved. (45) Reserved. (46) "Commercial truck" or "commercial motor vehicle (CMV)" as defined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle: (a) has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds), whichever is greater; (b) has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater; (c) is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver; or (d) is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as that term is defined in 49 C.F.R. Section 390.5. (47) "Motor home" means a vehicular unit designed to provide temporary living quarters built into an integral part of or permanently attached to a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis or van which unit contains permanently installed independent life support systems other than low voltage meeting the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A119.2 Standard for Recreational Vehicles and provides at least four of the following facilities: cooking with onboard power source; gas or electric refrigerator; toilet with exterior evacuation; heating or air conditioning with onboard power source separate from the vehicle engine; a potable water supply system including a faucet, sink, and water tank with an exterior service connection; or separate 110-125 volt electric power supply. For purposes of this definition, a passenger-carrying automobile, truck, or van without permanently installed independent life support systems, including at least four of the indicated facilities, does not constitute a motor home. (48) "Permanently installed" means built into or attached as an integral part of a chassis or van and designed not to be removed except for repair or replacement. A system which is readily removable or held in place by clamps or tie downs is not permanently installed. (49) "Low voltage" means twenty-four volts or less. (50) "Special mobile equipment" means every vehicle, with or without motive power, not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or pay-load property and incidentally operated or moved over the highways, including farm tractors, road construction and maintenance machinery, ditch-digging apparatus, well-boring apparatus, truck cranes or mobile shovel cranes, and similar vehicles; this enumeration is deemed partial and does not operate to exclude other vehicles which are within the general terms of this definition. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments made by 2017 Act No. 34 and 2017 Act No. 89 were read together. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 34, SECTION 6, reserved (44), which related to the definition of "automotive three-wheel vehicle". 2017 Act No. 34, SECTION 7, reserved (45), which related to the definition of "motorcycle three-wheel vehicle". 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 31, reserved (5), (16) to (21), (38), and (43) to (45), which had related to the definitions of "driver", "motor vehicle", "motorcycle", "motor-driven cycle", "nonresident", "operator", "owner", "vehicle", "moped", "Automotive three-wheel vehicle", and "Motorcycle three-wheel vehicle", respectively; and made nonsubstantive changes.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4840 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4840
SECTION 56-5-4840. Selling or using devices or equipment to change design or performance of lamps or reflectors.
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale or use any device or equipment which tends to change the original design or performance of any head lamps or any other lamps or reflectors required by law to be attached to motor vehicles, trailers or semitrailers unless the equipment or device has been approved by the director of the Department of Public Safety.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1210 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1210
SECTION 56-3-1210. License plates furnished by Department.
Status: in_force

Beginning with the licensing year 1975-1976, the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon registering and licensing a vehicle, shall issue to the owner one license plate. Every license plate shall remain the property of the State but shall be displayed on the vehicle as required by this chapter.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-36-30 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 36 / Section 56-36-30
SECTION 56-36-30. Car sharing program agreements; requirements and disclosures.
Status: in_force

(A) Each car sharing program agreement made in this State shall disclose to the shared vehicle owner and the shared vehicle driver: (1) any right of the peer-to-peer car sharing program to seek indemnification from the shared vehicle owner or the shared vehicle driver for economic loss sustained by the peer-to-peer car sharing program resulting from a breach of the terms and conditions of the car sharing program agreement; (2) that a motor vehicle liability insurance policy issued to the shared vehicle owner for the shared vehicle or to the shared vehicle driver does not provide a defense or indemnification for any claim asserted by the peer-to-peer car sharing program; (3) that the peer-to-peer car sharing program's insurance coverage on the shared vehicle owner and the shared vehicle driver is in effect only during each car sharing period and that, for any use of the shared vehicle by the shared vehicle driver after the car sharing termination time, the shared vehicle driver and the shared vehicle owner may not have insurance coverage; (4) the daily rate, fees, and, if applicable, any insurance or protection package costs that are charged to the shared vehicle owner or the shared vehicle driver; (5) that the shared vehicle owner's motor vehicle liability insurance may not provide coverage for a shared vehicle; (6) an emergency telephone number to personnel capable of fielding roadside assistance and other customer service inquiries; and (7) whether there are conditions under which a shared vehicle driver must maintain a personal automobile insurance policy with certain applicable coverage limits on a primary basis in order to book a shared motor vehicle. (B)(1) A peer-to-peer car sharing program may not enter into a car sharing program agreement with a driver unless the driver who will operate the shared vehicle: (a) holds a valid driver's license issued under the provisions of Chapter 1, Title 56, that authorizes the driver to operate vehicles of the class of the shared vehicle; or (b) is a nonresident who: (i) is at least the same age as that required of a resident to drive; and (ii) has a driver's license issued by the driver's resident state or country that authorizes the driver in that state or country to drive vehicles of the class of the shared vehicle. (2) A peer-to-peer car sharing program shall keep record of: (a) the name and address of the shared vehicle driver; (b) the number of the driver's license of the shared vehicle driver and each other person who will operate the shared vehicle; and (c) the place of issuance of the driver's license. (C) A peer-to-peer car sharing program shall have sole responsibility for any equipment, such as a GPS system or other special equipment that is put in or on the vehicle to monitor or facilitate the car sharing transaction and shall agree to indemnify and hold harmless the vehicle owner for any damage to or theft of such equipment during the sharing period not caused by the vehicle owner. The peer-to-peer car sharing program has the right to seek indemnity from the shared vehicle driver for any loss or damage to such equipment that occurs during the sharing period. (D)(1) When a vehicle owner registers as a shared vehicle owner with a peer-to-peer car sharing program and before the shared vehicle owner makes the shared vehicle available on the peer-to-peer car sharing program, the peer-to-peer car sharing program shall: (a) verify that the shared vehicle does not have any safety recalls for which repairs have not been made; and (b) notify the owner of the requirement under subsection (D)(2), (3), and (4). (2) If the shared vehicle owner has actual notice of a safety recall on the shared vehicle, then the shared vehicle owner may not make the shared vehicle available on the peer-to-peer car sharing program until the safety recall repair is complete. (3) If a shared vehicle owner receives actual notice of a safety recall on the shared vehicle while the shared vehicle is available on the peer-to-peer car sharing program and in the shared vehicle owner's possession, then the owner shall remove the shared vehicle as available on the peer-to-peer car sharing program as soon as practicably possible after receiving notice and until the safety recall repair is complete. (4) If a shared vehicle owner receives actual notice of a safety recall while the shared vehicle is in the possession of a shared vehicle driver, then the shared vehicle owner shall notify the peer-to-peer car sharing program about the safety recall as soon as practicably possible after receiving notice of the safety recall so that the shared vehicle owner may address the safety recall repair.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-187 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-187
SECTION 56-1-187. Permitting dependent to operate motor vehicle without learner's permit or in violation of permit restrictions; civil penalties; admissibility of civil fine in private cause of action.
Status: in_force

A parent or guardian who knowingly and wilfully permits his dependent to operate a motor vehicle in violation of a restriction imposed on a beginner's permit pursuant to Section 56-1-50, a conditional driver's license pursuant to Section 56-1-175, or a special restricted driver's license pursuant to Section 56-1-180, or knowingly permits his dependent to operate a motor vehicle without a valid beginner's permit or driver's license, must be assessed a civil fine in an amount up to five hundred dollars. Upon the magistrates or municipal court receiving notice of the dependent's violation through transmittal to the court of the traffic ticket or through other means, the court shall determine the names of the parents or guardians from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The court shall then notify the dependent's parents or guardians by certified mail at the address shown on the traffic ticket, unless the department's records show a different address, of the violation and the fact that they may be subject to a civil fine. Failure to receive the notice does not prohibit the imposition of the civil fine pursuant to this section. If, while operating the motor vehicle in violation of a restriction, the dependent causes great bodily injury or death, the parent or guardian must be assessed a civil fine in an amount up to one thousand dollars. The court may suspend the imposition of the fine, conditioned upon the parent or guardian completing, to the satisfaction of the court, public service with a nonprofit organization, community service, or parenting classes. This section does not apply to a motor vehicle operated on private property. A civil fine imposed pursuant to this section does not give rise to a private cause of action based solely upon the fact that the fine was imposed. The imposition of a civil fine is not admissible for the purpose of establishing the liability of a parent or guardian in a private cause of action to which the parents or guardians are a party. Editor's Note 2008 Act No. 336, SECTION 1.A, provides as follows: "This section may be cited as "Tyler's Law"."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-747 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 3 / Section 56-1-747
SECTION 56-1-747. What constitutes conviction for purposes of Section 56-1-746.
Status: in_force

For purposes of Section 56-1-746 a conviction is defined as provided in Section 56-1-2030 and includes being adjudicated under juvenile proceedings.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-440 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 4 / Section 56-15-440
SECTION 56-15-440. Applicability to dealers engaged primarily in motor vehicle salvage.
Status: in_force

The provisions contained in Sections 56-15-410 and 56-15-420 shall not apply to a nonfranchised automobile dealer whose primary business is salvage motor vehicles, regulated by Title 56.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-661 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-661
SECTION 56-3-661. Certification requirements; insurance requirements.
Status: in_force

No for-hire motor vehicle carrier of property, except carriers of household goods or hazardous waste for disposal, may operate in this State without having applied for and received a Class E Certificate of Compliance from the Department of Motor Vehicles. A one-time fee of twenty-five dollars may be charged each company for each certificate issued. The applicant must provide evidence of meeting the financial responsibilities or insurance requirements, satisfy compliance requirements of the United States Department of Transportation motor carrier safety and hazardous materials regulations before issuance, and continually satisfy these requirements or certification may be suspended, revoked, or placed in a probationary status. The Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to promulgate regulations to implement these responsibilities. The holder of a Class E Certificate may be eligible for exceptions provided by Sections 58-23-620 and 44-96-160(W)(1).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-255 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-255
SECTION 56-3-255. Requirement of evidence of payment of federal use tax.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall require evidence of the payment of the use tax imposed by Section 4481 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 prior to issuing vehicle registration and plates for those vehicles for which the taxes are required.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-14-120 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 14 / Section 56-14-120
SECTION 56-14-120. Warrantors; warranty labor; dealer reimbursement; warranty audits; warranty claims; violations of this chapter.
Status: in_force

(A) Each warrantor shall: (1) specify in writing each of its dealer obligations, if any, for preparation, delivery, and warranty service on its products; (2) compensate the dealer for warranty service required of the dealer by the warrantor; and (3) provide the dealer the schedule of compensation to be paid and the time allowances for the performance of any work and service. The schedule of compensation must include reasonable compensation for diagnostic work as well as warranty labor. (B) Time allowances for the diagnosis and performance of warranty labor must be reasonable for the work to be performed. In the determination of what constitutes reasonable compensation under this section, the principal factors to be given consideration shall be the actual wage rates being paid by the dealer, and the actual retail labor rate being charged by the recreational vehicle dealers in the community in which the dealer is doing business. The compensation of a dealer for warranty labor may not be less than the lowest retail labor rates actually charged by the dealer for like nonwarranty labor as long as such rates are reasonable. (C) The warrantor shall reimburse the dealer for any warranty part at actual wholesale cost plus a minimum thirty percent handling charge and the cost, if any, of freight to return such part to the warrantor. (D) Warranty audits of dealer records may be conducted by the warrantor on a reasonable basis, and dealer claims for warranty compensation may not be denied except for cause, such as performance of nonwarranty repairs, material noncompliance with the warrantor's published policies and procedures, lack of material documentation, fraud, or misrepresentation. (E) The dealer shall submit warranty claims within forty-five days after completing work. (F) The dealer immediately shall notify the warrantor verbally or in writing if the dealer is unable to perform any warranty repairs within ten days of receipt of verbal or written complaints from a consumer. (G) The warrantor shall disapprove warranty claims in writing within forty-five days after the date of submission by the dealer in the manner and form prescribed by the warrantor. Claims not specifically disapproved in writing within forty-five days shall be construed to be approved and must be paid within sixty days of submission. (H) It is a violation of this chapter for any warrantor to: (1) fail to perform any of its warranty obligations with respect to its warranted products; (2) fail to include, in written notices of factory campaigns to recreational vehicle owners and dealers, the expected date by which necessary parts and equipment, including tires and chassis or chassis parts, will be available to dealers to perform the campaign work. The warrantor may ship parts to the dealer to effect the campaign work, and, if such parts are in excess of the dealer's requirements, the dealer may return unused parts to the warrantor for credit after completion of the campaign; (3) fail to compensate any of its dealers for authorized repairs effected by the dealer on recreational vehicles or products damaged in manufacture or transit to the dealer, if the carrier is designated by the warrantor; (4) fail to compensate any of its dealers in accordance with the schedule of compensation provided to the dealer pursuant to this section if performed in a timely and competent manner; (5) intentionally misrepresent in any way to purchasers of recreational vehicles that warranties with respect to the manufacture, performance, or design of the vehicle are made by the dealer as warrantor or cowarrantor; or (6) require the dealer to make warranties to customers in any manner related to the manufacture of the recreational vehicle. (I) It is a violation of this chapter for any dealer to: (1) fail to perform predelivery inspection functions, as specified by the warrantor, in a competent and timely manner; (2) fail to perform warranty service work authorized by the warrantor in a competent and reasonably timely manner on any transient customer's vehicle of a line make sold or serviced by that dealer; (3) fail to accurately document the time spent completing each repair, the total number of repair attempts conducted on a single unit, and the number of repair attempts for the same repair conducted on a single vehicle; (4) fail to notify the warrantor within ten days of a second repair attempt which impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle; (5) fail to maintain written records, including a consumer's signature, regarding the amount of time a unit is stored for the consumer's convenience during a repair; or (6) make fraudulent warranty claims or misrepresent the terms of any warranty. Editor's Note 2017 Act No. 51,SECTIONS 6, 7, provide: "SECTION 6. The department is authorized to promulgate regulations for the enforcement of the provisions of Chapter 14, Title 56. "SECTION 7. 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."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3460 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 27 / Section 56-5-3460
SECTION 56-5-3460. Carrying articles.
Status: in_force

A bicyclist operating a bicycle may not carry any package, bundle, or article that prevents the rider from keeping at least one hand upon the handle bars.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-362 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-362
SECTION 56-5-362. Truck-camper defined.
Status: in_force

Any structure designed, used or maintained primarily to be loaded on or affixed to a motor vehicle to provide a mobile dwelling, sleeping place, office or commercial space is a "truck-camper".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-330 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-330
SECTION 56-19-330. Record of certificates issued.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall maintain a record of all certificates of title issued by it.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-460 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-460
SECTION 56-1-460. Penalties for driving while license cancelled, suspended or revoked; route restricted license.
Status: in_force

(A)(1) Except as provided in item (2), a person who drives a motor vehicle on a public highway of this State when the person's license to drive is canceled, suspended, or revoked must, upon conviction, be punished as follows: (a) for a first offense, fined three hundred dollars or imprisoned for up to thirty days, or both; (b) for a second offense, fined six hundred dollars or imprisoned for up to sixty consecutive days, or both; and (c) for a third or subsequent offense, fined one thousand dollars, and imprisoned for up to ninety days or confined to a person's place of residence pursuant to the Home Detention Act for up to ninety days. No portion of a term of imprisonment or confinement under home detention may be suspended by the trial judge except when the court is suspending a term of imprisonment upon successful completion of the terms and conditions of confinement under home detention. For purposes of this item, a person sentenced to confinement pursuant to the Home Detention Act is required to pay for the cost of such confinement. (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, 22-3-550, and 14-25-65, an offense punishable under this item may be tried in magistrates or municipal court. (e)(i) A person convicted of a first or second offense of this item, as determined by the records of the department, and who is employed or enrolled in a college or university at any time while the person's driver's license is suspended pursuant to this item, may apply for a route restricted driver's license permitting the person to drive only to and from work or the person's place of education and in the course of the person's employment or education during the period of suspension. The department may issue the route restricted driver's license only upon a showing by the person that the person is employed or enrolled in a college or university and that the person lives further than one mile from the person's place of employment or place of education. (ii) When the department issues a route restricted driver's license, it shall designate reasonable restrictions on the times during which and routes on which the person may operate a motor vehicle. A person holding a route restricted driver's license pursuant to this item shall report to the department immediately any change in the person's employment hours, place of employment, status as a student, or residence. (iii) The fee for a route restricted driver's license issued pursuant to this item is one hundred dollars, but no additional fee is due when changes occur in the place and hours of employment, education, or residence. Of this fee, eighty dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167. The remainder of the fees collected pursuant to this item must be credited to the Department of Transportation State Non-Federal Aid Highway Fund. (iv) The operation of a motor vehicle outside the time limits and route imposed by a route-restricted license is a violation of subsection (A)(1). (2) A person who drives a motor vehicle on a public highway of this State when the person's license has been suspended or revoked pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-5-2990 or 56-5-2945 must, upon conviction, be punished as follows: (a) for a first offense, fined three hundred dollars or imprisoned for not less than ten nor more than thirty days; (b) for a second offense, fined six hundred dollars or imprisoned for not less than sixty days nor more than six months; (c) for a third or subsequent offense, fined one thousand dollars and imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than three years. No portion of the minimum sentence imposed pursuant to this item may be suspended. (B) The Department of Motor Vehicles, upon receiving a record of a person's conviction pursuant to this section upon a charge of driving a vehicle while the person's license was suspended for a definite period of time, shall extend the suspension period for an additional like period. If the original period of suspension has expired or terminated before trial and conviction, the department shall again suspend the person's license for an additional like period of time. If the suspension is not for a definite period of time, the suspension must be for an additional three months. If the license of a person cited for a violation of this section is suspended solely pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-25-20, the additional period of suspension pursuant to this section is thirty days, and the person does not have to offer proof of financial responsibility as required pursuant to Section 56-9-500 prior to the person's license being reinstated. If the conviction was for a charge of driving while a license was revoked, the department shall not issue a new license for an additional period of one year from the date the person could otherwise have applied for a new license. Only those violations which occurred within a period of five years including and immediately preceding the date of the last violation constitute prior violations within the meaning of this section. (C) 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.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3445 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 27 / Section 56-5-3445
SECTION 56-5-3445. Harassing or throwing object at person riding bicycle; penalty.
Status: in_force

It is unlawful to harass, taunt, or maliciously throw an object at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-770 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-770
SECTION 56-3-770. Fees for vehicles equipped with solid tires.
Status: in_force

The biennial registration and license fee for every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or special mobile equipment vehicle equipped with solid tires is double the biennial fee otherwise specified in this article.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6440 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 47 / Section 56-5-6440
SECTION 56-5-6440. Persons and vehicles excepted from article.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this article do not apply to: (1) Taxi drivers. (2) Drivers of emergency vehicles when operating in an emergency situation. (3) Church, day care and school bus drivers. (4) Public transportation operators. (5) Commercial vehicles.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-130 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-130
SECTION 56-1-130. License examinations; basic and classified licenses.
Status: repealed

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall examine every applicant for a driver's license, except as otherwise provided in this article. The examination shall include a test of the applicant's eyesight, his ability to read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic, and his knowledge of the traffic laws of this State and shall include an actual demonstration of ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of the type of motor vehicle, including motorcycles, for which a license is sought. The department may require a further physical and mental examination as it considers necessary to determine the applicant's fitness to operate a motor vehicle 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 an appropriate fee for each complete examination or reexamination required in this article. (B) The department must require all persons obtaining an initial driver's license, and who are required to complete a driver's education course as defined in Section 56-1-175 or 56-1-180, to take the work zone safety program course as established in Section 56-1-219. (C) No persons, except those exempted under Section 56-1-30 and Section 56-1-50(E), or those holding beginners' permits under Section 56-1-50, shall operate any classification of motor vehicle without first being examined and duly licensed by the driver examiner as a qualified driver of that classification of motor vehicle. (D)(1) A basic driver's license authorizes the licensee to operate motor vehicles, autocycles, motorcycle three-wheel vehicles, excluding a motorcycle with a detachable side car, or combinations of vehicles which do not exceed twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating; provided, that the driver has successfully demonstrated the ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of a motor vehicle in this category. A basic driver's license also authorizes the licensee to operate farm trucks provided for in Sections 56-3-670, 56-3-211, and 56-3-215, which are used exclusively by the owner for agricultural, horticultural, and dairying operations or livestock and poultry raising. Notwithstanding another provision of law, the holder of a conditional license, or special restricted license operating a farm truck for the purposes provided in this subsection, may operate the farm truck without an accompanying adult after six o'clock a.m. and no later than nine o'clock p.m., but may not operate a farm truck on a freeway. A person operating a farm truck while holding a conditional driver's license or a special restricted license may not use the farm truck for ordinary domestic purposes or general transportation. (2) A classified driver's license shall authorize the licensee to operate a motorcycle, motorcycle three-wheel vehicle, including a motorcycle with a detachable side car, or those vehicles in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating which are indicated by endorsement on the license. The endorsement may include classifications such as: motorcycles, two-axle trucks, three- or more axle trucks, combination of vehicles, motor buses, or oversize or overweight vehicles. The department shall determine from the driving demonstration the endorsements to be indicated on the license. Editor's Note Section 56-1-60, referred to herein, which provided for student's instruction permits, was repealed by 1976 Act No. 738, SECTION 11. Sections 56-3-680 and 56-3-690, referred to herein, were repealed by 1979 Act No. 83, SECTION 2. Comparable provisions appear in Section 56-3-670. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 34, SECTION 3, in (C), inserted the (1) and (2) paragraph identifiers, and in (C)(1), substituted "autocycles" for "automotive three-wheel vehicles". 2024 Act No. 182, SECTION 3, inserted (B) and redesignated former (B) and (C) as (C) and (D), respectively; in (C), substituted "Section 56-1-50(E)" for Section 56-1-60"; in (D)(1), in the second sentence, substituted "56-3-211, and 56-3-215" for "56-3-680, and 56-3-690"; and made nonsubstantive changes.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2150 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 22 / Section 56-3-2150
SECTION 56-3-2150. Issuance of special plates; fees.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to former members of the South Carolina Delegation of the United States Congress, retired judicial officers elected by the General Assembly or confirmed by the United States Senate, respectively, members of municipal and county councils, county coroners, and mayors of this State for private passenger motor vehicles owned by them. The department also may issue special motor vehicle license plates to former members of the General Assembly for private passenger motor vehicles and vehicles classified as private passenger motor vehicles in Section 56-3-630 owned by them. The biennial fee for these special license plates is the same as the fee provided in Section 56-3-2020, and only one plate may be issued to former members of the South Carolina Delegation of the United States Congress, retired judicial officers elected by the General Assembly or confirmed by the United States Senate, respectively, a councilman or a mayor. A coroner and a former member of the General Assembly may be issued two license plates. These license plates must be issued or revalidated biennially for the regular registration and licensing period. A person who has been investigated by state or local authorities resulting in a resignation or convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, or another crime punishable by imprisonment for at least one year may not apply for special motor vehicle license plates issued pursuant to this section. A person convicted of an offense contained in this section subsequent to issuance of a special motor vehicle license plate shall surrender the special license plate to the Department of Motor Vehicles within three days of the date of the conviction. Effect of Amendment 2018 Act No. 255, SECTION 1, in the second sentence, deleted "who are eligible to receive retirement benefits under the General Assembly Retirement System" following "former members of the General Assembly"; in the third sentence, substituted "or a mayor" for ", a mayor, or a member of the General Assembly who is receiving retirement benefits" at the end; in the fourth sentence, inserted "and a former member of the General Assembly" following "A coroner"; and added the sixth and seventh sentences, providing that a person who resigns from office as a result of an investigation or conviction of certain crimes may not apply for or maintain a special license plate.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-280 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 3 / Section 56-11-280
SECTION 56-11-280. Suspension or revocation of registration card or vehicle identification identification number.
Status: in_force

In addition to the penalties herein provided, the Department of Motor Vehicles may for good cause suspend or revoke any registration card or identification marker issued pursuant to this chapter.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-222 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-222
SECTION 56-1-222. Driver's licenses issued to wearers of bioptic telescopic lenses.
Status: in_force

(A) Notwithstanding the provisions contained in Section 56-1-220, a person diagnosed with low vision acuity who uses bioptic telescopic lenses for vision assistance may be issued a driver's license by the Department of Motor Vehicles if he: (1) submits a vision report form that complies with subsection (B); (2) submits proof that he has been trained to operate a motor vehicle while wearing bioptic telescopic lenses as evidenced by having completed successfully a driver-training course or program that meets the criteria listed in subsection (C) for these programs; and (3) meets all other qualifications for obtaining a driver's license, including passing the department-administered road test while wearing bioptic telescopic lenses. A person applying for a driver's license pursuant to this section who fails to pass the road test after three attempts must present certification of repeat completion of a driver-training course or program that meets the criteria listed in subsection (C). (B) An applicant for a driver's license who will use bioptic telescopic lenses for vision assistance while driving must submit a vision report form supplied by the department. The report must be completed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. The report must include: (1) the applicant's vital data; (2) the bioptic telescopic system vendor's name and type, strength (in X-power), and the date the bioptic telescopic system was dispensed to the applicant; (3) a statement regarding whether the applicant has a potentially progressive condition; and (4) certification by an optometrist or ophthalmologist that the applicant: (a) is not impaired in the movement of his eyes, head, or neck; (b) possesses sound cognitive and perceptual skills, reaction time, range of motion, and coordination of upper and lower extremities needed to operate a motor vehicle; (c) is able to detect and recognize the colors of traffic signals and devices showing standard red, green, and amber colors or passes the large disc D-15 color test, or both; (d) has visual acuity of at least 20/120 in the better functioning eye when looking through the carrier lens of a bioptic telescopic aid; (e) has improved visual acuity of at least 20/40 using the bioptic telescopic aid in the better functioning eye; (f) has a binocular horizontal visual field diameter of not less than one hundred twenty degrees and a vertical field of not less than eighty degrees without the use of visual field expanders. If the applicant is monocular, the horizontal visual field may not be less than seventy degrees temporally and thirty-five degrees nasally; (g) has the signed approval of an optometrist or ophthalmologist to apply for driving privileges using a bioptic telescope; (h) has successfully completed an In-Clinic Pre-Driver Bioptic Evaluation and Training Program as contained in subsection (C) that was provided by a doctorate level Eye Care Professional (ECP), Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS), Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT), or Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), or such other designations of qualification as may be recognized by the department who are certified in Bioptic Driving Training; and (i) has successfully completed a recognized Bioptic Driving Behind-the-Wheel Training Program provided by an ECP, CDRS, CLVT, COMS, or such other designations of qualification as recognized by the department who has certification in Bioptic Driving Training recognized by the department. (C) A person applying for a driver's license pursuant to this section must complete successfully a bioptic driver training course or program certified to train individuals to use bioptic telescopic glasses while operating a motor vehicle. The applicant must pass this training before he is eligible to take the behind-the-wheel driver's test administered by the department. This program shall consist of the following two parts: (1) Part 1 is the In-Clinic Pre-Driver Bioptic Evaluation and Training Program and is supervised or reviewed by the optometrist or ophthalmologist that prescribed the bioptic telescope. This portion of the program is conducted by an ECP, CDRS, CLVT, COMS, or such other designations of qualification as recognized by the department who has certification in Bioptic Driving Training recognized by the department. An applicant must satisfactorily complete all components of Part 1 prior to advancing to the behind-the-wheel aspect of the Bioptic Training Program. (a) The evaluation portion of Part 1 includes a preliminary interview, an assessment of cognitive and perceptual skills, a commentary drive screening, a reaction time screening, and a preliminary in-car driver's evaluation (including an upper and lower extremities and range of motion skills screening) by an ECP, CDRS, CLVT, COMS, or such other designations of qualification as recognized by the department. (b) The training portion of Part 1 requires a minimum of ten hours of commentary driving skills training as a front seat passenger. Commentary driver training must include, but is not limited to, instruction and reinforcement in the following areas: (i) space cushion driving skills; (ii) critical object awareness skills; (iii) basic bioptic utilization skills; (iv) joining and leaving traffic formations; and (v) lane changing skills (including mirror and blind spot awareness skills). (2) Part 2 is the Behind-the-Wheel Bioptic Driving Program. This program is conducted on-road by an ECP, CDRS, CLVT, COMS, or such other designations of qualification as recognized by the department who has certification in Bioptic Driving Training. The course or program must consist of the following minimum training requirements: (a) for a person with no previous driving experience, the course shall consist of at least thirty hours of behind-the-wheel driving skills with a bioptic telescopic lens system in place and under the supervision of an ECP, CDRS, CLVT, COMS, or such other designations of qualification as recognized by the department who has certification in Bioptic Driving Training. For a person with previous driving experience, the course shall consist of at least twenty hours behind-the-wheel driving skills under the supervision of an ECP, CDRS, CLVT, COMS, or such other designations of qualification as recognized by the department who has certification in Bioptic Driving Training; (b) review and integrated reinforcement of the proper and appropriate use of the bioptic telescopic lens system while driving a motor vehicle, including cleaning and focusing procedures and vertical spotting exercises; and (c) the award of a Certificate of Completion of Training to a trainee when he successfully completes the Behind-the-Wheel Bioptic Driver's Training Program. He must present this certificate to the department in order to take the on-the-road portion of the driver's license test with his bioptic telescope system in place. He also shall provide a copy of the certificate to the supervising optometrist or ophthalmologist. The applicant must apply for a driver's license and take the department road test within twelve months of having completed the Behind-the-Wheel Bioptic Driving Program. The road test is the same standard road test taken by all other persons applying for a regular driver's license. (D) A person who is licensed to drive using bioptic telescopic aid is subject to restrictions placed on his license. Restrictions may include, but are not limited to: (1) driving only during daylight hours; (2) the vehicle being operated by the bioptic driver must be equipped with both left and right side mirrors; (3) the bioptic driver shall not be permitted to operate a motorcycle, moped, or motor scooter; (4) the bioptic driver may not drive during adverse weather conditions that significantly reduce the visibility of the roadway or other traffic and traffic control devices; (5) a maximum speed of fifty miles per hour; (6) no other mental or physical handicaps; and (7) no driving on an interstate highway. Any restrictions must be confirmed and finalized by the department's certified driver licensing examining officer. Any restrictions must be eligible for review and reconsideration after one year, as determined and recommended by the examining optometrist or ophthalmologist and approved by the department. (E) An applicant who is issued a driver's license pursuant to this section must have the low vision report updated annually within sixty days of the annual anniversary date of driver's licensure by an optometrist or ophthalmologist and submit it to the department for review. The eye care professional that examines the applicant and completes the report shall indicate at the top of the report whether the applicant's vision condition has deteriorated so that the applicant no longer meets the requirements of subsection (B)(4). The department shall review the report. (F) If the report indicates a progressive loss of vision but the applicant still meets the vision requirements of subsection (B)(4), the applicant may be required to take additional driver training and additional on-road testing before his license may be renewed. (G) If the report indicates that the applicant no longer meets the requirements of subsection (B)(4), the department immediately shall revoke the license held by the applicant. To be issued a new valid license, the applicant must retake the department-administered road test and meet the requirements of subsection (B)(4). (H) Nothing in this section permits an applicant who uses bioptic telescopic lenses for vision assistance to apply for a license to operate a motorcycle or a commercial driver's license. Editor's Note 2016 Act No. 196, SECTION 2, provides as follows: "SECTION 2. The department shall promulgate any regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of Section 1."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-20
SECTION 56-15-20. Persons subject to chapter and jurisdiction of courts; service of process.
Status: in_force

Any person who engages directly or indirectly in purposeful contacts within this State in connection with the offering or advertising for sale or has business dealings with respect to a motor vehicle within this State shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter and shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State upon service of process in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9 of Title 15.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1620 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 12 / Section 56-3-1620
SECTION 56-3-1620. Applications.
Status: in_force

Applications for special license plates, as authorized under this article, shall be made on forms provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles and shall contain proof satisfactory to the Department that the applicant has been trained as an emergency medical technician by a hospital which conducts classes in emergency medical procedures and technology.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1320 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1320
SECTION 56-3-1320. Fees for replacement plates and cards.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall charge a fee of six dollars for every license plate or revalidation sticker issued as a replacement. If a special personalized plate is replaced by a new special personalized plate, the department shall charge a fee in the same amount as the original fee. The department may not charge a fee for a registration card issued as a replacement for a registered and licensed vehicle, but a fee of one dollar must be charged for every duplicate registration card issued by the department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-785 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-785
SECTION 56-3-785. Issuance of permanent license plates to certain owners of trailers and semi-trailers; fees; design.
Status: in_force

(A) Upon proper application, the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a registration and license plate on a permanent basis for semitrailers, regular trailers, and utility trailers. (B) The fee for the license is seventy-five dollars for each semitrailer, regular trailer, and utility trailer, and is not transferable. The fee must be paid in one sum. After the initial issuance of the license the owner shall remit annually to the department on a form furnished by the department a report of the units still in use and units which must be deleted and return the licenses issued to the units no longer in use. Failure to furnish required forms by the due date established by the department results in a fine not to exceed fifty dollars. A permanent license may be purchased for chassis, specially constructed to transport international shipping containers, without being required to furnish a South Carolina address if the chassis is not for domicile. (C) The license plate must be the same size of regular license plates and design as specified by the department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-195 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-195
SECTION 56-3-195. Counties to process vehicle registration and licensing renewals; access to records; department to fund startup costs.
Status: in_force

(A) Each county shall mail motor vehicle registration and licensing renewal notices to the owners of vehicles in the county as determined by the Department of Motor Vehicles no later than forty-five days before expiration of the registration. The renewal notices, including the fees upon completion, may be returned to that county which shall transmit the renewal notices to the department for processing and which shall transmit the fees to the appropriate state fund as provided by law within seven days of receipt. The owner of a large commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 12-37-2810(C), must establish an account with the Department of Motor Vehicles and must remit payment for all fees associated with registration and licensing renewal directly to the Department of Motor Vehicles. (B) Each county shall have access to the motor vehicle registration and licensing records of the department as applicable to the county in the manner the county and department agree for the purpose of the county performing the functions required in subsection (A). (C) Counties must not be charged online access network fees for driver and vehicle information. (D) The department will fund the start-up costs for counties not to exceed a total of one million dollars inclusive to all counties. The start-up cost includes hardware, software, training, and other associated costs all of which must be approved by the department. Editor's Note 2021 Act No. 37, SECTION 4.B, provides as follows: "[SECTION 4.]B. This SECTION takes effect on the first day of the fiscal year that begins twenty-four months after the program is fully funded." The program was fully funded as of July 1, 2022. Effect of Amendment 2021 Act No. 37, SECTION 4.A, in (A), in the first sentence, substituted "Each county" for "Beginning on July 1, 1994, each county", and added the third sentence.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2540 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 19 / Section 56-5-2540
SECTION 56-5-2540. Stopping, standing, or parking may be prohibited on state highways.
Status: in_force

The Department of Transportation with respect to state highways may place signs prohibiting or restricting the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles on any highway where, in its judgment, such stopping, standing or parking is deemed by the Department of Transportation to be hazardous to those using the highway or where the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles would unduly interfere with the free movement of traffic thereon. Such signs shall be official signs and no person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle in violation of the restrictions stated on such signs.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-40 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 1 / Section 56-5-40
SECTION 56-5-40. Applicability of chapter to roads on Atomic Energy Commission lands in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties.
Status: in_force

All the provisions of this chapter, except Articles 27, 33, 37, and 39 and Section 56-5-910, apply to all roads within the confines of lands in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties acquired or to be acquired by the United States Government for use of the Department of Energy.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2045 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2045
SECTION 56-1-2045. Qualifications to be student at truck driver training school.
Status: in_force

A person qualifies to be a student at a South Carolina truck driver training school, which offers instruction toward a South Carolina Class Three truck driver's license, if he has a Class Three learner's permit or an equivalent permit issued by his state of residence.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1895 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 13 / Section 56-5-1895
SECTION 56-5-1895. Passing prohibited in highway work zones; penalties.
Status: in_force

No vehicle may be driven so as to overtake and pass another vehicle in a highway work zone where road maintenance or construction work is underway and passing would be hazardous to the highway worker. A person who violates the provisions of this section must be punished as provided in Section 56-5-6190.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-10
SECTION 56-1-10. Definitions.
Status: in_force

For the purpose of this title, unless otherwise indicated, the following words, phrases, and terms are defined as follows: (1) "Driver" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. (2) "Operator" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle. (3) "Owner" means a person, other than a lienholder, having the property interest in or title to a vehicle. The term includes a person entitled to the use and possession of a vehicle subject to a security interest in another person, but excludes a lessee under a lease not intended as security. This term also includes a person to whom a moped is registered if the moped is not titled. (4) "Department" means the Department of Motor Vehicles when the term refers to the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the former Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Public Safety and means the Department of Public Safety otherwise and in Section 56-3-840. (5) "State" means a state, territory, or possession of the United States and the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (6) "Highway" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part of it is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. (7) "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails. (8) "Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle having no more than two permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground or trailer and having a saddle for the use of the rider, but excluding a tractor and a moped. (9) "Nonresident" means every person who is not a resident of this State. (10) "Nonresident's operating privilege" means the privilege conferred upon a nonresident by the laws of this State pertaining to the operation by the person of a motor vehicle, or the use of a vehicle owned by the person, in this State. (11) "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, 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. (12) "Cancellation of driver's license" means the annulment or termination by formal action of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a person's driver's license because of some error or defect in the license or because the licensee is no longer entitled to the license; the cancellation of a license is without prejudice, and application for a new license may be made at any time after the cancellation. (13) "Revocation of driver's license" means the termination by formal action of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a person's driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle on the public highways, which privilege to operate is not subject to renewal or restoration, except that an application for a new license may be presented and acted upon by the department. (14) "Suspension of driver's license" means the temporary withdrawal by formal action of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a person's driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle on the public highways, which temporary withdrawal shall be as specifically designated. (15) "Autocycle" means every motor vehicle having no more than three permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground, having seating that does not require the operator to straddle or sit astride it and having an automotive-type steering device, but excluding a tractor or motorcycle three-wheel vehicle. (16) "Alcohol" means a substance containing any form of alcohol including, but not limited to, ethanol, methanol, propanol, and isopropanol. (17) "Alcohol concentration" means: (a) the number of grams of alcohol for each one hundred milliliters of blood by weight; or (b) as determined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for other bodily fluids. (18) "Motorcycle three-wheel vehicle" means every motor vehicle having no more than three permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground to include motorcycles with detachable side cars, having a saddle type seat for the operator, and having handlebars or a motorcycle type steering device but excluding a tractor or autocycle. (19) "Low speed vehicle" or "LSV" means a four-wheeled motor vehicle, other than an all terrain vehicle, whose speed attainable in one mile is more than twenty miles an hour and not more than twenty-five miles an hour on a paved level surface, and whose gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is less than three thousand pounds. (20) "All terrain vehicle" or "ATV" means a motor vehicle measuring fifty inches or less in width, designed to travel on three or more wheels and designed primarily for off-road recreational use, but not including farm tractors or equipment, construction equipment, forestry vehicles, or lawn and grounds maintenance vehicles. (21) "Operator" or "driver" means a person who is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle. (22) "Person" means every natural person, firm, partnership, trust, company, firm, association, or corporation. Where the term "person" is used in connection with the registration of a motor vehicle, it includes any corporation, association, partnership, trust, company, firm, or other aggregation of individuals which owns or controls the motor vehicle as actual owner, or for the purpose of sale or for renting, as agent, salesperson, or otherwise. (23) "Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings" means the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings created by Section 1-23-660. The Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings has exclusive jurisdiction to conduct all contested case hearings or administrative hearings arising from department actions. (24) "Administrative hearing" means a "contested case hearing" as defined in Section 1-23-310. It is a hearing conducted pursuant to the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act. (25) "Home jurisdiction" means the jurisdiction which has issued and has the power to suspend or revoke the use of the license or permit to operate a motor vehicle. (26) "Moped" means a cycle, defined as a motor vehicle, with or without pedals, to permit propulsion by human power, that travels on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground whether powered by gasoline, electricity, alternative fuel, or a hybrid combination thereof. Based on the engine or fuel source, the moped must be equipped not to exceed the following limitations: a motor of fifty cubic centimeters; or designed to have an input exceeding 750 watts and no more than 1500 watts. If an internal combustion engine is used, the moped must have a power drive system that functions directly or automatically without clutching or shifting by the operator after the drive system is engaged. (27) "Daylight hours" means after six o'clock a.m. and no later than six o'clock p.m. However, beginning on the day that daylight saving time goes into effect through the day that daylight saving time ends, "daylight hours" means after six o'clock a.m. and no later than eight o'clock p.m. All other hours are designated as nighttime hours. (28) "Vehicle" means every device in, upon, or by which a person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. (29) "Electric-assist bicycles" and "bicycles with helper motors" means low-speed electrically assisted bicycles with two or three wheels, each having fully operable pedals and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts, or one horsepower, and a top motor-powered speed of less than twenty miles an hour when operated by a rider weighing one hundred seventy pounds on a paved level surface, that meet the requirements of the Federal Consumer Product Code provided in 16 C.F.R., Part 1512, and that operate in a manner such that the electric motor disengages or ceases to function when their brakes are applied or the rider stops pedaling. Manufacturers and distributors of electric-assist bicycles shall apply a label that is affixed permanently, in a prominent location, to each electric-assist bicycle, indicating its wattage and maximum electrically assisted speed. The owner or user of an electric-assist bicycle shall not remove or tamper with the label. If a user tampers with or modifies an electric-assist bicycle, changing the speed capability, he must replace the label indicating the vehicle's wattage or horsepower. Electric-assist bicycles and bicycles with helper motors are not mopeds. (30) "Salvage" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate a vehicle that has been declared a total loss by an insurance company, has repairs that exceed seventy-five percent of the value of the vehicle before the damage occurred, or has damage to the body, unibody, or frame to the extent that it is unsafe for operation. (31) "Salvage Rebuilt" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate a vehicle with a salvage brand that has been transferred to a new owner who has repaired the vehicle pursuant to Section 56-19-480(E). (32) "Salvage Flood" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate that an insurance company has paid a total loss claim on a vehicle due to damage caused by: (a) having been submerged in water to a point the level of the water was higher than the door sill of the vehicle or having had water enter the passenger, trunk, or engine compartment of the vehicle; or (b) having had water come into contact with the electrical or computer components of the vehicle. (33) "Salvage Flood Rebuilt" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate a vehicle with a salvage flood brand that has been transferred to a new owner who has repaired the vehicle pursuant to Section 56-19-480(E). (34) "Salvage Fire" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate an insurance company has paid a total loss claim on a vehicle due to damage caused by fire. (35) "Salvage Fire Rebuilt" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate a vehicle with a salvage fire brand that has been transferred to a new owner who has repaired the vehicle pursuant to Section 56-19-480(E). (36) "Junk" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate an insurance company has determined a vehicle has been damaged to the extent that it cannot be repaired for operation, or that it is only of value as a source of parts or scrap metal. (37) "Off Road Use Only" means a brand added to a vehicle's title by the department to designate a vehicle's Manufacturer Certificate of Origin or equivalent document of origin designating a vehicle is not manufactured for use on public roads. The department shall not register and license the vehicle pursuant to Section 56-3-350. Vehicles brought into this State from a foreign jurisdiction without a title that clearly says "Off Road Use Only", or its equivalent, which do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards may be subject to this brand at the department's discretion. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments made by 2017 Act No. 34 and 2017 Act No. 89 were read together. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 34, SECTION 1, rewrote (15), relating to the definition of "autocycle". 2017 Act No. 34, SECTION 2, in (18), substituted "autocycle" for "automotive three-wheel vehicle". 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 1, in (3), inserted "interest in" following "having the property", and added the last sentence, relating to the person to whom a moped is registered; in (8), added "and a moped" following "excluding a tractor"; in (19), inserted "gross vehicle weight rating"; and added (26) to (28), relating to the definitions of "moped", "daylight hours", and "vehicle". 2020 Act No. 114, SECTION 1, added (29), relating to the definition of "electric-assist bicycles". 2021 Act No. 27, SECTION 2, added (30) to (37).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-210 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 3 / Section 56-11-210
SECTION 56-11-210. Requirement of registration card and vehicle identification marker.
Status: in_force

No motor carrier shall operate or cause to be operated in South Carolina any vehicle described in Section 56-11-10 until the motor carrier has secured from the Department of Motor Vehicles a registration card and an identification marker for each vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2350 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 17 / Section 56-5-2350
SECTION 56-5-2350. Vehicle entering roadway.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a roadway from any place other than another roadway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the roadway to be entered or crossed.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3430 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 27 / Section 56-5-3430
SECTION 56-5-3430. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths.
Status: in_force

(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), every bicyclist operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable. A bicyclist may, but is not required to, ride on the shoulder of the roadway in order to comply with the requirements of this subsection. (B) A bicyclist may ride in a lane other than the right-hand lane if only one lane is available that permits the bicyclist to continue on his intended route. (C) When operating a bicycle upon a roadway, a bicyclist must exercise due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. (D) Bicyclists riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1640 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 12 / Section 56-3-1640
SECTION 56-3-1640. Transfer of plates; use on unauthorized vehicle; return of plates on revocation of technician's license.
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 therefor and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to whom such special license plate has been issued to knowingly permit such plate to be displayed on any vehicle except the one authorized by the Department. If the recognition of a licensee as a qualified emergency medical technician is revoked, such person shall immediately return the special license plate to the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 15 / Section 56-5-2110
SECTION 56-5-2110. Starting of a vehicle.
Status: in_force

No person shall start a vehicle which is stopped, standing or parked unless and until such movement can be made with reasonable safety.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1020 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 5 / Section 56-1-1020
SECTION 56-1-1020. "Habitual offender" and "conviction" defined.
Status: in_force

An habitual offender shall mean any person whose record as maintained by the Department of Motor Vehicles shows that he has accumulated the convictions for separate and distinct offenses described in subsections (a), (b) and (c) committed during a three-year period; provided, that where more than one included offense shall be committed within a one-day period such multiple offenses shall be treated for the purposes of this article as one offense: (a) Three or more convictions, singularly or in combination of any of the following separate and distinct offenses arising out of separate acts: (1) Voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter or reckless homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle; (2) Operating or attempting to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, narcotics or drugs; (3) Driving or operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner; (4) Driving a motor vehicle while his license, permit, or privilege to drive a motor vehicle has been suspended or revoked, except a conviction for driving under suspension for failure to file proof of financial responsibility; (5) Any offense punishable as a felony under the motor vehicle laws of this State or any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used; (6) Failure of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in any accident resulting in the death or injury of any person to stop close to the scene of such accident and report his identity; (b) Ten or more convictions of separate and distinct offenses involving moving violations singularly or in combination, in the operation of a motor vehicle, which are required to be reported to the department for which four or more points are assigned pursuant to Section 56-1-720 or which are enumerated in subsection (a) of this section. (c) The offenses included in subsections (a) and (b) shall be deemed to include offenses under any federal law, any law of another state or any municipal or county ordinance of another state substantially conforming to the above provisions. (d) For purposes of determining the number of convictions for separate and distinct offenses committed during any three-year period, a person shall be deemed to be convicted of an offense on the date the offense was committed if he is subsequently convicted of committing such offense.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-23-70 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 23 / Section 56-23-70
SECTION 56-23-70. Driver instructor qualifying courses; supervision by Department of Motor Vehicles.
Status: in_force

Driver instructor qualifying courses may be conducted by recognized college, university, or driving school instructors who successfully have completed an approved forty-hour safety education course from a recognized college or university and have acquired an instructor permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Where such qualifying courses are offered, they must be supervised by the department and must be offered at least once a year.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-35-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 35 / Section 56-35-10
SECTION 56-35-10. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter: (1) "Auxiliary power unit" means a mechanical or electrical device affixed to a vehicle that is designed to be used to generate an alternative source of power for any of the vehicle's systems other than the primary propulsion engine. (2) "Commercial diesel vehicle" means a self-propelled diesel motor vehicle licensed for use on a public roadway to transport passengers or property when the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight of ten thousand and one pounds or more, whichever is greater. (3) "Passenger bus" means a vehicle designed to carry sixteen or more passengers. (4) "Vehicle" means a commercial diesel vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-205 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-205
SECTION 56-1-205. Hearing impaired designations on driver's licenses.
Status: in_force

An applicant for the issuance or renewal of a driver's license may request that a notation be placed on the license indicating that the applicant is hearing impaired. The department shall place the notation on the driver's license if requested by the applicant and if the applicant provides an original certificate from a licensed physician, as defined in Section 40-47-5, that the applicant has a permanent, uncorrectable hearing loss of forty decibels or more in one or both ears. This section shall apply to a driver's license issued after 2012.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-600 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-600
SECTION 56-9-600. Substitution of other adequate proof.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall consent to the cancellation of any bond or certificate of insurance or the Department shall direct and the State Treasurer shall return the money or securities to the person entitled thereto upon the substitution and acceptance of other adequate proof of financial responsibility pursuant to this chapter.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-190 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-190
SECTION 56-3-190. Department may register and license vehicles.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may register and license vehicles as required by this chapter upon application being made therefor by the owner and the required fees paid as provided in this chapter. (B) If a commercial motor vehicle is registered through the International Registration Plan and is operated under a United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) number assigned to a person other than the vehicle's owner, then the person to whom the USDOT number is assigned may register the commercial motor vehicle by submitting the appropriate application and fees to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Effect of Amendment 2021 Act No. 37, SECTION 3, inserted the (A) designator, and added (B).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-820 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 7 / Section 56-19-820
SECTION 56-19-820. Owners of lienholders may report thefts or conversions; Department of Motor Vehicles may disregard report; recovery to be reported.
Status: in_force

An owner or a lienholder may report the theft of a vehicle, or its conversion if a crime, to the Department of Motor Vehicles, but the Department may disregard the report of a conversion unless a warrant has been issued for the arrest of a person charged with the conversion. A person who has so reported the theft or conversion of a vehicle shall forthwith after learning of its recovery report the recovery to the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5810 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 41 / Section 56-5-5810
SECTION 56-5-5810. Definitions.
Status: in_force

For the purposes of this article and Article 39: (a) "Officer" means any state, county, or municipal law enforcement officer, including county and municipal code enforcement and sanitation officers. (b) "Abandoned vehicle" means a vehicle required to be registered in this State if operated on a public highway in this State that is left unattended on a highway for more than forty-eight hours, or a vehicle that has remained on private or other public property for a period of more than seven days without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property. (c) "Derelict vehicle" means a vehicle required to be registered in this State if operated on a public highway in this State: (1) whose certificate of registration has expired and the registered owner no longer resides at the address listed on the last certificate of registration on record with the Department of Motor Vehicles; or (2) whose motor or other major parts have been removed so as either to render the vehicle inoperable or the operation of which would violate Section 56-5-4410; or (3) whose manufacturer's serial plates, motor vehicle identification numbers, license number plates, and any other means of identification have been removed so as to nullify efforts to locate or identify the registered owner; or (4) whose registered owner of record disclaims ownership or releases his rights thereto; or (5) which is more than eight years old and does not bear a current registration. (d) "Demolisher" means any person, firm, or corporation whose business is to convert a vehicle into processed scrap or scrap metal or otherwise to wreck or dismantle such a vehicle. (e) "Colored tag" means any type of notice affixed to an abandoned or derelict vehicle advising the owner or the person in possession that it has been declared an abandoned or derelict vehicle and will be treated as such. The tag shall be of sufficient size to be easily discernable and shall contain such information as the Department of Public Safety deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this article. (f) "Demolisher" means any person whose business is to convert a vehicle into processed scrap or scrap metal for recycling purposes or otherwise to wreck or dismantle vehicles. (g) "Salvage yard" means a business or a person who holds a license issued by the State required of all retailers, possesses ten or more derelict vehicles, and regularly engages in buying or selling used vehicle parts.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-620 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-620
SECTION 56-9-620. Cancellation or return of proof; waiver of requirements of filing proof.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall upon request consent to the immediate cancellation of any bond or certificate of insurance, or shall return to the person entitled thereto any money or securities deposited pursuant to this chapter as proof of financial responsibility, or the Department shall waive the requirement of filing proof, in any of the following events: (1) At any time after three years from the date the proof was required when, during the three year period preceding the request, the Department has not received record of a conviction or a forfeiture of bail which would require or permit the suspension or revocation of the license, registration, or nonresident's operating or registration privilege of the person by or for whom the proof was furnished; (2) In the event of the death of the person on whose behalf the proof was filed or the permanent incapacity of the person to operate a motor vehicle; or (3) In the event the person who has given proof surrenders his license and registration to the Department; Provided, however, the Department shall not consent to the cancellation of any bond or the return of any money or securities in the event any action for damages upon a liability covered by the proof is then pending or any judgment upon this liability is then unsatisfied or in the event the person who has filed the bond or deposited the money or securities has, within one year immediately preceding the request, been involved as an operator or owner in any motor vehicle accident resulting in injury or damage to the person or property of others. An affidavit of the applicant as to the nonexistence of these facts or that he has been released from all of his liability or has been finally adjudicated not to be liable for the injury or damage shall be sufficient evidence thereof in the absence of evidence to the contrary in the records of the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-210 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-210
SECTION 56-1-210. Expiration of license; renewal and re-examination; persons on active military duty.
Status: in_force

(A) A license expires eight years from the date of issue. (B) A license is renewable on or before its expiration date upon application and the payment of the required fee. (C) The department may renew a driver's license of a resident by mail or electronically upon payment of the required fee, if the renewal is a digitized license. (D) For cause shown, the department may require the submission by the applicant of evidence satisfactory to the department of the applicant's mental and physical fitness to drive and his knowledge of traffic laws and regulations. If the evidence is not satisfactory to the department, the department may require an examination of the applicant as upon an original application. Parallel parking is not required as a part of the driver's test. (E) If a person's license expires and he is unable to renew it before its expiration date because he is on active military duty outside this State for a continuous period of at least thirty days immediately before the expiration date or because he is the spouse or dependent living for a continuous period of at least thirty days immediately before the expiration date with a person on active military duty outside this State, within sixty days after returning to this State, the person may renew his license in the manner permitted by this section as though the license had not expired. The department may require proof from the person that he qualifies for renewal of his license under this paragraph. Upon request, the person shall provide the department with a copy of his military service record, a document of his branch of military service showing the date of active military duty outside the State, or other evidence presented by the person showing the dates of service. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 6, SECTION 5, amended (A), (C), and (D), revising the expiration date of a license issued after October 1, 2017, revising the criteria that must be met by a person who seeks to have a license renewed, and making other nonsubstantive changes. 2019 Act No. 86, SECTION 4, in (A), substituted "expires eight years from the date of issue" for "issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2017, expires on the licensee's birth date on the eighth calendar year in which it is issued".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-290 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-290
SECTION 56-1-290. Revocation for operating unlicensed taxis in certain counties.
Status: in_force

In addition to the grounds for suspension or revocation of license set forth elsewhere in this article and in Chapter 5 of this title, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall forthwith revoke for a period of six months the license of any person upon receiving satisfactory evidence of the conviction of any such person who has been found guilty of operating a vehicle for hire without a license in violation of Section 58-23-1210.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-710 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 5 / Section 56-19-710
SECTION 56-19-710. Continuation of security interests previously perfected under other laws.
Status: in_force

If a security interest in a previously registered vehicle was perfected under any other applicable law of this State on January 1, 1958, the security interest shall continue perfected until its perfection lapses under the law under which it was perfected or would lapse in the absence of a further recording or until the earlier lapse of two years and nine months from January 1, 1958 and thereafter, if previously perfected under this article.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-15 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-15
SECTION 56-1-15. Administration of driver's license examination; random testing of driver's license applicants; contractor's failure to conform to licensing laws.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles must enter into contracts with persons, corporations, or governmental subdivisions, including public schools, in localities throughout the State to administer the portion of the driver's license examination that tests the driver's license applicant's ability to read and understand highway signs that regulate, warn, and direct traffic, and his knowledge of the traffic laws of the State, and the actual demonstration of his ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of the type of motor vehicle for which the license is sought as contained in Section 56-1-130(A). The department must supervise the provision of services contained in this subsection. The department must supply driver education instructors appropriate testing materials to administer the examinations contained in this section. A person or corporation administering an examination pursuant to this section may charge a fee in excess of the fee charged by the department for the examination. (B) The department must require all persons obtaining an initial driver's license, and who are required to complete a driver's education course as defined in Section 56-1-175 or 56-1-180, to take the work zone safety program course as established in Section 56-1-219. (C) The department must randomly test driver's license applicants who successfully complete the driver's license examination pursuant to subsection (A) to ensure that the driver's license instructors are properly certifying that their students have successfully completed a driver's license examination. (D) If through testing or other review procedures, the department determines that a contractor is not conforming to the law and regulations applicable to licensing, it may: (1) suspend the authority of a particular individual or entity operating under the contract to administer the tests; (2) suspend the contract; (3) cancel the contract. (E) The department must test randomly a driver's license applicant only at the time the applicant is seeking his initial driver's license at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Effect of Amendment 2024 Act No. 182, SECTION 2, inserted (B) and redesignated former (B) to (D) as (C) to (E), respectively; and in (C), substituted "examination" for "examinations".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-98 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-98
SECTION 56-15-98. Alteration of area of responsibility; notice; appeal and injunction; time for performance.
Status: in_force

(A) A manufacturer or distributor, officer, agent, or any representative of a manufacturer or distributor may not unreasonably alter a new motor vehicle dealer's area of responsibility. (B) To alter a new motor vehicle dealer's area of responsibility, a manufacturer or distributor, officer, agent, or any representative of a manufacturer or distributor must provide advance notice to the motor vehicle dealer including an explanation of the basis for the alteration at least sixty days before the effective date of the alteration. (C)(1) At any time prior to the effective date of an alteration of a new motor vehicle dealer's area of responsibility, and after the completion of any internal appeal process pursuant to the manufacturer's or distributor's policy manual, the motor vehicle dealer may petition the court to enjoin or prohibit the alteration. (2) The court shall enjoin or prohibit the alteration of a motor vehicle dealer's area of responsibility unless the franchisor shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the alteration is reasonable and justifiable in light of market conditions. (3) If a motor vehicle dealer petitions the court, no alteration to a motor vehicle dealer's area of responsibility shall become effective until a final determination by the court. (D) If a new motor vehicle dealer's area of responsibility is altered, the manufacturer shall allow twenty-four months for the motor vehicle dealer to become sales effective prior to taking any action claiming a breach or nonperformance of the motor vehicle dealer's sales performance responsibilities.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-171 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-171
SECTION 56-1-171. Suspension for failure to pay child support; route-restricted license.
Status: in_force

(A) A person whose driver's license has been suspended for failure to comply with an order for child support may obtain a special route-restricted driver's license from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The special route-restricted driver's license allows the person to only operate a motor vehicle as transportation between his home and work, or as a part of his work duties, or as transportation to a college, university, technical college, or any other institution of higher learning in which he is enrolled. (B) If the Department of Motor Vehicles issues a special route-restricted driver's license, it shall designate reasonable restrictions on the times during which and routes on which the person may operate a motor vehicle. A change in the employment hours, place of employment, status as a student, or residence must be reported immediately to the Department of Motor Vehicles by the person. (C) The fee for a special route-restricted driver's license is one hundred dollars, but no additional fee is due because of changes in the place and hours of employment, education, or residence. Twenty dollars of this fee must be deposited in the state general fund and eighty dollars 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 the Department of Motor Vehicles. (D) The operation of a motor vehicle outside the time limits and route imposed by a special route-restricted driver's license by the person issued that license is a violation of Section 56-1-460. (E) If after six months of obtaining the special route-restricted driver's license the person is still substantially out of compliance with the order for support, the Department of Social Services shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the special route-restricted driver's license. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the special route-restricted driver's license until the Department of Social Services notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles to withdraw the suspension. (F) The fee for a special route-restricted driver's license must be in accordance with Section 56-1-140.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-28-110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 28 / Section 56-28-110
SECTION 56-28-110. Notification to subsequent purchasers; penalties for failure to notify.
Status: in_force

Each subsequent purchaser must be notified by the seller of the fact that the vehicle was required to be repurchased pursuant to the terms of this chapter or another provision of law relating to motor vehicle warranties. If a seller fails properly to notify a purchaser of the requirements of this section, the department may impose an administrative penalty up to a maximum of five hundred dollars for each vehicle. A seller aggrieved by the action of the department may seek review by filing a request for a contested case hearing with the Administrative Law Court. Editor's Note 2005 Act No. 128, SECTION 27, provides as follows: "This act takes effect on July 1, 2005, and applies to all licensing and administrative hearings involving the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-351 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 4 / Section 56-9-351
SECTION 56-9-351. Deposit of security by owner following accident; suspension of license, registrations, and notice.
Status: in_force

Within sixty days of receipt of a report of a motor vehicle accident within this State which has resulted in bodily injury or death or damage to the property of any one person in the amount of two hundred dollars or more, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the license of each operator or driver if he is the owner of the motor vehicle involved in the accident and all registrations of each owner of a motor vehicle involved in the accident. If the operator or driver is a nonresident, the privilege of operating a motor vehicle within this State and the privilege of the use within this State of a motor vehicle owned by him is suspended unless the operator, driver or owner, or both, deposits security in a sum not less than two hundred dollars or an additional amount as the department may specify that will be sufficient to satisfy a judgment that may be recovered for damages resulting from the accident which may be recovered against the operator or owner. Notice of the suspension must be sent by the department to the operator and owner at least ten days before the effective date of the suspension and shall state the amount required as security.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3690 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 29 / Section 56-5-3690
SECTION 56-5-3690. Unlawful to sell or distribute helmets, goggles, or face shields not approved by Department of Public Safety.
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful to sell, offer for sale or distribute any protective helmets, goggles or face shields for use by the operators of two-wheeled motorized vehicles, or protective helmets for the use of passengers thereon, unless they are of a type and specification approved by the Department of Public Safety and appear on the list of approved devices maintained by the department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-219 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-219
SECTION 56-1-219. Work zone safety program.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall establish a work zone safety program. The work zone safety program shall be designed to educate the motoring public on the dangers of committing moving violations while traveling in highway construction work zones. The department shall develop and house on its website an online work zone awareness presentation for all persons obtaining an initial license that includes, but is not limited to, facts and figures representing the dangers of motorists committing work zone moving violations, testimonials from highway construction workers and their families, information on the importance of awareness and slowing down in work zones, and a question-and-answer section to ensure participants understand and retain the information presented. The Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to contract for the production, development, and maintenance of the webpage through a vendor. The department shall maintain in its database a record of those completing the program.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1230 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1230
SECTION 56-5-1230. Duty to give information and render aid.
Status: in_force

The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to any vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall give his name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he is driving and shall upon request and if available exhibit his driver's license to the person struck or the driver or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with and shall render to any person injured in such accident reasonable assistance, including the carrying or making arrangements for the carrying of such person to a physician, surgeon or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that such treatment is necessary or if such carrying is requested by the injured person.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-613 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-613
SECTION 56-5-613. Controlled-access highway defined.
Status: in_force

Every highway, street or roadway to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such highway, street or roadway is a "controlled-access highway".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-650 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 2 / Section 56-1-650
SECTION 56-1-650. Effect of certain convictions on status of license in home state.
Status: in_force

(A) A state that is a member of the Drivers License Compact shall report to another member state of the compact a conviction for any of the following: (1) manslaughter or homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle as provided by Sections 56-1-280 and 56-5-2910; (2) driving a motor vehicle while under the influence, as provided by Section 56-5-2930; (3) any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used, as provided by Section 56-1-280; (4) failure to stop and render aid in the event of a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death or personal injury of another, as provided by Section 56-5-1210. (B) If the laws of a member state do not describe the violations listed in subsection (A) in precisely the words used in that subsection, the member state shall construe the descriptions to apply to offenses of the member state that are substantially similar to the ones described. A state that is a member of the Drivers License Compact shall report to another member state of the compact a conviction for any other offense or any other information concerning convictions that the member states agree to report. (C) For a conviction required to be reported under subsection (A), a member state shall give the same effect to the report as if the conviction had occurred in that state. For a conviction that is not required to be reported under subsection (A), the provisions of Section 56-1-320 shall govern the effect of the reported conviction in this State. For a conviction that is not required to be reported under subsection (A), notice of the conviction must be received by the Department of Motor Vehicles for purposes of suspension or revocation within one year of the date of conviction. The department shall not post to an individual's driver's record any conviction that is not received by the department within the one-year period for offenses governed by this subsection. For purposes of this title, this means all convictions which occurred after June 4, 1995, which are not required to be reported pursuant to subsection (A). The department may not refuse to issue or renew a resident's driver's license when the individual's privilege to drive is suspended or revoked for an out-of-state conviction which was not reported to the department within one year of the date of conviction, as required in this subsection.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4830 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4830
SECTION 56-5-4830. Special restrictions on lamps; degree of intensity; red, blue and flashing lights.
Status: in_force

Any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle, other than head lamps, spot lamps, auxiliary lamps, flashing turn signals, emergency vehicle warning lamps, and school bus warning lamps, which project a beam of light of an intensity greater than three hundred candlepower shall be so directed that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five feet from the vehicle. A person shall not drive, move, or park any vehicle or equipment upon a highway with a lamp or device on it displaying a red or blue light visible from directly in front of the center of it. This section shall not apply to a vehicle upon which a red or blue light visible from the front is expressly authorized or required by this chapter. Flashing lights are prohibited except on an authorized emergency vehicle, school bus, snow-removal equipment, or on any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn or the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking, or passing.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1980 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 13 / Section 56-5-1980
SECTION 56-5-1980. Restrictions on use of controlled-access roadway.
Status: in_force

(a) The Commission of the Department of Transportation by resolution or order entered in its minutes, and local authorities by ordinance, may regulate or prohibit the use of any controlled-access roadway or highway within their respective jurisdictions by any class or kind of traffic which is found to be incompatible with the normal and safe movement of traffic. (b) The commission or local authority adopting any such prohibition shall erect and maintain official traffic-control devices on the controlled-access highway on which such prohibitions are applicable and when in place no person shall disobey the restrictions stated on such devices.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4230 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 33 / Section 56-5-4230
SECTION 56-5-4230. Liability for damages to highway or highway structure.
Status: in_force

Any person driving or moving any vehicle, object or contrivance upon any highway or highway structure shall be liable for all damages which such highway or structure may sustain as a result of any illegal operation, driving or moving of such vehicles, objects or contrivances or whether such damage is a result of operating, driving or moving any vehicle, object or contrivance weighing in excess of the maximum weights as provided in this article but authorized by special permit issued pursuant to Section 56-5-4170. Whenever such driver is not the owner of such vehicle, object or contrivance, but is so operating, driving or moving it with the express or implied permission of such owner, the owner and driver shall be jointly and severally liable for any such damage. Such damage may be recovered in any civil action brought by the authorities in control of such highway or highway structure.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 1 / Section 56-19-110
SECTION 56-19-110. Judicial review of Department of Motor Vehicle's acts.
Status: in_force

A person aggrieved by an act or omission to act by the Department of Motor Vehicles under this chapter or Chapter 21 of Title 16 is also entitled to a review thereof by the circuit court in accordance with laws of this State relating to appeals.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2110
SECTION 56-1-2110. Disqualification from driving commercial motor vehicle.
Status: in_force

(A) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for not less than one year if convicted of a first violation of: (1) driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or a drug which impairs driving ability as prescribed by state law; (2) driving a commercial motor vehicle while the alcohol concentration of the person's blood or breath or other bodily substance is four one-hundredths or more; (3) leaving the scene of an accident involving a motor vehicle driven by the person; (4) using a motor vehicle in the commission of a felony as defined in this article; (5) refusal to submit to a test to determine the driver's alcohol concentration while driving a motor vehicle; (6) driving a commercial motor vehicle when, as a result of prior violations committed while operating a commercial motor vehicle, the driver's commercial driver's license is revoked, suspended, or canceled, or the driver is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle; (7) causing a fatality through the negligent operation of a commercial motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, the crimes of motor vehicle manslaughter, homicide by a motor vehicle, and negligent homicide. If any of the above violations occur while transporting a hazardous material required to be placarded, the person is disqualified for not less than three years. (B) A person is disqualified for life if convicted of two or more violations of any of the offenses specified in subsection (A) or a combination of those offenses, arising from two or more separate incidents. (C) Only offenses committed after the effective date of this article may be considered in applying this subsection. (D) The department may issue regulations establishing guidelines, including conditions, under which a disqualification for life under subsection (B) may be reduced to not less than ten years. (E) A commercial driver's license holder is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for life who uses a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance or possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance. (F) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for not less than sixty days if convicted of two serious traffic violations or one hundred twenty days if convicted of three serious traffic violations committed in a motor vehicle arising from separate incidents occurring within a three-year period. (G) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle if a report pursuant to Section 56-1-2220 has been received by the Department of Motor Vehicles that the person has received a verified positive drug test or positive alcohol confirmation test, or refused to take a drug or alcohol test. A disqualification under this subsection remains in effect until the person undergoes a drug and alcohol assessment by a substance abuse professional meeting the requirements of 49 C.F.R. 40, and the substance abuse professional certified in a manner approved by the Office of Substance Use Services that the person has successfully completed a drug or alcohol treatment or education program as recommended by the substance abuse professional. A person who is disqualified under this subsection more than three times in a five-year period is disqualified for life. (H) After suspending, revoking, or canceling a commercial driver's license, the department shall update its records to reflect that action immediately. After suspending, revoking, or canceling a nonresident commercial driver's privilege, the department shall notify the licensing authority of the state which issued the commercial driver's license or commercial driver's instruction permit within ten days. (I) For purposes of this section, serious traffic violations are those violations contained in Section 56-1-2030(22) and 49 C.F.R. 383.5 and 383.51. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, certain references in the S.C. Code to the State Department of Mental Health, South Carolina Mental Health Commission, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs Commission, Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, and other related terms were changed to reflect the restructuring of these agencies into component offices under the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, pursuant to 2025 Act No. 3, SECTION 18.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-13010 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 130 / Section 56-3-13010
SECTION 56-3-13010. 2010-11 Baseball National Champions special license plates.
Status: reserved

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "2010-11 Baseball National Champions" special 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. (B) The University of South Carolina may submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for its respective special license plate, provided that the phrase "2010-11 National Baseball Champions" must be utilized on the plate. (C) The requirements for production, collection, and distribution of fees for 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 seventy dollars. Any portion of the additional seventy-dollar fee not set aside by the Comptroller General to defray costs of production and distribution must be distributed to the fund established for the University of South Carolina pursuant to Section 56-3-3710(B) used for the purposes provided in that section. (D) License number "1" for the "2010-11 Baseball National Champions" license plate is reserved for the University of South Carolina Head Baseball Coach.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1335 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1335
SECTION 56-3-1335. Suspension of vehicle's registration for failure to pay toll; reinstatement fee.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend a motor vehicle's current registration and shall not register or reregister a motor vehicle that was operated when its driver failed to pay a toll and whose owner has an outstanding judgment for failure to pay a toll pursuant to Section 57-5-1495(E) entered against him. The suspension or denial of registration or reregistration shall remain in effect until the judgment is satisfied, evidence of the satisfaction has been provided to the Department of Motor Vehicles, and a reinstatement fee of fifty dollars has been paid. The reinstatement fee collected must be placed by the Comptroller General into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-350 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 3 / Section 56-15-350
SECTION 56-15-350. Licenses in the name of the same applicants; denial, suspension, or revocation of license; grounds; procedure.
Status: in_force

(A) Any licenses in the name of the same applicant issued under this chapter may be denied, suspended, or revoked, if the applicant or licensee or an agency of the applicant or licensee acting for the applicant or licensee is determined by the Department of Motor Vehicles to have refused to comply with, been convicted of, or pleaded nolo contendere to any of the following offenses in this State or another jurisdiction in the United States: (1) made a material misstatement in the application for the license; (2) violated any provision of this chapter or the requirements contained in Article 3, Chapter 19, Title 56; (3) committed any fraud connected with the sale or transfer of a motor vehicle; (4) employed fraudulent devices, methods, or practices in connection with meeting the requirements placed on dealers and wholesalers by the laws of this State; (5) violated any law involving the acquisition or transfer of a title to a motor vehicle; (6) tampered with, altered, or removed motor vehicle identification numbers or markings; (7) to have violated any federal or state law regarding the disconnecting, resetting, altering, or other unlawful tampering with a motor vehicle odometer, including the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 32701-32711 (Title 49, Subtitle VI, Part C, Chapter 327); (8) refused or failed to comply with the department's reasonable requests to inspect or copy the records, books, and files of the dealer or wholesaler or failed to maintain records of each motor vehicle transaction as required by this chapter or by state and federal law pertaining to odometer records; (9) given, loaned, or sold a dealer license plate to any person or otherwise to have allowed the use of any dealer license plate in any way not authorized by Section 56-3-2320. Any dealer license plate issued to a dealer or wholesaler pursuant to Section 56-3-2320 which is determined by the department to be improperly displayed on any vehicle or in the possession of any unauthorized person is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section by the dealer or wholesaler to whom the license plate was originally issued. (10) accepted or delivered a certificate of title to any other dealer, wholesaler, or any other person in which the title or assignment of title is signed in blank; (11) committed any of the following crimes for which there is a conviction or plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere and for which the conviction or plea date was ten or less years from the date of the application or renewal application of: (a) a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60; (b) a crime involving illegal drugs, other than simple possession of marijuana; (c) a crime involving tax evasion or failure to pay taxes or fees as required by law; (d) a crime involving the illegal use, carrying, or possession of a dangerous weapon; (e) any crime having an element of identity theft, misuse of another person's identity information, larceny, embezzlement, false statements, falsification of documents, false swearing or dishonest or deceitful dealing; or (f) a crime having an element of criminal sexual battery or conduct of any type or degree with a minor or an adult; (12) failed to pay on demand any civil penalty imposed by the department authorized by this chapter which the person or licensee has failed to appeal or for which the person or licensee has exhausted appeals; (13) failed to surrender a dealer license as required by this chapter or allowing any third party to sell any vehicles or operate a dealership; or (14) had a previous dealer license revoked for that applicant under this section. (B) Items (A)(1)-(11) do not apply to any pardoned or expunged crime within the ten-year time period. (C) The department may deny future dealer licenses for the same applicant if a previous dealer license was revoked for that applicant under this section. When assessing the license application, with respect to acts identified in item (A)(14) in a foreign jurisdiction, the department shall determine if the facts of the act would constitute a violation in this State. If the acts leading to a revocation in a foreign jurisdiction would not constitute a violation in this State, then the department may not use the act as sole justification to deny, suspend, or revoke a license. (D) The department shall notify the licensee or applicant in writing at the mailing address provided in his application of its intention to deny, suspend, or revoke his license at least twenty days in advance and shall inform the licensee of his right to request a contested case hearing with the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings in accordance with the rules of procedure for the Administrative Law Court and pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act of this State. A licensee desiring a hearing shall file a request in writing with the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings within ten days of receiving notice of the proposed denial, suspension, or revocation of his dealer's or wholesaler's license. (E) Upon a denial, suspension, or revocation of a license, the licensee shall immediately return to the department the license and all dealer license plates. 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 22, rewrote the section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 70 / Section 56-3-7610
SECTION 56-3-7610. Authority to issue commemorative Square Dance license plates.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a special commemorative motor vehicle license plate commemorating the Square Dance as the state's official American Folk Dance. The biennial fee for the commemorative license plate is fifty dollars in addition to the regular motor vehicle fee prescribed by Article 5 of this chapter. This license plate must be the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2470 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 27 / Section 56-3-2470
SECTION 56-3-2470. Publication of registration and license lists; obtaining copies of lists.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may compile and publish annually or at shorter intervals a list of all registered and licensed vehicles. The list shall show vehicles registered and licensed serially according to registration and license numbers and also may contain the names and addresses of the recorded owners and a brief description of each vehicle, including the serial or other identifying number. The Department may furnish without charge therefor a copy of the registration and license list and any supplements thereto to any police department in this State requesting it, and the Department may also sell copies of the list to any person requesting it upon payment to the Department of a uniform amount as determined by the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-10-550 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 10 / Article 5 / Section 56-10-550
SECTION 56-10-550. Deposit of funds collected in Uninsured Motorists Fund.
Status: in_force

Except as provided in Sections 56-10-552 and 56-10-554, funds collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles under the provisions of this chapter must be placed on deposit with the State Treasurer and held in a special fund to be known as the "Uninsured Motorists Fund" to be disbursed as provided by law. The Department of Insurance as provided in Sections 38-77-151 and 38-77-154 may expend monies from such funds for the administration of Title 38. 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, deleted "director of the" preceding "Department" in two places.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-3380 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 15 / Section 56-1-3380
SECTION 56-1-3380. Information submitted in application for card confidential; exceptions.
Status: in_force

Any information obtained from an application for the issuance, renewal, or replacement of a special identification card shall be confidential and shall not be divulged to any person, association, corporation or organization, public or private, except to the legal guardian or attorney of the applicant, or to a person, association, corporation or organization named in writing by the applicant, his legal guardian or his attorney. Provided, however, that this restriction shall not prevent furnishing the application or any information thereon to a law enforcement agency.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2050 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2050
SECTION 56-1-2050. Notification of convictions; notification of suspension, revocation, or cancellation of license; information to be supplied to employer.
Status: in_force

(A) Notification of Convictions. (1) A driver holding a commercial driver license issued by this State, who is convicted of violating a state law or local ordinance relating to motor vehicle traffic control in any other state, other than a parking violation, shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles in the manner specified by the department within thirty days of conviction. (2) A driver holding a commercial driver license issued by this State, who is convicted of violating a state law or local ordinance relating to motor vehicle traffic control in this or any other state, other than a parking violation, shall notify his employer in writing of the conviction within thirty days of the conviction. (B) A driver whose commercial driver license is suspended, revoked, or canceled by a state, or who loses the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle in any state for any period, including being disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle, or who is subject to an out of service order, shall notify his employer of that fact before the end of the business day following the day the driver received notice of that fact. (C) A person who applies to be a commercial motor vehicle driver shall provide the employer, at the time of the application, with the following information for the ten years preceding the date of application: (1) a list of the names and addresses of the applicant's previous employers for which the applicant was a driver of a commercial motor vehicle; (2) the dates between which the applicant drove for each employer; (3) the reason for leaving that employer; (4) any additional information required by the employer; (5) certification that all information furnished is true and complete.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-36-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 36 / Section 56-36-20
SECTION 56-36-20. Car sharing programs; insurance coverage; assumption of liability.
Status: in_force

(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), a peer-to-peer car sharing program shall assume liability of a shared vehicle owner for any death, bodily injury, or property damage to third parties or uninsured motorist losses that are proximately caused by the operation of a shared vehicle during the car sharing period in the amounts stated in the car sharing program agreement. These amounts shall not be less than the amounts specified in Section 38-77-140 and Section 38-77-150. (B) Notwithstanding the definition of "car sharing termination time" in Section 56-36-10, the assumption of liability pursuant to subsection (A) does not apply if: (1) the shared vehicle owner makes an intentional or fraudulent material misrepresentation or omission to the program before the car sharing period in which the loss occurred; or (2) the shared vehicle driver and shared vehicle owner conspire to have the driver fail to return the shared vehicle in violation of the agreement. (C) Notwithstanding the definition of "car sharing termination time" in Section 56-36-10, the assumption of liability under subsection (A) applies to death, bodily injury, and property losses by damaged third parties required by Section 38-77-140 and uninsured motorist losses by damaged third parties required by Section 38-77-150. (D) A peer-to-peer car sharing program shall ensure that, during each car sharing period, the shared vehicle owner and the shared vehicle driver are each insured under a motor vehicle insurance policy that provides insurance coverage in amounts no less than the minimum amounts set forth in Section 38-77-140; and (1) recognizes that the shared vehicle insured under the policy is made available and used through a peer-to-peer car sharing program; or (2) does not exclude the use of a shared vehicle by a shared vehicle driver. (E) The insurance coverage required under subsection (D) may be satisfied by motor vehicle liability insurance maintained by: (1) a shared vehicle owner; (2) a shared vehicle driver; (3) a peer-to-peer car sharing program; or (4) any combination of a shared vehicle owner, shared vehicle driver, or a peer-to-peer car sharing program. (F) The insurance described in subsection (E) that is satisfying the insurance requirement of subsection (D) shall be primary during each car sharing period. If a claim occurs in another state with minimum financial responsibility limits higher than those set forth in Section 38-77-140 and Section 38-77-150 during the car sharing period, then the coverage maintained under subsection (E) shall satisfy the difference in minimum coverage amounts up to the applicable policy limits. (G) The insurer or peer-to-peer car sharing program providing the coverage under subsection (D) or (E) shall assume primary liability for a claim when: (1) a dispute exists regarding who was in control of the shared vehicle at the time of the loss and the peer-to-peer car sharing program does not have available, did not retain, or fails to provide the information required by subsection (M); or (2) a dispute exists regarding whether the shared vehicle was returned to the alternatively agreed upon location as required under Section 56-36-10(6)(b). (H) If insurance maintained by a shared vehicle owner or shared vehicle driver in accordance with subsection (E) has lapsed or does not provide the required coverage, then insurance maintained by a peer-to-peer car sharing program shall provide the coverage required by subsection (D) beginning with the first dollar of a claim and shall have the duty to defend such claim except under circumstances as set forth in subsection (B). (I) Coverage under an automobile insurance policy maintained by the peer-to-peer car sharing program shall not be dependent on another automobile insurer first denying a claim nor shall another automobile insurance policy be required to first deny a claim. (J) Nothing in this chapter limits: (1) the liability of the peer-to-peer car sharing program for any act or omission of the peer-to-peer car sharing program that results in injury to any person as a result of the use of a shared vehicle through a peer-to-peer car sharing program; or (2) the ability of the peer-to-peer car sharing program, by contract, to seek indemnification from the shared vehicle owner or the shared vehicle driver for economic loss resulting from a breach of the car sharing program agreement. (K) When a shared vehicle owner registers with a peer-to-peer car sharing program and before the shared vehicle owner makes the shared vehicle available for sharing, the peer-to-peer car sharing program shall notify the owner that, if the shared vehicle has a lien against it, the use of the shared vehicle through a peer-to-peer car sharing program, including use without physical damage coverage, may violate the terms of the contract with the lienholder. (L)(1) An authorized insurer that writes motor vehicle liability insurance in this State may exclude any and all coverage and the duty to defend or indemnify for any claim afforded under a shared vehicle owner's motor vehicle liability insurance policy including, but not limited to: (a) liability coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage; (b) uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage; (c) medical payments coverage; (d) comprehensive physical damage coverage; and (e) collision physical damage coverage. (2) Nothing in this chapter invalidates or limits an exclusion contained in a motor vehicle liability insurance policy, including any insurance policy in use or approved for use that excludes coverage for motor vehicles made available for rent, sharing, or hire or for any business use. (3) Nothing in this chapter invalidates, limits, or restricts an insurer's ability under existing law to underwrite any insurance policy. Nothing in this chapter invalidates, limits, or restricts an insurer's ability under existing law to cancel and non-renew policies. (M)(1)(a) A peer-to-peer car sharing program shall collect and verify records pertaining to the use of a shared vehicle including, but not limited to: (i) times used; (ii) car sharing period pickup and drop off locations; (iii) fees paid by the shared vehicle driver; and (iv) revenues received by the shared vehicle owner. (b) Upon request, the program shall provide that information to facilitate a claim coverage investigation, settlement, negotiation, or litigation to: (i) the shared vehicle owner; (ii) the shared vehicle owner's insurer; and (iii) the shared vehicle driver's insurer. (2) The peer-to-peer car sharing program shall retain the records for no less than the duration of the applicable personal injury statute of limitations. (N) A peer-to-peer car sharing program and a shared vehicle owner shall be exempt from vicarious liability consistent with 49 U.S.C. Section 30106 and under any state or local law that imposes liability solely based on vehicle ownership. (O) A motor vehicle insurer that defends or indemnifies a claim against a shared vehicle that is excluded under the terms of its policy shall have the right to seek recovery against the motor vehicle insurer of the peer-to-peer car sharing program if the claim is: (1) made against the shared vehicle owner or the shared vehicle driver for loss or injury that occurs during the car sharing period; and (2) excluded under the terms of its policy. (P)(1) A peer-to-peer car sharing program shall have an insurable interest in a shared vehicle during the car sharing period. (2) Nothing in this section requires a peer-to-peer car sharing program to maintain the coverage mandated by this section. (3) A peer-to-peer car sharing program may own and maintain as the named insured one or more policies of motor vehicle liability insurance that provides coverage for: (a) liabilities assumed by the peer-to-peer car sharing program under a car sharing program agreement; (b) any liability of the shared vehicle owner; (c) damage or loss to the shared motor vehicle; or (d) any liability of the shared vehicle driver.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3900 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 31 / Section 56-5-3900
SECTION 56-5-3900. Transportation of minors in open vehicles.
Status: in_force

(A) It is unlawful to transport a person under fifteen years of age in the open bed or open cargo area of a pickup truck or trailer. An open bed or open cargo area is a bed or cargo area without permanent overhead restraining construction. (B) Subsection (A) does not apply when: (1) an adult is present in the bed or cargo area of the vehicle and is supervising the child; (2) the child is secured or restrained by a seat belt manufactured in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, installed to support a load of not less than five thousand pounds for each belt, and of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety; (3) an emergency situation exists; (4) the vehicle is being operated in an organized hayride or parade pursuant to a valid permit; (5) the vehicle is being operated while hunting or in an agricultural enterprise; (6) the vehicle is being operated in a county which has no incorporated area with a population greater than three thousand five hundred; or (7) the vehicle has a closed metal tailgate and is being operated less than thirty-six miles an hour. (C) A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined twenty-five dollars. (D) No driver's license points or insurance surcharge may be assessed for a violation of this section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3885 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 31 / Section 56-5-3885
SECTION 56-5-3885. Unlawful to display obscene bumper sticker.
Status: in_force

(A) No person may operate a motor vehicle in this State which has affixed or attached to any part of the motor vehicle which is visible to members of the public not occupying the vehicle any sticker, decal, emblem, or other device containing obscene or indecent words, photographs, or depictions. (B) Obscene words, photographs, or depictions must be defined and interpreted as provided in Section 16-15-305(B), (C), (D), and (E). (C) A sticker, decal, emblem, or device is indecent when: (1) taken as a whole, it describes, in a patently offensive way, as determined by contemporary community standards, sexual acts, excretory functions, or parts of the human body; and (2) taken as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. (D) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-29-50 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 29 / Section 56-29-50
SECTION 56-29-50. Forfeiture of motor vehicle, tools, implements, or other instrumentality.
Status: in_force

(A) The following are subject to forfeiture unless obtained by theft, fraud, or conspiracy to defraud and the rightful owner is known or can be identified and located: (1) any tool; (2) any instrumentality, including but not limited to any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, whether owned or unowned by the person from whose possession or control it was seized, which is used or possessed either in violation of Section 56-29-30 or to promote or facilitate a violation of Section 56-29-30. (B) Any motor vehicle, other conveyance, or motor vehicle part used by any person as a common carrier is subject to forfeiture under this section where the owner or other person in charge of the motor vehicle, other conveyance, or motor vehicle part is a consenting party to a violation of Section 56-29-30. (C) Any motor vehicle, motor vehicle part, other conveyance, tool, implement, or instrumentality is not subject to forfeiture under this section by reason of any act or omission which the owner proves to have been committed or omitted without the owner's knowledge or consent. (D) A forfeiture of a motor vehicle, motor vehicle part, or other conveyance encumbered by a bona fide security interest is subject to the interest of the secured party where the secured party neither had knowledge of nor consented to the act or omission forming the ground for the forfeiture. (E)(1) The circuit solicitor shall give notice of the forfeiture proceeding by mailing a copy of the complaint in the forfeiture proceeding to each person whose right, title, or interest is of record at the Department of Motor Vehicles or any other department of the State, or any other state or territory of the United States, or of the federal government if the property is required to be registered in the Department of Motor Vehicles. (2) Notice of the proceeding must be given to any other person as may appear, from the facts and circumstances, to have any right, title, or interest in or to the property. (3) The owner of the property, or any person having, or claiming right, title, or interest in the property, may within thirty days after the mailing of the notice file a verified answer to the complaint and may appear at the hearing on the action for forfeiture. (4) The circuit solicitor shall show at a forfeiture hearing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the property was used in the commission of a violation of Section 56-29-30, or was used or possessed to facilitate the violation. (5) Unless the circuit solicitor makes the showing required, the court shall order the property released to the owner. Where the prosecutor has made a showing, the court shall order: (a) the property be destroyed by the agency which seized it or some other agency designated by the court; (b) the property be delivered and retained for use by the agency which seized it or some other agency designated by the court; or (c) any other disposition which the court considers appropriate under the circumstances. (F) A copy of a forfeiture order must be filed with the clerk of court of the county in which the forfeiture occurs and with each federal or state department with which the property is required to be registered. The order, when filed, constitutes authority for the issuance to the agency to whom the property is delivered and retained for use or to any purchaser of the property of a title certificate, registration certificate, or other special certificate as may be required by law considering the condition of the property. (G) Proceeds from sale at public auction, after payment of all reasonable charges and expenses incurred by the agency designated by the court to conduct the sale in storing and selling the property, must be paid to the general fund of the county in which the seizure occurred. (H) No motor vehicle, either seized under Section 56-29-40 or forfeited under this section, may be released by the seizing agency or used or sold by an agency designated by the court unless any altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed vehicle identification number is corrected by the issuance and affixing of either an assigned or replacement vehicle identification number plate as may be appropriate under laws or regulations of this State. (I) No motor vehicle or motor vehicle part may be forfeited under this section solely on the basis that it is unidentifiable. Instead of forfeiture, any seized motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which is unidentifiable must be the subject of a written report sent by the seizing agency to the Department of Motor Vehicles which report must include a description of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, its color, if any, the date, time, and place of its seizure, the name of the person from whose possession or control it was seized, the grounds for its seizure, and the location where it is held or stored. (J) The proceeds of the public sale of an unidentifiable motor vehicle or motor vehicle part must be deposited in the general fund of the governmental unit employing the seizing agency after deduction of any reasonable and necessary towing and storage charges. (K) A seized motor vehicle or motor vehicle part that is neither forfeited nor unidentifiable must be held subject to the order of the court in which the criminal action is pending or, if a request for its release from custody is made, until the prosecutor has notified the defendant or the defendant's attorney of the request and both the prosecution and defense have been afforded a reasonable opportunity for an examination of the property to determine its true value and to produce or reproduce, by photographs or other identifying techniques, legally sufficient evidence for introduction at trial or other criminal proceedings. Upon expiration of a reasonable time for the completion of the examination which in no event shall exceed fourteen days from the date of service upon the defense of the notice of request for return of property as provided herein, the property must be released to the person making the request after satisfactory proof of such person's entitlement to the possession thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon application by either party with notice to the other, the court may order retention of the property if it determines that retention is necessary in the furtherance of justice. (L) When a seized vehicle is forfeited, restored to its owner, or disposed of as unidentifiable, the seizing agency shall retain a report of the transaction for a period of at least seven years from the date of the transaction. (M) When an applicant for a certificate of title or salvage certificate presents to the Department of Motor Vehicles proof that the applicant purchased or acquired a motor vehicle at the public sale conducted pursuant to this section and that fact is attested to by the seizing agency, the department shall issue a certificate of title, or salvage certificate for the motor vehicle upon receipt of the statutory fee, properly executed application for a certificate of title, or other certificate of ownership, and the certification of the seizing agency that a state-assigned number was applied for and affixed to the motor vehicle prior to the time that the motor vehicle was released by the seizing agency to the purchaser.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-460 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-460
SECTION 56-9-460. Permitting driver subject to suspension to operate vehicle of employer.
Status: in_force

Whenever any person whose license would otherwise have been suspended for failure to satisfy a judgment as provided in Section 56-9-430 is, or later becomes, an operator in the employ of another owner, the Department of Motor Vehicles may in its discretion, notwithstanding any provisions in this chapter to the contrary, allow such person to retain his license to operate a vehicle of another owner in the pursuit of such employment, if the employer-owner of the vehicle shall have furnished proof of financial responsibility covering the operation of any vehicle which such person may be permitted to operate. The Department shall designate the restrictions imposed pursuant to this section on that person's license.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2960 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 32 / Section 56-3-2960
SECTION 56-3-2960. Duration.
Status: in_force

The temporary license plate and registration card is valid for thirty days from the date of issuance to the owner of the trailer or semi-trailer.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2130 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 21 / Section 56-3-2130
SECTION 56-3-2130. Display, transferability, and use.
Status: in_force

The plate shall be displayed on the rear end of the house trailer being towed and be transferable from one house trailer to another, but shall be used only on a house trailer that is in the custody of the common carrier. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall have a special plate made for this purpose or it may authorize the use of dealers' plates in lieu thereof.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-510 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-510
SECTION 56-1-510. Unlawful use of license; fraudulent application.
Status: in_force

It is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars or imprisonment for not more than thirty days for a first offense and not more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not more than six months for a second or subsequent offense for any person: (1) to display or cause or permit to be displayed or have in his possession any canceled, revoked, suspended, or fraudulently altered driver's license or personal identification card; (2) to lend his driver's or personal identification card to any other person or knowingly permit the use of it by another; (3) to display or represent as one's own driver's license or personal identification card any driver's license acquired in violation of this section; (4) to fail or refuse to surrender to the Department of Motor Vehicles upon lawful demand any driver's license which has been suspended, canceled, or revoked; (5) to use a false or fictitious name in any application for a driver's license or personal identification card or knowingly make a false statement or to knowingly conceal a material fact or otherwise commit a fraud in any such application; (6) to permit any unlawful use of a driver's license or personal identification card issued to him; or (7) to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required by this article.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-16410 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 155 / Section 56-3-16410
SECTION 56-3-16410. Hearing Impaired special license plates.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Hearing Impaired" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names who are hearing impaired. The application for this special motor vehicle license plate must include an original certificate from a licensed physician, as defined in Section 40-75-5, that certifies that the applicant has a permanent, uncorrectable hearing loss of forty decibels or more in one or both ears. The fee for each special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. The department may issue this special license plate six months following approval of its design. 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. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, 2024 Act No. 178, SECTION 2, was designated as Article 155, Chapter 3, of Title 56, and SECTION 56-3-15020 was recodified as SECTION 56-3-16410.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1960 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 18 / Section 56-3-1960
SECTION 56-3-1960. Temporary and permanent parking placards; illegal duplication or forgery.
Status: reserved

(A) A person who is "handicapped" as defined in Section 56-3-1910 may apply to the department for issuance of a temporary or permanent placard. A person may be issued a temporary placard if the condition causing his handicap is expected to last for at least four months. No applicant may be denied a placard if the applicant follows the procedures established by the department and if the application is accompanied by a certificate from a licensed physician that certifies that the individual is handicapped and whether the handicap is temporary or permanent. The placards must indicate that the person is qualified to use reserved handicapped parking spaces. Applications for placards must be processed through and issued by the department's headquarters. Only one placard may be issued to an applicant. The certification procedure shall adhere to the requirements set forth in Section 56-3-1910. In conjunction with the issuance of a placard, applicants also must be issued a placard registration certificate that must be carried at all times in the vehicle driven by or transporting the handicapped individual. The certificate will display the name of the individual to which the placard was issued. A placard only can be displayed on a vehicle driven by or transporting the disabled individual whose name appears on the placard registration certificate. The department shall charge a fee of one dollar for a placard. An agency, organization, or facility that transports a disabled or handicapped person may receive a placard for each vehicle registered upon proper application and the payment of the appropriate fees. (B) The placards authorized by this section also may be issued for a vehicle of special design and equipment designed to transport a disabled person who is certified as meeting the requirements of this section for a vehicle used by an agency, organization, or facility that is designed to transport a handicapped or disabled person if the vehicle is titled in the name of the agency, organization, or facility. Proof that the agency, organization, or facility transports a handicapped or disabled person must be in a manner prescribed by the department. A certificate from a licensed physician is not required to apply for placards issued to an agency, organization, or facility. At the time of qualification, applicants qualifying for a placard under this section also must be issued a placard registration certificate that must be carried at all times in the vehicle transporting handicapped or disabled individuals. The certificate will display the name of the agency, organization, or facility to which the placard was issued. (C) The placards shall conform to specifications set forth in the standards established for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The design must incorporate a means for hanging the placard from a vehicle windshield rearview mirror, and: (1) contain the International Symbol of Access; (2) be color coded to reflect user status in the following manner: (a) dark blue—permanently disabled; and (b) red—temporarily disabled. (D) Blue and red placards shall contain the qualified user's photograph. The photograph must be taken from the qualified user's driver's license or identification card on file with the department or any other photograph approved by the department. However, a photograph is not required for a placard issued to an agency, organization, or facility. (E) Each placard shall contain the placard's expiration date. (F) When qualified users park in designated spaces, the placard must be displayed in the windshield of the vehicle by hanging it from the rearview mirror. In vehicles in which hanging may not be feasible, the placard must be placed on the side of the dashboard so that it is clearly visible through the windshield. When more than one placard holder is transported in the same vehicle, only one placard needs to be displayed. (G) Placards used for parking in designated handicapped spaces must be displayed on vehicles driven by or transporting the handicapped individual whose name appears on the placard registration certificate. When parked in designated spaces, the driver of the vehicle displaying the placard must present the placard registration certificate when requested by law enforcement entities or their duly authorized agents. (H) Placards and placard registration certificates for permanently disabled persons may be issued and renewed for a maximum period of four years and are renewable on the owner's birth date. Placards issued to an agency, organization, or facility must be renewed every four years. (I) A vehicle displaying a valid out-of-state handicapped license plate or placard or other evidence of handicap issued by the appropriate authority as determined by the department is entitled to the parking privileges provided in this section. Handicapped individuals from other states seeking permanent residence in South Carolina have forty-five days after becoming a resident to obtain South Carolina certification. (J) Placards issued prior to the effective date of this section must be renewed by the expiration date on the placard or by January 1, 2013, whichever is sooner. To renew the placard and receive the certificate, the person must be certified as permanently handicapped as provided in Section 56-3-1910. Upon renewal, the department will issue a certificate as required by this section. Failure to carry a certificate as required by this section by a person using a placard issued prior to the effective date of this section is not a violation of the provisions of this section until after the placard is renewed or January 1, 2013, whichever is sooner. (K)(1) Except as provided in item (2), a person that violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both, for each offense. (2) A person who illegally duplicates, forges, or sells a handicapped placard or a person who falsifies information on an application form for a handicapped placard is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for thirty days and fined not less than five hundred dollars and not more than one thousand dollars. Effect of Amendment 2024 Act No. 147, SECTION 1, in (D), in the second sentence, inserted "or any other photograph approved by the department".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2100 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2100
SECTION 56-1-2100. Commercial driver license; contents; classifications of vehicles.
Status: in_force

(A) The commercial driver license must be marked "Commercial Driver License" or "CDL", and must be, to the maximum extent practicable, tamper proof. It must include, but not be limited to, the following information: (1) the name and residential address of the person; (2) the person's unobstructed photograph; (3) a physical description of the person including sex, height, and weight; (4) date of birth; (5) a number or identifier considered appropriate by the Department of Motor Vehicles; (6) the person's signature; (7) the class or type of commercial motor vehicles which the person may drive together with any endorsements or restrictions; (8) the name of this State; and (9) the dates between which the license is valid. (B) The holder of a valid commercial driver license may drive all vehicles in the class for which that license is issued and all lesser classes of vehicles except motorcycles. Vehicles which require an endorsement may not be driven unless the proper endorsement appears on the license. Commercial driver licenses may be issued with the following classifications, endorsements, and restrictions: (1) Classifications: (a) Class A: A combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds. (b) Class B: A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of ten thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating. (c) Class C: A single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that are not Class A or B vehicles but either designed to transport sixteen or more passengers including the driver, or are required to be placarded for hazardous materials under 49 C.F.R. Part 172, subpart F. (2) Endorsements are added to commercial driver licenses as required under Part 383.153 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. (3) Restrictions are added to commercial driver licenses as required under Part 383.153 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. (C) Before issuing a commercial driver license, the department must obtain a driving record through the Commercial Driver License Information System, the National Driver Register, and from each state in which the person has been licensed. (D) Within ten days after issuing a commercial driver license, the department must notify the Commercial Driver License Information System of that fact, providing all information required to insure identification of the person. (E) Upon payment of a fee of twenty-five dollars and any fee assessed by any associated federal agency, a commercial driver license for which there is no associated HAZMAT endorsement issued by the department expires eight years from the date of issue. Upon payment of a fee of fifteen dollars and any fee assessed by any associated federal agency, a commercial driver license for which there is an associated HAZMAT endorsement issued by the department expires five years from the date the applicant passed the Transportation Security Administration threat assessment. (F) A person applying for renewal of a commercial driver's license must complete the application form required by Section 56-1-2090(A), and provide updated information and required certifications. Every applicant must take and pass the written test for hazardous material endorsement to obtain or retain the endorsement. The person also shall submit to and pass a vision test. Effect of Amendment 2019 Act No. 86, SECTION 5, rewrote (E). 2022 Act No. 148, SECTION 4, in (A)(2), substituted "unobstructed photograph" for "color photograph".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2160 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2160
SECTION 56-1-2160. Penalties.
Status: in_force

An offense for which no specific penalty is provided by this article must be punished in accordance with Section 56-5-6190.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-35-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 35 / Section 56-35-20
SECTION 56-35-20. Idling restrictions; exceptions.
Status: in_force

(A)(1) An operator of a commercial diesel vehicle may not allow the vehicle to idle for more than ten minutes in any sixty-minute period. (2) A passenger bus may idle up to fifteen minutes in a sixty-minute period to provide heating or air conditioning when nondriver passengers are on board the vehicle. (B) A vehicle operator does not violate the idling restrictions contained in subsection (A) if he is idling: (1) a vehicle while forced to remain motionless because of traffic conditions beyond his control, an official traffic-control device or signal, or at the direction of a law enforcement official; (2) a vehicle while operating defrosters, heaters, air conditioners, cargo refrigeration equipment, or to install equipment to prevent a safety or health emergency, or as otherwise required by federal or state motor carrier safety regulations or local requirements. This exception does not apply when idling during a rest period; (3) a police, fire, ambulance, public safety, military, or other emergency or law enforcement vehicle, or any vehicle being used in an emergency capacity while in an emergency or training mode. This exception does not apply when idling for the convenience of the vehicle operator; (4) the primary propulsion engine of a vehicle for maintenance, servicing, repairing, or diagnostic purposes if idling is required; (5) a vehicle as part of a federal or state inspection to verify that all equipment is in good working order, if idling is required as part of the inspection; (6) a primary propulsion engine necessary to power work-related mechanical or electrical operations. This exception shall not apply when idling is done for cabin comfort or to operate nonessential onboard equipment; (7) an armored vehicle when a person remains inside the vehicle to guard contents or while the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded; (8) an occupied vehicle with a sleeper berth compartment for purpose of air conditioning or heating: (a) during a rest or sleep period; (b) when the outside temperature at the location of the vehicle is less than forty degrees Fahrenheit or greater than eighty degrees Fahrenheit; or (c) while the vehicle is at a rest area, fleet trucking terminal, commercial truck stop, state designated location designed for the intended purpose of a driver's rest area, or any location that the vehicle is legally permitted to park that is at least five hundred feet from residential housing, schools, daycare facilities, hospitals, or other similar locations; or (9) an occupied vehicle while waiting in line or queuing to load or unload.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5020 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-5020
SECTION 56-5-5020. Mufflers.
Status: in_force

Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke and no person shall use a muffler cutout, bypass or similar device upon a motor vehicle upon a highway. The engine and power mechanism of every motor vehicle shall be so equipped and adjusted as to prevent the escape of excessive fumes and smoke.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1960 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 13 / Section 56-5-1960
SECTION 56-5-1960. Following fire apparatus prohibited.
Status: in_force

The driver of any vehicle other than one on official business shall not follow any fire apparatus traveling in response to an emergency closer than five hundred feet or stop such vehicle within five hundred feet of any fire apparatus stopped in answer to an emergency.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-8200 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 83 / Section 56-3-8200
SECTION 56-3-8200. Rotary International special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue motor vehicle license plates to members of Rotary International for private passenger motor vehicles registered in their names. The fee for this special license plate must be the regular motor vehicle license fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title, and an additional special fee of fifty dollars which must be distributed to the Rotary District in which the purchaser's home club is located in this State. The department must report to the South Carolina Rotary District designee the district chosen as a result of the license plate issuance to which this fee must be distributed. The fee must be deposited in an account designated by each South Carolina Rotary District, and must be distributed properly by each district. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the fees collected for the special license plate, 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 of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special plate. The license plates issued pursuant to this section must conform to a design agreed to by the department and the chief executive officer of the organization. (B) Before the Department of Motor Vehicles produces and distributes a special license plate pursuant to this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred 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 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 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. § 56-3-660 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-660
SECTION 56-3-660. Fees for self-propelled property carrying vehicles; determination of vehicle gross weight; registration of vehicle for payment of one-half of State's portion of license fee.
Status: in_force

(A) The determination of gross vehicle weight to register and license self-propelled property carrying vehicles is the empty weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles and the heaviest load to be transported by the vehicle or combination of vehicles as declared by the registered owner. All determinations of weight must be made in units of one thousand pounds or major fraction of one thousand pounds. The declared gross vehicle weight applies to all self-propelled property carrying vehicles operating in tandem with trailers or semitrailers except that the gross weight of a trailer or semitrailer is not required to be included when the operation is to be in tandem with a self-propelled property carrying vehicle licensed for six thousand pounds or less gross weight, and the gross vehicle weight of the combination does not exceed nine thousand pounds. The Department of Motor Vehicles may register and license a small commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 12-37-2810, for which the biennial registration and license fee is one-hundred and sixty dollars or more for an annual or one-year period beginning on April first and ending on March thirty-first of the next year upon application to the department by the owner and the payment of one-half the specified biennial fee or for a semiannual or one-half year beginning on April first and ending on September thirtieth of the same year upon application to the department by the owner and the payment of the appropriate fees. The registration and license fee for small commercial motor vehicles which are registered for the remaining twenty-four months or less of the twenty-four month biennial period or for the eleven months or less of the twelve-month year ending on March thirty-first or the remaining five months or less for the one-half period ending on September thirtieth is the proportionate part of the specified biennial fee for the remainder of the twenty-four month period or year or one-half year based on one twenty-fourth of the specified twenty-four-month fee for each month or part of a month remaining in the biennial registration period or license year or one-half year. A proportionate fee may not be reduced lower than ten dollars. A person making application for a registration and license for a motor vehicle of this classification shall declare the true unloaded or empty weight of the vehicle. (B) The biennial fees for the gross vehicle weight are: No vehicle in excess of 80,000 pounds will be registered. (C) Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter, the department may enter into agreement with other states in a registration and license reciprocal agreement known as the International Registration Plan and the registration and license required in this section may be apportioned for vehicles which qualify and are licensed in accordance with the provisions of the plan. For the purpose of registering a vehicle under the International Registration Plan, a motor carrier selecting South Carolina as its base jurisdiction must own or lease real property used directly in the transportation of freight or persons within the State. (D) A vehicle registered in this State and found to be operating in excess of the gross vehicle weight for which it is currently registered may be impounded by the department until all registration fees, permit fees, or penalties are paid or satisfactory arrangements for payment of the fees and/or penalties to the department have been made. (E) The department may register a large commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 12-37-2810 pursuant to the payment provisions outlined in Section 12-37-2840. The department may require any information necessary to complete the transaction. A large commercial motor vehicle shall register annually rather than biennially. (F) Upon evidence of reliability in the payment of its obligations, the department may accept the check of a motor carrier company in payment of applicable fees and assessments. (G) Fees for licensing and registration, and fees imposed pursuant to Article 23, Chapter 37, Title 12, may be credited or prorated as prescribed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. 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.E, in (A), in the fourth sentence, substituted "small commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 12-37-2810," for "vehicle of this classification", and, in the fifth sentence, substituted "A proportionate fee may not" for "No proportionate fee may". 2017 Act No. 40, SECTION 8.F, added (G), providing the fees for licensing and registration may be credited or prorated. 2017 Act No. 40, SECTION 8.G, rewrote (E), providing that the department may register a large commercial motor vehicle for the payment of one-half of the state's portion of the license and road fee. 2021 Act No. 37, SECTION 2, in (C), added the second sentence; and rewrote (E).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1971 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 18 / Section 56-3-1971
SECTION 56-3-1971. Uniform parking violations tickets; who may issue; form and contents.
Status: in_force

All law enforcement officers issuing tickets on public and private property and state law enforcement division licensed security officers of shopping centers and business and commercial establishments, which provide parking spaces designated for handicapped persons, are authorized to issue a uniform parking violations ticket to the vehicle for violations of the prescribed use of the parking spaces. The uniform parking violations ticket shall provide a means for tracking violators by tag number and recording the violations with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The procedures governing the issuance, form, and content of the uniform parking violations ticket must be prescribed by the department and approved by the Attorney General within thirty days of submission by the department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-363 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 4 / Section 56-9-363
SECTION 56-9-363. Forms and affidavits substantiating claims for damages; driver's license suspension hearings; appeals.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may in the administration of this article prescribe such form as it may deem necessary and require individuals to file sworn affidavits substantiating any claims for damages should the need arise. Any person whose driving privilege becomes subject to suspension or is suspended under the provisions of this article may request a contested case hearing with the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings prior to the suspension or within thirty days after written notice of the suspension in order that he might prove that no reasonable possibility exists that a civil court might enter a judgment against him as a result of the accident in question. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the hearing officer following the hearing may file an appeal with the Administrative Law Court in accordance with its appellate rules.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-170 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-170
SECTION 56-16-170. Records of transfers; organization and legibility; penalties.
Status: in_force

(A) Every dealer or wholesaler shall keep complete records of each transaction under which a motorcycle is transferred for a period of not less than four years from the date of the transaction. The records must show the true name and correct address of the person or persons from whom the motorcycle was acquired and the date of the transaction; a correct description of the motorcycle, when transferred; the true name and correct address of the person to whom the motorcycle was transferred; and the date of the transaction. The description of the motorcycle must include the motorcycle identification number, make, model, type of body, and the odometer readings at the time the motorcycle was transferred to and from the dealer or wholesaler. These records must be open at all reasonable times for inspection and copying by the Department of Motor Vehicles or any of its duly authorized agents. (B) The records kept by the dealer or wholesaler must be maintained in a reasonably organized and orderly fashion with all entries being legible to the ordinary person upon inspection. Any records which are illegible or incapable of accurate interpretation by either the recordkeeper or the department's inspector or agent are not in compliance with this section. (C) If any dealer or wholesaler fails to keep the required records or fails to make them available to the department or its duly authorized agents immediately upon a reasonable request, the dealer or wholesaler is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for up to thirty days. The failure to keep or to make available to the department or its duly authorized agents complete records on each separate motorcycle constitutes a separate offense.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-90 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-90
SECTION 56-16-90. Unfair competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices.
Status: in_force

(a) Unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices as defined in Section 56-16-100 are declared to be unlawful. (b) In construing paragraph (a) the courts may be guided by the definitions in the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 45).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7940 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 79 / Section 56-3-7940
SECTION 56-3-7940. "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" special license plates.
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 "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" and the recycling logo. The Carolina Recycling Association shall submit to the department for its approval a design it desires to be used for this special license plate. The Carolina Recycling Association may request a change in the design not more than once every five years. The fee for this special license plate is thirty 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 Carolina Recycling Association to promote the growth of the South Carolina recycling industry. (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. § 56-3-860 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 5 / Section 56-3-860
SECTION 56-3-860. Accepting uncertified checks for license fees.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may, in the discretion of the director of the department, accept uncertified checks of an applicant-owner in payment for license fees charged for the issuance of license plates for motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, pole trailers and motor vehicle dealers.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-540 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 5 / Section 56-9-540
SECTION 56-9-540. Methods of proving financial responsibility.
Status: in_force

Proof of financial responsibility when required under this chapter may be given by filing: (1) A certificate of insurance as provided in Section 56-9-550 or Section 56-9-560; (2) A bond as provided in Section 56-9-570; or (3) A certificate of deposit of money or securities as provided in Section 56-9-580.