S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-480 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-480
SECTION 56-19-480. Transfer and surrender of certificates, license plates, registration cards and manufacturers' serial plates of vehicles sold as salvage, abandoned, scrapped, or destroyed.
Status: in_force

(A) An owner who scraps, dismantles, destroys, or in any manner disposes to another, except to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler, as salvage, a motor vehicle otherwise required to be titled in this State immediately shall mail or deliver to the Department of Motor Vehicles the vehicle's certificate of title notifying the department to whom the vehicle is delivered together with a report indicating the type and severity of any damage to the vehicle. A person or entity who disposes of a vehicle to a demolisher or secondary metals recycler shall provide the vehicle's title certificate to the demolisher or secondary metals recycler so that the demolisher or secondary metals recycler can surrender the title certificate to the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to Sections 56-5-5670 and 56-5-5945. (B) If a vehicle is acquired by an insurance company in settlement of a claim to the vehicle by fire, flood, collision, or other causes, or is left with the claimant after being declared a total loss by the insurance company, the company or its agent immediately shall deliver to the department the certificate of title together with a report indicating the type and severity of damage to the vehicle. If an insurance company or its agent is unable to obtain the certificate of title from the claimant within thirty days after acceptance by the claimant of an offer in settlement of total loss, the insurance company or its agent, on a form prescribed by the department, may submit an application to the department for a salvage, salvage flood, or salvage fire, as defined in Section 56-1-10, certificate of title. The application shall include evidence that the insurance company or its agent has fulfilled its settlement with and made two or more written attempts to obtain the certificate of title from the claimant. At such time as the insurance company may thereafter transfer the damaged vehicle, the company or its agent shall notify the department to whom the transfer was made on a form prescribed by the department. When an insurance company obtains a title to a vehicle from settling a total loss claim, the insurance company may obtain a title to the vehicle designated as "salvage", "salvage flood", or "salvage fire", as defined in Section 56-1-10. The insurance company must pay the title fee contained in Section 56-19-420. (C) All insurance companies which make payments on liability, collision, fire, theft, or comprehensive policies for damaged motor vehicles in this State shall allow department officials to examine all records of the company which pertain to payments made pursuant to the policies during normal working hours. (D) Vehicles acquired by insurance companies as outlined above are exempt from ad valorem property taxes and inventory taxes, and the transfers of the vehicles to and from insurance companies exempt from sales taxes. (E) If a salvage, salvage flood, or salvage fire vehicle is rebuilt, a regular certificate of title may not again be issued except upon submission of an application stating that the vehicle has been rebuilt and containing the information ordinarily required by the department for the issuance of a certificate of title as well as any information the department may require about the identity of the vehicle, the source and cost of any parts used in, and the extent of any repairs or other work done to the vehicle. The owner shall follow the procedure prescribed by the department if he is seeking a rebuilt brand on a title. Any regular certificate of title issued by the department for a previously salvaged vehicle must be annotated to show that the vehicle was "salvaged rebuilt" and the reason why the vehicle was "salvage rebuilt", "salvage flood rebuilt", or "salvage fire rebuilt". (F) The manufacturer's serial plate or vehicle identification number (VIN) plate must remain with the vehicle at all times until the vehicle is shredded, crushed, melted, or otherwise destroyed. (G) For purposes of this section, a "salvage vehicle", and a "vehicle declared to be a total loss" are all synonyms and are defined to be any motor vehicle which is damaged to the extent that the cost of repairing the motor vehicle, including both parts and reasonable market charges for labor, equal or exceed seventy-five percent of the fair market value of the motor vehicle. The provisions contained in this section do not apply to a motor vehicle that has a fair market value of two thousand dollars or less, or an antique motor vehicle as defined by Section 56-3-2210. When an insurance company is involved, the fair market value of the vehicle must be determined as of the date immediately before the event which gave rise to the claim. When an insurance company is not involved, then the fair market value must be determined as of the last day on which the vehicle was lawfully operated on a public highway or the last day on which it was registered, whichever is later. (H) A person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, for a first offense, must be fined not less than two nor more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both. For a second or subsequent offense, the fine must not be less than five hundred dollars and not more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Effect of Amendment 2019 Act No. 17, SECTION 1, in (B), inserted the second and third sentences, providing a procedure for an insurance company or its agent to obtain a certificate of title for a vehicle from the Department of Motor Vehicles when a claimant fails to deliver the title under certain circumstances. 2021 Act No. 27, SECTION 3, rewrote the section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5140 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-5140
SECTION 56-5-5140. Vehicles transporting explosives.
Status: in_force

Any person operating any vehicle transporting any explosive as a cargo or part of a cargo upon a highway shall at all times comply with the provisions of this section. Such vehicle shall be marked or placarded on each side and the rear with the word "Explosive" in letters not less than eight inches high or there shall be displayed on the rear of such vehicle a red flag not less than twenty-four inches square marked with the word "Danger" in white letters six inches high. Every such vehicle shall be equipped with not less than two fire extinguishers, filled and ready for immediate use and placed at a convenient point on the vehicle so used. The Department of Public Safety shall promulgate such additional regulations governing the transportation of explosives and other dangerous articles by vehicles upon the highways as it shall deem advisable for the protection of the public.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2340 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 25 / Section 56-3-2340
SECTION 56-3-2340. Licensed motor vehicle dealers to issue first time registrations and license plates from dealership; certification of third-party providers; fees.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles, or its designated agent, shall require licensed motor vehicle dealers to issue temporary motor vehicle registrations and temporary license plates directly from the dealership. Unless disallowed by the department, any dealership that begins a transaction through a third-party vendor pursuant to Section 56-3-210(C)(2) that provides a service connection between issuing entities and the department must complete the entire transaction, including titling and registering the vehicle in the same manner. Unless extenuating circumstances apply, at the department's discretion, dealers may not obtain certificates of title, temporary motor vehicle registrations, or temporary license plates from the department's branch offices. A dealership must make attempts to apply to the department electronically, including utilizing digital scans of forms approved and provided by the department. (B) The department may certify third-party providers to process titles, temporary license plates as provided in Section 56-3-210, license plates, and vehicle registration transactions on behalf of the department. The department shall develop program standards and specifications that would be required for certification. Third parties requesting certification must agree to the program terms, conditions, standards, and specifications in order to participate. (C) The department is authorized to collect a transaction fee from entities who either transmit or retrieve data from the department pursuant to this section. The fee must not exceed the fee authorized in Section 56-19-265(B) for each transaction. These fees 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. Editor's Note 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 40(C)(1), provides as follows: "[SECTION 40.](C)(1) SECTIONS 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 30, 31, 32, and 33 take effect eight months after the approval by the Governor, provided that necessary solicitations are awarded in a timely manner in accordance with the State Consolidated Procurement Code." Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 12, rewrote (A).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 1 / Section 56-11-20
SECTION 56-11-20. Enforcement of motor carrier road tax provisions; International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA).
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Public Safety each shall enforce this chapter with respect to the possession of correct registration and display of the proper identification marker. Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter, the department may enter into an agreement with other states in a registration and identification marker reciprocal agreement known as the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA). Qualified vehicles operating in accordance with this agreement are not required to purchase other fuel markers in member states.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-376 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-376
SECTION 56-3-376. Establishment of system of registration of motor vehicles on monthly basis; assignment of annual registration periods.
Status: in_force

(A) All vehicles except those vehicles designated in Section 56-3-780 are designated as distinct classifications and must be assigned an annual registration period as follows: (1) Classification (1). Vehicles for which the biennial registration fee is one hundred sixty dollars or more. The Department of Motor Vehicles may register and license a vehicle for which the biennial registration fee is one hundred sixty dollars or more or for a semiannual or one-half year upon application to the department by the owner and the payment of one-fourth of the specified biennial fee. Biennial registrations and licenses expire at midnight on the last day of the twenty-fourth month for the period for which they were issued. Semiannual or half-year registrations and licenses expire at midnight of the sixth month for the period for which they were issued and no person shall drive, move, or operate a vehicle upon a highway after the expiration of the registration and license until the vehicle is registered and licensed for the then current period. Trucks, truck tractors, or road tractors with an empty or unloaded weight of five thousand pounds or less, or gross vehicle weight of eight thousand pounds or less also must be placed in this classification but may not be registered for less than a full biennial period. (2) Classification (2). Other vehicles. All other vehicles except those vehicles described in classification (1) and (3) of this section are assigned a staggered biennial registration which expires on the last day of the month for the period for which they were issued. (3) Classification (3). Large commercial motor vehicles and buses registered by motor carriers, as defined in Section 12-37-2810, are assigned a staggered annual registration which expires on the last day of the month for the period for which they were issued. (B) Notwithstanding the registration periods provided in this section, upon appropriate notice, the department may revise the established renewal dates to allow renewals to be assigned an expiration date pursuant to a staggered monthly basis. 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.B, inserted the paragraph identifiers; in (A)(2), inserted "and (3)"; and added (A)(3), relating to the classification of large commercial motor vehicles and buses. 2021 Act No. 37, SECTION 1, in the second and third sentences, substituted "one hundred" for "one-hundred", and in the sixth sentence, substituted "of five thousand pounds or less" for "of over five thousand pounds or less".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-110 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-110
SECTION 56-16-110. Manufacturer's specification of dealer's delivery and preparation obligations.
Status: in_force

Every manufacturer shall specify to the dealer the delivery and preparation obligations of its motorcycle dealers prior to delivery of new motorcycles to retail buyers. A copy of the delivery and preparation obligations of its motorcycle dealers and a schedule or statement of the compensation to be paid or credited to its motorcycle dealers for the work and services they are required to perform in connection with such delivery and preparation obligations must be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles by every motorcycle manufacturer and shall constitute any such dealer's only responsibility for product liability as between the dealer and the manufacturer. The compensation as set forth on the schedule or statement is reasonable and paid or credited as set out in Section 56-16-30.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-100 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-100
SECTION 56-16-100. Particular unlawful acts; duty of Office of Administrator with regard to investigation and enjoining of abuses involving motorcycles.
Status: in_force

(1) It is a violation of paragraph (a) of Section 56-16-90 for any manufacturer, factory branch, factory representative, distributor, or wholesaler, distributor branch, distributor representative, or motorcycle dealer to engage in any action which is arbitrary, in bad faith, or unconscionable and which causes damage to any of the parties or to the public. (2) It is a violation of paragraph (a) of Section 56-16-90 for a manufacturer, a distributor, a wholesaler, a distributor branch or division, a factory branch or division, or a wholesale branch or division, or officer, agent, or other representative thereof, to coerce, or attempt to coerce, any motorcycle dealer: (a) To order or accept delivery of any motorcycle, appliances, equipment, parts, or accessories therefor, or any other commodity or commodities which such motorcycle dealer has not voluntarily ordered. (b) To order or accept delivery of any motorcycle with special features, appliances, accessories, or equipment not included in the list price of the motorcycle as publicly advertised by the manufacturer thereof. (c) To order for any person any parts, accessories, equipment, machinery, tools, appliances, or any commodity whatsoever. (3) It is a violation of paragraph (a) of Section 56-16-90 for a manufacturer, a distributor, a wholesaler, a distributor branch or division, a factory branch or division, or a wholesale branch or division, or officer, agent, or other representative thereof: (a) To refuse to deliver, in reasonable quantities and within a reasonable time after receipt of dealer's order, to any motorcycle dealer having a franchise or contractual arrangement for the retail sale of new motor vehicles sold or distributed by such manufacturer, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, any such motorcycles as are covered by such franchise or contract specifically publicly advertised by such manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division to be available for immediate delivery. The failure to deliver any motorcycle is not a violation of this chapter if the failure is due to an act of God, work stoppage, or delay due to a strike or labor difficulty, shortage of materials, freight embargo, or other cause over which the manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler, or any agent thereof, has no control. (b) To coerce, or attempt to coerce, any motorcycle dealer to enter into any agreement with such manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, or officer, agent, or other representative thereof, or to do any other act prejudicial to such dealer by threatening to cancel any franchise or any contractual agreement existing between such manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, and such dealer. Notice in good faith to any motorcycle dealer of such dealer's violation of any terms or provisions of such franchise or contractual agreement is not a violation of this chapter. (c) To terminate or cancel the franchise or selling agreement of any dealer without due cause. The nonrenewal of a franchise or selling agreement, without due cause, is an unfair termination or cancellation, regardless of the terms or provisions of the franchise or selling agreement. The manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, or officer, agent, or other representatives thereof shall notify a motorcycle dealer in writing of the termination or cancellation of the franchise or selling agreement of the dealer at least sixty days before the effective date thereof, stating the specific grounds for such termination or cancellation; and such manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, or officer, agent, or other representative thereof shall notify a motorcycle dealer in writing at least sixty days before the contractual term of his franchise or selling agreement expires that it will not be renewed, stating the specific grounds for such nonrenewal in those cases where there is no intention to renew, and in no event shall the contractual term of any such franchise or selling agreement expire, without the written consent of the motorcycle dealer involved, prior to the expiration of at least sixty days following such written notice. During the sixty-day period, either party may in appropriate circumstances petition a court to modify the sixty-day stay or to extend it pending a final determination of the proceedings on the merits. The court has authority to grant preliminary and final injunctive relief. (d) To resort to or use any false or misleading advertisement in connection with his business as such manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, distributor branch or division, factory branch or division, or wholesale branch or division, or officer, agent, or other representative thereof. (e) To offer to sell or to sell any new motorcycle to any motorcycle dealer at a lower actual price therefor than the actual price offered to any other motorcycle dealer for the same model cycle similarly equipped or to utilize any device including, but not limited to, sales promotion plans or programs which result in such lesser actual price. The provisions of this item do not apply to sales to a motorcycle dealer for resale to any unit of the United States Government, the State, or any of its political subdivisions. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to sales to a motorcycle dealer of any motorcycle ultimately sold, donated, or used by the dealer in a driver education program. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply so long as a manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler, or any agent thereof, offers to sell or sells new motorcycles to all motorcycle dealers at an equal price. This provision does not apply to sales by manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler to the United States Government or any agency thereof. (f) To offer to sell or to sell parts or accessories to any new motorcycle dealer for use in his own business for the purpose of repairing or replacing it on a comparable part or accessory, at a lower actual price therefor than the actual price charged to any other new motorcycle dealer for similar parts or accessories for use in his own business. In those cases where motorcycle dealers operate and serve as wholesalers of parts and accessories to retail outlets or other dealers, whether or not the dealer is regularly designated as a wholesaler, nothing herein contained may be construed to prevent a manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler, or any agent thereof, from selling to a motorcycle dealer who operates and services as a wholesaler of parts and accessories, such parts and accessories as may be ordered by such motorcycle dealer for resale to retail outlets, at a lower actual price than the actual price charged a motorcycle dealer who does not operate or serve as a wholesaler of parts and accessories. (g) To prevent or attempt to prevent by contract or otherwise, any motorcycle dealer from changing the capital structure of his dealership or the means by or through which he finances the operation of his dealership, provided the dealer at all times meets any reasonable capital standards agreed to between the dealership and the manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler, and provided the change by the dealer does not result in a change in the executive management of the dealership. (h) To prevent or attempt to prevent by contract or otherwise, any motorcycle dealer or any officer, partner, or stockholder of any motorcycle dealer from selling or transferring any part of the interest of any of them to any other person or party. No dealer, officer, partner, or stockholder has the right to sell, transfer, or assign the franchise or power of management or control thereunder without the consent of the manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler except that the consent is being unreasonably withheld. (i) To obtain money, goods, services, anything of value, or any other benefit from any other person with whom the motorcycle dealer does business, on account of or in relation to the transactions between the dealer and such other person, unless the benefit is promptly accounted for and transmitted to the motorcycle dealer. (j) To require a motorcycle dealer to assent to a release, assignment, novation, waiver, or estoppel which would relieve any person from liability imposed by this chapter. (4) It is a violation of paragraph (a) of Section 56-16-90 for a motorcycle dealer: (a) To require a purchaser of a new motorcycle, as a condition of sale and delivery thereof, to also purchase special features, appliances, equipment, parts, or accessories not desired or requested by the purchaser. This prohibition does not apply as to special features, appliances, equipment, parts, or accessories which are already installed on the motorcycle when received by the dealer provided the motorcycle dealer prior to the consummation of the purchase reveals to the purchaser the substance of this paragraph. (b) To represent and sell as a new motorcycle any motorcycle which has been used and operated for demonstration purposes or which is otherwise a used motorcycle. (c) To resort to or use any false or misleading advertisement in connection with his business as such motorcycle dealer. (5) There is created the Office of Administrator, within the Attorney General's office, and he shall appoint such personnel within his office for the purpose of regulating this chapter. The Administrator has the power to investigate, issue cease and desist orders and injunctive relief on any valid abuse connected with the sale, rental, or leasing of a new or used motorcycle. This power only applies after reasonable attempts by the consumer have been made with the seller, dealer, manufacturer, or lessor of the motorcycle to alleviate the complaint.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-14-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 14 / Section 56-14-10
SECTION 56-14-10. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter: (1) "Area of sales responsibility" means the geographical area, agreed to by the dealer and the manufacturer in the manufacturer/dealer agreement, within which area the dealer has the exclusive right to display or sell the manufacturer's new recreational vehicles of a particular line make to the retail public. (2) "Dealer" means any person, firm, corporation, or business entity licensed or required to be licensed under this chapter to sell new recreational vehicles to the retail public. The term includes a "recreational vehicle dealer" and a "new recreational vehicle dealer" as used in this chapter. This definition does not include: (a) receivers, trustees, administrators, executors, guardians, or other persons appointed by or acting under the judgment or order of any court; (b) a public official conducting the official duty of his office; (c) persons disposing of motor vehicles acquired for their own use and used in good faith and not for the purpose of avoiding the provisions of law. Any person who effects or attempts to effect the sale of more than five recreational vehicles in any calendar year is considered a dealer or wholesaler, as appropriate, for purposes of this chapter; (d) finance companies or other financial institutions who sell repossessed recreational vehicles and insurance companies who sell recreational vehicles owned as an incident to payments made under policies of insurance. (3) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. (4) "Factory campaign" means an effort on the part of a warrantor to contact recreational vehicle owners or dealers in order to address a part or equipment issue. (5) "Family member" means a spouse, child, grandchild, parent, sibling, niece, nephew, or the spouse thereof. (6) "Line make" means a specific series of recreational vehicle products that: (a) are identified by a common series trade name or trademark; (b) are targeted to a particular market segment, as determined by their decor, features, equipment, size, weight, and price range; (c) have lengths and interior floor plans that distinguish the recreational vehicles from other recreational vehicles with substantially the same decor, equipment, features, price, and weight; (d) belong to a single, distinct classification of recreational vehicle product type having a substantial degree of commonality in the construction of the chassis, frame, and body; and (e) the manufacturer/dealer agreement authorizes a dealer to sell. (7) "Manufacturer" means any person, firm, corporation, or business entity that engages in the manufacturing of recreational vehicles. (8) "Manufacturer/dealer agreement" means a written agreement or contract entered into between a manufacturer and a dealer that fixes the rights and responsibilities of the parties and pursuant to which the dealer sells new recreational vehicles. (9) "New recreational vehicle" means a recreational vehicle that has never been sold to the retail public nor titled or registered in any state. (10) "Person" means a natural person, corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity, and in case of an entity, includes any other entity in which it has a majority interest or effectively controls, as well as the individual officers, directors, and other persons in active control of the activities of each such entity. (11) "Proprietary part" means any part manufactured by or for and sold exclusively by the manufacturer. (12) "Recreational vehicle" means a motorhome, travel trailer, fifth-wheel trailer, or folding camping trailer designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, as defined herein. (13) "Motorhome" means a self-propelled vehicle designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use that complies with all applicable federal vehicle regulations. The unit must contain at least four of the following permanently installed independent life support systems which meet the NFPA 1192 Standard for Recreational Vehicles: (a) a cooking facility with an on-board fuel source; (b) a potable water supply system that includes at least a sink, a faucet, and a water tank with an exterior service supply connection; (c) a toilet with exterior evacuation; (d) a gas or electric refrigerator; (e) a heating or air conditioning system with an on-board power or fuel source separate from the vehicle engine; or (f) an electric power system. (14) "Travel trailer" means a vehicle mounted on wheels designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use that complies with all applicable federal vehicle regulations and is of such size and weight as to not require a special highway movement permit when towed by a motorized vehicle. (15) "Fifth-wheel trailer" means a vehicle mounted on wheels designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use that complies with all applicable federal vehicle regulations and is of such size and weight as to not require a special highway movement permit when towed by a motorized vehicle equipped with a towing mechanism that is mounted above or forward of the tow vehicle's rear axle. (16) "Folding camping trailer" means a vehicle mounted on wheels designed to provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use that complies with all applicable federal vehicle regulations and is constructed with collapsible partial side walls that fold for towing by another vehicle. (17) "Supplier" means any person, firm, corporation, or business entity that engages in the manufacturing of recreational vehicle parts, accessories, or components. (18) "Transient customer" means a customer who is temporarily traveling through a dealer's area of sales responsibility. (19) "Warrantor" means any person, firm, corporation, or business entity, including any manufacturer or supplier that provides a written warranty to the consumer in connection with a new recreational vehicle or a part, accessory, or component. The term does not include service contracts, mechanical or other insurance, or extended warranties sold for separate consideration by a dealer or other person not controlled by a manufacturer. 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. § 56-1-1770 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 9 / Section 56-1-1770
SECTION 56-1-1770. Application for moped operator's license.
Status: in_force

Application for a moped operator's license must be in accordance with the procedures and requirements of Article 1, Chapter 1 of Title 56.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-410 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 4 / Section 56-15-410
SECTION 56-15-410. Required pre-licensing education courses.
Status: in_force

An applicant for an initial nonfranchise automobile dealer license must complete successfully at least eight hours of pre-licensing education courses before he may be issued a license. At least one shareholder listed on the application for an initial nonfranchise automobile dealer license must comply with the education requirement contained in this section.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-353 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 4 / Section 56-9-353
SECTION 56-9-353. Type and terms of policy or bond.
Status: in_force

No policy or bond shall be effective under Sections 56-9-351 and 56-9-352 unless issued by an insurance company or surety company licensed and authorized by the South Carolina Department of Insurance to do business in this State, except that if the motor vehicle was not registered in this State or was a motor vehicle which was registered elsewhere than in this State at the effective date of the policy or bond or the most recent renewal thereof, the policy or bond shall not be effective under Sections 56-9-351 and 56-9-352 unless the insurance company or surety company if not authorized to do business in this State shall execute a power of attorney authorizing the Department of Motor Vehicles to accept service on its behalf of notice of process in any action upon the policy or bond arising out of the accident. Every policy or bond must be subject, if the accident has resulted in bodily injury or death, to a limit, exclusive of interest and costs, of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, and subject to this limit for one person, to a limit of not less than fifty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and, if the accident has resulted in injury to or destruction of property, to a limit of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3180 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 25 / Section 56-5-3180
SECTION 56-5-3180. Pedestrians soliciting rides or business.
Status: in_force

(a) No person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride. (b) Except when authorized by the provisions of Section 5-27-910, no person shall stand on a highway for the purpose of soliciting employment, business, or contributions from the occupant of any vehicle. (c) No person may stand on or in proximity to a street or highway for the purpose of soliciting the watching or guarding of any vehicle while parked or about to be parked on a street or highway.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-4200 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 42 / Section 56-3-4200
SECTION 56-3-4200. Authority to issue special license plates; collector plates; fees; minimum number of orders.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Carolina Panthers" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plates an emblem, seal, or symbol of the National Football League's Carolina Panthers. The National Football League's Carolina Panthers shall submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or symbol it desires to be used for the plates. The National Football League's Carolina Panthers shall submit to the department written authorization for the use of any copyrighted or registered logos, trademarks, or designs. The National Football League may request a change in the emblem, seal, or symbol not more than once every five years. The plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. The fee for the plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of seventy dollars. (B) The department also may provide, upon request, special "Carolina Panthers" collector license plates which must not be displayed on a vehicle registered or required to be registered in this State. A person displaying the collector license plates on a vehicle registered or required to be registered in this State is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than one hundred dollars or be imprisoned for not more than thirty days. The collector license plates must be the same size and general design of the "Carolina Panthers" special motor vehicle license plates. The fee for issuance of the collector license plates is twenty-five dollars. The words "collector license plate" must be imprinted on the collector license plates. (C) Notwithstanding another provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of the department in producing and administering the plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and used by the State Park Service for recreational enhancements and improvements. (D) Before the department produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred prepaid applications for the plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department shall refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of fees is collected for the plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the plate, then the department shall retain the deposit; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the plate which must be approved by the department. (E) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for the plate, it may not produce additional plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-120 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-120
SECTION 56-15-120. Limitation of actions.
Status: in_force

Actions rising out of any provision of this chapter shall be commenced within four years next after the cause of action accrues; provided, however, that if a person liable hereunder conceals the cause of action from the knowledge of the person entitled to bring it, the period prior to the discovery of his cause of action by the person so entitled shall be excluded in determining the time limited for the commencement of the action. If a cause of action accrues during the pendency of any civil, criminal or administrative proceeding against a person brought by the United States, or any of its agencies, under the antitrust laws, the Federal Trade Commission Act, or any other Federal act, or the laws of the State related to antitrust laws or to franchising, such actions may be commenced within one year after the final disposition of such civil, criminal or administrative proceeding.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-230 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-230
SECTION 56-19-230. Owners shall apply for certificates.
Status: in_force

Except as otherwise provided for in this chapter, every owner of a vehicle which is in this State and for which no certificate of title has been issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles shall make application to the Department for a certificate of title of the vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1580 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 11 / Section 56-5-1580
SECTION 56-5-1580. Contents of complaint and summons or notice to appear charging speeding.
Status: in_force

In every charge of violation of any speed regulation in this article, the complaint and summons or notice to appear shall specify the speed at which the defendant is alleged to have driven and the maximum speed applicable within the district or at the location.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3680 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 29 / Section 56-5-3680
SECTION 56-5-3680. Wind screens.
Status: in_force

The provisions of Section 56-5-3670 with respect to goggles and face shields shall not apply to the operator of a two-wheeled motorized vehicle equipped with a wind screen meeting specifications established by the Department of Public Safety. The department is hereby authorized to adopt and amend regulations covering types of wind screens and specifications therefor.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 1 / Section 56-11-10
SECTION 56-11-10. Definitions.
Status: in_force

When used in this chapter, the term "motor carrier" means every person who operates or causes to be operated on any highways in this State road tractors, truck tractors, trucks having more than two axles, or passenger vehicles designed to seat more than twenty occupants. For the purposes of this section, the federal government, the State, counties, municipalities, churches, and any agents of them, and special mobile equipment as defined in item (11) of Section 56-3-20, must not be deemed "motor carriers".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7300 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 62 / Section 56-3-7300
SECTION 56-3-7300. Saltwater Fishing special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Saltwater Fishing" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names. The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of seventy-five dollars. (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be deposited in a special account, separate and apart from the general fund, established within and administered by the Department of Natural Resources to manage and conserve the marine resources of the State. (C) Before the department produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the license plate, then the department must retain the deposit; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate that must be approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate authorized under this section, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4790 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4790
SECTION 56-5-4790. Single-beam road-lighting equipment.
Status: in_force

Head lamps arranged to provide a single distribution of light not supplemented by auxiliary driving lamps shall be permitted on motor vehicles manufactured and sold prior to April 29, 1939 in lieu of multiple-beam road-lighting equipment herein specified, if the single distribution of light complies with the following requirements and limitations: (1) The head lamps shall be so aimed that when the vehicle is not loaded none of the high-intensity portion of the light shall at a distance of twenty-five feet ahead project higher than a level of five inches below the level of the center of the lamp from which it comes and in no case higher than forty-two inches above the level on which the vehicle stands at a distance of seventy-five feet ahead; and (2) The intensity shall be sufficient to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least two hundred feet.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-16000 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 150 / Section 56-3-16000
SECTION 56-3-16000. South Carolina Equine Industry special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Equine Industry" special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (B) This special license plate must be the same size and general design as regular motor vehicle license plates. The department may issue this special license plate six months following approval of its design. (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 each special license plate is thirty dollars plus the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56. Any portion of the thirty-dollar fee in excess of the costs of production and distribution of the license plates must be distributed to the Department of Agriculture for the purpose of promoting the equine industry in the State.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-600 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-600
SECTION 56-5-600. Stop, stopping, or standing defined.
Status: in_force

"Stop," "stopping" or "standing," when prohibited, means any stopping or standing of a vehicle whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control sign or signal.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-611 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-611
SECTION 56-5-611. Alley defined.
Status: in_force

A street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in urban districts and not intended for the purpose of through vehicular traffic is an "alley".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 1 / Section 56-5-10
SECTION 56-5-10. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter may be cited as the "Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-20
SECTION 56-1-20. Driver's license required; surrender and disposition of out-of-state licenses; local licenses.
Status: in_force

No person, except those expressly exempted in this article shall drive any motor vehicle upon a highway in this State unless such person has a valid motor vehicle driver's license issued to him under the provisions of this article. No person shall receive a motor vehicle driver's license unless and until he surrenders to the Department of Motor Vehicles all valid operators' licenses in his possession issued to him by any other state within forty-five days of becoming a resident of this State, unless specifically exempted by law. All surrendered licenses shall be returned by the department to the issuing department, agency, or political subdivision. No person shall be permitted to have more than one valid motor vehicle driver's license or operator's license at any time. Any person holding a currently valid motor vehicle driver's license issued under this article may exercise the privilege thereby granted upon all streets and highways in the State and shall not be required to obtain any other license to exercise such privilege by any county, municipal, or local board or body having authority to adopt local police regulations; provided, however, that this provision shall not serve to prevent a county, municipal, or local board from requiring persons to obtain additional licenses to operate taxis, buses, or other public conveyances. Editor's Note 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 40(F), provides as follows: "[SECTION 40.](F) The remaining SECTIONS of this act, and Sections 56-3-214(A), 56-3-214(B)(1), 56-3-214(B)(2), 56-3-214(B)(3), 56-3-214(G), 56-1-20, 56-23-40, 56-23-60, and 56-23-105 take effect upon approval by the Governor." Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 51, SECTION 37, in the first undesignated paragraph, in the second sentence, inserted "within forty-five days of becoming a resident of this State, unless specifically exempted by law", and made nonsubstantive changes.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-265 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-265
SECTION 56-19-265. Liens or encumbrances recorded on motor vehicles or titled mobile homes; transmission of lien information; transaction fees; continuation statement.
Status: in_force

(A) Any liens or encumbrances on a motor vehicle or titled mobile home must be noted on the printed title or electronically through the Department of Motor Vehicles' Electronic Title and Lien System. The department shall transmit the lien to the first lienholder and notify the first lienholder of additional liens. This transmittal must be done electronically for business entities or by paper certificate for nonbusiness entities (persons purchasing vehicles for personal use from persons selling vehicles they have used primarily for personal use). Lien recordings and subsequent lien satisfactions may be electronically transmitted to the department and shall include the name and address of the person satisfying the lien. Electronic transmission of liens and lien satisfaction does not require a certificate of title until the last lien is satisfied and a clear certificate of title is issued to the owner of the motor vehicle or mobile home. The owner has the option to retain the electronic copy of the title with the department once all liens are satisfied. When a motor vehicle or mobile home is subject to an electronic lien, the certificate of title for the motor vehicle or mobile home is considered to be physically held by the lienholder for purposes of compliance with state or federal odometer disclosure requirements, and a duly certified copy of the department's electronic record of the lien is admissible in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding in this State as evidence of the existence of the lien. The lienholder shall have the option to receive a paper certificate of title and to receive notices of subsequent liens and satisfaction of liens by way of the United States Postal Service. Business entities are subject to fees contained in subsection (D). (B) The department is authorized to convene a working group chaired by the director of the department or his designee for the purpose of assisting in the development of program specifications governing the transmission of electronic lien information between lienholders and the department, and maximize the use of the program by various lien stakeholders. The working group will be composed of members of the lienholder community, representing applicable industries. The director is authorized to appoint members of the working group to ensure that all stakeholders are represented. The working group will be a standing group convened on a regular basis until all specifications have been developed. The department also is charged with promulgating regulations pursuant to the specifications and standards for lien recording and releasing developed by the working group. (C) All entities submitting lien information electronically under this program are required to comply with all regulations. (D) The department is authorized to collect a transaction fee from commercial entities who either transmit or retrieve data from the department pursuant to this section. The fee must not exceed five dollars for each transaction and must be agreed to as part of the program specifications developed by the working group. These fees must be placed by the State Treasurer into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167. (E) Commercial entities and lenders who either transmit or retrieve data from the department pursuant to this section, notwithstanding Sections 37-2-202 and 37-3-202, may collect transaction fees from owners of the vehicles or mobile homes not to exceed a fee of five dollars for each transaction which must be agreed to as part of the program specifications developed by the working group. All fees charged by the department to any party as to a titled motor vehicle, motor home, or mobile home for purposes of transmittal or retrieval of this data is an "official fee" as referenced in Sections 37-2-202 and 37-3-202. (F) All businesses and commercial lienholders who are regularly engaged in the business or practice of selling motor vehicles as dealers licensed under Chapter 15 of this title or in the business or practice of financing motor vehicles shall utilize the electronic lien system to transmit and receive electronic lien information as described by subsection (A). The department shall maintain contact information on its website for service providers providing an electronic interface between the department, lienholders and sellers of motor vehicles. The department may establish procedures to ensure businesses comply with use of the electronic lien system and to deal with valid exceptions as determined by the department. (G) Any lien upon a vehicle titled by the State, except upon vehicles defined as motor homes, mobile homes, special mobile equipment, or commercial trucks, shall be deemed effective for a period of twelve years from the date the lien was perfected. The effectiveness of the lien lapses at the end of this twelve-year period unless a continuation statement is filed pursuant to this subsection by the entity existing on the current title as lienholder using the application process acceptable by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The department shall publish forms for the purpose of filing a continuation statement. The lienholder shall not make application for lien continuation until no more than six months prior to lien expiration. Upon a timely filing of a continuation statement in accordance with this subsection, the lien will be effective for a period of two additional years from the date of the filing of the continuation statement. The responsibility of lien continuation lies with the lender. The twelve-year effective lien period refers to the age of the lien, not the age of the vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 5 / Section 56-19-610
SECTION 56-19-610. Chapter inapplicable to certain liens and security interests.
Status: in_force

This chapter does not apply to or affect: (1) A lien given by statute or rule of law to a supplier of services or materials for the vehicle; (2) A lien given by statute to the United States, this State or any political subdivision of this State, if such lien is recorded on the title; (3) A security interest in a vehicle created by a manufacturer or dealer who holds the vehicle for sale; or (4) Attachment liens provided for in Section 29-15-20.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-640 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 2 / Section 56-1-640
SECTION 56-1-640. Reciprocity in reporting convictions; information to be reported.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall report each conviction of a person from another party jurisdiction, Canada, or Mexico occurring within South Carolina to the licensing authority of the home jurisdiction of the licensee. The report shall clearly identify the person convicted, describe the violation specifying the section of the statute or ordinance violated, identify the court in which action was taken, indicate whether a plea of guilty or not guilty was entered or the conviction was a result of the forfeiture of bail, bond, or other security, and include any special findings.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1390 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 7 / Section 56-1-1390
SECTION 56-1-1390. Appeals; notice of hearing.
Status: in_force

Any person applying for the provisional driver's license provided for in this article whose application is denied by the Department of Motor Vehicles may appeal to the circuit court or county court of the county in which he resides. The department shall be given at least ten days' notice of the hearing of the appeal.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-50 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-50
SECTION 56-1-50. Beginner's permit; hours and conditions of vehicle operation; renewal and fee; driver's training course; eligibility for full licensure.
Status: in_force

(A) A person who is at least fifteen years of age may apply to the department for a beginner's permit. After the applicant has passed successfully the knowledge examination, the department may issue to the applicant a beginner's permit. A beginner's permit entitles the permittee having the permit in his immediate possession to drive a motor vehicle on public highways under the conditions contained in this section for not more than twelve months. (B) The permit is valid only in the operation of: (1) vehicles after six o'clock a.m. and not later than midnight. Except as provided in subsection (E), while driving, the permittee must be accompanied by a licensed driver twenty-one years of age or older who has had at least one year of driving experience. A permittee may not drive between midnight and six o'clock a.m. unless accompanied by any licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1-7); (2) motorcycles. While driving a motorcycle during nighttime hours, the permittee must be accompanied by a motorcycle-licensed driver twenty-one years of age or older who has had at least one year of driving experience. (C) The accompanying driver must: (1) occupy a seat beside the permittee when the permittee is operating a motor vehicle; or (2) be within a safe viewing distance of the permittee when the permittee is operating a motorcycle or a moped. (D) A beginner's permit may be renewed or a new permit issued for additional periods of twelve months. However, the department may refuse to renew or issue a new permit where the examining officer has reason to believe the applicant has not made a bona fide effort to pass the required driver's road test or does not appear to the examining officer to have the aptitude to pass the road test. The fee for every beginner's or renewal permit is two dollars and fifty cents, and the permit must bear the full name, date of birth, and residence address and a brief description and unobstructed photograph of the permittee and a facsimile of the signature of the permittee or a space upon which the permittee shall write his usual signature with pen and ink immediately upon receipt of the permit. A permit is not valid until it has been signed by the permittee. (E) The following persons are not required to obtain a beginner's permit to operate a motor vehicle: (1) a student at least fifteen years of age regularly enrolled in a high school of this State which conducts a driver's training course while the student is participating in the course and when accompanied by a qualified instructor of the course; (2) a person fifteen years of age or older enrolled in a driver training course conducted by a driver training school licensed under Chapter 23 of this title. However, this person at all times must be accompanied by an instructor of the school and may drive only an automobile owned or leased by the school which is covered by liability insurance in an amount not less than the minimum required by law; and (3) a person who has satisfied the beginner's permit requirements set forth in law or with sufficient previous driving experience that exempts the person from the beginner's permit requirements when performing the driving test with a department employee. (F) A person who is at least fifteen years of age who has never held a form of license evidencing previous driving experience first must be issued a beginner's permit and must hold the beginner's permit for at least one hundred eighty days before being eligible for full licensure as set forth in this title. A person obtaining solely a moped operator's license pursuant to Section 56-1-1720 is not required to hold a beginner's permit before operating a moped. (G) A person who is eighteen years old or older may attempt the driving test to obtain a regular motor vehicle driver's license after maintaining a beginner's permit for at least thirty days. This does not apply to motorcycle permits or permits for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more. (H) The fees collected pursuant to this section must be credited to the Department of Transportation State Non-Federal Aid Highway Fund. (I) A person who holds a motorcycle beginner's permit who fails the motorcycle driver's license test three or more times must successfully complete a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course, or its equivalent, in lieu of passing the motorcycle driver's license test, in order to obtain a motorcycle license. All courses must be at least eight hours in length and be taught by an instructor accredited through a training program in which the procedures for accreditation are equivalent to those set forth in "Manual of Rules and Procedures" published by the National Safety Council. All courses must include successful completion of an examination equivalent to the Department of Motor Vehicles motorcycle skills test. These programs are subject to Section 56-1-15. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 3, amended the section, deleting the provisions that allowed a permit holder to operate a moped, revising the time of day and conditions upon which a permittee may operate a motorcycle, and deleting an obsolete provision. 2018 Act No. 127, SECTION 1, added (H), providing that a person who has failed the motorcycle driver's license test three or more times must successfully complete a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course, or its equivalent, in lieu of passing the test. 2018 Act No. 259, SECTION 1, in (B)(1), in the second sentence, substituted "any licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1-7)" for "the permittee's licensed parent or guardian; and". 2022 Act No. 148, SECTION 3, in (D), in the third sentence, substituted "unobstructed photograph of the permittee" for "color photograph of the permittee". 2024 Act No. 146, SECTION 1, (A), in the second sentence, substituted "the knowledge examination" for "all parts of the examination other than the driving test"; in (E), added (3); rewrote (F); inserted (G) and redesignated former (G) and (H) as (H) and (I); and made nonsubstantive changes.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6250 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 43 / Section 56-5-6250
SECTION 56-5-6250. Determination of prior convictions; sentence.
Status: in_force

When an arrest is made under the provisions of this chapter, the arresting officer must make every effort to determine prior convictions under this chapter. In no instance is sentence to be imposed on a defendant until the court is satisfied prior convictions are properly considered as a part of the sentence.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-31-40 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 31 / Section 56-31-40
SECTION 56-31-40. Violations; application for restraining order; penalties.
Status: in_force

If the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a rental company has violated a provision of this chapter and that action is needed to serve the public interest, he may apply for a restraining order in the court of common pleas of Richland County. The court may grant appropriate final injunctive relief and impose a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each violation.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-100 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-100
SECTION 56-1-100. Application by unemancipated minor.
Status: in_force

(A) The application of an unemancipated minor for a beginner's permit or driver's license must be signed in the presence of a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles employee at the time of application by: (1) the father of the minor; (2) the mother of the minor; (3) the guardian of the minor; (4) an individual who has custody, care, and control of the minor; (5) any person set forth in subsection (C)(3) below with written approval by the Department of Social Services; (6) any person who has been standing in loco parentis of a minor for a continuous period of not less than sixty days; or (7) any responsible adult who is willing to assume the obligation imposed under this article and who has written permission, from a person listed in items (1)—(7) above, signed and verified before a person authorized to administer oaths. (B) The application of an emancipated minor for a beginner's permit or driver's license must be signed in the presence of a South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles employee at the time of application by a responsible adult who is willing to assume the obligation imposed under this article. (C) If the Department of Social Services has guardianship or legal custody of a minor, the application may be signed by: (1) the father of the minor; (2) the mother of the minor; or (3) the foster parent, preadoptive parent, or person responsible for the welfare of the child who resides in a childcare facility or residential group care home, upon written approval by the Department of Social Services. The disclosure of information by the Department of Social Services to the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to provide approval for the limited purpose of this code section shall not be a violation of Section 63-7-1990 or any other section of the Children's Code governing the dissemination of confidential information. The foster parent, preadoptive parent, or person responsible for the welfare of a child who resides in a childcare facility or residential group care home must obtain approval from the Department of Social Services prior to the request for an extension of a permit pursuant to Section 56-1-50. (D) Except as set forth in subsection (C)(3) above, upon the extension of a permit pursuant to Section 56-1-50, authorization by the person who originally signed the application, under subsections (A), (B), or (C) above, is not required. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 2, SECTION 1, amended the section by adding the paragraph designators, deleting the term "instruction permit", and revising the list of persons who must sign the application of an unemancipated minor.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-510 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-510
SECTION 56-5-510. Safety zone defined.
Status: in_force

A "safety zone" is an area or space officially set apart within a roadway for the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible at all times while set apart as a safety zone.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-340 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-340
SECTION 56-19-340. Certificate mailed to first lienholder or, if none, to owner.
Status: in_force

The certificate of title must be mailed to the first lienholder named in it or given to the lienholder's authorized agent or, if none, to the owner.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1965 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 18 / Section 56-3-1965
SECTION 56-3-1965. Free parking in metered or timed parking places for handicapped persons.
Status: reserved

Those municipalities having marked parking spaces shall provide appropriately designated space or spaces reserved for the parking of handicapped persons. A person who is handicapped as defined in this article must be allowed to park in metered or timed parking places without being subject to parking fees or fines. This section does not apply to areas or during times in which the stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles is prohibited or to areas which are reserved for special types of vehicles. A vehicle must display a distinguishing license plate which must be issued by the department, or a distinguishing placard which must be issued by the department, pursuant to Section 56-3-1960 when parked in metered or timed parking places.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-478 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-478
SECTION 56-1-478. Reciprocal agreements for collection of fines, fees, and other costs.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles may enter into reciprocal agreements with other states and political subdivisions for the collection of fines, fees, or other costs which resulted in the revocation of a person's driving privileges of a person applying for a driver's license or renewing a driver's license in this State.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1360 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 9 / Section 56-3-1360
SECTION 56-3-1360. Use of license plate on vehicle other than vehicle for which plate was issued.
Status: in_force

No person shall drive or operate any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or pole trailer on a highway displaying thereon a vehicle license plate which was issued for any other vehicle, and no person shall give, sell, lend, steal or borrow any vehicle license plate issued for a particular vehicle for the purpose of using such license plate on any other vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1030 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 7 / Section 56-5-1030
SECTION 56-5-1030. Interference with traffic-control devices or railroad signs or signals prohibited.
Status: in_force

(A) No person shall wilfully without lawful authority attempt to or in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down, or remove an official traffic-control device or a railroad sign or signal or its inscriptions, shields, or insignia. (B) A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be: (1) fined not less than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. The driver's license of a person convicted under this section must be revoked for not less than five years. In any case where a license has not been issued, the person is not eligible to obtain a license for five years from the date of conviction; (2) fined not less than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than ten years if injury results; (3) imprisoned not more than thirty years if death results.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-385 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-385
SECTION 56-1-385. Reinstatement of permanently revoked driver's license.
Status: in_force

(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person whose driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle has been revoked permanently pursuant to Section 56-5-2990 for an offense that occurred prior to October 1, 2014, excluding persons convicted of felony driving under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance under Section 56-5-2945, may petition the circuit court in the county of his residence for reinstatement of his driver's license and shall serve a copy of the petition upon the solicitor of the circuit. The solicitor or his designee within thirty days may respond to the petition and demand a hearing on the merits of the petition. If the solicitor or his designee does not demand a hearing, the circuit court shall consider any affidavit submitted by the petitioner and the solicitor or his designee when determining whether the conditions required for driving privilege reinstatement have been met by the petitioner. The court may order the reinstatement of the person's driver's license upon the following conditions: (1) the person must not have been convicted in this State or any other state of an alcohol or drug violation during the previous seven-year period; (2) the person must not have been convicted of or have charges pending in this State or another state for a violation of driving while his license is canceled, suspended, or revoked during the previous seven-year period; (3) the person must have completed successfully an alcohol or drug assessment and treatment program provided by the Office of Substance Use Services or an equivalent program designated by that agency; and (4) the person's overall driving record, attitude, habits, character, and driving ability would make it safe to grant him the privilege to operate a motor vehicle. (B)(1) A person may not seek reinstatement of his driver's license pursuant to this section if the person subsequently is convicted of, receives a sentence upon a plea of guilty or of nolo contendere, or forfeits bail posted for a violation of Section 56-5-2930 or for a violation of another law or ordinance of this State or any other state or of a municipality of this State or any other state that prohibits a person from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, drugs, or narcotics. (2) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a person whose license has been revoked pursuant to Section 56-5-2930 before the effective date of this section from seeking reinstatement of his license pursuant to the provisions in this section. (C) If a person's privilege to operate a motor vehicle is restored pursuant to this section, a subsequent violation of driving under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance or felony driving under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance will require the cancellation of the person's driver's license and the imposition of the full period of suspension and revocation for a previous violation. (D) Before a person may have his driver's license reinstated under this section he must: (1) pay a two hundred dollar filing fee to the court; and (2) successfully complete the requirements to obtain a driver's license contained in this article. 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. Effect of Amendment 2023 Act No. 55, SECTION 2, in (A), in the first sentence, inserted "for an offense that occurred prior to October 1, 2014".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-320 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-320
SECTION 56-5-320. Metal tire defined.
Status: in_force

Every tire the surface of which in contact with the highway is wholly or partly of metal or other hard, nonresilient material is a "metal tire."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-820 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 3 / Section 56-1-820
SECTION 56-1-820. Hearing on suspension.
Status: in_force

The licensee may, within ten days after notice of suspension, request in writing a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings, and upon receipt of the request the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings shall afford him a hearing in accordance with the State Administrative Procedures Act and the rules of procedure for the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-180 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-180
SECTION 56-1-180. Special restricted licenses for certain minors.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a special restricted driver's license to a person who is at least sixteen years of age and less than seventeen years of age, who has: (1) held a beginner's permit for at least one hundred eighty days; (2) passed a driver's education course as defined in subsection (F); (3) completed at least forty hours of driving practice, including at least ten hours of driving practice during darkness, supervised by any licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1-7); (4) passed successfully the road test or other requirements the department may prescribe; and (5) satisfied the school attendance requirement contained in Section 56-1-176. (B) A special restricted driver's license is valid only in the operation vehicles during daylight hours. The holder of a special restricted driver's license must be accompanied by a licensed adult, twenty-one years of age or older after six o'clock p.m. or eight o'clock p.m. during daylight saving time. The holder of a special restricted driver's license may not drive between midnight and six o'clock a.m. unless accompanied by any licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1-7). The accompanying driver must: (1) occupy a seat beside the conditional license holder when the conditional license holder is operating a motor vehicle; or (2) be within a safe viewing distance of the conditional license holder when the conditional license holder is operating a motorcycle or a moped. (C) The restrictions in this section may be modified or waived by the department if the restricted licensee proves to the department's satisfaction that the restriction interferes or substantially interferes with: (1) employment or the opportunity for employment; (2) travel between the licensee's home and place of employment or school; (3) travel between the licensee's home or place of employment and vocational training; (4) travel between the licensee's church, church-related and church-sponsored activities; or (5) travel between the licensee's parentally approved sports activities. (D) The waiver or modification of restrictions provided for in subsection (C) must include a statement of the purpose of the waiver or modification executed by the parents or legal guardian of the holder of the restricted license and documents executed by the driver's employment or school official, as is appropriate, evidencing the holder's need for the waiver or modification. (E) A special restricted license holder may not transport more than two passengers who are under twenty-one years of age unless accompanied by a licensed adult twenty-one years of age or older. This restriction does not apply when the special restricted license holder is transporting family members or students to or from school. (F) A driver training course, as used in this section, means a driver's training course administered by a driver's training school or a private, parochial, or public high school conducted by a person holding a valid driver's instruction permit contained in Section 56-23-85. (G) For purposes of issuing a special restricted driver's license pursuant to this section, the department must accept a certificate of completion for a student who attends or is attending an out-of-state high school and passed a qualified driver's training course or program that is equivalent to an approved course or program in this State. The department must establish procedures for approving qualified driver's training courses or programs for out-of-state students. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 5, amended the section, deleting the provision that allows a licensee to operate a motor scooter and the provision that defined the term "daylight hours", and providing the location that an accompanying driver must be seated when the licensee is operating a motor vehicle. 2018 Act No. 259, SECTION 4, in (A), in (3), substituted "any licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1-7)" for "the person's licensed parent or guardian"; and in (B), in the third sentence, substituted "any licensed individual listed in Section 56-1-100(A)(1-7)" for "the holder's licensed parent or guardian".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-146 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-146
SECTION 56-1-146. Surrender of driver's license by person convicted of certain crimes.
Status: in_force

When a person is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3) on or after July 1, 2011, in this State, the clerk of court must notify by mail, electronic mail, or facsimile the Department of Motor Vehicles within thirty days of the conviction of guilt or nolo contendere plea. The Department of Motor Vehicles must then notify the person who was convicted of the crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3) that he must surrender his driver's license or special identification card to the Department of Motor Vehicles by mail or in person, and the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue to the person by mail or in person a driver's license or special identification card with the identifying code as referenced in Section 56-1-148. If the person convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3) fails to surrender his driver's license or special identification card to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the driver's license or special identification card is considered canceled. Editor's Note 2010 Act No. 277, SECTION 7, provides: "This act takes effect July 1, 2011, and applies to all persons convicted of a crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3)."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-3500 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 35 / Section 56-3-3500
SECTION 56-3-3500. "Penn Center" license plates; fee; special fund for Penn Center, Inc.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Penn Center" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, or other symbol of the Penn Center. Penn Center, Inc. shall submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for this special license plate. Penn Center, Inc. may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol not more than once every five years. The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of thirty dollars. (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds 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 license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to Penn Center, Inc., to support its activities. (C) Before the department produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the license plate, then the department must retain the deposit; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate that must be approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate authorized under this section, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-550 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-550
SECTION 56-5-550. Traffic-control signal defined.
Status: in_force

Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed is a "traffic-control signal."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-10 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-10
SECTION 56-16-10. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter: (a) "Motorcycle" is defined in Section 56-1-10. This chapter does not apply to bicycles with helper motors. (b) "Manufacturer" means any person, resident, or nonresident who manufacturers or assembles new motorcycles, or imports for distribution through distributors of motor vehicles, including any person, partnership, or corporation which acts for and is under the control of a manufacturer or assembler in connection with the distribution of motorcycles and includes distributor and factory branch. (c) "Dealership facilities" means the real estate, buildings, fixtures, and improvements devoted to the conduct of business under the franchise by the new motorcycle dealer. (d) "Franchise" means the written agreement or contract between any new motorcycle manufacturer, and any new motorcycle dealer which purports to fix the legal rights and liabilities of the parties to such agreement or contract, and pursuant to which the dealer purchases and resells the franchised product or leases or rents the dealership premises. (e) "Factory branch" means a branch office maintained by a manufacturer which manufactures or assembles motorcycles for sale to distributors or motorcycle dealers or which is maintained for directing and supervising the representatives of the manufacturer. (f) "Distributor branch" means a branch office maintained by a distributor who sells or distributes new or used motorcycles to motorcycle dealers. (g) "Factory representative" means a representative employed by a manufacturer or by a factory branch for the purpose of making or promoting the sale of motorcycles or for supervising, servicing, instructing, or contracting with motorcycle dealers or prospective motorcycle dealers. (h) "Distributor representative" means a representative employed by a distributor branch or distributor. (i) "Franchiser" means a manufacturer, distributor, or wholesaler who grants a franchise to a motorcycle dealer. (j) "Franchisee" means a motorcycle dealer to whom a franchise is offered or granted. (k) "Sale" means the issuance, transfer, agreement for transfer, exchange, pledge, hypothecation, mortgage in any form, whether by transfer in trust or otherwise, of any motorcycle or interest therein or of any franchise related thereto and any option, subscription, or other contract, or solicitation, looking to a sale, or offer or attempt to sell in any form, whether spoken or written. A gift or delivery of any motorcycle or franchise with respect thereto, with or as a bonus on account of the sale of anything, is a sale of such motorcycle or franchise. (l) "Fraud" means, in addition to its normal legal connotation: a misrepresentation in any manner, whether intentionally false or due to gross negligence, of a material fact; a promise or representation not made honestly and in good faith; and an intentional failure to disclose a material fact. (m) "Person" means a natural person, corporation, partnership, trust, or other entity, and, in case of an entity, it includes any other entity in which it has a majority interest or effectively controls as well as the individual officers, directors, and other persons in active control of the activities of each such entity. (n) "New motorcycle" means a motorcycle which has not been previously sold to any person except a distributor or wholesaler or motorcycle dealer for resale. (o) "Distributor" means any person who sells or distributes new motorcycles to motorcycle dealers or who maintains distributor representatives within the State. (p) "Dealer" or "motorcycle dealer" means any person who sells or attempts to effect the sale of any motorcycle. These terms do not include: (1) distributors or wholesalers. (2) receivers, trustees, administrators, executors, guardians, or other persons appointed by or acting under the judgment, or order of any court. (3) public officers while performing their official duties. (4) persons disposing of motorcycles acquired for their own use and so used in good faith and not for the purpose of avoiding the provisions of law. Any person who effects or attempts to effect the sale of more than five motorcycles in any one calendar year is considered a dealer or wholesaler, as appropriate, for purposes of this chapter. (5) finance companies or other financial institutions who sell repossessed motorcycles and insurance companies who sell motorcycles they own as an incident to payment made under policies of insurance. (q) "Wholesaler" or "motorcycle wholesaler" means any person who sells or attempts to effect the sale of any used motorcycle exclusively to motorcycle dealers or to other wholesalers. (r) [Deleted] Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 89, SECTION 30, rewrote (a), providing that "motorcycle" is defined in Section 56-1-10.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-120 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 1 / Section 56-2-120
SECTION 56-2-120. Title requirement; title applications by nonresidents; license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) A low speed vehicle must be titled as specified in this title. The manufacturer's or importer's certificate of origin must identify clearly the vehicle as a low speed vehicle and must certify that the vehicle was manufactured in compliance with the equipment requirements for low speed vehicles in 49 C.F.R. Section 571.500. The State shall not issue vehicle identification numbers to homemade low speed vehicles, retrofitted golf carts, or any other similar vehicles, and these vehicles shall not qualify as low speed vehicles in this State. (B) If the vehicle is owned by a nonresident, but is subject to issuance of a certificate of title in this State, the application must also contain his: (1) full legal name, social security number, or, if the primary user does not have a social security number but has a passport, his passport number; (2) driver's license number, whether the license was issued by this State or another jurisdiction; (3) date of birth; (4) bona fide principal residence address; (5) address in this State where the low speed vehicle will be housed and used; and (6) mailing address of the primary user of the vehicle. If the primary user is a firm, association, or corporation, the application must contain the business address and federal employer identification number of the primary user. (C) A low speed vehicle must be registered and licensed in the same fashion as passenger vehicles pursuant to this title and is subject to the same insurance requirements applicable to other motor vehicles under this title. (D) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall establish a special size and class of license plate for low speed vehicles that clearly identifies the vehicle as a low speed vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-190 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-190
SECTION 56-5-190. School bus defined.
Status: in_force

Every motor vehicle that complies with the color and identification requirements set forth in Section 59-67-30 and State Board of Education Regulations and Specifications Pertaining to School Buses which is used to transport children to or from public school or in connection with school activities, but not including buses operated by common carriers not exclusively engaged in the transportation of school students and vehicles having school bus markings temporarily removed or covered, is a "school bus".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-120 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 3 / Section 56-3-120
SECTION 56-3-120. Exemptions from registration and licensing requirement.
Status: in_force

The following vehicles are exempt from registration and licensing under this chapter: (1) a vehicle driven, operated, or moved upon a highway pursuant to the provisions of this chapter relating to nonresidents or under temporary permits issued by the department as authorized; (2) any implement of husbandry, including a knuckleboom loader mounted on a trailer or straight truck, whether of a type otherwise subject to registration and license which only incidentally is operated or moved upon a highway; (3) a special mobile equipment vehicle which only occasionally is moved over a highway and special mobile equipment vehicle of the State or its departments, agencies, or political subdivisions; (4) a vehicle owned and operated by the government of the United States; and (5) a trailer or semitrailer commonly used in combination with a large commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Section 12-37-2810, for which trailer or semitrailer the fee imposed pursuant to Section 12-37-2860 is paid and applicable registration requirements provided pursuant to Article 23, Chapter 37, Title 12, are met, and a distinctive permanent plate has been issued pursuant to Section 12-37-2860. (6) firefighting vehicles that are publicly owned by the state or a county, municipality, or special purpose district as follows: (a) motorized firefighting vehicles that carry a pump or water tank in excess of three hundred gallons; (b) motorized firefighting vehicles containing a hydraulically operated ladder; and (c) specialized support vehicles that specifically transport equipment utilized for rescue operations, hazardous materials response, wildfire emergencies, breathing air refill support, and incident command. 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.C, rewrote (5), relating to large commercial motor vehicles.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-70 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-70
SECTION 56-15-70. Certain unreasonable restrictions on dealers or franchisees unlawful.
Status: in_force

It is unlawful to directly or indirectly impose unreasonable restrictions on the motor vehicle dealer or franchisee relative to transfer, sale, relocation, right to renew, termination, discipline, noncompetition covenants, site-control (whether by sublease, collateral pledge of lease, or otherwise), or to exercise a right of first refusal to purchase, option to purchase, or compliance with subjective standards and assertion of legal or equitable rights. Editor's Note 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 14, provides as follows: "SECTION 14. This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor and applies to all current and future franchises and other agreements in existence between any franchisee located in this State and a franchisor as of the effective date of this act." Effect of Amendment 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 10, substituted "It is unlawful to directly or indirectly" for "It shall be unlawful directly or indirectly to", inserted "relocation," and "or to exercise a", and "or" following "option to purchase,".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-250 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-250
SECTION 56-19-250. Department of Motor Vehicles shall check application against list of stolen and converted vehicles.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles, upon receiving an application for a first certificate of title, shall check the identifying number of the vehicle shown in the application against the record of stolen and converted vehicles required by Section 56-19-850 to be maintained by the Department.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2325 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 25 / Section 56-3-2325
SECTION 56-3-2325. Fine and forfeiture for misuse of dealer plates.
Status: in_force

A person who misuses a dealer license plate issued pursuant to this article must be fined three hundred dollars or forfeit the dealer license plate, or both.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-2020 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 13 / Section 56-1-2020
SECTION 56-1-2020. Construction.
Status: in_force

This article is a remedial law and must be construed liberally to promote the public health, safety, and welfare. To the extent that this article conflicts with general driver licensing provisions, this article prevails. Where this article is silent, the general driver licensing provisions apply.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2820 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 31 / Section 56-3-2820
SECTION 56-3-2820. Plate specifications.
Status: in_force

The special license plates must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates and imprinted with the words "Volunteer Fireman" with numbers the Department of Motor Vehicles may determine. The plates are for biennial periods as provided by law.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4050 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 33 / Section 56-5-4050
SECTION 56-5-4050. Side projecting loads on passenger vehicles.
Status: in_force

No passenger vehicle shall be operated on any highway with any load carried thereon extending beyond the line of the fenders on the left side of such vehicle nor extending more than six inches beyond the line of the fenders on the right side of such vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3220 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 25 / Section 56-5-3220
SECTION 56-5-3220. Effect of failure of incapacitated person to carry walking stick or cane, or to be guided by dog.
Status: in_force

Nothing contained in Sections 56-5-3190 and 56-5-3200 shall be construed to deprive any totally or partially blind or otherwise incapacitated person not carrying such a cane or walking stick or not being guided by a dog of the rights and privileges conferred by law upon pedestrians crossing streets or highways, nor shall the failure of such totally or partially blind or otherwise incapacitated person to carry a cane or walking stick or to be guided by a guide dog upon the streets, highways, or sidewalks of this State to be held to constitute or be evidence of contributory negligence.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2030 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 19 / Section 56-3-2030
SECTION 56-3-2030. Special personalized plates may not be issued to certain applicants.
Status: in_force

Special personalized plates may not be issued to any applicant whose operator's or chauffeur's license has been suspended or revoked within two years from the date of application or to any applicant whose driving record indicates a disregard of traffic violations or unsafe driving practices within two years from the date of application.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 47 / Section 56-5-6450
SECTION 56-5-6450. Penalty for violation of article; waiver of fine.
Status: in_force

A person who violates the provisions of this article, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred fifty dollars. The court shall waive the fine against a person who, before, or upon the appearance date on the summons, supplies the court with evidence of acquisition, purchase, or rental of a child restraint system meeting the requirements of this article.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-580 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-580
SECTION 56-5-580. Right-of-way defined.
Status: in_force

"Right-of-way" is the right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a lawful manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching under such circumstances of direction, speed and proximity as to give rise to danger of collision unless one grants precedence to the other.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 27 / Section 56-3-2450
SECTION 56-3-2450. Certified copies of Department of Motor Vehicle records; use as evidence.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles and such officers and employees of the Department as the Department may designate may prepare and deliver upon request a certified copy of any record of the Department relating to the registration and licensing of any vehicle, and every such certified copy shall be admissible in any proceeding in any court in like manner as the original thereof.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-3810 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 31 / Section 56-5-3810
SECTION 56-5-3810. Limitations on backing.
Status: in_force

(a) No driver shall back a vehicle unless such movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic. (b) No driver shall back a vehicle upon any shoulder or roadway of any controlled-access highway.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-5060 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-5060
SECTION 56-5-5060. Certain vehicles must carry flares and other warning devices.
Status: in_force

No person shall operate any motor truck, passenger bus or truck tractor upon any highway outside of the corporate limits of municipalities at any time from a half hour after sunset to half hour before sunrise unless there shall be carried in such vehicle the following equipment, except as provided in Section 56-5-5070: (1) At least three flares or three red electric lanterns, each of which shall be capable of being seen and distinguished at a distance of five hundred feet under normal atmospheric conditions at nighttime. Each flare (liquid-burning pot torch) shall be capable of burning for not less than twelve hours in a five-mile-per-hour wind velocity and capable of burning in any air velocity from zero to forty miles per hour. Every such flare shall be substantially constructed so as to withstand reasonable shocks without leaking. Every such flare shall be carried in the vehicle in a metal rack box. Every such red electric lantern shall be capable of operating continuously for not less than twelve hours and shall be substantially constructed so as to withstand reasonable shock without breakage. (2) At least three red-burning fusees unless red electric lanterns are carried. Every fusee shall be made in accordance with specifications of the Bureau of Explosives, New York, and so marked and shall be capable of burning at least fifteen minutes. (3) At least two red cloth flags, not less than twelve inches square, with standards to support them.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-16-20 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 16 / Section 56-16-20
SECTION 56-16-20. Manufacturer's specification of dealer's delivery and preparation obligations.
Status: in_force

Every manufacturer shall specify to the dealer the delivery and preparation obligations of its motorcycle dealers prior to delivery of new motorcycles to retail buyers. A copy of the delivery and preparation obligations of its motorcycle dealers and a schedule or statement of the compensation to be paid or credited to its motorcycle dealers for the work and services they are required to perform in connection with the delivery and preparation obligations must be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles by every motorcycle manufacturer and is a dealer's only responsibility for product liability as between dealer and manufacturer. The compensation as set forth on such schedule or statement must be reasonable and paid or credited as set out in Section 56-16-30.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-14710 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 147 / Section 56-3-14710
SECTION 56-3-14710. Drivers For a Cure special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Drivers For a Cure" special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles registered in their names. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (B) This special license plate must be the same size and general design as regular motor vehicle license plates. (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 each special license plate is thirty dollars plus the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56. Any portion of the thirty-dollar fee in excess of the costs of production and distribution of the license plates must be distributed evenly between the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center and the Duke Cancer Institute.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-2360 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 26 / Section 56-3-2360
SECTION 56-3-2360. Notice of change of address; cancellation of registration and license plates.
Status: in_force

Registrants licensed under this article shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of any change of address of his principal place of business within thirty days after such change is made, and the Department may cancel the registration and all license plates issued upon failure to give such notice.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-10-40 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 10 / Article 1 / Section 56-10-40
SECTION 56-10-40. Providers of insurance or security to notify Department of Motor Vehicles of termination or lapse; notice to person holding registration.
Status: in_force

Every insurer writing automobile liability insurance in this State and every provider of other security approved and accepted by the director or his designee in lieu of such insurance shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles in a manner prescribed by regulation of the lapse or termination of any such insurance or security and shall notify the department of compliance transactions required of vehicle owners under Section 56-10-650 as prescribed by regulation. These notifications must be made in a manner prescribed by the working group. Upon receipt of any such notice of lapse or termination the department shall make a reasonable effort to notify the person that his certificate of registration and driving privileges have been suspended and shall recover the certificate from such person and the motor vehicle plate from the vehicle concerned. Code Commissioner's Note 2002 Act No. 324, SECTION 12, provides as follows: "This act takes effect July 1, 2002; provided, however, that Section 56-10-650 and Sections 5, 6, and 9 are effective one hundred eighty days after the latter of certification by the department to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that the program has been implemented and is fully prepared to accept data transmitted by the insurers or publication of final regulations by the department."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-1450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 10 / Section 56-3-1450
SECTION 56-3-1450. Year of manufacture license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) An owner of a motor vehicle that is thirty years old or older, may apply to the department to use a license plate issued by this State in the year corresponding to the model year of the vehicle, if the license plate is legible and serviceable, as determined by the department. If the department determines that the plate is legible and serviceable, the applicant must submit the regular vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title, and the special license plate fee required by Section 56-3-2020. The biennial renewal fee for these plates shall be the regular vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title, and the special license plate fee required by Section 56-3-2020. (B) Once the department approves use of the plate and the applicant submits the required fees, the department shall register the plate to the applicant. The department may not register a license plate that has a sequence of numbers, letters, or other characters identical to any other license plate already issued by the department. The applicant may only use the special license plate on the vehicle with which the license plate registration corresponds. (C) License plates registered pursuant to this section may only be transferred to vehicles of the same model year as the year the license plate was originally issued.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-4975 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 35 / Section 56-5-4975
SECTION 56-5-4975. Operation of vehicle upfitted but no longer licensed as an ambulance; removal of exterior equipment and markings; penalties.
Status: in_force

(A) It is unlawful for a person to operate a vehicle that is upfitted as an ambulance or no longer permitted and licensed as an ambulance pursuant to Article 1, Chapter 61, Title 44, unless the vehicle's exterior equipment and markings including, but not limited to, emergency lights, sirens, and decals that distinguish it as an ambulance are removed. A person who violates this subsection, except as provided in subsections (B) and (C), is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. (B) A person who operates a vehicle in violation of subsection (A) with the intent to commit a felony, or in the commission of a felony, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (C) A person who operates a vehicle in violation of subsection (A) with the intent to commit a terrorist act, or in the commission of a terrorist act, is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined ten thousand dollars and imprisoned for a mandatory minimum of ten years, no part of which may be suspended nor probation granted. For purposes of this section, "terrorist act" means activities that: (1) involve acts dangerous to human life, which are a violation of the criminal laws of this State; (2) appear to be intended to: (a) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (b) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (c) affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (3) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of this State. (D) The provisions of this section do not apply to: (1) eleemosynary or not-for-profit organizations that operate an ambulance that is no longer permitted and licensed and whose exterior markings have been removed for use in parades, fundraising activities, and other official functions; (2) a person operating a vehicle that is going from the place of purchase to his home or his fixed place of business; (3) a person operating a vehicle going to a location for the purpose of removing the vehicle's exterior equipment or markings; or (4) a person operating an antique vehicle as defined by Section 56-3-2210.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-7750 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 73 / Section 56-3-7750
SECTION 56-3-7750. Fraternity and sorority license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names, which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, or other symbol the department considers appropriate to a certified service fraternity or sorority. A fraternity or sorority 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. Before a design is approved, however, the organization must submit to the department written authorization for the use of any copyrighted or registered logo, trademark, or design. A fraternity or sorority also may request a change in the emblem, seal, or other symbol once the existing supply has been exhausted. The fee for this special license plate is seventy dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. This special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. The special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. (B) The fees collected pursuant to this section must be distributed to a separate fund for each of the respective fraternities or sororities. Each fund must be administered by the fraternity or sorority and may be used for academic scholarships, or to fund programs that send boys and girls who are at least eight years old and not more than sixteen years old to summer camp, or both. Funds collected for each fraternity or sorority must be deposited in an account designated by the fraternity or sorority. The distribution is forty dollars to the respective fund and thirty dollars 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. (C) 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. (D) 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. § 56-1-185 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-185
SECTION 56-1-185. Removal of restrictions postponed; suspension of license.
Status: in_force

(A) A person while operating a motor vehicle under a conditional or a special restricted driver's license who is convicted of a traffic offense or involved in an accident in which he was at fault shall have the removal of the restrictions postponed for twelve months and is not eligible to be issued a regular driver's license until one year from the date of the last traffic offense or accident in which he was at fault or until he is seventeen years of age. (B) A person while operating a motor vehicle under a beginner's permit or a conditional or a special restricted driver's license who is convicted of one or more point-assessable traffic offenses totaling six or more points, as determined by the values contained in Section 56-1-720, shall have his license suspended by the Department of Motor Vehicles for six months. This suspension shall not preclude other penalties otherwise provided for the same violations.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6445 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 47 / Section 56-5-6445
SECTION 56-5-6445. Applicability of chapter.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this article apply to all motor vehicles equipped with safety belts.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1360 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1360
SECTION 56-5-1360. Municipality may require accident reports; use.
Status: in_force

Any incorporated city or town may by ordinance require that the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident shall also file with a designated city department a report of such accident or a copy of any report herein required to be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles. All such reports shall be for the confidential use of the city department and subject to the provisions of Section 56-5-1340.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1320 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 9 / Section 56-5-1320
SECTION 56-5-1320. Coroners shall report traffic deaths.
Status: in_force

Every coroner or other official performing like functions shall on or before the tenth day of each month report in writing to the Department of Public Safety the death of any person within his jurisdiction during the preceding calendar month as the result of a traffic accident, giving the time and place of the accident and the circumstances relating thereto.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-6460 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 47 / Section 56-5-6460
SECTION 56-5-6460. Violation of article does not constitute negligence.
Status: in_force

A violation of this article shall not constitute negligence, per se, contributory negligence nor be admissible as evidence in any trial of any civil action.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2773 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 21 / Section 56-5-2773
SECTION 56-5-2773. Violation of Section 56-5-2770; digital images admissible in evidence.
Status: in_force

(A) A uniform traffic citation alleging the violation of Section 56-5-2770 may be issued based in whole or in part upon images obtained from a digital video recording device mounted on a school bus. A copy of the citation must be given directly to the alleged offender by the law enforcement officer issuing the citation. (B) Digital images obtained from a digital video recording device mounted on a school bus pursuant to Section 56-5-2770(D) may be used as evidence at any hearing related to a violation of Section 56-5-2770 to corroborate testimony by the school bus driver or any other person who witnessed the offense.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-10-610 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 10 / Article 7 / Section 56-10-610
SECTION 56-10-610. Short title.
Status: in_force

This article may be cited as the "Motorist Insurance Database Program Act".
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-450 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-450
SECTION 56-19-450. Effect of suspension or revocation on validity of security interest.
Status: in_force

Suspension or revocation of a certificate of title does not, in itself, affect the validity of a security interest noted on it.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-195 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-195
SECTION 56-5-195. School bus safety standards.
Status: in_force

(A) Effective July 1, 2000, any entity transporting preprimary, primary, or secondary school students to or from school, school-related activities, or child care, and utilizing a vehicle defined as a "school bus" under 49 U.S.C. Section 30125, as defined on April 5, 2000, must transport these students in a vehicle meeting federal school bus safety standards, as contained in 49 U.S.C. Section 30101, et seq., or any successor statutes, and all applicable federal regulations. Nothing in this section prohibits the transportation of children to or from child care in nonconforming vehicles by a State of South Carolina human service provider or public transportation authority as long as each child is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian whose transportation is in connection with his work, education, or training. (B) Notwithstanding subsection (A) of this section, any vehicle that is purchased before July 1, 2000, and is utilized to transport preprimary, primary, or secondary students to or from school, school-related activities, or child care is not subject to the requirements contained in subsection (A) of this section until July 1, 2006. A vehicle that is purchased on or after July 1, 2000, and is utilized to transport preprimary, primary, or secondary students to or from school, school-related activities, or child care is subject to the requirements contained in subsection (A) of this section once the vehicle is utilized for those purposes. (C) Before July 1, 2006, nothing in this section may be construed to create a duty or other obligation to cease utilizing nonconforming vehicles purchased before the effective date of this act. (D) To facilitate compliance with the provisions contained in this section, any entity contained in this section may purchase conforming vehicles under the State of South Carolina contracts for purchase of these vehicles. (E) Nothing in the section prohibits the transportation of students by common carriers that are not exclusively engaged in the transportation of school students or by the entities subject to this section which own or operate these vehicles. However, the motor carriage used by the common carrier or entity to transport students must be designed to carry thirty or more passengers.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-360 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-360
SECTION 56-5-360. Gross weight defined.
Status: in_force

"Gross weight" is the weight of a vehicle without load plus the weight of any load thereon.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-23-80 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 23 / Section 56-23-80
SECTION 56-23-80. Temporary driver instructor permits; fee.
Status: in_force

Temporary instructor permits may be issued after special examination by the Department of Motor Vehicles and upon payment of a twenty-dollar fee to the department. Temporary instructor permits are valid for six months and until the next available and approved qualifying class, but in no event shall such permits exceed one year. A temporary driver instructor's activities and instruction are subject to an audit of driving skills and classroom teaching by authorized representatives of the department. The proceeds from the sale of temporary instructor permits must be deposited in the state general fund.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2760 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 21 / Section 56-5-2760
SECTION 56-5-2760. Stops at drawbridges.
Status: in_force

The driver of a vehicle approaching the draw or swing span of a bridge opening for water navigation shall stop as indicated by gates, barriers, semaphores, lights or bell and shall not proceed beyond the stop limit or gates, barriers or semaphores until the indication or signal to proceed is exhibited.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-760 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 5 / Section 56-5-760
SECTION 56-5-760. Operation of authorized emergency vehicles.
Status: in_force

(A) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions of this section. (B) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may: (1) park or stand, notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter; (2) proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation; (3) exceed the maximum speed limit if he does not endanger life or property; (4) disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions. (C) The exemptions in this section granted to an authorized emergency vehicle apply only when the vehicle is making use of an audible signal meeting the requirements of Section 56-5-4970 and visual signals meeting the requirements of Section 56-5-4700 of this chapter, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not use an audible signal nor display a visual signal when the vehicle is being used to: (1) obtain evidence of a speeding violation; (2) respond to a suspected crime in progress when use of an audible or visual signal, or both, could reasonably result in the destruction of evidence or escape of a suspect; or (3) surveil another vehicle or its occupants who are suspected of involvement in a crime. (D) The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons. (E) The Criminal Justice Academy shall promulgate regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act so as to provide uniform guidelines and training programs for law enforcement agencies which use emergency vehicles. Law enforcement agencies authorized to use emergency vehicles shall use the regulations developed by the Criminal Justice Academy to provide written guidelines and to provide training programs for its officers and employees regarding the operation of emergency vehicles.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-37-70 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 37 / Section 56-37-70
SECTION 56-37-70. Suspensions of license; notification; contested case hearing.
Status: in_force

(A) The department must suspend the license of any dealer for seven days upon the accumulation of twelve points or if the dealer has misused any department computer system or third-party computer system that contains department data, including allowing another dealer location other than the one licensed by the department access to the system. (B) The department must suspend the license of any dealer for thirty days upon the second accumulation of twelve points within a three-year period from the end date of the prior suspension. (C) The department must suspend the license of any dealer for three years upon the third accumulation of twelve points within a three-year period. Dealers may not reapply for any kind of dealer license for three years after the last issued points. Should the provisions of this subsection apply, then the department may deny applications for any type of dealer license when the applicant is a member of the immediate family of the suspended dealer. The department shall notify the licensee or applicant by certified mail at the mailing address provided in his application of its intention to suspend his license at least thirty days in advance and shall provide the licensee an opportunity for a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings pursuant to its rules of procedure and the Administrative Procedures Act of this State. A licensee desiring a contested case hearing must request the hearing in writing within thirty days of receiving notice of the proposed suspension of his dealer's or wholesaler's license. Should the dealer not request a contested case hearing from the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings within thirty days of receiving notice of the proposed suspension, then the suspension of the dealer license must go into effect. If the dealer requests a contested case hearing from the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings within thirty days of receiving notice of the proposed suspension, then the dealer may continue to operate until the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings makes a final ruling in the contested case. Upon the suspension 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."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-10-650 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 10 / Article 7 / Section 56-10-650
SECTION 56-10-650. Suspension of owner's driving privileges and license plates of uninsured motor vehicle; notification of owner; proof of insurance.
Status: in_force

(A) If the database indicates that a motor vehicle is not insured or if the Department of Motor Vehicles receives notification as prescribed by regulation that a vehicle may not be insured, the department shall notify the owner of the motor vehicle that he has twenty working days to provide the department with one of the following, or the owner's driving privileges and the vehicle license plates will be suspended: (1) proof of complying coverage in accordance with Sections 56-10-10 or 56-10-220, or of self-insurance in accordance with Section 56-9-60; or (2) proof of exemption from the financial security requirements. (B) Verification in a manner prescribed by regulation from an insurer or agent verifying that the person had the required motor vehicle insurance coverage on the date specified is considered proof of financial responsibility for purposes of this section. Code Commissioner's Note 2002 Act No. 324, SECTION 12, provides as follows: "This act takes effect July 1, 2002; provided, however, that Section 56-10-650 and Sections 5, 6, and 9 are effective one hundred eighty days after the latter of certification by the department to the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that the program has been implemented and is fully prepared to accept data transmitted by the insurers or publication of final regulations by the department."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-260 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 3 / Section 56-19-260
SECTION 56-19-260. Filing application; issuance of certificate.
Status: in_force

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall file each application received and, when satisfied as to its genuineness and regularity and that the applicant is entitled to the issuance of a certificate of title, shall issue a certificate of title of the vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-950 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 7 / Section 56-5-950
SECTION 56-5-950. Obedience to and required traffic-control devices.
Status: in_force

(a) The driver of any vehicle shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-control device, applicable thereto placed or held in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise directed by a police officer, subject to the exceptions granted the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle in this chapter. (b) No provision of this chapter for which official traffic-control devices are required shall be enforced against an alleged violator if at the time and place of the alleged violation an official device is not in proper position and sufficiently legible to be seen by an ordinarily observant person. Whenever a particular section does not state that official traffic-control devices are required, such section shall be effective even though no devices are erected or in place. (c) Whenever official traffic-control devices are placed or held in position approximately conforming to the requirements of this chapter, such devices shall be presumed to have been so placed or held by the official act or direction of lawful authority unless the contrary shall be established by competent evidence. (d) Any official traffic-control device placed or held pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and purporting to conform to the lawful requirements pertaining to such devices shall be presumed to comply with the requirement of this chapter, unless the contrary shall be established by competent evidence.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-630 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 2 / Section 56-1-630
SECTION 56-1-630. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this article: (1) "Party state" means a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. (2) "Home state" means the state which has issued and has the power to suspend or revoke the use of the license or permit to operate a motor vehicle. (3) "Conviction" means a conviction of any offense related to the use or operation of a motor vehicle which is prohibited by state law, municipal ordinance, or administrative regulation, or a forfeiture of bail, bond, or other security deposited to secure appearance by a person charged with having committed any of these offenses, and which conviction or forfeiture is required to be reported to the licensing authority. (4) "Licensing authority" for purposes of South Carolina shall mean the Department of Motor Vehicles.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-800 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 3 / Section 56-1-800
SECTION 56-1-800. Certified copies of reports as evidence of convictions.
Status: in_force

In all proceedings held under the provisions of this article, photostatic, optical disk, or other copies of the reports filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles, including official reports received from directors of the motor vehicle divisions, court officials, or other agencies of other states charged with the duty of keeping records of offenses against the traffic laws of such states and reports of courts-martial or United States Commissioners, are deemed to be true copies, when such copies are duly certified by the director or his designee as true copies of the original on file therewith, and as such shall be deemed prima facie evidence of the information contained on such reports for the purpose of showing any conviction.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-330 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 3 / Section 56-9-330
SECTION 56-9-330. Department of Motor Vehicles shall furnish abstracts of operating records; abstracts inadmissible as evidence.
Status: in_force

(1) The Department of Motor Vehicles, upon request and the payment of a fee, shall furnish any person a certified abstract of the operating record of any person subject to the provisions of this chapter, which abstract must also fully designate the motor vehicles, if any, registered in the name of that person, and, if there is no record of any conviction of that person for violating any laws relating to the operation of a motor vehicle or of any injury or damage caused by that person, the department shall so certify. The department, upon request and the payment of a reasonable fee, shall furnish a monthly listing by magnetic or other electronic media of all driver's license numbers that had driving violations posted on their records during the previous month. These abstracts are not admissible as evidence in any action for damages or criminal proceedings arising out of motor vehicle accidents. (2) The department shall, upon request, and the payment of a fee furnish any person a copy of a vehicle accident report. Revenue generated by the fee imposed pursuant to this section 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. § 56-1-365 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-365
SECTION 56-1-365. Surrender of driver's license; fine; Department of Motor Vehicles to receive disposition and license surrender information; notice to defendant of suspension or revocation; multiple offenses; punishable offense.
Status: in_force

(A) A person who forfeits bail posted for, is convicted of, or pleads guilty or nolo contendere in general sessions, municipal, or magistrates court to an offense which requires that his driver's license be revoked or suspended shall surrender immediately or cause to be surrendered his driver's license to the clerk of court or magistrate upon the verdict or plea. The defendant must be notified at the time of arrest of his obligation to bring, and surrender his license, if convicted, to the court or magistrate at the time of his trial, and if he fails to produce his license after conviction, he may be fined in an amount not to exceed two hundred dollars. If the defendant fails subsequently to surrender his license to the clerk or magistrate immediately after conviction, he must be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than two hundred dollars. (B) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall electronically receive disposition and license surrender information from the clerk of court or magistrate immediately after receipt. Along with the driver's license, the clerks and magistrates must give the department's agents tickets, arrest warrants, and other documents or copies of them, including any reinstatement fee paid at the time of the verdict, guilty plea, or plea of nolo contendere, as necessary for the department to process the revocation or suspension of the licenses. If the department does not collect the license surrender information and disposition immediately, the magistrate or clerk must forward the license surrender information, disposition, and other documentation to the department within five business days after receipt. A clerk or magistrate who wilfully fails or neglects to forward the driver's license and disposition as required in this section is liable to indictment and, upon conviction, must be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars. (C) The department shall notify the defendant of the suspension or revocation. Except as provided in Section 56-5-2990, if the defendant surrendered his license to the magistrate or clerk immediately after conviction, the effective date of the revocation or suspension is the date of surrender. If the magistrate or clerk wilfully fails to electronically forward the disposition and license surrender information to the department within five business days, the suspension or revocation does not begin until the department receives and processes the license and ticket, provided that the end date of the term of suspension or revocation shall be calculated from the date of surrender and not the date the department receives and processes the ticket. (D) If the defendant is already under suspension for a previous offense at the time of his conviction or plea, the court shall use its judicial discretion in determining if the period of suspension for the subsequent offense runs consecutively and commences upon the expiration of the suspension or revocation for the prior offense, or if the period of suspension for the subsequent offense runs concurrently with the suspension or revocation of the prior offense. (E) If the defendant fails to surrender his license, the suspension or revocation operates as otherwise provided by law. (F) If the defendant surrenders his license, upon conviction, and subsequently files a notice of appeal, the appeal acts as a supersedeas as provided in Section 56-1-430. Upon payment of a ten-dollar fee and presentment by the defendant of a certified or clocked-in copy of the notice of appeal, the department shall issue him a certificate which entitles him to operate a motor vehicle for a period of six months after the verdict or plea. The certificate must be kept in the defendant's possession while operating a motor vehicle during the six-month period, and failure to have it in his possession is punishable in the same manner as failure to have a driver's license in possession while operating a motor vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-2-90 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 2 / Article 1 / Section 56-2-90
SECTION 56-2-90. Operating a golf cart on a public highway.
Status: repealed

(A) To operate a vehicle commonly known as a golf cart on a public highway, the owner must obtain a permit decal and registration certificate from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Proof of ownership, proof of liability insurance, and payment of a five-dollar fee must be provided. The permit decal must be replaced every five years, or at the time the owner changes his address, whichever is sooner. (B) A person operating a golf cart on a public highway must be at least sixteen years of age, hold a valid driver's license, and have in his possession: (1) the registration certificate; (2) proof of liability insurance in conformance with Section 38-77-140; and (3) his driver's license. (C) A municipality or a county within its unincorporated portions, may: (1) by ordinance stipulate the hours, methods, and locations of golf cart operations, provided that golf carts may be operated only on a highway where the speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less; (2) by ordinance permit the operation of golf carts at night, provided that golf carts are equipped with working headlights and taillights, and provided that golf carts may be operated only on a highway where the speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less; and (3) on the shoulder of primary highways, secondary highways, streets and roads, designate separate golf cart paths for the purpose of golf cart transportation, provided that: (a) the municipality or county obtains the necessary approvals, if any, to create golf cart paths; and (b) the golf cart path is: (i) separated from the traffic lanes by a hard concrete curb; (ii) separated from the traffic lanes by parking spaces; or (iii) separated from the traffic lanes by a distance of four feet or more. (4) not require proof of property ownership or proof of long-term rental agreement within the municipality or a county within its unincorporated portions as a requirement in which to receive a decal to operate a golf cart within its limits. (D) In the absence of an ordinance enacted pursuant to subsection (C), a permitted golf cart may: (1) be operated only during daylight hours; (2) be operated only on a secondary highway where the speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less; (3) be operated only within four miles of the address on the registration certificate, or only within four miles of a point of ingress and egress of a gated community if the address is within a gated community; and (4) cross a highway at an intersection where the speed limit is more than thirty-five miles an hour. (E) Each golf cart passenger that is under the age of twelve years old, when it is being operated on the public streets and highways of this State, must wear a fastened safety belt. Editor's Note Prior Laws: Former SECTION 56-2-105 was titled Golf cart permit and the operation of a golf cart, and had the following history: 2012 Act No. 177, SECTION 1, eff October 1, 2012; 2015 Act No. 86 (S.211), SECTION 1, eff June 8, 2015; 2016 Act No. 246 (H.5118), SECTION 1, eff June 6, 2016. Repealed by 2025 Act No. 64, SECTION 2, eff May 22, 2025.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-35 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 1 / Section 56-15-35
SECTION 56-15-35. Consumer data.
Status: in_force

(A) If a franchisor, manufacturer, distributor, or third party acting on behalf of a franchisor, manufacturer, or distributor handles consumer data, then the franchisor, manufacturer, distributor, or third party: (1) must comply with and shall not cause a dealer to violate applicable restrictions regarding reuse or consumer data disclosure established by federal or state law; (2) upon a dealer's written request, must provide a statement to the dealer describing procedures that meet or exceed any federal or state consumer data protection requirements; (3) upon a dealer's written request, must provide a written list of the consumer data obtained from the dealer and all persons to whom any consumer data has been furnished during the preceding six months. The dealer may make such a request no more than once every six months. The list must indicate the specific fields of consumer data that were provided to each person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such a list may not be required to include: (a) a person to whom consumer data was provided, or the specific consumer data provided to such person, if the person was, at the time the consumer data was provided, a service provider or subcontractor acting in the course of performance of services on behalf of or for the benefit of the franchisor, manufacturer, or distributor, provided that the franchisor, manufacturer, or distributor has entered into an agreement with the person requiring that the person comply with the safeguard requirements of applicable state and federal law including, but not limited to, those established in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 6801, et seq.; or (b) a person to whom consumer data was provided, or the specific consumer data provided to the person, if the dealer has previously consented in writing to the person receiving the consumer data and the dealer has not withdrawn the consent in writing; (4)(a) may not require a dealer to provide direct or indirect access to the dealer's data management system for obtaining consumer data. A dealer may furnish consumer data in a widely accepted file format, such as comma delimited, and through a third-party vendor selected by the dealer; (b) may directly access or obtain consumer data from a dealer's data management system with the express written consent from the dealer. The consent must be a separate document executed by the dealer principal and may be withdrawn by the dealer upon providing a thirty-day written notice to the manufacturer or distributor. Consent is not required as a condition of a new motor vehicle dealer's participation in an incentive program, unless consent is necessary to obtain consumer data to implement the program; and (5) must indemnify the dealer for any third-party claims or damages incurred by the dealer to the extent the damage is caused by access to, use of, or disclosure of consumer data in violation of this section by the franchisor, manufacturer, distributor, or a third party to whom the franchisor, manufacturer, or distributor has provided consumer data. (B) This section is not a limitation on a franchisor's, manufacturer's, or distributor's ability to require the dealer to provide or use customer information exclusively related to the manufacturer or distributor's own vehicle makes to the extent necessary to: (1) satisfy safety, recall, warranty, or other legal notice obligations required of the manufacturer; (2) complete the sale and delivery of a new motor vehicle to a customer; (3) validate and pay customer or dealer incentives; (4) submit claims for any services supplied by the dealer for any claim for warranty parts or repair; (5) perform market analysis; (6) perform sales or service consumer satisfaction surveys; or (7) perform reasonable marketing that benefits the dealer. Editor's Note 2021 Act No. 31, SECTION 14, provides as follows: "SECTION 14. This act takes effect ninety days after approval by the Governor and applies to all current and future franchises and other agreements in existence between any franchisee located in this State and a franchisor as of the effective date of this act."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-14-40 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 14 / Section 56-14-40
SECTION 56-14-40. Recreational vehicle dealer licenses; bond; duty to notify department where information given by applicant changes or license ceases operations; death of licensee.
Status: in_force

(A) Before a license as a recreational vehicle dealer is issued, an applicant shall file an application with the department and provide information the department may require including, but not limited to, the name and addresses of individuals who own or control ten percent or more of the interest in the business. (B)(1) Each applicant shall furnish a surety bond in the penal amount of fifty thousand dollars on a form prescribed by the department. (2) A new bond or a proper continuation certificate must be provided to the department every twelve months during the license period. The dealer or surety, or the dealer's or surety's designee, must notify the department of any bond name or address changes during the licensing period. Notice must be provided within thirty days of a change. Proof of the bond and the proper continuation of the bond may be provided to the Department of Motor Vehicles on the same database used for vehicle insurance pursuant to Article 7, Chapter 10, Title 56. (3) A dealer's license expires immediately upon expiration or termination of a dealer's bond, or a decrease of a dealer's bond below fifty thousand dollars. (4) The bond must be given to the department and executed by the applicant, as principal, and by a corporate surety company authorized to do business in this State, as surety. (5) The bond must be conditioned upon the applicant or licensee complying with the statutes applicable to the license and as indemnification for loss or damage suffered by an owner of a recreational vehicle, or his legal representative, by reason of fraud practiced or fraudulent representation made in connection with the sale or transfer of a recreational vehicle by a licensed recreational vehicle dealer or the dealer's agent acting for the dealer, or within the scope of employment of the agent or loss or damage suffered by reason of the violation by the dealer or his agent of any provisions of this chapter. (6)(a) In instances of taxes or fees owned to the State that pertain solely to the process of buying, selling, titling, or registering vehicles by a recreational vehicle dealer, the department may maintain a cause of action against the dealer's surety bond and may recover damages if the owed taxes and fees are not paid in full within the time period prescribed by law. The department shall distribute the collected taxes and fees to the appropriate entity as prescribed by law. (b) In the event of concurrent claims for the same vehicle from the owner and the State, the owner's claim prevails. (c) This subsection does not apply to monies a recreational vehicle dealer has attempted to refund to a customer due to an error made by the dealer when the dealer can demonstrate that he has made a bona fide, good faith effort by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by private delivery service acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service to ensure the customer's refund was delivered. For purpose of this subsection, the dealer should make a bona fide, good faith effort to refund the monies due to the customer within sixty days of the date of sale. (7) An owner or his legal representative who suffers the loss or damage has a right of action against the dealer and against the dealer's surety upon the bond and may recover damages as provided in this chapter. However, regardless of the number of years a bond remains in effect, the aggregate liability of the surety for claims is limited to fifty thousand dollars on each bond and to the amount of the actual loss incurred. (8) The surety may terminate its liability under the bond by giving the department thirty days' written notice of its intent to cancel the bond. The cancellation does not affect liability incurred or accrued before the cancellation. (C) If, during a license period, there is a change in the information a dealer gave the department in obtaining or retaining a license, the licensee must report the change to the department within thirty days on a form prescribed by the department. (D) If a licensee ceases to be a recreational vehicle dealer, he shall notify the department within ten days and return any license and all dealer license plates. (E) In the event of a licensee's death, the personal representative of the deceased licensee may, with the consent of the probate court and upon an application to the department, continue the operation of the business covered by the license for the remainder of the licensing period, but no longer than eighteen months after the licensee's death. At the conclusion of the license period or eighteen months after the licensee's death, the personal representative must take all actions to apply for a recreational vehicle dealer license under his name and meet all requirements for a licensed recreational vehicle dealer in order to continue operating the business. 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." 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 16, rewrote (B); in (C), substituted "license period" for "license year"; and added (E).
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-230 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-230
SECTION 56-5-230. Road tractor defined.
Status: in_force

Every motor vehicle designed and used for drawing other vehicles and not so constructed as to carry any load thereon either independently or any part of the weight of a vehicle or load so drawn is a "road tractor."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-400 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-400
SECTION 56-5-400. Driver defined.
Status: in_force

Every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle is a "driver."
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-7-80 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 7 / Section 56-7-80
SECTION 56-7-80. County or municipal uniform ordinance summons.
Status: in_force

(A) Counties and municipalities are authorized to adopt by ordinance and use an ordinance summons as provided herein for the enforcement of county and municipal ordinances. Upon adoption of the ordinance summons, any county or municipal law enforcement officer or code enforcement officer is authorized to use an ordinance summons. Any county or municipality adopting the ordinance summons is responsible for the printing, distributing, monitoring, and auditing of the ordinance summons to be used by that entity. (B) The uniform ordinance summons may not be used to perform a custodial arrest. No county or municipal ordinance which regulates the use of motor vehicles on the public roads of this State may be enforced using an ordinance summons. (C) An ordinance summons must cite only one violation per summons and must contain at least the following information: (1) the name and address of the person or entity charged; (2) the name and title of the issuing officer; (3) the time, date, and location of the hearing; (4) a description of the ordinance the person or entity is charged with violating; (5) the procedure to post bond; and (6) any other notice or warning otherwise required by law. The ordinance summonses must be consecutively and discretely numbered. The ordinance summonses must be audited as part of the annual independent audit required in Section 4-9-150 for counties and in Section 5-7-240 for municipalities, and a separate copy of each audit must be furnished to the chief administrative officer of the county or municipality, as appropriate. (D) Service of a uniform ordinance summons vests all magistrates' and municipal courts with jurisdiction to hear and dispose of the charge for which the ordinance summons was issued and served. (E) Any law enforcement officer or code enforcement officer who serves an ordinance summons must allow the person served to proceed without first having to post bond or to appear before a magistrate or municipal judge. Acceptance of an ordinance summons constitutes a person's recognizance to comply with the terms of the summons. (F) Any person who fails to appear before the court as required by an ordinance summons, without first having posted such bond as may be required or without having been granted a continuance by the court, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days. Any law enforcement agency processing an arrest made pursuant to this subsection must furnish such information to the State Law Enforcement Division as required by Chapter 3 of Title 23. (G) This statute does not prohibit a county or municipality from enforcing ordinances by means otherwise authorized by law.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-510 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 5 / Section 56-15-510
SECTION 56-15-510. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this article: (1) "Wholesale motor vehicle auction" is an entity in the business of providing auction services in wholesale transactions at its established place of business, and which does not buy, sell, or own the motor vehicles it auctions in the ordinary course of its business. (2) "Motor vehicles' with regard to transactions taking place at a wholesale motor vehicle auction include, but are not limited to, motor homes, manufactured homes, recreational vehicles, boats, motorcycles, and motor vehicles as provided for in Section 56-3-20.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2950 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 23 / Section 56-5-2950
SECTION 56-5-2950. Implied consent to testing for alcohol or drugs; procedures; inference of DUI.
Status: in_force

(A) A person who drives a motor vehicle in this State is considered to have given consent to chemical tests of the person's breath, blood, or urine for the purpose of determining the presence of alcohol, drugs, or the combination of alcohol and drugs, if arrested for an offense arising out of acts alleged to have been committed while the person was driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of alcohol and drugs. A breath test must be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer who has arrested a person for driving a motor vehicle in this State while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of alcohol and drugs. At the direction of the arresting officer, the person first must be offered a breath test to determine the person's alcohol concentration. If the person is physically unable to provide an acceptable breath sample because the person has an injured mouth, is unconscious or dead, or for any other reason considered acceptable by the licensed medical personnel, the arresting officer may request a blood sample to be taken. If the officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is under the influence of drugs other than alcohol, or is under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs, the officer may order that a urine sample be taken for testing. A breath sample taken for testing must be collected within two hours of the arrest. Any additional tests to collect other samples must be collected within three hours of the arrest. The breath test must be administered by a person trained and certified by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, pursuant to SLED policies. Before the breath test is administered, an eight one-hundredths of one percent simulator test must be performed and the result must reflect a reading between 0.076 percent and 0.084 percent. Blood and urine samples must be obtained by physicians licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners, registered nurses licensed by the State Board of Nursing, and other medical personnel trained to obtain the samples in a licensed medical facility. Blood and urine samples must be obtained and handled in accordance with procedures approved by SLED. (B) No tests may be administered or samples obtained unless, upon activation of the video recording equipment and prior to the commencement of the testing procedure, the person has been given a written copy of and verbally informed that: (1) the person does not have to take the test or give the samples, but that the person's privilege to drive must be suspended or denied for at least six months with the option of ending the suspension if the person enrolls in the Ignition Interlock Device Program, if the person refuses to submit to the test, and that the person's refusal may be used against the person in court; (2) the person's privilege to drive must be suspended for at least one month with the option of ending the suspension if the person enrolls in the Ignition Interlock Device Program, if the person takes the test or gives the samples and has an alcohol concentration of fifteen one-hundredths of one percent or more; (3) the person has the right to have a qualified person of the person's own choosing conduct additional independent tests at the person's expense; (4) the person has the right to request a contested case hearing within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension; and (5) if the person does not request a contested case hearing or if the person's suspension is upheld at the contested case hearing, the person shall enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. (C) A hospital, physician, qualified technician, chemist, or registered nurse who obtains the samples or conducts the test or participates in the process of obtaining the samples or conducting the test in accordance with this section is not subject to a cause of action for assault, battery, or another cause alleging that the drawing of blood or taking samples at the request of the arrested person or a law enforcement officer was wrongful. This release from liability does not reduce the standard of medical care required of the person obtaining the samples or conducting the test. This qualified release also applies to the employer of the person who conducts the test or obtains the samples. (D) The person tested or giving samples for testing may have a qualified person of the person's own choosing conduct additional tests at the person's expense and must be notified in writing of that right. A person's request or failure to request additional blood or urine tests is not admissible against the person in the criminal trial. The failure or inability of the person tested to obtain additional tests does not preclude the admission of evidence relating to the tests or samples obtained at the direction of the law enforcement officer. (E) The arresting officer shall provide affirmative assistance to the person to contact a qualified person to conduct and obtain additional tests. Affirmative assistance, at a minimum, includes providing transportation for the person to the nearest medical facility which performs blood tests to determine a person's alcohol concentration. If the medical facility obtains the blood sample but refuses or fails to test the blood sample to determine the person's alcohol concentration, SLED shall test the blood sample and provide the result to the person and to the arresting officer. Failure to provide affirmative assistance upon request to obtain additional tests bars the admissibility of the breath test result in a judicial or administrative proceeding. SLED shall administer the provisions of this subsection and shall make regulations necessary to carry out this subsection's provisions. The costs of the tests administered at the direction of the law enforcement officer must be paid from the state's general fund. However, if the person is subsequently convicted of violating Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945, then, upon conviction, the person shall pay twenty-five dollars for the costs of the tests. The twenty-five dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the State Law Enforcement Division to offset the costs of administration of the breath testing devices, breath testing site video program, and toxicology laboratory. (F) A qualified person who obtains samples or administers the tests or assists in obtaining samples or the administration of tests at the direction of a law enforcement officer is released from civil and criminal liability unless the obtaining of samples or tests is performed in a negligent, reckless, or fraudulent manner. No person may be required by the arresting officer, or by another law enforcement officer, to obtain or take any sample of blood or urine. (G) In the criminal prosecution for a violation of Section 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945 the alcohol concentration at the time of the test, as shown by chemical analysis of the person's breath or other body fluids, gives rise to the following: (1) if the alcohol concentration was at that time five one-hundredths of one percent or less, it is conclusively presumed that the person was not under the influence of alcohol; (2) if the alcohol concentration was at that time in excess of five one-hundredths of one percent but less than eight one-hundredths of one percent, this fact does not give rise to any inference that the person was or was not under the influence of alcohol, but this fact may be considered with other evidence in determining the guilt or innocence of the person; or (3) if the alcohol concentration was at that time eight one-hundredths of one percent or more, it may be inferred that the person was under the influence of alcohol. The provisions of this section must not be construed as limiting the introduction of any other evidence bearing upon the question of whether or not the person was under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of alcohol and drugs. (H) A person who is unconscious or otherwise in a condition rendering the person incapable of refusal is considered to be informed and not to have withdrawn the consent provided by subsection (A) of this section. (I) A person required to submit to tests by the arresting law enforcement officer must be provided with a written report including the time of arrest, the time of the tests, and the results of the tests before any trial or other proceeding in which the results of the tests are used as evidence. A person who obtains additional tests shall furnish a copy of the time, method, and results of such tests to the officer before a trial, hearing, or other proceeding in which the person attempts to use the results of the additional tests as evidence. (J) Policies, procedures, and regulations promulgated by SLED may be reviewed by the trial judge or hearing officer on motion of either party. The failure to follow policies, procedures, and regulations, or the provisions of this section, shall result in the exclusion from evidence of any test results, if the trial judge or hearing officer finds that this failure materially affected the accuracy or reliability of the test results or the fairness of the testing procedure and the court trial judge or hearing officer rules specifically as to the manner in which the failure materially affected the accuracy or reliability of the test results or the fairness of the procedure. (K) If a state employee charged with the maintenance of breath testing devices in this State and the administration of breath testing policy is required to testify at a contested case hearing or court proceeding, the entity employing the witness may charge a reasonable fee to the defendant for such services.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-660 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 2 / Section 56-1-660
SECTION 56-1-660. Review of license status in other states upon application for license in party state.
Status: in_force

Upon application for a license to drive, the licensing authority in a party state shall ascertain whether the applicant has ever held, or is the holder of, a license to drive issued by any other party state. The licensing authority in the state where application is made may not issue a license to drive if: (1) The applicant has held a license, but it has been suspended for a violation and the suspension period has not terminated. (2) The applicant has held a license, but it has been revoked for a violation, and the revocation has not terminated, except that after the expiration of one year from the date the license was revoked, the person may make application for a new license if permitted by law. The licensing authority may refuse to issue a license to any applicant if, after investigation, the licensing authority determines that it will not be safe to grant the person the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways. (3) The applicant is the holder of a license to drive issued by another party state and currently in force unless the applicant surrenders the license.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-221 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-221
SECTION 56-1-221. Medical Advisory Board.
Status: in_force

(A) There is created an advisory board composed of thirteen members. One member must be selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control from his staff, ten members must be appointed by the South Carolina Medical Association, and two members must be appointed by the South Carolina Optometric Association. The member selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control must be the administrative officer of the advisory board. To the maximum extent possible, the members of the board appointed by the South Carolina Medical Association and the South Carolina Optometric Association must be representative of the disciplines of the medical and optometric community treating the mental or physical disabilities that may affect the safe operation of motor vehicles. The identity of physicians and optometrists serving on the board, other than the administrative officer, may not be disclosed except as necessary in proceedings under Sections 56-1-370 or 56-1-410. The members of the board may receive no compensation. (B) The board shall advise the executive director of the Department of Motor Vehicles on medical criteria and vision standards relating to the licensing of drivers. (C) Having cause to believe that a licensed driver or applicant may not be physically or mentally qualified to be licensed, the Department of Motor Vehicles may obtain the advice of the board. The board may formulate its advice from records and reports or may cause an examination and report to be made by one or more members of the board or any other qualified person it may designate. The additional examination is at the expense of the applicant or licensed driver. The licensed driver or applicant may cause a written report to be forwarded to the board by a physician or optometrist of his choice, and it must be given consideration by the board. (D) Members of the board and other persons making examinations are not liable for their opinions and recommendations presented pursuant to subsection (C). (E) Reports received or made by the board or its members for the purpose of assisting the department in determining whether a person is qualified to be licensed are for the confidential use of the board and the department and may not be divulged to a person or used as evidence in a trial except that the reports may be admitted in proceedings under Sections 56-1-370 and 56-1-410, and a person conducting an examination pursuant to subsection (C) may be compelled to testify concerning his observations and findings in those proceedings.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-13710 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 137 / Section 56-3-13710
SECTION 56-3-13710. American Red Cross special motor vehicle license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue American Red Cross special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, and motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. 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) Notwithstanding another provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167, an amount equal to the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license plate fee must be disbursed to the American Red Cross. (C) Notwithstanding another provision of law, the requirements for production, collection, and distribution of fees for these license plates are those set forth in Section 56-3-8100. (D) The department shall imprint the special license plates with the distinctive Red Cross emblem approved by the American Red Cross along with the words or text, "Proud Supporter of the American Red Cross" written at the top of the special license plates.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-748 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 3 / Section 56-1-748
SECTION 56-1-748. Persons issued restricted driver's license ineligible for issuance of special restricted driver's license; route restricted driver's license.
Status: repealed

(A) No person issued a restricted driver's license under the provisions of Section 56-1-170, 56-1-320, 56-1-740, 56-1-745, 56-1-746, 56-5-750, 56-9-430, 56-10-260, 56-10-270, or 56-5-2951 shall subsequently be eligible for issuance of a restricted driver's license under these provisions. (B) A person who obtains a route restricted driver's license and who is required to attend an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program or a court-ordered drug program as a condition of reinstatement of the person's driving privileges may use the route restricted driver's license to attend the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program classes or court-ordered drug program in addition to the other permitted uses of the route restricted driver's license. Editor's Note Section 56-1-745 was repealed by 2011 Act No. 13, SECTION 1. Section 56-10-270 was repealed by 2002 Act No. 324, SECTION 10.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-1030 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 9 / Section 56-19-1030
SECTION 56-19-1030. Title fee for all-terrain vehicle (ATV).
Status: in_force

The title fee for an ATV is contained in Section 56-19-420(A). For purposes of this article, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is defined as provided in Section 50-26-20.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1535 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 11 / Section 56-5-1535
SECTION 56-5-1535. Endangerment of a highway worker; penalties; definitions.
Status: in_force

(A) A person commits endangerment of a highway worker if the person is operating a motor vehicle within a highway work zone at anytime one or more highway workers are in the highway work zone and in proximity to the area where the act or omission occurs and the person: (1) drives through or around a work zone in any lane not clearly designated for use by motor vehicles traveling through or around a work zone; or (2) fails to obey traffic control devices erected for the purpose of controlling the flow of motor vehicles through the work zone for any reason other than: (a) an emergency; (b) the avoidance of an obstacle; or (c) the protection of the health and safety of another person. (B)(1) A person who violates the endangerment of a highway worker provision where the highway worker suffers no physical injury must be fined not more than one thousand dollars and not less than five hundred dollars. (2) A person who violates the endangerment of a highway worker provision where the highway worker suffers physical injury and the violation was the sole proximate cause of the injury must be fined not more than two thousand dollars and not less than one thousand dollars. (3) A person who violates the endangerment of a highway worker provision where the highway worker suffers great bodily injury, as defined in Section 56-5-2945(B), and the violation was the sole proximate cause of the injury must be fined not more than five thousand dollars and not less than two thousand dollars. (C) A person who violates Section 56-5-1535(A) must have two points assessed against his motor vehicle operating record or four points assessed against his motor vehicle operating record if an injury to the highway worker occurred at the time of the incident and the violation is the sole proximate cause of the injury. (D) Any fine imposed pursuant to this section is mandatory and may not be waived or reduced below the minimum as provided in subsection (B). Sixty-five percent of the fine must be remitted to the Treasurer and deposited in a special account, separate and apart from the general fund, designated for use by the Department of Public Safety to be used for work zone enforcement. Twenty-five percent of the fine must be deposited in the State Highway Fund and designated for use by the Department of Transportation to hire off-duty state, county, or municipal police officers to monitor construction or maintenance zones. Ten percent of the fine must be remitted to the county governing body in which the charge was disposed, or the municipality if the charge was disposed in municipal court. (E) No person shall be cited for endangerment of a highway worker for any act or omission otherwise constituting a violation under this section if the act or omission results, in whole or in part, from mechanical failure of the person's motor vehicle or from the negligence of a highway worker or another person. (F) For purposes of this section: (1) "Highway work zone" means an area of a roadway, bridge, shoulder, median, or associated right of way, where construction, maintenance, utility work, accident response, or other incident response is being performed. The work zone must be marked by signs, channeling devices, barriers, pavement markings, or work vehicles, and extends from the first traffic control device erected for purposes of controlling the flow of motor vehicles through the work zone, including signs reducing the normal speed limit, to the "END ROAD WORK" sign or the last temporary traffic control device. The signs, channeling devices, barriers, pavement markings, or work vehicles must meet state Department of Transportation standards, the provisions of Section 56-5-4700, or National Fire Protection (NFPA) standards, and must be installed properly. (2) "Highway worker" means a person who is required to perform work in highway work zones, including: (a) a person who performs maintenance, repair, or construction; (b) a person who operates a truck, loader, or other equipment; (c) a person who performs any other related maintenance work, as required; (d) a public safety officer who enforces work zone-related transportation management or traffic control; (e) a law enforcement officer who conducts traffic control or enforcement operations; and (f) an officer or firefighter, an emergency medical services provider, or any other authorized person who removes hazards or who responds to accidents and other incidents. (G) Magistrates and municipal court judges have exclusive jurisdiction pursuant to this section. Effect of Amendment 2017 Act No. 81, SECTION 1, rewrote the section, deleting the provision relating to speeding in work zones, creating the offense of "endangerment of a highway worker", and providing a penalty for this offense.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-5400 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 54 / Section 56-3-5400
SECTION 56-3-5400. Fraternal Order of Police special license plates.
Status: in_force

(A) The department may issue "Fraternal Order of Police" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles registered in their names who are active members in good standing with the Fraternal Order of Police. Identification of current membership must be presented at the time of initial application. The fee for each special license plate is thirty dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. A person issued a special license plate pursuant to this section who is not or who ceases to be a member of the Fraternal Order of Police must remove the license plate from his vehicle on the date the license plate registration is due for renewal and obtain another valid license plate. A person who knowingly fails to surrender his license plate pursuant to this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined one hundred dollars or sentenced to thirty days in jail, or both. (B) Of the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place the regular motor vehicle license fee into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be distributed to the State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police to be used to support the families of officers killed in the line of duty. (C) Before the department produces and distributes the Fraternal Order of Police special license plates pursuant to this section, it must receive: (1) four hundred or more prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department shall refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the respective license plate, the department shall retain the deposit; and (2) a plan to market the sale of the special license plate which must be approved by the department. (D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for this special license plate, it may not produce additional special license plates in this series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of this series until the existing inventory is exhausted.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-9-360 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 9 / Article 4 / Section 56-9-360
SECTION 56-9-360. Security to be in custody of State Treasurer; applications to which security may be put; return.
Status: in_force

Security deposited in compliance with the requirements of this article shall be placed by the Department of Motor Vehicles in the custody of the State Treasurer and shall be applicable only to the payment of judgments rendered against the persons on whose behalf the deposit was made for damages arising out of the accident in question in an action at law begun not later than two years after the date of the accident or within two years after the date of deposit of any security under item (3) of Section 56-9-354, and this deposit or any balance thereof shall be returned to the depositor or his personal representative when evidence satisfactory to the Department has been filed with it that there has been a release from liability, a final adjudication of nonliability, a warrant for confession of judgment or a duly acknowledged agreement, in accordance with item (7) of Section 56-9-352 or whenever, after the expiration of two years from the date of the accident or within two years after the date of deposit of any security under item (3) of Section 56-9-354, the Department shall be given reasonable evidence that there is no action pending and no judgment rendered in the action left unpaid.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-15-580 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 15 / Article 5 / Section 56-15-580
SECTION 56-15-580. Change of information on application must be reported.
Status: in_force

During a license year, if there is a change in the information that a wholesale motor vehicle auction gave the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain or retain a license under this section, the licensee shall report the change to the department within thirty days after the change occurs on the form the department requires.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-11-290 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 11 / Article 3 / Section 56-11-290
SECTION 56-11-290. Penalties.
Status: in_force

A person who operates or causes to be operated on any highway in this State any motor vehicle that does not carry a registration card required by this chapter or any motor vehicle that does not display, in the manner prescribed by this chapter or by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the identification marker required by this chapter, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars. Each day's operation in violation of this section constitutes a separate offense.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-730 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 3 / Section 56-1-730
SECTION 56-1-730. Warning tickets not assigned point value.
Status: in_force

Warning tickets shall not be assigned a point value.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-330 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 3 / Section 56-5-330
SECTION 56-5-330. Safety glass defined.
Status: in_force

"Safety glass" shall mean any product composed of glass, so manufactured, fabricated or treated as substantially to prevent shattering and flying of the glass when struck or broken or such other or similar product as may be approved by the Department of Public Safety.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-10-50 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 10 / Article 1 / Section 56-10-50
SECTION 56-10-50. Suspension of registration not to affect title to vehicle.
Status: in_force

No suspension of a certificate of registration hereunder affects the status of title to the motor vehicle or any property rights in such motor vehicle, but the provisions of Section 56-3-110 are applicable with respect to the operation of such motor vehicle.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-19-550 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 19 / Article 4 / Section 56-19-550
SECTION 56-19-550. Severance of manufactured home from real property when it will be affixed to real property in new location; filing of Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit; if not to be affixed to real property, Attorney Affidavit of Security Interests of Record reflecting liens to be filed.
Status: in_force

(A) A manufactured home for which the title certificate has been retired may be severed from real property only in accordance with the procedures prescribed in this article. Any person who removes a manufactured home for which the title certificate has been retired from the real property to which it has been affixed in a manner inconsistent with requirements of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined five hundred dollars. (B) If a manufactured home for which the title certificate has been retired is to be severed from the real property to which it is affixed, it is not necessary for the owner of the manufactured home to obtain a new title certificate if the manufactured home is to be affixed to real property in its new location. However, the owner shall file a Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit in the form prescribed in this article with the Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court in the county or counties from which the manufactured home is being moved and where it is to be relocated and pay a fee for the filing of affidavits provided by Section 8-21-310. No manufactured home that is to be severed may be transported without first obtaining the appropriate moving permit and a receipt indicating payment of any taxes accrued, due, or payable on the manufactured home. (C) The Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit must be in the following form: OWNERS SECTION (3) Check whichever is applicable: _____ The above described manufactured home will be removed from its current location and will not be permanently affixed in a new location. _____ The above described manufactured home will be removed from its current location and will be permanently affixed in a new location. (4) Full legal description of new property to which manufactured home is to be affixed using metes and bounds or reference to recorded plat by book and page. (A separate sheet identified as "Exhibit A" may be attached.) _________________________________________________________ (5) Derivation: This being the identical or a portion of property conveyed or leased to the owner by deed or lease from ___________________________ and recorded _______________ in Book________ at page___________. Tax map number______________ Tax billing address__________________________________________ (6) Name of owner of real property if different from owner of manufactured home. _________________________________________________________ (7) The initial manufactured home affidavit was recorded on ____________________, in book ___________, at page _____________________, in the County of ___________________. The owner certifies that the above information provided by the owner is true and correct to the best information and belief of the owner. Before me, the undersigned Notary Public, personally appeared _____________________________, who, being duly sworn, deposed and said that he saw _________________________________, sign, seal, and deliver the foregoing affidavit and that he, together with __________________________ witnessed the execution thereof. ______________________________________ SWORN to before me this _________ day of _______________ Notary Public for_________________(L.S.) My Commission Expires:________ SECURED PARTY SECTION (1) Names and mailing address of all parties with a security interest in the manufactured home: ______________________________________ ______________________________________ (2) Consent to sever. This section must be completed by each secured party and the signature of each must be notarized. By my (our) signature(s) affixed hereto I (we) consent to the severance of the within described manufactured home from the real property identified herein. Before me, the undersigned Notary Public, personally appeared ______________________________, who, being duly sworn, deposed and said that he saw ___________________________________, sign, seal, and deliver the foregoing consent to sever and that he, together with ____________________________ witnessed the execution thereof. ____________________________ SWORN to before me this _________ day of _______________ Notary Public for__________________(L.S.) My Commission Expires:________ (D) If the manufactured home will not be affixed to real property, it is necessary for the owner of the manufactured home to obtain a new title certificate from the Department of Motor Vehicles by filing with the department an application for title on the form prescribed by the department, by paying the fee established by Section 56-19-420, and by furnishing a stamped, clocked copy of the Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit which must contain an affidavit executed by a licensed South Carolina attorney identifying in the order of their priority any secured party having a security interest in the real property. Liens reflected on the Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit must be reflected on the title certificate in order of their priority. (E) The attorney's affidavit required by subsection (D) must be in the following form: The undersigned on oath, being duly sworn, hereby certifies as follows: (1) The undersigned is a licensed attorney admitted to practice in the State of South Carolina. (2) The undersigned has conducted an examination of the real property records in the office of the Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court in the county of ____________________, and states that the following security interests listed below in their order of priority are recorded and in the undersigned's opinion are perfected as to the manufactured home identified in the attached Severance Affidavit. The parties are listed by name and address in order of priority of security interest: Before me, the undersigned Notary Public, personally appeared _____________________________, who, being duly sworn, deposed and said that he saw ___________________________________, sign, seal, and deliver the foregoing Affidavit and that he, together with ____________________________ witnessed the execution thereof. ________________________________ SWORN to before me this _________ day of _______________ Notary Public for____________________(L.S.) My Commission Expires:________ (F) If a manufactured home which is to be severed from real property is subject to a lien or mortgage, the manufactured home may not be severed without the notarized, written consent of the lienholder to the severance and the discharge or release of the lien or mortgage as to the manufactured home as provided by law. (G) Notwithstanding the provisions of this article, the security interest in a manufactured home in which the title certificate has been retired shall continue notwithstanding any relocation unless the lien on the manufactured home has been satisfied of record as required by law as to the satisfaction of liens or the lender indicates consent to the relocation on the Severance Affidavit provided for in subsection (C) and the owner files the affidavit with the Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court with whom the Manufactured Home Affidavit for Retirement of title certificate is filed. (H) A copy of the application for a new title certificate along with the Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit required by this article must also be filed in the office of the Register of Deeds or Clerk of Court for the county in which is located the real property from which the manufactured home is severed together with payment of the fee for the filing of affidavits provided by Section 8-21-310.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-87 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 1 / Article 1 / Section 56-1-87
SECTION 56-1-87. REAL ID card issuance.
Status: in_force

(A) A person may hold only one Department of Motor Vehicles-issued credential at a time. A REAL ID card may be a driver's license or identification card, but not both. (B) The department may issue a compliant or noncompliant card. The department may issue a REAL ID compliant credential only to a person who: (1) presents all supporting documents required for a compliant credential; or (2) has previously presented proper supporting documents and the department has retained copies of those documents. (C) The department shall issue a noncompliant credential to a person who opts not to have a REAL ID card, and meets the other requirements necessary to obtain a noncompliant credential.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-3-14910 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 3 / Article 149 / Section 56-3-14910
SECTION 56-3-14910. Special license plates reflective of valorous awards.
Status: reserved

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of valorous awards for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members who received the following awards: (1) Medal of Honor- Army (2) Medal of Honor- Navy (3) Medal of Honor- Air Force (4) Distinguished Service Cross- Army (5) Distinguished Service Cross- Navy (6) Distinguished Service Cross- Air Force (7) South Carolina Medal of Valor (8) Silver Star (9) Bronze Star (with valor) (10) Soldier's Medal (11) Navy and Marine Corps Medal. (B) The qualifying active or prior service members must be one of the registrants of the vehicle. No more than three license plates per award type may be issued to the award recipient. License plates for awards specified in subsection (A) are exempt from the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56. These special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. (C) The application for a special license plate must include official military documentation (a DD-214, NGB Form 22, or official orders) demonstrating the applicant is the recipient of an award specified in subsection (A). (D) A person issued a license plate under the provisions of subsection (A) may park in metered or timed parking places without being subject to parking fees or fines. This section has no application to areas or during times in which the stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles is prohibited or which are reserved for special types of vehicles. As a condition to this privilege, a vehicle must display a distinguishing license plate issued by the department for vehicles registered to recipients of an award specified in subsection (A). (E) License plates authorized under subsection (A) are exempt from the provisions contained in Section 56-3-8100. Effect of Amendment 2024 Act No. 178, SECTION 11, in (A), inserted (11), and made a nonsubstantive change.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1920 — SC Code / Title 56 / Chapter 5 / Article 13 / Section 56-5-1920
SECTION 56-5-1920. Driving on divided highways.
Status: in_force

Whenever any highway has been divided into two or more roadways by leaving an intervening space or by a physical barrier or clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic, every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand roadway unless directed or permitted to use another roadway by official traffic-control devices or police officers. No vehicle shall be driven over, across or within any such dividing space, barrier or section except through an opening in such physical barrier or dividing section or space or at a crossover or intersection as established, unless specifically prohibited by public authority. For clarification, a left turn across a painted median is authorized unless prohibited by an official traffic-control device.