CHAPTER 1 - DRIVER'S LICENSE
Title 56 - Motor Vehicles
CHAPTER 1.
DRIVER'S LICENSE
ARTICLE 1.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 56-1-5. Department of Motor Vehicles Established; transfer of power from the Department of Public Safety; appointment, powers, and duties of the Executive Director; independent review.
(A) The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is hereby established as an administrative agency of the state government.
(B) Upon the signature of the Governor, all functions, powers, duties, responsibilities, and authority statutorily exercised by the Motor Vehicle Division and the Motor Carrier Services unit within the Department of Public Safety are transferred to and devolved upon the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(C) The Executive Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor.
(D) The executive director is the executive and administrative head of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The executive director shall administer the policies defined by the department and the affairs of the department.
(E) The executive director may appoint assistants, deputies, and employees as the executive director considers necessary and proper to administer the affairs of the department and may prescribe their duties, powers, and functions.
(F) The Legislative Audit Council shall conduct an independent review of the Department of Motor Vehicles every three years.
SECTION 56-1-10. Definitions.
For the purpose of this title, unless otherwise indicated, the following words, phrases, and terms are defined as follows:
(1) "Driver" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle.
(2) "Operator" means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle.
(3) "Owner" means a person, other than a lienholder, having the property or title to a vehicle. The term includes a person entitled to the use and possession of a vehicle subject to a security interest in another person, but excludes a lessee under a lease not intended as security.
(4) "Department" means the Department of Motor Vehicles when the term refers to the duties, functions, and responsibilities of the former Motor Vehicle Division of the Department of Public Safety and means the Department of Public Safety otherwise and in Section 56-3-840.
(5) "State" means a state, territory, or possession of the United States and the District of Columbia.
(6) "Highway" means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part of it is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
(7) "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle which is self-propelled, and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails.
(8) "Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle having no more than two permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground or trailer and having a saddle for the use of the rider, but excluding a tractor.
(9) "Nonresident" means every person who is not a resident of this State.
(10) "Nonresident's operating privilege" means the privilege conferred upon a nonresident by the laws of this State pertaining to the operation by the person of a motor vehicle, or the use of a vehicle owned by the person, in this State.
(11) "Conviction" includes the entry of any plea of guilty, the entry of any plea of nolo contendere, and the forfeiture of any bail or collateral deposited to secure a defendant's appearance in court.
(12) "Cancellation of driver's license" means the annulment or termination by formal action of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a person's driver's license because of some error or defect in the license or because the licensee is no longer entitled to the license; the cancellation of a license is without prejudice, and application for a new license may be made at any time after the cancellation.
(13) "Revocation of driver's license" means the termination by formal action of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a person's driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle on the public highways, which privilege to operate is not subject to renewal or restoration, except that an application for a new license may be presented and acted upon by the department.
(14) "Suspension of driver's license" means the temporary withdrawal by formal action of the Department of Motor Vehicles of a person's driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle on the public highways, which temporary withdrawal shall be as specifically designated.
(15) "Automotive three-wheel vehicle" means every motor vehicle having no more than three permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground, having a bench seat for the use of the operator, and having an automotive type steering device, but excluding a tractor or motorcycle three-wheel vehicle.
(16) "Alcohol" means a substance containing any form of alcohol including, but not limited to, ethanol, methanol, propanol, and isopropanol.
(17) "Alcohol concentration" means:
(a) the number of grams of alcohol for each one hundred milliliters of blood by weight; or
(b) as determined by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for other bodily fluids.
(18) "Motorcycle three-wheel vehicle" means every motor vehicle having no more than three permanent functional wheels in contact with the ground to include motorcycles with detachable side cars, having a saddle type seat for the operator, and having handlebars or a motorcycle type steering device but excluding a tractor or automotive three-wheel vehicle.
(19) "Low speed vehicle" or "LSV" means a four-wheeled motor vehicle, other than an all terrain vehicle, whose speed attainable in one mile is more than twenty miles an hour and not more than twenty-five miles an hour on a paved level surface.
(20) "All terrain vehicle" or "ATV" means a motor vehicle measuring fifty inches or less in width, designed to travel on three or more wheels and designed primarily for off-road recreational use, but not including farm tractors or equipment, construction equipment, forestry vehicles, or lawn and grounds maintenance vehicles.
(21) "Operator" or "driver" means a person who is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle.
(22) "Person" means every natural person, firm, partnership, trust, company, firm, association, or corporation. Where the term "person" is used in connection with the registration of a motor vehicle, it includes any corporation, association, partnership, trust, company, firm, or other aggregation of individuals which owns or controls the motor vehicle as actual owner, or for the purpose of sale or for renting, as agent, salesperson, or otherwise.
(23) "Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings" means the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings created by Section 1-23-660. The Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings has exclusive jurisdiction to conduct all contested case hearings or administrative hearings arising from department actions.
(24) "Administrative hearing" means a "contested case hearing" as defined in Section 1-23-310. It is a hearing conducted pursuant to the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act.
SECTION 56-1-15. Administration of driver's license examination; random testing of driver's license applicants; contractor's failure to conform to licensing laws.
(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles must enter into contracts with persons, corporations, or governmental subdivisions, including public schools, in localities throughout the State to administer the portion of the driver's license examination that tests the driver's license applicant's ability to read and understand highway signs that regulate, warn, and direct traffic, and his knowledge of the traffic laws of the State, and the actual demonstration of his ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of the type of motor vehicle for which the license is sought as contained in Section 56-1-130(A). The department must supervise the provision of services contained in this subsection. The department must supply driver education instructors appropriate testing materials to administer the examinations contained in this section. A person or corporation administering an examination pursuant to this section may charge a fee in excess of the fee charged by the department for the examination.
(B) The department must randomly test driver's license applicants who successfully complete the driver's license examinations pursuant to subsection (A) to ensure that the driver's license instructors are properly certifying that their students have successfully completed a driver's license examination.
(C) If through testing or other review procedures, the department determines that a contractor is not conforming to the law and regulations applicable to licensing, it may:
(1) suspend the authority of a particular individual or entity operating under the contract to administer the tests;
(2) suspend the contract;
(3) cancel the contract.
(D) The department must test randomly a driver's license applicant only at the time the applicant is seeking his initial driver's license at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
SECTION 56-1-20. Driver's license required; surrender and disposition of out-of-State licenses; local licenses.
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 operator's licenses in his possession issued to him by any other state. 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.
SECTION 56-1-25. Disclosure of confidential information during transfer of power to Department of Motor Vehicles.
It is unlawful for a person to disclose any confidential information which belongs to the Department of Public Safety Motor Vehicle Division to an individual or entity that is not permitted to have access to the information during or after the transfer of the confidential information from the Motor Vehicle Division to the Department of Motor Vehicles. A person who violates a provision contained in this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned for not more than one year and fined not less than one thousand dollars.
SECTION 56-1-30. Persons exempt from licensing requirements.
The following persons are exempt from licenses under this article:
(1) Any employee of the United States Government while operating a motor vehicle owned by or leased to the United States Government and being operated on official business, unless the employee is required by the United States Government or the Federal agency by which he is employed to have a State driver's license;
(2) A nonresident who is at least sixteen years of age and who has in his immediate possession a valid operator's or chauffeur's license issued to him in his home state or country may operate a motor vehicle, but a person may not claim nonresidence exemption under this provision who does not maintain a permanent residence address in the state or country of which he holds a valid and current operator's or chauffeur's license at which he regularly receives his mail and which address is on file with the motor vehicle authorities of that state or country; also, a person may not claim nonresidence exemption under this provision who for all other intents and purposes has or may remove his residence into this State;
(3) Any nonresident who is at least eighteen years of age and whose home state or country does not require the licensing of operators may operate a motor vehicle for a period of not more than ninety days in any calendar year, if the motor vehicle is duly registered in the home state or country of the nonresident and a nonresident on active duty in the Armed Services of the United States who has a valid license issued by his home state and the nonresident's spouse or dependent who has a valid license issued by his home state;
(4) A person operating or driving implements of husbandry temporarily drawn, propelled, or moved upon a highway. Implements of husbandry include, but are not limited to, farm machinery and farm equipment other than a passenger car.
(5) Any person on active duty in the Armed Services of the United States who has in his immediate possession a valid driver's license issued in a foreign country or by the Armed Services of the United States may operate a motor vehicle in this State for a period of not more than ninety days from the date of his return to the United States; and
(6) A citizen of a foreign jurisdiction whose licensing procedure is at least as strict as South Carolina's, as determined by the Department of Motor Vehicles, who is at least eighteen years of age, who is employed in South Carolina, and who has a valid driver's license issued by that jurisdiction may drive in this State for five years if the foreign jurisdiction provides a reciprocal arrangement for South Carolina residents. The provisions of this item also shall apply to the dependents of foreign nationals who qualify under this section.
SECTION 56-1-35. Driver's license for members of the armed services and dependents.
A member of the Armed Services of the United States and his dependents, who become permanent residents of this State, have ninety days to apply for a South Carolina driver's license, and they must be issued a license without examination except for the visual test required by Section 56-1-210 if they have a valid driver's license from another state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia. The license expires on the licensee's birth date which occurs within the fourth calendar year in which the license is issued.
SECTION 56-1-40. Persons who may not be licensed or have their license renewed; beginner's permit.
The Department of Motor Vehicles may not issue a motor vehicle driver's license to or renew the driver's license of a person:
(1) who is under seventeen years of age, except that the department may issue a license to a sixteen-year-old who is licensed to drive pursuant to Section 56-1-175 after one year from the date of the issuance of the conditional license, if the driver has not been convicted of a traffic offense or has not been involved in an accident in which he was at fault during that period. However, the department may issue a beginner's permit as provided in Section 56-1-50 to a person who is at least fifteen years of age and meets the requirements of that section. The department also 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 as provided in Section 56-1-180 and meets the requirements of that section;
(2) whose driver's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle currently is suspended or revoked in this State or another jurisdiction, except as otherwise provided for in this title;
(3) who is an habitual user of alcohol or any other drug to a degree which prevents him from safely operating a motor vehicle;
(4) who has a mental or physical condition which prevents him from safely operating a motor vehicle;
(5) who is required by this article to take an examination, unless the person successfully has passed the examination;
(6) who is required under the laws of this State to provide proof of financial responsibility and has not provided the proof;
(7) who is not a resident of South Carolina. For purposes of determining eligibility to obtain or renew a South Carolina driver's license, the term "resident of South Carolina" shall expressly include all persons authorized by the United States Department of Justice, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the United States Department of State to live, work, or study in the United States on a temporary or permanent basis who present documents indicating their intent to live, work, or study in South Carolina. These persons and their dependents are eligible to obtain a motor vehicle driver's license or have one renewed pursuant to this provision. A driver's license issued pursuant to this item to a person who is not a lawful permanent resident of the United States shall expire on the later of: (1) the expiration date of the driver's license applicant's authorized period of stay in the United States; or (2) the expiration date of the driver's license applicant's employment authorization document. However, in no event shall a driver's license issued pursuant to this item expire less than one year or more than five years from the date of its issue. In addition, a person pending adjustment of status who presents appropriate documentation to the Department of Motor Vehicles shall be granted a one-year extension of his driver's license which is renewable annually.
(8) who must not be issued a license as otherwise provided by the laws of this State.
SECTION 56-1-50. Beginner's permit; hours and conditions of vehicle operation; renewal and fee; driver's training course; eligibility for full licensure.
(A) A person who is at least fifteen years of age may apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles for a beginner's permit. After the applicant has passed successfully all parts of the examination other than the driving test, the department may issue to the applicant a beginner's permit which entitles the applicant having the permit in his immediate possession to drive a motor vehicle under the conditions contained in this section on the public highways 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 the permittee's licensed parent or guardian;
(2) motorcycles, motor scooters, or light motor-driven cycles of five- brake horsepower or less after six o'clock a.m. and not later than six o' clock p.m. However, beginning on the day that daylight saving time goes into effect through the day that daylight saving time ends, the permittee may operate motor scooters or light motor-driven cycles after six o'clock a.m. and not later than eight o'clock p.m. A permittee may not operate a motorcycle, motor scooter, or light motor-driven cycle at any other time unless supervised by the permittee's motorcycle licensed parent or guardian.
(C) The accompanying driver must occupy a seat beside the permittee, except when the permittee is operating a motorcycle. A three-wheel vehicle requires the accompanying driver to be directly behind the permittee on a saddle-type seat or beside the permittee on a bench-type seat.
(D) A beginner's permit may be renewed or a new permit issued for additional periods of twelve months, but 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 color 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; and
(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.
(F) A person who has never held a form of license evidencing previous driving experience first must be issued a beginner's permit and must hold the permit for at least one hundred eighty days before being eligible for full licensure.
(G) The fees collected pursuant to this section must be credited to the Department of Transportation State Non-Federal Aid Highway Fund as provided in the following schedule based on the actual date of receipt by the Department of Motor Vehicles:
Fees and Penalties General Fund Department of
Collected After of the State Transportation
State Non"Federal Aid
Highway Fund
June 30, 2005 60 percent 40 percent
June 30, 2006 20 percent 80 percent
June 30, 2007 0 percent 100 percent.
SECTION 56-1-70. Temporary driver's permit.
The Department of Motor Vehicles may, in its discretion, issue a temporary driver's permit to an applicant for a motor vehicle driver's license permitting him to operate a motor vehicle while the Department is completing its investigation and determination of all facts relative to such applicant's right to receive a driver's license. Such permit must be in his immediate possession while operating a motor vehicle, and it shall be invalid when the applicant's license has been issued or for good cause has been refused.
SECTION 56-1-80. Application for license or permit.
(A) Every application for a driver's license or permit must:
(1) be made upon the form furnished by the Department of Motor Vehicles;
(2) be accompanied by the proper fee and acceptable proof of date and place of birth;
(3) contain the full name, date of birth, sex, race, and residence address of the applicant and briefly describe the applicant;
(4) state whether the applicant has been licensed as an operator or chauffeur and, if so, when and by what state or country;
(5) state whether a license or permit has been suspended or revoked or whether an application has been refused and, if so, the date of and reason for the suspension, revocation, or refusal;
(6) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose a permanent medical condition which must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record;
(7) allow an applicant voluntarily to disclose that he is an organ and tissue donor which must be indicated by a symbol designated by the department on the driver's license and contained in the driver's record.
(B) The information contained on a driver's license and in the driver's department records pertaining to a person's permanent medical condition, as provided for in item (A)(6), must be made available, upon request, to law enforcement and emergency medical services and hospital personnel; and the information and records pertaining to a person's organ and tissue donor status, as provided for in item (A)(7), must be made available, upon request, to law enforcement, emergency medical services and hospital personnel, the Organ and Tissue Procurement Organization, as provided for in Section 44-43-910, and to Donate Life South Carolina in accordance with Section 44-43-1440.
(C) Whenever an application is received from a person previously licensed or permitted in another state, the Department of Motor Vehicles may request a copy of the applicant's record from the other state. When received, the record becomes a part of the driver's record in this State with the same effect as though entered on the operator's record in this State in the original instance. Every person who obtains a driver's license or permit for the first time in South Carolina and every person who renews his driver's license or permit in South Carolina must be furnished a written request form for completion and verification of liability insurance coverage.
The completed and verified form or an affidavit prepared by the department that neither he, nor a resident relative, owns a motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this chapter, must be completed and delivered to the department at the time the license or permit is issued or renewed.
SECTION 56-1-85. Federal REAL ID Act; nonparticipation.
The State shall not participate in the implementation of the federal REAL ID Act.
SECTION 56-1-90. Identification necessary for license; proof of Social Security number.
The Department of Motor Vehicles may require every applicant to submit for identification purposes proof of name, Social Security number, and date and place of birth when applying for a driver's license. An applicant for a driver's license, driver's permit, or special identification card or a renewal thereof may sufficiently prove the existence and validity of his Social Security number, for purposes of Section 14-7-130, by any reasonably reliable document containing the Social Security number. Such a document includes, but is not limited to, an official Social Security card, Social Security check, Social Security form SSA-1099, letter from the Social Security Administration, voter registration card, payroll stub, Federal W-2 form, or U.S. military identification card. The numbers may also be obtained from the Department of Revenue pursuant to Section 12-54-240(B)(7) which permits the Department of Revenue to submit taxpayer Social Security numbers to the Department of Motor Vehicles and to the State Election Commission.
For purposes of this section, when a licensee is applying for a replacement license, the Department of Motor Vehicles must accept an affidavit as evidence that the licensee has established the existence and validity of his Social Security number at the time of the original license application. The driver's license number of a person may be his Social Security number.
This section does not prevent issuance of a driver's license or identification card to a foreign exchange student participating in a valid foreign exchange program.
SECTION 56-1-100. Application by unemancipated minor.
The application of an unemancipated minor for a beginner's permit, instruction permit, or driver's license must be signed and verified before a person authorized to administer oaths by the father, mother, or guardian or, for all other minors, by a responsible adult who is willing to assume the obligation imposed under this article upon a person signing the application of a minor. Upon the extension of a permit pursuant to Section 56-1-50, authorization by the father, mother, guardian, or a responsible adult is not required.
SECTION 56-1-110. Imputed liability of person signing application for damages caused by uninsured minor.
Any negligence or wilful misconduct of a minor when driving a motor vehicle upon a highway must be imputed to the person who has signed the application of such minor for a beginner's permit, instruction permit, or driver's license, which person is jointly and severally liable with such minor for any damage caused by such negligence or wilful misconduct, except that if such minor is protected by a policy of liability insurance in the form and in the amounts as required under Chapter 9 of this title and Sections 38-77-140 through 38-77-310, then such parent or guardian or other responsible adult is not subject to the liability otherwise imposed under this section.
SECTION 56-1-120. Release from imputed liability by cancellation of permit or license.
Any person who has signed the application of a minor for a permit or license may thereafter file with the Department of Motor Vehicles a verified written request that the permit or license of such minor so granted be cancelled. Thereupon, the person who signed the application of such minor shall be relieved from the liability imposed under Section 56-1-110 by reason of having signed such application on account of any subsequent negligence or wilful misconduct of such minor in operating a motor vehicle, and the license or permit of such minor shall be cancelled by the Department.
SECTION 56-1-125. Registration with U.S. Selective Service when applying for driver's license or identification card.
(A) Upon receiving proper authority from the United States Government, a United States male citizen or immigrant who is less than twenty-six years of age must be registered for the United States Selective Service when applying to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the issuance, renewal, or a duplicate copy of:
(1) a driver's license;
(2) a commercial driver's license; or
(3) an identification card.
(B) The department shall forward in an electronic format the necessary personal information required for registration of individuals identified in this section to the Selective Service System.
(C) An individual's submission of an application contained in subsection (A) serves as an indication that the individual has registered with the Selective Service System or that he is authorizing the department to forward to the Selective Service System information necessary for his registration.
(D) The department shall inform the individual who is at least eighteen years of age and less than twenty-six years of age, on his application, that his submission of the application for a license or identification card serves as his consent to be registered with the Selective Service System, if required by federal law.
(E) The department shall inform the individual who is less than eighteen years of age, on his application, that his submission of the application for a license or identification card serves as his consent to be registered with the Selective Service System upon attaining eighteen years of age, if required by federal law. His application also must be signed by his parent or guardian. By signing the application, the parent or guardian authorizes the department to register the applicant with the Selective Service System upon attaining eighteen years of age, if required by federal law. The applicant, parent, or guardian may decline the Selective Service System registration. If the applicant, parent, or guardian declines the Selective Service System registration, the department may issue a license or identification card, but the applicant must renew the license or identification card upon attaining eighteen years of age.
(F) This section takes effect upon the department's receipt from the federal government of the funds necessary to implement this section.
SECTION 56-1-130. License examinations; basic and classified licenses.
(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall examine every applicant for a driver's license, except as otherwise provided in this article. The examination shall include a test of the applicant's eyesight, his ability to read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic, and his knowledge of the traffic laws of this State and shall include an actual demonstration of ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of the type motor vehicle, including motorcycles, for which a license is sought. The department may require a further physical and mental examination as it considers necessary to determine the applicant's fitness to operate a motor vehicle upon the highways, the further examination to be at the applicant's expense. The department shall make provisions for giving an examination in the county where the applicant resides. The department shall charge an appropriate fee for each complete examination or reexamination required in this article.
(B) No persons, except those exempted under Section 56-1-30 and Section 56-1-60, or those holding beginner's permits under Section 56-1-50, shall operate any classification of motor vehicle without first being examined and duly licensed by the driver examiner as a qualified driver of that classification of motor vehicle.
(C) A basic driver's license authorizes the licensee to operate motor vehicles, automotive three-wheel vehicles, motorcycle three-wheel vehicles, excluding a motorcycle with a detachable side car, or combinations of vehicles which do not exceed twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating; provided, that the driver has successfully demonstrated the ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of a motor vehicle in this category. A basic driver's license also authorizes the licensee to operate farm trucks provided for in Sections 56-3-670, 56-3-680, and 56-3-690, which are used exclusively by the owner for agricultural, horticultural, and dairying operations or livestock and poultry raising. Notwithstanding another provision of law, the holder of a conditional license, or special restricted license operating a farm truck for the purposes provided in this subsection, may operate the farm truck without an accompanying adult after six o'clock a.m. and no later than nine o'clock p.m. , but may not operate a farm truck on a freeway. A person operating a farm truck while holding a conditional driver's license or a special restricted license may not use the farm truck for ordinary domestic purposes or general transportation.
A classified driver's license shall authorize the licensee to operate a motorcycle, motorcycle three-wheel vehicle, including a motorcycle with a detachable side car, or those vehicles in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating which are indicated by endorsement on the license. The endorsement may include classifications such as: motorcycle, two-axle truck, three- or more axle truck, combination of vehicles, motor busses, or oversize or overweight vehicles. The department shall determine from the driving demonstration the endorsements to be indicated on the license.
SECTION 56-1-135. Designated driver for fire extinguishment, special endorsement; safety officers.
(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-1-130, a paid or volunteer firefighter of a lawfully and regularly organized fire department designated to drive a firefighting vehicle may have a special endorsement affixed to his driver's license which authorizes him to drive this vehicle for the purpose of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a fire department and related activities.
(B) Every political subdivision and unincorporated community operating a lawfully and regularly organized fire department of this State shall designate a law enforcement officer or the fire chief or his designee as its safety officer. The safety officer shall meet the qualifications set forth in the Department of Motor Vehicle guidelines. However, he does not have to be a full-time employee. A firefighter desiring to drive the vehicle referred to in subsection (A) shall demonstrate his ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of this vehicle to a safety officer. The fire department, including volunteer fire departments, shall submit to the Department of Motor Vehicles a list of the persons designated to drive the vehicle.
(C) It is the responsibility of the agency or fire department who operates the vehicle to keep the list of designated drivers current. Changes in the list of drivers must be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles within thirty days from the change.
SECTION 56-1-140. Issuance of license; fee; signature; contents.
Upon the payment of a fee of twelve dollars and fifty cents for a license that is valid for five years, or twenty-five dollars for a license that is valid for ten years, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue to every qualified applicant a driver's license as applied for by law. The license must bear on it a distinguishing number assigned to the licensee, the full name, date of birth, and residence address and a brief description and laminated colored photograph of the licensee, and a facsimile of the signature of the licensee or a space upon which the licensee shall write his usual signature with pen and ink immediately upon receipt of the license. No license is valid until it has been so signed by the licensee. The license authorizes the licensee to operate only those classifications of vehicles as indicated on the license.
The fees collected pursuant to this section must be credited to the Department of Transportation State Non-Federal Aid Highway Fund as provided in the following schedule based on the actual date of receipt by the Department of Motor Vehicles:
Fees and Penalties General Fund Department of
Collected After of the State Transportation
State Non"Federal Aid
Highway Fund
June 30, 2005 60 percent 40 percent
June 30, 2006 20 percent 80 percent
June 30, 2007 0 percent 100 percent.
SECTION 56-1-143. Contribution to Donate Life South Carolina when obtaining or renewing driver's license.
An applicant for a new or renewal driver's license, commercial driver's license, motorcycle driver's license, identification card, issuance of a vehicle title or transfer of title, or issuance or renewal of a vehicle license plate must be given an opportunity in writing to make a voluntary contribution of five dollars, more or less, to be credited to Donate Life South Carolina established in Section 44-43-1310. Any voluntary contribution must be added to the driver's license, identification card, title, or license plate fee and must be transferred to the State Treasurer and credited to Donate Life South Carolina as provided for in Section 44-43-1310. The incremental cost of administration of the contribution must be paid by the trust fund from amounts received pursuant to this section before funds are expended by the trust fund.
SECTION 56-1-170. Restricted licenses; penalties for violations; hearings; special restricted driver's licenses.
(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles upon issuing a driver's license has authority, whenever good cause appears, to impose restrictions suitable to the licensee's driving ability with respect to the type of or special mechanical control devices required on a motor vehicle which the licensee may operate or other restrictions applicable to the licensee as the department determines to be appropriate to assure the safe operation of a motor vehicle by the licensee. The department may either issue a special restricted license or may set forth the restrictions on the usual license form. The department shall not discriminate against a handicapped person by treating him in a different manner than it treats a nonhandicapped person. A handicapped person shall have the option of taking the same test as a nonhandicapped person and, upon satisfactory completion of the test, shall be issued a license comparable to which a nonhandicapped person would be qualified to receive. A person who has been issued a driver's license without restrictions who was handicapped at the time of the issuance of the license may have his driver's license renewed without restrictions unless he has received an additional handicap.
The department may, upon receiving satisfactory evidence of any violation of the restrictions of the license, suspend or revoke the license. A licensee aggrieved by the action of the department may request a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings in accordance with its rules of procedure.
Any person who operates a motor vehicle in any manner in violation of the restrictions imposed in a restricted license issued to him is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.
(B)(1) If a person is employed or enrolled in a college or university at any time while his driver's license is suspended pursuant to this section, he may apply for a special restricted driver's license permitting him to drive only to and from work or his place of education and in the course of his employment or education during the period of suspension. The department may issue the special restricted driver's license only upon a showing by the person that he is employed or enrolled in a college or university, and that he lives further than one mile from his place of employment or place of education.
(2) If the department issues a special restricted driver's license, it shall designate reasonable restrictions on the times during which and routes on which the person may operate a motor vehicle. A change in the employment hours, place of employment, status as a student, or residence must be reported immediately to the department by the licensee.
(3) The fee for each special restricted driver's license is one hundred dollars, but no additional fee is due because of changes in the place and hours of employment, education, or residence. Of this fee, twenty dollars must be distributed to the general fund and eighty dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(4) The operation of a motor vehicle outside the time limits and route imposed by a special restricted license by the person issued that license is a violation of Section 56-1-460.
SECTION 56-1-171. Suspension for failure to pay child support; route-restricted license.
(A) A person whose driver's license has been suspended for failure to comply with an order for child support may obtain a special route-restricted driver's license from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The special route-restricted driver's license allows the person to only operate a motor vehicle as transportation between his home and work, or as a part of his work duties, or as transportation to a college, university, technical college, or any other institution of higher learning in which he is enrolled.
(B) If the Department of Motor Vehicles issues a special route-restricted driver's license, it shall designate reasonable restrictions on the times during which and routes on which the person may operate a motor vehicle. A change in the employment hours, place of employment, status as a student, or residence must be reported immediately to the Department of Motor Vehicles by the person.
(C) The fee for a special route-restricted driver's license is one hundred dollars, but no additional fee is due because of changes in the place and hours of employment, education, or residence. Twenty dollars of this fee must be deposited in the state general fund and eighty dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
(D) The operation of a motor vehicle outside the time limits and route imposed by a special route-restricted driver's license by the person issued that license is a violation of Section 56-1-460.
(E) If after six months of obtaining the special route-restricted driver's license the person is still substantially out of compliance with the order for support, the Department of Social Services shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the special route-restricted driver's license. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend the special route-restricted driver's license until the Department of Social Services notifies the Department of Motor Vehicles to withdraw the suspension.
(F) The fee for a special route-restricted driver's license must be in accordance with Section 56-1-140.
SECTION 56-1-175. Issuance of conditional driver's license.
(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a conditional driver's license to a person who is at least fifteen years of age and less than sixteen 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 (E);
(3) completed at least forty hours of driving practice, including at least ten hours of driving practice during darkness, supervised by the person's licensed parent or guardian;
(4) passed successfully the road tests or other requirements the department may prescribe; and
(5) satisfied the school attendance requirement contained in Section 56-1-176.
(B) A conditional driver's license is valid only in the operation of:
(1) vehicles during daylight hours. The holder of a conditional 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. A conditional driver's license holder may not drive between midnight and six o'clock a.m., unless accompanied by the holder's licensed parent or guardian;
(2) a motor scooter or light motor-driven cycle of five-brake horsepower or less, during daylight hours.
(C) A conditional driver's license holder may not transport more than two passengers who are under twenty-one years of age unless accompanied by a licensed adult who is twenty-one years of age or older. This restriction does not apply when the conditional driver's license holder is transporting family members, or students to or from school.
(D) Daylight hours, as used in this section, means after the hour of six o'clock a.m. and no later than six o'clock p.m. However, beginning on the day that daylight saving time goes into effect through the day that daylight saving time ends, the holder of the conditional license may operate a vehicle after six o'clock a.m. and no later than eight o'clock p.m. For purposes of this section, all other hours are designated as nighttime hours.
(E) 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 instructor permit contained in Section 56-23-85.
(F) For purposes of issuing a conditional 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.
SECTION 56-1-176. Conditions for issuance of conditional driver's license and special restricted driver's license.
(A) School attendance is a condition for the issuance of a conditional driver's license and a special restricted driver's license. The Department of Motor Vehicles may not issue a conditional driver's license or a special restricted driver's license to a person pursuant to Section 56-1-175 or Section 56-1-180 unless the person:
(1) has a high school diploma or certificate, or a General Education Development Certificate; or
(2) is enrolled in a public or private school or is home schooled under the provisions contained in Section 59-65-40, 59-65-45, or 59-65-47, and:
(a) the person has conformed to the attendance laws, regulations, and policies of the school, school district, and the State Board of Education, as applicable; and
(b) the person is not suspended or expelled from school.
(B) Documentation of enrollment status must be presented to the department by the applicant on a form approved by the department. The documentation must indicate whether the student is in compliance with the requirements as provided in item (2).
SECTION 56-1-180. Special restricted licenses for certain minors.
(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 the person's licensed parent or guardian;
(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) The special restricted driver's license is valid only in the operation of:
(1) vehicles during daylight hours. During nighttime hours, the holder of a special restricted driver's license must be accompanied by a licensed adult, twenty-one years of age or older. The holder of a special restricted driver's license may not drive between midnight and six o'clock a.m., unless accompanied by the holder's licensed parent or guardian. 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:
(a) employment or the opportunity for employment;
(b) travel between the licensee's home and place of employment or school; or
(c) travel between the licensee's home or place of employment and vocational training;
(2) a motor scooter or light motor-driven cycle of five-brake horsepower or less during daylight hours.
(C) The waiver or modification of restrictions provided for in item (1) 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.
(D) 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.
(E) Daylight hours, as used in this section, means after the hour of six o'clock a.m. and no later than six o'clock p.m. However, beginning on the day that daylight saving time goes into effect through the day that daylight saving time ends, the holder of the special restricted license may operate a vehicle after six o'clock a.m. and no later than eight o'clock p.m. For purposes of this section, all other hours are designated as nighttime hours.
(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.
SECTION 56-1-185. Removal of restrictions postponed; suspension of license.
(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.
SECTION 56-1-187. Permitting dependent to operate motor vehicle without learner's permit or in violation of permit restrictions; civil penalties; admissibility of civil fine in private cause of action.
A parent or guardian who knowingly and wilfully permits his dependent to operate a motor vehicle in violation of a restriction imposed on a beginner's permit pursuant to Section 56-1-50, a conditional driver's license pursuant to Section 56-1-175, or a special restricted driver's license pursuant to Section 56-1-180, or knowingly permits his dependent to operate a motor vehicle without a valid beginner's permit or driver's license, must be assessed a civil fine in an amount up to five hundred dollars. Upon the magistrates or municipal court receiving notice of the dependent's violation through transmittal to the court of the traffic ticket or through other means, the court shall determine the names of the parents or guardians from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles. The court shall then notify the dependent's parents or guardians by certified mail at the address shown on the traffic ticket, unless the department's records show a different address, of the violation and the fact that they may be subject to a civil fine. Failure to receive the notice does not prohibit the imposition of the civil fine pursuant to this section. If, while operating the motor vehicle in violation of a restriction, the dependent causes great bodily injury or death, the parent or guardian must be assessed a civil fine in an amount up to one thousand dollars. The court may suspend the imposition of the fine, conditioned upon the parent or guardian completing, to the satisfaction of the court, public service with a nonprofit organization, community service, or parenting classes. This section does not apply to a motor vehicle operated on private property. A civil fine imposed pursuant to this section does not give rise to a private cause of action based solely upon the fact that the fine was imposed. The imposition of a civil fine is not admissible for the purpose of establishing the liability of a parent or guardian in a private cause of action to which the parents or guardians are a party.
SECTION 56-1-190. License shall be carried and exhibited on demand.
A licensee shall have his license in his immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display it upon demand of an officer or agent of either the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Department of Public Safety or a law enforcement officer of the State. No points pursuant to Section 56-1-720 may be assessed. No points for insurance merit rating system and recoupment purposes may be assessed.
SECTION 56-1-200. Duplicate for lost or destroyed license; fee.
If a driver's license is lost or destroyed, the person to whom the license was issued, upon payment of a fee of ten dollars, may obtain a duplicate or substitution of it upon furnishing proof satisfactory to the Department of Motor Vehicles that the license has been lost or destroyed.
Three dollars of the revenue from each fee collected pursuant to this section must be credited to the Department of Transportation State Non-Federal Aid Highway Fund based on the actual date of receipt by the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The balance of the revenue from each fee must be deposited into a special earmarked account by the State Treasurer for the use of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
SECTION 56-1-210. Expiration of license; renewal and re-examination; persons on active military duty.
(A) A license issued or renewed before October 1, 2003, expires on the licensee's birth date on the fifth calendar year after the calendar year in which it is issued. A license issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2003, expires on the licensee's birth date on the tenth calendar year in which it is issued. When a person who is sixty-five years of age or older renews his license, the license shall expire five years from the date it was issued.
(B) A license is renewable on or before its expiration date upon application and the payment of the required fee.
(C) The Department of Motor Vehicles may renew a driver's license of a resident by mail or electronically upon payment of the required fee, if the renewal is a digitized license.
(D) A license may not be renewed until the licensee is reexamined as provided in Section 56-1-130, except that the licensee is not required to take the road test provided in Section 56-1-130; provided, further, that only the vision screening is required of those persons who have no more than five points for moving traffic violations in the two years prior to making application for renewal. For cause shown, the department may require the submission by the applicant of evidence satisfactory to the department of the applicant's mental and physical fitness to drive and his knowledge of traffic laws and regulations. If the evidence is not satisfactory to the department, the department may require an examination of the applicant as upon an original application. Parallel parking is not required as a part of the driver's test.
(E) If a person's license expires and he is unable to renew it before its expiration date because he is on active military duty outside this State for a continuous period of at least thirty days immediately before the expiration date or because he is the spouse or dependent living for a continuous period of at least thirty days immediately before the expiration date with a person on active military duty outside this State, within sixty days after returning to this State, the person may renew his license in the manner permitted by this section as though the license had not expired. The department may require proof from the person that he qualifies for renewal of his license under this paragraph. Upon request, the person shall provide the department with a copy of his military service record, a document of his branch of military service showing the date of active military duty outside the State, or other evidence presented by the person showing the dates of service.
SECTION 56-1-215. Renewal of expired license.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a person's license expires, the person may have his license renewed without taking the road test or a written examination required pursuant to Section 56-1-130 if the person applies for his license renewal within nine months of the expiration of his license.
SECTION 56-1-220. Vision screenings required for renewal of license; in person or certified vision screenings for a ten year license; certification of minimum standards; operation of vehicle with defective vision.
(A) Vision screenings are required for all persons before having their licenses renewed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The vision screening may be waived upon the submission of a certificate of vision examination dated within the previous twelve months from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state.
(B) During the fifth year of a ten-year license, the licensee must submit by mail to the department a certificate from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state or appear in person at a department office to complete a vision screening. If a licensee fails to submit a certificate or fails to appear in person, the licensee must be fined fifty dollars. The department shall waive the fine if the person completes the requirements of this section within ninety days after the end of the fifth year of a ten-year license. This fine must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses incurred by this section. Interest accrued by this account must remain in this account.
(C) A vision screening will not be required before October 1, 2008, if a licensee is less than sixty-five years of age, his license expires on his birth date on the fifth calendar year after the calendar year in which it is issued, and his license is renewed for an additional five years by mail or electronically. If a licensee is sixty-five years of age or older and his license expires on his birth date on the fifth calendar year after the calendar year in which it is issued, then he may renew his license by mail for an additional five years upon submission of a certificate of vision examination from an ophthalmologist or optometrist licensed in any state.
(D) The renewal license forms distributed by the department must be designed to contain a certification that the vision of the person screened meets the minimum standards required by the department or have been corrected to meet these requirements. The certification must be executed by the person conducting the screening. The minimum standards of the department shall not require a greater degree of vision than 20/40 corrected in one eye.
(E) A person whose vision is corrected to meet the minimum standards shall have the correction noted on his driver's license by the department.
(F) It is unlawful for a person whose vision requires correction in order to meet the minimum standards of the department to drive a motor vehicle in this State without the use of the correction.
(G) Unless otherwise provided in this section, any person violating the provisions