South Carolina Code Title 56, Chapter 1 — Driver's License

South Carolina · statute · S.C. Code tit. 56, ch. 1 · 165 active provisions

S.C. Code § 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 wi…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 h…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-30

Persons exempt from licensing requirements

The following persons are exempt from licenses under this chapter: (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 a…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-35

Driver's license for members of the armed services and dependents

A member of the armed services of the United States or his dependent who becomes a permanent resident of this State, has ninety days to apply for a South Carolina driver's license, and he must be issued a license without examination except for the visual test required by Section 56-1-210 if he has a valid driver's lice…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 o…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 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 posse…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 dr…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-80

Application for license or permit

(A) An application for a driver's license or permit must: (1) be made upon the form furnished by the department; (2) be accompanied by the proper fee and acceptable proof of date and place of birth; (3) contain the full name, date of birth, sex, race, and residence address of the applicant and briefly describe the appl…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-85

REAL ID Act

It is hereby declared to be the policy of this State: (1) The State is committed to the continuing effort of enhancing the security, authentication, and issuance procedure standards of its drivers' licenses and identification cards and of meeting all requirements of the Federal REAL ID Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-13) and acc…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-87

REAL ID card issuance

(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) present…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-90

Evidence required to obtain a driver's license or identification card

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may require every applicant to submit acceptable evidence when applying for or renewing a driver's license, beginner's permit, or identification card that proves the applicants: (1) date of birth; (2) place of birth; (3) gender; (4) Social Security number; (5) principal residential…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-100

Application by unemancipated minor

(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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 su…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 li…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 o…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-140

Issuance of license; necessary fees, signature, and contents; veteran designation

(A) Upon payment of a fee of twenty-five dollars for a license that is valid for eight years, the department 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, residence address, a…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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,…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-146

Surrender of driver's license by person convicted of certain crimes

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…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 56-1-148

Identifying code affixed on driver's license of person convicted of certain crimes

(A) As used in this chapter "identifying code" means a symbol, number, or letter of the alphabet developed by the department to identify a person convicted of or pleading guilty or nolo contendere to a crime of violence as defined in Section 16-23-10(3) on or after July 1, 2011. The symbol, number, or letter of the alp…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

S.C. Code § 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 restric…

South CarolinaDriver's Licenseeffective

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