Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2003 Session > Title 56

This statutory database is current through the 2003 Regular Session of the South Carolina General Assembly. Changes to the statutes enacted by the 2004 General Assembly, which will convene in January 2004, will be incorporated as soon as possible. Some changes enacted by the 2004 General Assembly may take immediate effect. The State of South Carolina and the South Carolina Legislative Council make no warranty as to the accuracy of the data, and users rely on the data entirely at their own risk.






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 upon a highway 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, except 'moped' as defined in Article 9 of this chapter, 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 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 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 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.

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 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, 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 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 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 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 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.

SECTION 56-1-70. Temporary driver's permit.

The Department 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;

(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, and the South Carolina Donor Referral Network, as provided for in Section 44-43-910.

(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 56-1-90. Identification necessary for license; proof of Social Security number.

The department 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 and to the State Election Commission.

For purposes of this section, when a licensee is applying for a replacement license, the department 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 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 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, except for motorcycle three-wheel vehicles. The motorcycle three-wheel vehicle examination must be provided at the sites where the knowledge and skill examination for the commercial driver's license is offered. 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, or combinations of vehicles which do not exceed twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight; 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 any other 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 or those vehicles in excess of twenty-six thousand pounds gross vehicle weight which are indicated by endorsement on the license. The endorsement may include classifications such as: motorcycle, motorcycle three-wheel vehicle, 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.

(D) The department shall include a noncommercial endorsement to the motorcycle classification license to indicate the type of motorcycle to be operated. The "M" classification is for motorcycle operation only. The 'D' endorsement to the "M" classification is for motorcycle three-wheel vehicle and motorcycle with detachable side car. The "C" endorsement to the "M" classification is for motorcycle, motorcycle three-wheel vehicle, and motorcycle with detachable side car.

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 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 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 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 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.

SECTION 56-1-141. [1996 Act No. 459, Section 73] Repealed by 1998 Act No. 430, Section 2, eff June 23, 1998.



SECTION 56-1-143. Contribution to Gift of Life Trust Fund 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 one dollar to be credited to the Gift of Life Trust Fund 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 the Gift of Life Trust Fund 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 56-1-145. [1985 Act No. 201, Part II, Section 86B; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1301, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 29A, eff July 1, 1994.

SECTION 56-1-150. Repealed by 2002 Act No. 339, Section 42, eff July 2, 2002.

SECTION 56-1-170. Restricted licenses; penalties for violations; hearings; special restricted driver's licenses.

(A) The department 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, but the licensee shall be entitled to a hearing as upon a suspension or revocation under this article.

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 56-1-175. Issuance of conditional driver's license.

(A) The department 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 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 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 for six months. This suspension shall not preclude other penalties otherwise provided for the same violations.

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 the department 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 three dollars, may obtain a duplicate or substitution of it upon furnishing proof satisfactory to the department that the license has been lost or destroyed.

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 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. 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 of this section 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.

SECTION 56-1-221. Medical advisory board.

(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 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 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.

SECTION 56-1-225. Reexamination of drivers involved in four accidents within twenty-four months.

Any person licensed to drive a motor vehicle in this State who is involved as a driver in four accidents in any twenty-four month period, which are reported to the director, may, in the discretion of the department, be required to take any portion of the driver's license examination deemed appropriate. Any person who has had four such accidents and fails to submit to such test within thirty days after having been notified by the department shall have his driver's license suspended until he takes and passes such test.

SECTION 56-1-230. Notification of change of address or name.

Whenever any person after applying for or receiving a driver's license shall move permanently from the address named in such application or in the license issued to him or when the name of a licensee is changed by marriage or otherwise, such person shall within ten days thereafter notify the Department in writing of his old and new address or of such former and new name and of the number of any license then held by him.

SECTION 56-1-240. Cancellation and surrender of license.

The Department may cancel any driver's license upon determination that the licensee was not entitled to the issuance thereof or that the licensee failed to give the required or correct information in his application or committed any fraud in making such application and for such other causes as may be authorized by law.

Upon such cancellation the licensee must surrender the license so cancelled by the Department.

SECTION 56-1-245. Conditions for waiver of license reinstatement fee.

If a driver's license is suspended or revoked because the licensee is determined by the department to have no motor vehicle liability insurance, the director of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall waive the reinstatement fee imposed pursuant to Section 56-1-390 if the licensee had motor vehicle liability coverage when his license was suspended or revoked. The director shall document his reasons for waiving the fee in the records of the department.

SECTION 56-1-250. Cancellation of license or permit upon death of person signing minor's application.

The Department upon receipt of satisfactory evidence of the death of the person who signed the application of a minor for a license or permit shall cancel such license or permit and shall not issue a new license until such time as a new application, duly signed and verified, is made as required by this article.

SECTION 56-1-260. Effect of cancellation of license.

The cancellation of a driver's license is without prejudice, and application for a new license may be made at any time after such cancellation.

SECTION 56-1-270. Suspension, revocation or restriction of license on re-examination.

The department having good cause to believe that a person holding a South Carolina driver's license is incompetent or otherwise not qualified to be licensed because of physical or mental disability may, upon written notice of at least ten days to the licensee, require him to submit to an examination. Upon the conclusion of such examination the department shall take action as may be appropriate and may suspend or revoke the license of such person or permit him to retain such license or may issue a license subject to restrictions permitted under Section 56-1-170. The license of any person may be suspended or revoked if they refuse or neglect to submit to such an examination.

SECTION 56-1-280. Mandatory suspension or revocation.

The department shall revoke or suspend the license of any driver upon receiving a record of such driver's conviction of any offense for which revocation or suspension is required by law.

The department shall revoke the driver's license of any person upon receiving notice of the conviction of such person for:

(1) Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle; or

(2) Any felony under the laws of this State in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used.

SECTION 56-1-285. Revocation or refusal to renew license for nonpayment of fees.

The department may revoke or refuse to renew the driving privilege of a person for failure to remit a tax or fee administered by the department. Upon payment of all taxes and fees administered by the department, and the payment of any applicable fee, the department may reinstate a person's driving privilege.

SECTION 56-1-286. Suspension of license or permit or denial of issuance of license or permit to persons under the age of twenty-one who drive motor vehicles with certain amount of alcohol concentration.

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles must suspend the driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege of, or deny the issuance of a license or permit to a person under the age of twenty-one who drives a motor vehicle and has an alcohol concentration of two one-hundredths of one percent or more. In cases in which a law enforcement officer initiates suspension proceedings for a violation of this section, the officer has elected to pursue a violation of this section and is subsequently prohibited from prosecuting the person for a violation of Section 20-7-8920, 20-7-8925, 56-5-2930, or 56-5-2933 arising from the same incident.

(B) A person under the age of twenty-one who drives a motor vehicle in this State is considered to have given consent to chemical tests of his breath or blood for the purpose of determining the presence of alcohol.

(C) A law enforcement officer who has arrested a person under the age of twenty-one for a violation of Chapter 5 of this title (Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways), or any other traffic offense established by a political subdivision of this State, and has probable cause to believe that the person under the age of twenty-one has consumed alcoholic beverages and driven a motor vehicle may order the testing of the person arrested to determine the person's alcohol concentration.

A law enforcement officer may detain and order the testing of a person to determine the person's alcohol concentration if the officer has probable cause to believe that a motor vehicle is being driven by a person under the age of twenty-one who has consumed alcoholic beverages.

(D) A test must be administered at the direction of the primary investigating law enforcement officer. At the direction of the officer, the person first must be offered a breath test to determine the person's alcohol concentration. If the person physically is unable to provide an acceptable breath sample because he has an injured mouth or is unconscious or dead, or for any other reason considered acceptable by licensed medical personnel, a blood sample may be taken. The breath test must be administered by a person trained and certified by the State Law Enforcement Division, using methods approved by the division. The primary investigating officer may administer the test if the person's conduct during the twenty-minute pre-test waiting period is videotaped pursuant to Section 56-5-2953(A)(2)(d). Blood samples must be obtained by physicians licensed by the State Board of Medical Examiners, registered nurses licensed by the State Board of Nursing, or other medical personnel trained to obtain these samples in a licensed medical facility. Blood samples must be obtained and handled in accordance with procedures approved by the division. The division shall administer the provisions of this subsection and shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out its provisions. The costs of the tests administered at the direction of the officer must be paid from the general fund of the State.

The person tested or giving samples for testing may have a qualified person of his choice 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 tests is not admissible against the person in any proceeding. 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 taken at the direction of the officer. The officer must provide affirmative assistance to the person to contact a qualified person to conduct and obtain additional tests. Affirmative assistance shall, at a minimum, include providing transportation for the person to the nearest medical facility which provides 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 to determine the person's alcohol concentration, SLED must test the blood and provide the result to the person and to the officer. Failure to provide affirmative assistance upon request to obtain additional tests bars the admissibility of the breath test result in any judicial or administrative proceeding.

(E) A qualified person and his employer who obtain samples or administer the tests or assist in obtaining samples or administering of tests at the direction of the primary investigating officer are immune from civil and criminal liability unless the obtaining of samples or the administering of tests is performed in a negligent, reckless, or fraudulent manner. A person may not be required by the officer ordering the tests to obtain or take any sample of blood or urine.

(F) If a person refuses upon the request of the primary investigating officer to submit to chemical tests as provided in subsection (C), the department must suspend his license, permit, or any nonresident operating privilege, or deny the issuance of a license or permit to him for:

(1) six months; or

(2) one year if the person, within the five years preceding the violation of this section, has been previously convicted of violating Sections 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945 or any other law of this State or another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or another drug or has had a previous suspension imposed pursuant to Sections 56-1-286, 56-5-2950, or 56-5-2951.

(G) If a person submits to a chemical test and the test result indicates an alcohol concentration of two one-hundredths of one percent or more, the department must suspend his license, permit, or any nonresident operating privilege, or deny the issuance of a license or permit to him for:

(1) three months; or

(2) six months if the person, within the five years preceding the violation of this section, has been previously convicted of violating Sections 56-5-2930, 56-5-2933, or 56-5-2945 or any other law of this State or another state that prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any other drug or has had a previous suspension imposed pursuant to Sections 56-1-286, 56-5-2950 , or 56-5-2951.

(H) A person's driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege must be restored when the person's period of suspension under subsection (F) or (G) has concluded, even if the person has not yet completed the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program in which he is enrolled. After the person's driving privilege is restored, he must continue to participate in the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program in which he is enrolled. If the person withdraws from or in any way stops making satisfactory progress toward the completion of the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, the person's license shall be suspended until he completes the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program. A person must be attending or have completed an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2990 before his driving privilege can be restored at the conclusion of the suspension period.

(I) A test may not be administered or samples taken unless the person has been informed in writing that:

(1) he does not have to take the test or give the samples but that his privilege to drive must be suspended or denied for at least six months if he refuses to submit to the tests and that his refusal may be used against him in court;

(2) his privilege to drive must be suspended for at least three months if he takes the test or gives the samples and has an alcohol concentration of two one-hundredths of one percent or more;

(3) he has the right to have a qualified person of his own choosing conduct additional independent tests at his expense;

(4) he has the right to request an administrative hearing within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension; and

(5) he must enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension if he does not request an administrative hearing or within thirty days of the issuance of notice that the suspension has been upheld at the administrative hearing.

The primary investigating officer must notify promptly the department of the refusal of a person to submit to a test requested pursuant to this section as well as the test result of any person who submits to a test pursuant to this section and registers an alcohol concentration of two one-hundredths of one percent or more. The notification must be in a manner prescribed by the department.

(J) If the test registers an alcohol concentration of two one-hundredths of one percent or more or if the person refuses to be tested, the primary investigating officer must issue a notice of suspension, and the suspension is effective beginning on the date of the alleged violation of this section. The person, within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension, must enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program pursuant to Section 56-5-2990 if he does not request an administrative hearing. If the person does not request an administrative hearing and does not enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program within thirty days, the suspension remains in effect, and a temporary alcohol restricted license must not be issued. If the person drives during the period of suspension without a temporary alcohol restricted license, the person must be penalized for driving while his license is suspended pursuant to Section 56-1-460.

(K) Within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension the person may:

(1) obtain a temporary alcohol restricted license by filing with the department a form for this purpose. A one-hundred-dollar fee must be assessed for obtaining a temporary alcohol restricted license. Twenty-five dollars of the fee must be retained by the department for supplying and maintaining all necessary vehicle videotaping equipment. The remaining seventy-five dollars must be placed by the Comptroller General into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses of the Division of Motor Vehicles. The temporary alcohol restricted license allows the person to drive without any restrictive conditions pending the outcome of the administrative hearing provided for in this section or the final decision or disposition of the matter; and

(2) request an administrative hearing.

At the administrative hearing if:

(a) the suspension is upheld, the person must enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program and his driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege must be suspended or the person must be denied the issuance of a license or permit for the remainder of the suspension periods provided for in subsections (F) and (G);

(b) the suspension is overturned, the person must have his driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege reinstated.

(L) The periods of suspension provided for in subsections (F) and (G) begin on the day the notice of suspension is issued, or at the expiration of any other suspensions, and continue until the person applies for a temporary alcohol restricted license and requests an administrative hearing.

(M) If a person does not request an administrative hearing, he shall have waived his right to the hearing and his suspension must not be stayed but shall continue for the periods provided for in subsections (F) and (G).

(N) The notice of suspension must advise the person of the requirement to enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program and of his right to obtain a temporary alcohol restricted driver's license and to request an administrative hearing. The notice of suspension also must advise the person that, if he does not request an administrative hearing within thirty days of the issuance of the notice of suspension, he must enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, and he waives his right to the administrative hearing, and the suspension continues for the periods provided for in subsections (F) and (G).

(O) An administrative hearing must be held within thirty days after the request for the hearing is received by the department. If the department does not hold the hearing within thirty days, a written order must be issued by the department within thirty days. The order must set forth the reasons why the hearing was not held within thirty days, and a new hearing must be scheduled. If the department does not issue a written order within thirty days or fails within thirty days to notify the defendant of a new hearing date, the person shall have his driver's license, permit, or nonresident operating privilege reinstated. The scope of the hearing must be limited to whether the person:

(1) was lawfully arrested or detained;

(2) was advised in writing of the rights enumerated in subsection (I);

(3) refused to submit to a test pursuant to this section; or

(4) consented to taking a test pursuant to this section, and the:

(a) reported alcohol concentration at the time of testing was two one- hundredths of one percent or more;

(b) individual who administered the test or took samples was qualified pursuant to this section;

(c) test administered and samples taken were conducted pursuant to this section; and

(d) the machine was operating properly.

Nothing in this section prohibits the introduction of evidence at the administrative hearing on the issue of the accuracy of the breath test result.

A written order must be issued to the person upholding the suspension of the person's license, permit, or nonresident's operating privilege, or denying the issuance of a license or permit within thirty days after the conclusion of the administrative hearing. If the suspension is upheld, the person must receive credit for the number of days his license was suspended before he received a temporary alcohol restricted license and requested the administrative hearing.

(P) An administrative hearing is a contested proceeding under the Administrative Procedures Act, and a person has a right to judicial review pursuant to that act. The filing of a petition for review shall stay the suspension until a final decision is issued.

(Q) A person who is unconscious or otherwise in a condition rendering him incapable of refusal is considered to be informed and not to have withdrawn the consent provided for in subsection (B) of this section.

(R) When a nonresident's privilege to drive a motor vehicle in this State has been suspended under the procedures of this section, the department shall give written notice of the action taken to the motor vehicle administrator of the state of the person's residence and of any state in which he has a license or permit.

(S) A person required to submit to a test 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 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 any additional tests to the officer before any trial, hearing, or other proceeding in which the person attempts to use the results of the additional tests as evidence.

(T) A person whose driver's license or permit is suspended under this section is not required to file proof of financial responsibility.

(U) The department shall administer the provisions of this section, not including subsection (D), and shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out its provisions.

(V) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no suspension imposed pursuant to this section is counted as a demerit or result in any insurance penalty for automobile insurance purposes if at the time he was stopped, the person whose license is suspended had an alcohol concentration that was less than eight one-hundredths of one percent.

SECTION 56-1-288. Tax refund garnishment for failure to comply with financial responsibility.

The department may garnish a person's income tax refund instead of revoking a person's driver's license or vehicle registration for failure to satisfy financial responsibility requirements of Title 56.

SECTION 56-1-290. Revocation for operating unlicensed taxis in certain counties.

In addition to the grounds for suspension or revocation of license set forth elsewhere in this article and in Chapter 5 of this title, the department shall forthwith revoke for a period of six months the license of any person upon receiving satisfactory evidence of the conviction of any such person who has been found guilty of operating a vehicle for hire without a license in violation of Section 58-23-1210.

SECTION 56-1-292. Suspension for failure to pay for gasoline.

In addition to the grounds for suspension or revocation of a driver's license provided in this article and in Chapter 5 of this title, the department shall suspend the driver's license of a person upon receiving satisfactory evidence that the person has been convicted of a violation of Section 16-13-185 and that the sentencing judge has imposed a sentence which includes a suspension of the person's driver's license.

SECTION 56-1-300. Suspension or revocation of license without preliminary hearing.

In addition to other authority of law, the department may suspend or revoke the license of a driver without preliminary hearing upon a showing by its records or other sufficient evidence that licensee:

(1) Has been convicted of an offense for which mandatory revocation or suspension is required upon conviction; or

(2) Has been convicted of an offense in another state which if committed in this State would be grounds for suspension or revocation.

SECTION 56-1-310. Suspension or revocation of nonresident's driving privilege.

The privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the highways of this State given to a nonresident under this article shall be subject to suspension or revocation by the department in like manner and for like cause as a driver's license issued under the laws of this State may be suspended or revoked.

SECTION 56-1-320. Suspension or revocation of resident's license or nonresident's driving privilege upon conviction in another state.

(A) The department may, in its discretion, suspend or revoke the license of any resident of this State or the privilege of a nonresident to drive a motor vehicle in this State upon receiving notice of the conviction of the person in another state of an offense therein which, if committed in this State, would be grounds for the suspension or revocation of the South Carolina license.

However, if a resident of this State has his driver's license revoked or suspended for a motor vehicle violation in another jurisdiction, the department must review the revocation or suspension period for the out-of-state conviction and apply the laws of this State if the out-of-state revocation or suspension period exceeds the revocation or suspension period provided under the laws of this State for that offense. If the laws of this State are applied to an out-of-state conviction, the department must restore the person's privilege to drive in South Carolina once the person has cleared the suspension pursuant to this title, regardless of whether the person's privilege to drive has been restored in the state where the conviction occurred, provided the person is otherwise eligible for the issuance or renewal of a South Carolina license. If the laws of this State, which are applied to an out-of-state conviction, permit the issuance of a special route restricted driver's license for transportation between home and work, college, or university, the department shall permit a special route restricted license according to the requirements of this state's applicable law.

If another state restores limited or restricted driving privileges to the person whose license has been suspended or revoked, the restoration of privileges shall also be valid in this State, and the department must issue a driver's license to the person under the same terms and conditions under which driving is authorized in the state of conviction.

(B) The department may not refuse to issue or renew a driver's license to a person who:

(1) is still under suspension or revocation in another jurisdiction for an out-of-state conviction which was not reported to the department within the one-year period provided for in Section 56-1-650(C);

(2) has received notice of clearance from the jurisdiction where the revocation or suspension has terminated or that all requirements necessary for reissuance of driving privileges in that jurisdiction are met; or

(3) does not have a letter of clearance from the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred and is still under suspension or revocation in that jurisdiction for a conviction which was not reported to the department within the one-year period provided for in Section 56-1-650(C).

SECTION 56-1-330. Courts shall report certain convictions.

Every court having jurisdiction over offenses committed under this article or other state laws or municipal ordinances regulating the operation of motor vehicles on highways shall forward to the department a record of the conviction of any person in such court for a violation of such laws other than regulations governing standing or parking where a matter of safety is not involved.

SECTION 56-1-340. Reports of convictions and records may be sent to other states; fees.

The department may, upon receiving a record of the conviction in this State of a nonresident driver of a motor vehicle of any offense under the motor vehicle laws of this State, forward a certified copy of such record to the motor vehicle administrator in the state wherein the person so convicted is a resident. Whenever the department receives a request for a driver's record from another state, the record shall be forwarded without charge.

SECTION 56-1-345. Fees charged for Freedom of Information Act request.

The Department of Motor Vehicles may charge and collect fees in accordance with Section 30-4-30 of the Freedom of Information Act for providing copies of registration, title, and driver's license information records maintained by the department.

SECTION 56-1-350. Notice of cancellation, suspension or revocation of license; surrender of license.

In all cases of cancellation, suspension, or revocation of drivers' licenses, the department shall notify the licensee as prescribed in Section 56-1-360 that his license has been canceled, suspended, or revoked, and such licensee shall within ten days after notice of cancellation, suspension, or revocation return his license to the department. Any person wilfully failing to return his license as required by this section may, on conviction thereof, be fined one hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days.

SECTION 56-1-360. Form and proof of notice.

When notice is required concerning a person's driver's license, the notice must be given by the department by depositing the notice in the United States mail with postage prepaid addressed to the person at the address contained in the driver's license records of the department. The giving of notice by mail is complete ten days after the deposit of the notice. A certificate by the director of the department or his designee that the notice has been sent as required in this section is presumptive proof that the requirements as to notice of suspension have been met even if the notice has not been received by the addressee.

SECTION 56-1-365. Surrender of driver's license; fine; punishable offense.

(A) A person who forfeits bail posted for, is convicted of, or pleads guilty or nolo contendere in general sessions, municipal, or magistrate's 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 may collect from the clerk of court or magistrate the driver's license and ticket 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 and ticket immediately, the magistrate or clerk must forward the license, ticket, and other documentation to the department within five days after receipt. A clerk or magistrate who wilfully fails or neglects to forward the driver's license and ticket 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 forward the license and ticket to the department within five days, the suspension or revocation does not begin until the department receives and processes the license and ticket.

(D) If the defendant is already under suspension for a previous offense at the time of his conviction or plea, the period of suspension for the subsequent offense runs consecutively and does not commence until the expiration of the suspension or revocation for 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 sixty days after the verdict or plea. The certificate must be kept in the defendant's possession while operating a motor vehicle during the sixty-day 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.

SECTION 56-1-370. Review of cancellation, suspension or revocation of license.

The licensee may, within ten days after notice of suspension, cancellation, or revocation, except in cases where the suspension, cancellation, or revocation is made mandatory upon the department, request in writing a review and upon receipt of the request the department shall afford him a review in accordance with the State Administrative Procedures Act, in the judicial circuit where the licensee was arrested unless the department and the licensee agree that the review may be held in some other jurisdiction. The review may be held by a duly authorized agent of the department. Upon the review, the department shall either rescind its order of suspension, cancellation, or revocation or, good cause appearing therefor, may continue, modify, or extend the suspension, cancellation, or revocation of the license.

SECTION 56-1-380. Period of suspension or revocation; renewal or restoration of license.

The department shall not suspend a driver's license or privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways for a period of more than one year, except as otherwise permitted or authorized by law.

Any person whose license or privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways has been revoked shall not be entitled to have such license or privilege renewed or restored unless the revocation was for a cause which has been removed, except that after the expiration of at least one year from the date on which the revoked license was surrendered to and received by the department, or as may otherwise be provided for by law, such person may make application for a new license as provided by law, but the department shall not then issue a new license unless and until it is satisfied, after investigation of the character, habits, and driving ability of such person, that it will be safe to grant the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways.

SECTION 56-1-385. Reinstatement of permanently revoked driver's license.

(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, 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 South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse 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.

SECTION 56-1-390. Fee for reinstatement of license; disposition of fee proceeds.

(1) Whenever the Department of Motor Vehicles suspends or revokes the license of a person under its lawful authority, the license remains suspended or revoked and must not be reinstated or renewed nor may another license be issued to that person until he also remits to the department a reinstatement fee of one hundred dollars for each suspension on his driving record that has not been reinstated. The reinstatement fee may be paid to the clerk of court or magistrate at the time of the verdict, guilty plea, or plea of nolo contendere for the offense for which the license is suspended or revoked. If the fee is paid at the time of the verdict, guilty plea, or plea of nolo contendere, the clerk or magistrate shall remit the fee to the department pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 56-1-365(B). The director or his designee may waive or return the reinstatement fee if it is determined that the suspension or revocation is based upon a lack of notice being given to the department or other similar error.

(2) The fees collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles under this provision must be distributed as follows: seventy 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, twenty-nine dollars placed in the state general fund, and one dollar credited to the "Keep South Carolina Beautiful Fund" established pursuant to Section 56-3-3950. From the "Keep South Carolina Beautiful Fund", the Department of Transportation shall expend funds necessary to employ, within the Department of Transportation, a person with training in horticulture to administer a program for beautifying the rights-of-way along state highways and roads.

SECTION 56-1-400. Surrender of license; procedures for renewal or return to licensee; endorsing suspension on license.

The department, upon suspending or revoking a license, shall require that such license shall be surrendered to the department. At the end of the period of suspension, other than suspension for reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants or pursuant to the point system such license so surrendered shall be returned to the licensee, or in the discretion of the department, a new license issued to him. The department shall not return nor restore a license which has been suspended for reckless driving, driving under the influence of intoxicants, or for violations under the point system until the person has filed an application for a new license, submitted to an examination as upon an original application, and has satisfied the department, after an investigation of the character, habits, and driving ability of the person, that it would be safe to grant him the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways. Provided, the department, in its discretion, where the suspension is for violation under the point system may waive such examination, application, and investigation. A record of suspension shall be endorsed on the license returned to the licensee, or the new license issued to the licensee, showing grounds of such suspension. After five years from the date of conviction or suspension, the driver may apply for a new identical license, and the department shall issue such identical license without any notation of suspension endorsed thereon. But this provision shall not affect nor bar the reckoning of prior offenses for reckless driving and driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or narcotic drugs, as provided in Article 23 of Chapter 5 of this title.

Any person whose license has been suspended or revoked for an offense within the jurisdiction of the court of general sessions shall provide the department with proof that the fine owed by the person has been paid before the department may return or issue the person a license. Proof that the fine has been paid may be a receipt from the clerk of court of the county in which the conviction occurred stating that the fine has been paid in full.

SECTION 56-1-410. Judicial review of denial, cancellation, suspension or revocation of license.

A person denied a license or whose license has been canceled, suspended, or revoked by the department, except when such suspension is under Section 56-1-740 or when such cancellation or revocation is mandatory under the provisions of this article, may file a petition within thirty days thereafter for a hearing in the matter in a court of record in the county wherein such person shall reside. Such court is hereby vested with jurisdiction, and it shall be its duty to set the matter for hearing upon thirty days' written notice to the director of the department and thereupon to take testimony and examine the facts of the case and to determine whether the petitioner is entitled to a license or is subject to suspension, cancellation, or revocation of license under the provisions of this article. For the purpose of this section only, the burden of proof in any such hearing shall be on the department.

SECTION 56-1-420. Effect of dissolution of injunction restraining suspension or revocation of license.

If any court restrains or enjoins the department from enforcing the suspension or revocation of any license and the suspension or revocation is finally determined to have been properly put into effect by the department, the time during which the revocation or suspension was made ineffective by the judicial order shall not be considered part of the time during which the suspension or revocation was in effect. It is the purpose of this section to ensure that the license shall be suspended or revoked for the full term of such suspension or revocation, if proper in the first place.

SECTION 56-1-430. Appeal from conviction making suspension or revocation mandatory as supersedeas.

Upon conviction of an offense making mandatory the suspension or revocation of the driver's license of the person so convicted, an appeal taken from such conviction shall act as a supersedeas so as to preclude for a period of sixty days from the date of conviction, any such suspension or revocation.

SECTION 56-1-440. Penalties for driving without license.

A person who drives a motor vehicle on a public highway of this State without a driver's license in violation of Section 56-1-20 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days and, upon conviction of a second offense, be fined five hundred dollars or imprisoned for forty-five days, or both, and for a third and subsequent offense must be imprisoned for not less than forty-five days nor more than six months. However, a charge of driving a motor vehicle without a driver's license must be dismissed if the person provides proof of being a licensed driver at the time of the violation to the court on or before the date this matter is set to be disposed of by the court.

SECTION 56-1-450. Penalties for unlawful operation after conviction for which suspension or revocation of license mandatory.

Any person not licensed under this article or lawfully operating as a nonresident under this article, convicted of a violation for which suspension or revocation of driver's license or privilege to operate is made mandatory, who shall thereafter operate a motor vehicle in this State before such time as he obtains a driver's license from the Department or until the Department shall find that he is properly qualified to operate as a nonresident, shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars or imprisonment for thirty days, and the period of time during which the Department may not issue to him a driver's license or find that he is properly qualified to operate as a nonresident shall be extended as provided in Section 56-1-460. Such license shall not be issued nor shall such findings be made until the lapse of the period of time counting from the date of conviction during which such person's license would have been subject to suspension or revocation had he been properly licensed at the time of such offense.

SECTION 56-1-460. Penalties for driving while license cancelled, suspended or revoked.

(A)(1) Except as provided in subitem (2), a person who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of this State when his license to drive is canceled, suspended, or revoked must, upon conviction, be punished as follows:

(a) for a first offense, fined two hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days, or both;

(b) for a second offense, fined five hundred dollars or imprisoned for sixty consecutive days, or both; and

(c) for a third and subsequent offense, imprisoned for not less than ninety days nor more than six months, no portion of which may be suspended by the trial judge.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, and 22-3-550, an offense punishable under this subitem may be tried in magistrate's court.

(2) A person who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of this State when his license has been suspended or revoked pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-5-2990 must, upon conviction, be punished as follows:

(a) for a first offense, imprisoned for not less than ten nor more than thirty days;

(b) for a second offense, imprisoned for not less than sixty days nor more than six months;

(c) for a third and subsequent offense, imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than three years.

No portion of the minimum sentence imposed under this subitem may be suspended.

(B) The department upon receiving a record of the conviction of any person under this section upon a charge of driving a vehicle while his license was suspended for a definite period of time shall extend the period of the suspension for an additional like period. If the original period of suspension has expired or terminated before trial and conviction, the department shall again suspend the license of the person for an additional like period of time. If the suspension is not for a definite period of time, the suspension must be for an additional three months. If the license of a person cited for a violation of this section is suspended solely pursuant to the provisions of Section 56-25-20, the additional period of suspension pursuant to this section is thirty days and the person does not have to offer proof of financial responsibility as required under Section 56-9-500 prior to his license being reinstated. If the conviction was for a charge of driving while a license was revoked, the department shall not issue a new license for an additional period of one year from the date the person could otherwise have applied for a new license. Only those violations which occurred within a period of five years including and immediately preceding the date of the last violation constitute prior violations within the meaning of this section.

SECTION 56-1-463. Inapplicability of penalty provision when suspension based on lack of notice of payment of fines.

Section 56-1-460 specifically does not apply if and when the proposed suspension is based solely on lack of notice being given to the department when the person has in fact paid any fines or penalties due to the court.

SECTION 56-1-464. Cancellation, suspension or revocation of license based on out-of-state violation.

(A) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-1-460, a person who drives a motor vehicle on any public highway of the State when his license is canceled, suspended, or revoked solely based on an out-of-state motor vehicle violation for which the penalty is a fine and the fine has not been paid to the out-of-state agency and when the violation is not based upon a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or a reckless driving charge may petition the magistrate's court to dismiss the state's charge of driving under suspension based upon the out-of-state violation if:

(1) the person presents to the court a satisfactory resolution of the out-of- state violation as exhibited by an official receipt from the out-of-state agency that the fine has been paid; and

(2) the person pays an assessment to the magistrate's court for a first offense of five hundred dollars; for a second offense of one thousand dollars; for a third offense of one thousand five hundred dollars; and for a fourth and subsequent offense of two thousand dollars. This assessment is not subject to an additional assessment under the provisions of Sections 14-1-207 or 14-1-208.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22-3-540, 22-3-545, and 22-3-550, an offense punishable under this subitem must be tried exclusively in magistrate's court.

SECTION 56-1-465. Notice of suspension required.

The licensee shall be notified of suspension under Section 56-1-460 the same as is required when the license is suspended due to loss of points as provided in Section 56-1-810.

SECTION 56-1-470. Unlawful to operate vehicle under foreign license while license is suspended or revoked.

Any resident or nonresident whose operator's or chauffeur's license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this State has been suspended or revoked as provided in this article or other laws of this State shall not operate a motor vehicle in this State under a license, permit or registration certificate issued by any other state or otherwise during such suspension or after such revocation until a new license is obtained when and as permitted under this article.

SECTION 56-1-475. Driver permitted to drive in State with valid out-of-state license after expiration of State period of suspension.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-1-400 of the 1976 Code, a person whose driver's license has been suspended by the department who has moved his residence to another state and has obtained a valid driver's license in such state may lawfully operate a motor vehicle within this State after the expiration of the period of time for which his South Carolina driver's license was suspended.

SECTION 56-1-478. Reciprocal agreements for collection of fines, fees, and other costs.

The department 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.

SECTION 56-1-480. Unlawful to permit unauthorized person to drive.

No person shall authorize or knowingly permit a motor vehicle owned by him or under his control to be driven upon any highway by any person who is not authorized to do so by this article or in violation of any of the provisions of this article.

SECTION 56-1-490. Unlawful for parent or guardian to permit unauthorized minor to drive.

No person shall cause or knowingly permit his minor child or ward to drive a motor vehicle upon any highway when such minor child or ward is not authorized under this article or in violation of any of the provisions of this article.

SECTION 56-1-500. Penalties for violations of article.

It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of this article unless such violation is by this article or other law of this State declared to be a felony. Every person convicted of a misdemeanor for a violation of any of the provisions of this article for which another penalty is not provided shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days.

SECTION 56-1-510. Unlawful use of license; fraudulent application.

It is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars or imprisonment for not more than thirty days for a first offense and not more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not more than six months for a second or subsequent offense for any person:

(1) to display or cause or permit to be displayed or have in his possession any canceled, revoked, suspended, or fraudulently altered driver's license or personal identification card;

(2) to lend his driver's or personal identification card to any other person or knowingly permit the use of it by another;

(3) to display or represent as one's own driver's license or personal identification card any driver's license acquired in violation of this section;

(4) to fail or refuse to surrender to the department upon lawful demand any driver's license which has been suspended, canceled, or revoked;

(5) to use a false or fictitious name in any application for a driver's license or personal identification card or knowingly make a false statement or to knowingly conceal a material fact or otherwise commit a fraud in any such application;

(6) to permit any unlawful use of a driver's license or personal identification card issued to him; or

(7) to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required by this article.

SECTION 56-1-515. Unlawful alteration of license; sale or issuance of fictitious license; use of another's license or other false documentation to defraud or violate law; violations and penalties.

(1) It is unlawful for any person to alter a motor vehicle driver's license so as to provide false information on the license or to sell or issue a fictitious driver's license.

(2) It is unlawful for any person to use a motor vehicle driver's license not issued to the person, an altered motor vehicle driver's license, an identification card containing false information, or an identification card not issued to the person to defraud another or violate the law.

(3) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction must be fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

(4) Any person violating the provisions of subsection (2) 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.

SECTION 56-1-520. [1962 Code Section 46-192.6; 1952 Code Section 46-188; 1942 Code Section 5996; 1932 Code Section 5996; 1930 (36) 1057; 1959 (51) 421; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1325, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-530. [1962 Code Section 46-192.7; 1952 Code Section 46-187; 1942 Code Section 6008; 1932 Code Section 6008; 1930 (36) 1057; 1959 (51) 421; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1326, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-540. Files, records and indexes to be kept.

The department shall:

(1) File every application for a license received by it and shall maintain suitable indexes containing, in alphabetical order:

(a) all applications denied and on each thereof note of the reasons for such denial;

(b) all applications granted; and

(c) the name of every licensee whose license has been canceled, suspended or revoked by the department and after each such name a note of the reasons for such action; and

(2) The department shall file all accident reports and abstracts of court records of convictions received by it under the laws of this State and, in connection therewith, maintain convenient records or make suitable notations in order that an individual record of each licensee showing the convictions of such licensee and the traffic accidents in which he has been involved shall be readily ascertainable and available for the consideration of the department upon application for renewal of license and at other suitable times.

SECTION 56-1-550. [1962 Code Section 46-192.9; 1952 Code Section 46-190; 1942 Code Section 6007; 1932 Code Section 6007; 1930 (36) 1057; 1959 (51) 421; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1328, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-560. [1962 Code Section 46-192.10; 1952 Code Section 46-191; 1942 Code Section 6003; 1932 Code Section 6003; 1930 (36) 1057; 1959 (51) 421] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.



SECTION 56-1-610. Short title.

This article is known and may be cited as the Driver License Compact.

SECTION 56-1-620. Legislative findings and policy.

(A) The General Assembly and the states that are party to the compact find that:

(1) the safety of their streets and highways is materially affected by the degree of compliance with state laws and local ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles;

(2) the violation of a law or ordinance is evidence that the violator engages in conduct which is likely to endanger the safety of persons and property;

(3) the continuance in force of a license to drive is predicated upon compliance with laws and ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles in whichever jurisdiction the vehicle is operated.

(B) It is the policy of the General Assembly and of each of the party states to:

(1) promote compliance with the laws, ordinances, and administrative regulations relating to the operation of motor vehicles by their operators in each of the jurisdictions where the operators drive motor vehicles;

(2) make the reciprocal recognition of licenses to drive and eligibility therefor more just and equitable by considering the overall compliance as a condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of any license by reason of which the licensee is authorized to operate a motor vehicle in any of the party states.

SECTION 56-1-630. Definitions.

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.

SECTION 56-1-640. Reciprocity in reporting convictions; information to be reported.

The department shall report each conviction of a person from another party state occurring within South Carolina to the licensing authority of the home state 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.

SECTION 56-1-650. Effect of certain convictions on status of license in home state.

(A) A state that is a member of the Drivers License Compact shall report to another member state of the compact a conviction for any of the following:

(1) manslaughter or homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle as provided by Sections 56-1-280 and 56-5-2910;

(2) driving a motor vehicle while under the influence, as provided by Section 56-5-2930;

(3) any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used, as provided by Section 56-1-280;

(4) failure to stop and render aid in the event of a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death or personal injury of another, as provided by Section 56-5-1210.

(B) If the laws of a member state do not describe the violations listed in subsection (A) in precisely the words used in that subsection, the member state shall construe the descriptions to apply to offenses of the member state that are substantially similar to the ones described. A state that is a member of the Drivers License Compact shall report to another member state of the compact a conviction for any other offense or any other information concerning convictions that the member states agree to report.

(C) For a conviction required to be reported under subsection (A), a member state shall give the same effect to the report as if the conviction had occurred in that state. For a conviction that is not required to be reported under subsection (A), the provisions of Section 56-1-320 shall govern the effect of the reported conviction in this State. For a conviction that is not required to be reported under subsection (A), notice of the conviction must be received by the department for purposes of suspension or revocation within one year of the date of conviction.

The department shall not post to an individual's driver's record any conviction that is not received by the department within the one-year period for offenses governed by this subsection. For purposes of this title, this means all convictions which occurred after June 4, 1995, which are not required to be reported pursuant to subsection (A). The department may not refuse to issue or renew a resident's driver's license when the individual's privilege to drive is suspended or revoked for an out-of-state conviction which was not reported to the department within one year of the date of conviction, as required in this subsection.

SECTION 56-1-660. Review of license status in other states upon application for license in party state.

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.

SECTION 56-1-670. Effect on other laws or agreements.

Except as expressly required by provisions of the compact, nothing herein affects the right of the department to apply any of South Carolina's other laws relating to licenses to drive to any person or circumstance, nor to invalidate or prevent any driver license agreement or other cooperative arrangement between South Carolina and a nonparty state.

SECTION 56-1-680. Administration; exchange of information.

(A) The director or his designee of the department is the administrator of this compact for South Carolina. The administrators, acting jointly, have the power to formulate all necessary procedures for the exchange of information under this compact.

(B) The department shall furnish to the administrator of each other party state any information or documents reasonably necessary to facilitate the administration of this compact.

SECTION 56-1-690. Withdrawal from compact.

Any party state may withdraw from the compact, but no withdrawal may take effect until six months after the executive heads of all other party states have received notice. Withdrawal does not affect the validity or applicability by the licensing authorities of states remaining party to the compact of any report of conviction occurring prior to the withdrawal.



SECTION 56-1-710. "Conviction" defined.

The term "conviction" as used in this article shall also include 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.

SECTION 56-1-720. Point system established; schedule of points for violations.

There is established a point system for the evaluation of the operating record of persons to whom a license to operate motor vehicles has been granted and for the determination of the continuing qualifications of these persons for the privileges granted by the license to operate motor vehicles. The system shall have as its basic element a graduated scale of points assigning relative values to the various violations in accordance with the following schedule:

VIOLATION POINTS

Reckless driving .......................................................... 6

Passing stopped school bus ................................................ 6

Hit-and-run, property damages only ........................................ 6

Driving too fast for conditions, or speeding:

(1) No more than 10 m.p.h. above the

posted limits ...................................................... 2

(2) More than 10 m.p.h. but less than 25

m.p.h. above the posted limits ..................................... 4

(3) 25 m.p.h. or above the posted limits ............................. 6

Disobedience of any official traffic control

device .................................................................. 4

Disobedience to officer directing traffic ................................. 4

Failing to yield right of way ............................................. 4

Driving on wrong side of road ............................................. 4

Passing unlawfully ........................................................ 4

Turning unlawfully ........................................................ 4

Driving through or within safety zone ..................................... 4

Failing to give signal or giving improper

signal for stopping, turning, or suddenly

decreased speed ......................................................... 4

Shifting lanes without safety precaution .................................. 2

Improper dangerous parking ................................................ 2

Following too closely ..................................................... 4

Failing to dim lights ..................................................... 2

Operating with improper lights ............................................ 2

Operating with improper brakes ............................................ 4

Operating a vehicle in unsafe condition ................................... 2

Driving in improper lane .................................................. 2

Improper backing .......................................................... 2

SECTION 56-1-725. [1992 Act No. 501, Part II Section 60A, eff July 1, 1992] Repealed by 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 36U, eff January 1, 1995.

SECTION 56-1-730. Warning tickets shall not be assigned point value.

Warning tickets shall not be assigned a point value.

SECTION 56-1-740. Suspension of driver's license or nonresident's privilege to drive; special restricted driver's licenses.

(A) The department may suspend, for not more than six months, the driver's license and privilege of a person upon a showing by its records, based on a uniform point system as authorized in this article, that the licensee has been convicted with such frequency of offenses against motor vehicle traffic laws or ordinances as to indicate a disrespect for the laws or ordinances and a disregard for the safety of other persons on the highways. For the purposes of this article, a total of twelve points assessed against a driver as determined by the values designated in Section 56-1-720 indicates disrespect and disregard. The privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the highways of this State, given to a nonresident under the laws of this State, is subject to suspension by the department in like manner, and for like cause, the same as a driver's license issued by this State may be suspended.

Periods of suspension of the license or privilege of a person for various accumulation of points must be as follows, with the person having the privilege to request a review of his driving record:

(1) twelve to fifteen points--three months' suspension;

(2) sixteen or seventeen points--four months' suspension;

(3) eighteen or nineteen points--five months' suspension;

(4) twenty points and over--six months' suspension.

(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 56-1-745. Conviction of controlled substance violations; suspension of driver's license; special restricted driver's license and fees; insurance penalty under Merit Rating Plan; definitions.

(A) The driver's license of a person convicted of a controlled substance violation involving hashish or marijuana must be suspended for a period of six months. The driver's license of a person convicted of any other controlled substance violation must be suspended for a period of one year. If the person does not have a driver's license, the court shall order the department not to issue a driver's license for six months after the person legally is eligible for the issuance of a driver's license if the offense involves hashish or marijuana. If the offense involves any other controlled substance, the court shall order the department not to issue a driver's license for one year after the person legally is eligible for the issuance of a driver's license. For each subsequent conviction under this section, the court shall order the driver's license to be suspended for an additional six months or one year, as the case may be. The additional period of suspension for a subsequent offense runs consecutively and does not commence until the expiration of the suspension for the prior offense.

(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-1-460, any person convicted under this section shall be punished pursuant to Section 56-1-440 and is not required to furnish proof of financial responsibility as provided for in Section 56-9-500. The conviction shall not result in any insurance penalty under the Merit Rating Plan promulgated by the Department of Insurance.

(C)(1) If an individual is employed or enrolled in a college, university, or court-ordered drug program, 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, or to a court-ordered drug program, 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 showing by the individual that he is employed or enrolled in a college, university, or court- ordered drug program, that he lives further than one mile from his place of employment, education, or court-ordered drug program, and that there is no adequate public transportation between his residence and 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 individual 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 a 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. 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.

(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.

(D) For purposes of this section:

(1) "Controlled substance violation" means a violation of Chapter 53 of Title 44 of the South Carolina Code of Laws; the "Controlled Substance Act" (21 U.S.C. Section 802(6)); or a drug offense committed in another state.

(2) "Drug offense" means the possession, distribution, manufacture, cultivation, sale, transfer, or the attempt or conspiracy to possess, distribute, manufacture, cultivate, sell, or transfer a substance which is prohibited under the federal Controlled Substance Act.

SECTION 56-1-746. Driver's license suspension for offenses relating to possession, sale, and consumption of beer, wine, and alcoholic liquors, or for unlawful use or alteration of driver's license.

(A) The department shall suspend the driver's license of any person convicted of the offenses contained in Sections 56-1-510(2), 56-1-510(5), 56-1-515, 61-4-60, 61-4-80, 61-4-90, 61-6-4070, 20-7-8920, and 20-7-8925 as follows:

(1) for a conviction for a first offense, for a period of ninety days;

(2) for a conviction for a second or subsequent offense, for a period of six months.

(B) For the purposes of determining prior offenses, a conviction of any of the offenses enumerated in subsection (A) within ten years of the date of the violation is considered a prior offense.

(C) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 56-1-460, any person convicted under this section shall be punished pursuant to Section 56-1-440 and is not required to furnish proof of financial responsibility as provided for in Section 56-9-500. The conviction shall not result in any insurance penalty under the Merit Rating Plan promulgated by the Department of Insurance.

(D)(1) If an individual is employed or enrolled in a college or university, or a court-ordered drug program, 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, his place of education, or the court-ordered drug program, and in the course of his employment, education, or a court-ordered drug program during the period of suspension. The department may issue the special restricted driver's license only upon showing by the individual that he is employed or enrolled in a college, university, or court-ordered drug program, that he lives further than one mile from his place of employment, education, or court-ordered drug program, and that there is no adequate public transportation between his residence and his place of employment, his place of education, or court- ordered drug program.

(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 individual may operate a motor vehicle. A change in the employment hours, place of employment, status as a student, status of attendance in his court-ordered drug program, or residence must be reported immediately to the department by the licensee.

(3) The fee for a 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. 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.

(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 56-1-747. What constitutes conviction for purposes of Section 56-1-746.

For purposes of Section 56-1-746 a conviction is defined as provided in Section 56-1-2030 and includes being adjudicated under juvenile proceedings.

SECTION 56-1-748. Persons issued restricted driver's license ineligible for issuance of special restricted driver's license.

No person issued a restricted driver's license under the provisions of Section 56-1-170(B), Section 56-1-320(A), Section 56-1-740(B), Section 56-1-745(C), Section 56-1-746(D), Section 56-5-750(G), Section 56-9-430(B), Section 56-10-260(B), or Section 56-10-270(C) shall subsequently be eligible for issuance of a special restricted driver's license under these provisions.

SECTION 56-1-750. Computation of points.

In computing the total number of points charged to any person after a particular violation, those accrued as a result of violations which have occurred during the twelve months' period including and immediately preceding the last violation shall be counted at their full value, those accrued from twelve to twenty-four months preceding the last violation shall be counted at one half their established value and those resulting from violations which occurred more than twenty-four months prior to the last violation shall not be counted.

SECTION 56-1-760. Violations considered in suspension shall be disregarded in subsequent suspension.

When the driver's license of a person is suspended under the provisions of this article, all violations considered in such suspension shall be disregarded in so far as any subsequent suspension under this article or under the provisions of Section 56-5-2920 is concerned.

SECTION 56-1-770. Points reduced for completing defensive driving course.

Any driver who has accumulated points under the provisions of this article shall have the number of his points reduced by four upon proving to the satisfaction of the department that he has completed the National Safety Council's "Defensive Driving Course" or its equivalent, if the course is completed after the points have been assessed. The course must be taught by an instructor accredited by the National Safety Council whose procedures for accreditation are set forth in "Manual of Rules and Procedures" published by the National Safety Council or equivalent accreditation procedures. The department shall establish procedures by which driver training schools may apply to the department for approval of a defensive driving course which will qualify those successfully completing the course for a reduction in points pursuant to this section. The department shall approve the National Safety Council's "Defensive Driving Course" or its equivalent when offered by driver training schools and taught by an instructor accredited by the National Safety Council or equivalent accreditation procedures. No person's points may be reduced more than one time in any three-year period by the method provided for in this section.

SECTION 56-1-780. Reports of certain convictions to Department.

The provisions of Section 56-5-2970, shall also apply to convictions in cases involving other traffic violations as listed in Section 56-1-720.

SECTION 56-1-790. Reports of out-of-State, Federal or court-martial convictions; recording against drivers.

The department may enter into a reciprocal agreement with the proper agency of any other state for the purpose of reporting convictions in one state by a person holding a driver's license in the other state. Such convictions in another state of a violation therein which, if committed in this State, would be a violation of the traffic laws of this State, may be recorded against a driver the same as if the conviction had been made in the courts of this State. When a resident of this State has been convicted of a motor vehicle violation in another state for which there is no corresponding offense in this State, excluding the offenses listed in Section 56-1-650(A), the conviction must not be recorded on the person's driving record in this State.

Guilty pleas, failure to respond to charges or convictions by courts-martial or post or base commanders of any of the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States or by a United States Commissioner of a violation either on or off government property which, if committed in this State, would be a violation of the laws of this State, may, in the discretion of the department, be recorded against a driver the same as if the plea of guilty, forfeiture of bond, or conviction had been made in the courts of this State.

SECTION 56-1-800. Certified copies of reports as evidence of convictions.

In all proceedings held under the provisions of this article, photostatic, optical disk, or other copies of the reports filed with the department, including official reports received from directors of the Department of Motor Vehicles, 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.

SECTION 56-1-810. Notice of suspension; surrender of license.

Upon the determination by the department that a person has accumulated sufficient points to warrant the suspension of his license, the department shall notify such licensee in writing, return receipt requested, that his license has been suspended, and such licensee shall return his license to the department within the time required by Section 56-1-350 and subject to the penalties thereof for failing to do so.

SECTION 56-1-820. Hearing on suspension.

The licensee may, within ten days after notice of suspension, request in writing an administrative hearing, and upon receipt of the request the department shall afford him a hearing in accordance with the State Administrative Procedures Act.

SECTION 56-1-830. [1962 Code Section 46-196.10; 1955 (49) 249; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1338, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-840. [1962 Code Section 46-196.11; 1955 (49) 249; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1339, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-850. Other provisions for mandatory suspension, revocation or cancellation unaffected.

Nothing contained in this article shall affect the action of the department in suspending, revoking, or canceling any driver's license when such action is mandatory under the provisions of any law of this State.



SECTION 56-1-1010. Legislative declaration of policy.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of this State:

(a) To provide maximum safety for all persons who use the public highways of this State; and

(b) To deny the privilege of operating motor vehicles on such highways to persons who by their conduct and record have demonstrated their indifference to the safety and welfare of others and their disrespect for the laws of this State; and

(c) To discourage repetition of unlawful acts by individuals against the peace and dignity of this State and her political subdivisions and to impose additional penalties upon habitual offenders who have been convicted repeatedly of violations of the traffic laws of this State.

SECTION 56-1-1020. "Habitual offender" and "conviction" defined.

An habitual offender shall mean any person whose record as maintained by the department shows that he has accumulated the convictions for separate and distinct offenses described in subsections (a), (b) and (c) committed during a three-year period; provided, that where more than one included offense shall be committed within a one-day period such multiple offenses shall be treated for the purposes of this article as one offense:

(a) Three or more convictions, singularly or in combination of any of the following separate and distinct offenses arising out of separate acts:

(1) Voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter or reckless homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;

(2) Operating or attempting to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, narcotics or drugs;

(3) Driving or operating a motor vehicle in a reckless manner;

(4) Driving a motor vehicle while his license, permit, or privilege to drive a motor vehicle has been suspended or revoked, except a conviction for driving under suspension for failure to file proof of financial responsibility;

(5) Any offense punishable as a felony under the motor vehicle laws of this State or any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used;

(6) Failure of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in any accident resulting in the death or injury of any person to stop close to the scene of such accident and report his identity;

(b) Ten or more convictions of separate and distinct offenses involving moving violations singularly or in combination, in the operation of a motor vehicle, which are required to be reported to the department for which four or more points are assigned pursuant to Section 56-1-720 or which are enumerated in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) The offenses included in subsections (a) and (b) shall be deemed to include offenses under any federal law, any law of another state or any municipal or county ordinance of another state substantially conforming to the above provisions.

(d) For purposes of determining the number of convictions for separate and distinct offenses committed during any three-year period, a person shall be deemed to be convicted of an offense on the date the offense was committed if he is subsequently convicted of committing such offense.

SECTION 56-1-1030. Revocation of license of habitual offender.

When a person is convicted of one or more of the offenses listed in Section 56-1-1020(a), (b), or (c), the department must review its records for that person. If the department's review of its records shows that the person is an habitual offender as defined in Section 56-1-1020, the department must institute agency proceedings in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act to revoke or suspend the person's driver's license except that appeals under this section must be made to the appropriate magistrate's court as set forth below.

If after appropriate proceedings, the department finds the person to be an habitual offender, the department shall direct the person not to operate a motor vehicle on the highways of this State and to surrender his driver's license or permit to the department. A resident of South Carolina found to be an habitual offender may appeal to the chief magistrate in the county in which the appellant resides. A nonresident person found to be an habitual offender may appeal to the chief magistrate of Richland County. In any appeal, the magistrate shall hear and determine the matter de novo.

SECTION 56-1-1090. Habitual offenders shall not be issued license.

No license to operate motor vehicles in this State may be issued to an habitual offender nor shall a nonresident habitual offender operate a motor vehicle in this State:

(a) for a period of five years from the date of a final decision by the department that a person is an habitual offender and if, upon appeal, the finding is sustained by a magistrate unless the period is reduced to two years as permitted in item (c);

(b) until financial responsibility requirements are met;

(c) until, upon petition and for good cause shown, the department may restore to the person the privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this State upon terms and conditions as the department may prescribe, subject to other provisions of law relating to the issuance of drivers' licenses. The petition permitted by this item may be filed after one year has expired from the date of the decision of the department finding the person to be an habitual offender. At this time and after hearing, the department may reduce the five-year period of item (a) to a two-year period for good cause shown. If the two-year period is granted, it must run from the date of the final decision of the department. If the two-year period is not granted, no petition may be filed again until after five years have expired from the date of the decision of the department. However, a petition or court order is not required for the restoration of driving privileges, and the issuance of a license after the five-year waiting period has expired and all financial responsibilities have been fulfilled.

SECTION 56-1-1100. Penalties.

A person found to be an habitual offender under the provisions of this article, who subsequently is convicted of operating a motor vehicle in this State while the decision of the department prohibiting the operation is in effect, is guilty of a felony and must be imprisoned not more than five years.

For the purpose of enforcing this section, in any case in which the accused is charged with driving a motor vehicle while his driver's license or permit is suspended or revoked or is charged with driving without a license, the department, before hearing the charges, shall determine whether the person has been adjudged an habitual offender and is barred from operating a motor vehicle on the highways of this State. If the person is found to be an habitual offender, the department shall notify the solicitor or Attorney General and he shall cause the appropriate criminal charges to be lodged against the offender.

SECTION 56-1-1110. Article shall not affect existing laws.

Nothing in this article shall be construed as affecting any existing law of this State or any existing ordinance of any political subdivision of the State relating to the operation of motor vehicles, the licensing of persons to operate motor vehicles or providing penalties for the violation thereof.

SECTION 56-1-1120. [1962 Code Section 46-197.11; 1973 (58) 424; 1974 (58) 2998; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1345, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-1130. Notification of potential offenders.

The department shall send a written notice to any person who it determines is in danger of becoming an habitual offender.



SECTION 56-1-1310. "Convicted" defined.

As used in this article "convicted" shall include convictions, forfeiture of bail or bond, entry of plea of nolo contendere and sentence thereon and entry of plea of guilty and sentence thereon.

SECTION 56-1-1320. Provisional drivers' licenses may be issued.

(A) A person with a South Carolina driver's license, a person who had a South Carolina driver's license at the time of the offense referenced below, or a person exempted from the licensing requirements by Section 56-1-30, who is or has been convicted of a first offense violation of an ordinance of a municipality, or law of this State, that prohibits a person from operating a vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, drugs, or narcotics, including Section 56-5-2930 and Section 56-5-2933, and whose license is not presently suspended for any other reason, may apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a provisional driver's license of a design to be determined by the department to operate a motor vehicle. The person shall enter an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program as provided for in Section 56-1-1330, shall furnish proof of responsibility as provided for in Section 56-1-1350, and shall pay to the department a fee of one hundred dollars for the provisional driver's license. The provisional driver's license is not valid for more than six months from the date of issue shown on the license. The determination of whether or not a provisional driver's license may be issued pursuant to the provisions of this article as well as reviews of cancellations or suspensions under Sections 56-1-370 and 56-1-820 must be made by the director of the department or his designee.

(B) Ninety-five dollars of the collected fee must be credited to the General Fund of the State for use of the Department of Public Safety in the hiring, training, and equipping of members of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Transportation Police and in the operations of the South Carolina Highway Patrol and Transportation Police.

SECTION 56-1-1330. Applicant required to complete alcohol traffic safety program.

The provisional driver's license provision must include a mandatory requirement that the applicant enroll in an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program certified by the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services and successfully complete services pursuant to the requirements specified in Section 56-5-2990. If the applicant fails to complete successfully the services as directed by the Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program, the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services shall notify the department, the provisional driver's license issued by the department must be revoked, and the suspension imposed for the full period specified in Section 56-5-2990, which shall begin on date of notification to the individual.

SECTION 56-1-1340. License shall be kept in possession; issuance of license and convictions shall be recorded.

The applicant shall have a provisional driver's license in his possession at all times while driving a motor vehicle, and the issuance of such license and the violation convictions shall be entered in the records of the department for a period of ten years as required by Sections 56-5-2940 and 56-5-2990 of the 1976 Code.

SECTION 56-1-1350. Proof of financial responsibility and assurance of acceptance into school.

The department shall require proof of financial responsibility and assurance of acceptance in the alcohol traffic safety school prior to the issuance of the provisional driver's license.

SECTION 56-1-1360. Revocation of license for additional violations.

In the event the holder of a provisional driver's license issued pursuant to this article is convicted of violations under Section 56-1-720 of the 1976 Code totaling four or more points or any other law relative to the operation of a motor vehicle for which suspension of a driver's license is made mandatory by law during specified suspension period, the provisional driver's license shall be revoked and the full suspension imposed.

SECTION 56-1-1370. Second violations during specified suspended period.

In the event the holder of a provisional driver's license issued pursuant to this article is convicted of a second violation under Section 56-5-2930, during the specified suspended period, the provisional driver's license shall be revoked and the full suspension imposed.

SECTION 56-1-1380. Effect of convictions outside of state.

Upon conviction of the offense stated in Section 56-1-1320, outside the jurisdiction of the State, the person convicted may apply for the provisional driver's license in the event his South Carolina driver's license is revoked as a result of such conviction.

SECTION 56-1-1390. Appeals; notice of hearing.

Any person applying for the provisional driver's license provided for in this article whose application is denied by the department 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.

SECTION 56-1-1400. [1975 (59) 66; 1982 Act No. 355, Section 3] Repealed by 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1617(A), eff July 1, 1993.



SECTION 56-1-1710. Meaning of "moped".

For purposes of this article, "moped" means a cycle with pedals to permit propulsion by human power or without pedals and with a motor of not more than fifty cubic centimeters which produces not to exceed two brake horsepower and which is not capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed in excess of thirty miles an hour on level ground. If an internal combustion engine is used, the moped must have a power drive system that functions directly or automatically without clutching or shifting by the operator after the drive system is engaged.

SECTION 56-1-1720. Licensing requirement; minimum age; violations and penalties.

Until January 1, 1987, no person under the age of twelve may operate a moped on the public highways and streets of this State. After December 31, 1986, to operate a moped on the public highways and streets of this State, a person must possess a valid driver's license issued under Article 1 of this chapter or a valid moped operator's license issued under this article, except that a person whose driver's license has been suspended for a period of six months or less is not required to obtain a moped operator's license or possess a valid driver's license during the period of suspension. From January 1, 1987, to December 31, 1987, the Department shall not issue a moped operator's license to any person who is less than thirteen years of age. After December 31, 1987, the Department shall not issue a moped operator's license to any person who is less than fourteen years of age.

Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than fifty dollars and, upon conviction of a second or subsequent offense, must be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars.

The Department may not issue a beginner's permit or special restricted license as provided for in Sections 56-1-50 and 56-1-180 to any person convicted of a second or subsequent violation of operating a moped on the public highways and roads of this State while under age, until that person is at least fifteen and one-half years of age.

SECTION 56-1-1730. Eligibility for, and suspension, revocation, or cancellation of, moped operator's license.

A person is eligible for a moped operator's license without regard to his eligibility for or the status of any other driver's license or permit. The department may suspend, revoke, or cancel a moped operator's license only for violations committed while operating a moped. A moped operator's license may be suspended, revoked, or canceled in the same manner and upon the same grounds for which any other motor vehicle operator's license or permit may be suspended, revoked, or canceled.

SECTION 56-1-1740. Examination of applicants for moped operator's license; fees; expiration and renewal of license.

The Department shall examine every applicant for a moped operator's license. The examination shall include a test of the applicant's eyesight and, as pertains to the operation of a moped, a test of his ability to read and understand highway signs regulating, warning, and directing traffic and his knowledge of the traffic laws of this State. The Department may require further physical and mental examination as it considers necessary to determine the applicant's fitness to operate a moped upon the highways, the further examination to be at the applicant's expense. The Department shall make provisions for giving an examination in the county where the applicant resides. The Department shall charge a fee of two dollars for each complete examination or reexamination required in this article.

The expiration and renewal of moped operator's licenses must be in accordance with Sections 56-1-210, 56-1-220, and 56-1-225.

SECTION 56-1-1750. Issuance of moped operator's license upon payment of fee; contents of license; validity and effect of license.

A photograph of the licensee is not required in accordance with Section 56-1-150.

SECTION 56-1-1760. Requirement that license be in immediate possession of operator of moped and that it be displayed upon demand of certain State officers.

Every licensee shall have his license in his immediate possession at all times when operating a moped and shall display it upon demand of any officer or agent of the department or any police officer of the State.

SECTION 56-1-1770. Application for moped operator's license.

Application for a moped operator's license must be in accordance with the procedures and requirements of Article 1, Chapter 1 of Title 56.

SECTION 56-1-1780. Applicability of Sections 56-1-100 and 56-1-230 to holders of moped operator's licenses.

The provisions of Sections 56-1-100 and 56-1-230 apply to persons with moped operator's licenses.



SECTION 56-1-2010. Short title.

This article may be cited as the South Carolina Commercial Driver License Act.

SECTION 56-1-2020. Construction.

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.

SECTION 56-1-2030. Definitions.

As used in this article:

(1) "Commercial driver's license" means a license issued in accordance with the requirements of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (Title XII of Public Law 99-570) to an individual which authorizes the individual to drive a class of commercial motor vehicle.

(2) "Commercial Driver's License Information System" means the information system established pursuant to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 to serve as a clearinghouse for locating information related to the licensing and identification of commercial motor vehicle drivers.

(3) "Commercial driver's instruction permit" means a permit issued pursuant to Section 56-1-2080(D) of this article.

(4) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle designed or used to transport passengers or property if the vehicle:

(a) has a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one or more pounds;

(b) is designed to transport sixteen or more persons, including the driver; or

(c) is transporting hazardous materials and is required to be placarded in accordance with 49 C.F.R. part 172, subpart F.

(5) "CMVSA" means the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (Title XII of Public Law 99-570).

(6) "Controlled substance" means a substance classified under Section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802(6)) listed on Schedules I through V of 21 C.F.R. part 1308, as revised.

(7) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilty, or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, the payment of a fine or court cost, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.

(8) "Disqualification" means a withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

(9) "Drive" means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle.

(10) "Driver" means a person who drives a commercial motor vehicle or who is required to hold a commercial driver's license.

(11) "Driver's license" means a license issued to an individual which authorizes the individual to drive a motor vehicle.

(12) "Employer" means a person, including the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

(13) "Endorsement" means a special authorization to drive certain types of vehicles or to transport certain types of property or a certain number of passengers.

(14) "Felony" means an offense under state or federal law that is punishable by death or imprisonment for more than one year.

(15) "Foreign jurisdiction" means a jurisdiction other than a state of the United States.

(16) "Gross vehicle weight rating" means the weight or the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or a combination vehicle. The gross vehicle weight rating of a combination vehicle (commonly referred to as the "gross combination weight rating") is the gross vehicle weight rating of the power unit plus the gross vehicle weight rating of a towed unit.

(17) "Hazardous materials" has the meaning as that found in Section 103 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.).

(18) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle which is self-propelled and a vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails, except a vehicle moved solely by human power and motorized wheelchairs.

(19) "Out-of-service order" means declaration by an authorized enforcement officer of a federal, state, Canadian, Mexican, or local jurisdiction that a person, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor carrier operation is out of service pursuant to 49 CFR Sections 386.72, 390.5, 392.5, 395.13, 396.9, or compatible laws, or the North American Uniform Out-of-Service Criteria. For purposes of this article, regulations requiring disqualifications for violations of out-of-service orders affect all vehicles with a gross combination weight rating or gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds, as contained in 49 CFR Sections 383, 390.5, and 393 of the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations.

(20) "Recreational vehicle" means a self-propelled or towed vehicle that is equipped to serve as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel purposes and is used solely as a family/personal conveyance.

(21) "Restriction" means a prohibition against driving certain types of vehicles or a requirement that the driver comply with certain conditions when driving a motor vehicle.

(22) "Serious traffic violation" means a conviction when operating a commercial motor vehicle of:

(a) excessive speeding, involving a single charge for a speed fifteen miles an hour or more above the speed limit;

(b) reckless driving, including charges of driving a commercial motor vehicle in a wilful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property;

(c) improper or erratic traffic lane changes;

(d) following the vehicle ahead too closely; or

(e) a violation of a state or local law related to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, arising in connection with an accident or collision resulting in death or serious bodily injury to a person.

(23) "State" means a state or territory of the United States and the District of Columbia and the federal government and a province or territory of Canada.

(24) "Tank vehicle" means a vehicle that is designed to transport a liquid or gaseous material within a tank that either is attached permanently or temporarily to the vehicle and which has a capacity of one thousand gallons or more.

(25) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia.

(26) "Farm related vehicle" means a vehicle used:

(a) in custom harvester operations;

(b) in livestock feeding operations; or

(c) by an agri-chemical business or a company which hauls agri-chemical products to a farm.

(27) "Seasonal restricted commercial driver's license" means a commercial driver's license issued under the authority of the waiver promulgated by the Federal Department of Transportation (57 Federal Register 13650) by the department to an individual who has not passed the knowledge or skill test required of other commercial driver's license holders. This license authorizes operation of a commercial motor vehicle only on a seasonal basis, stated on the license, by a seasonal employee of a custom harvester, livestock feeder, agri-chemical operation, and company hauling agri-chemical products to a farm within one hundred fifty miles of the place of business.

SECTION 56-1-2040. Commercial drivers to have one driver's license only; exception.

No person who drives a commercial motor vehicle may have more than one driver's license except during the ten-day period beginning on the date the person is issued a driver's license.

SECTION 56-1-2045. Qualifications to be student at truck driver training school.

A person qualifies to be a student at a South Carolina truck driver training school, which offers instruction toward a South Carolina Class Three truck driver's license, if he has a Class Three learner's permit or an equivalent permit issued by his state of residence.

SECTION 56-1-2050. Notification of convictions; notification of suspension, revocation, or cancellation of license; information to be supplied to employer.

(A) Notification of Convictions.

(1) A driver holding a commercial driver license issued by this State, who is convicted of violating a state law or local ordinance relating to motor vehicle traffic control in any other state, other than a parking violation, shall notify the department in the manner specified by the department within thirty days of conviction.

(2) A driver holding a commercial driver license issued by this State, who is convicted of violating a state law or local ordinance relating to motor vehicle traffic control in this or any other state, other than a parking violation, shall notify his employer in writing of the conviction within thirty days of the conviction.

(B) A driver whose commercial driver license is suspended, revoked, or canceled by a state, or who loses the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle in any state for any period, including being disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle, or who is subject to an out of service order, shall notify his employer of that fact before the end of the business day following the day the driver received notice of that fact.

(C) A person who applies to be a commercial motor vehicle driver shall provide the employer, at the time of the application, with the following information for the ten years preceding the date of application:

(1) a list of the names and addresses of the applicant's previous employers for which the applicant was a driver of a commercial motor vehicle;

(2) the dates between which the applicant drove for each employer;

(3) the reason for leaving that employer;

(4) any additional information required by the employer;

(5) certification that all information furnished is true and complete.

SECTION 56-1-2060. Employer's responsibilities.

(A) Each employer shall require the information specified in Section 56-1-2050(C).

(B) No employer knowingly may allow, permit, or authorize a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle during a period in which:

(1) the person's commercial driver license is suspended, revoked, or canceled by a state, has lost the privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle in a state, is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle, or is subject to an out-of-service order in a state;

(2) the person has more than one driver's license, except during the ten-day period beginning on the date the employee is issued a driver's license; or

(3) an employer who knowingly allows, permits, or authorizes a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle during a period in which either the vehicle or the person is subject to an out-of-service order is subject to a civil penalty of not less than two thousand five hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars.

SECTION 56-1-2070. Driving commercial motor vehicle without valid license prohibited; exceptions; driving while license suspended, revoked, or cancelled; violations.

(A) Except as provided in subsection (C) or when driving under a commercial driver instruction permit and accompanied by the holder of a commercial driver license valid for the vehicle being driven, no person may drive a commercial motor vehicle on the highways of this State, unless the person has been issued, and is in immediate possession of, a valid commercial driver license and applicable endorsements valid for the vehicle which the person is driving.

(B) A person operating a commercial motor vehicle as defined in Section 56-1-2030 and 49 CFR 383.5, without the proper class commercial license or permit with all applicable endorsements or restrictions as defined in Section 56-1-2100 must be placed out of service and is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction of a first offense, must be fined not less than one hundred fifty dollars and not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for thirty days and upon conviction of a second offense or subsequent offense must be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars and not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned forty-five days or both.

(C) The following persons may operate commercial motor vehicles without a commercial driver license:

(1) active duty military personnel; members of the military reserve; members of the South Carolina National Guard who are on active duty, including personnel on full-time South Carolina National Guard duty; personnel on part-time South Carolina National Guard training and South Carolina National Guard Military technicians required to wear uniforms; and active duty military United States Coast Guard personnel while operating vehicles owned or operated by the United States government or this State for military purposes. This exception does not apply to technicians in the United States Reserves.

(2) operators of a farm vehicle which is:

(a) controlled and operated by a farmer;

(b) used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, farm supplies, or a combination of them to or from a farm including the transportation of hazardous materials which do not pose a substantial danger to the public health and safety including fuels, fertilizers, and other agricultural chemicals used in normal farming operations as exempted pursuant to 49 C.F.R Part 173.5;

(c) not used in the operation of a common or contract motor carrier; and

(d) used within one hundred fifty miles of the person's farm.

(3) persons operating authorized emergency vehicles as defined in Section 56-5-170;

(4) operators of recreational vehicles used solely for personal use.

(D) No person may drive a commercial motor vehicle on the highways of this State while:

(1) his commercial driver license or privilege to drive is suspended, revoked, or canceled;

(2) subject to a disqualification; or

(3) in violation of an out-of-service order.

(E) A person violating the requirements of subsection (D)(3) must be punished as follows, while all other violations of this section must be punished as though convicted of a violation of Section 56-1-460. A person is disqualified for not less than:

(1) ninety days nor more than one year if the person is convicted of a first violation of an out-of-service order. Additionally, a person who is convicted of violating an out-of-service order is subject to a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars nor more than two thousand five hundred dollars;

(2) one year nor more than five years if during a ten-year period the person is convicted of two violations of out-of-service orders in separate incidents. Additionally, a person who is convicted of violating an out-of-service order is subject to a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars nor more than two thousand five hundred dollars;

(3) three years nor more than five years if during a ten-year period the person is convicted of three or more violations of out-of-state service orders in separate incidents. Additionally, a person who is convicted of violating an out-of-service order is subject to a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars nor more than two thousand five hundred dollars;

(4) one hundred eighty days nor more than two years if the driver is convicted of a first violation of an out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 5101-5127), or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver. A driver is disqualified for a period of not less than three years nor more than five years if during a ten-year period the person is convicted of any subsequent violations of out-of-service orders, in separate incidents, while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, or while operating motor vehicles designed to transport more than fifteen passengers, including the driver. Additionally, a driver who is convicted of violating an out-of-service order is subject to a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars nor more than two thousand five hundred dollars.

SECTION 56-1-2080. Qualifications for license; administration of skills test; persons to whom license may not be issued; commercial driver instruction permit.

(A)(1) No person may be issued a commercial driver license unless that person is a resident of this State and has passed a knowledge and skills test for driving a commercial motor vehicle which complies with the minimum federal standards established by 49 CFR part 383, subparts G and H, and has satisfied all other requirements of the CMVSA as well as any other requirements imposed by state law or federal regulation. The tests must be prescribed and conducted by the department.

(2) The department may authorize a person, including an agency of this or another state, an employer, or a department, agency, or instrumentality of local government, to administer the skills test specified by this section if:

(a) the test is the same which otherwise would be administered by the department; and

(b) the third party has entered into an agreement with the department which contains at least the following provisions:

(i) authorization for the department or the Federal Highway Administration or its representatives to conduct random examinations, inspections, and audits without prior notice;

(ii) permission for the department or its representative to conduct onsite inspections at least annually;

(iii) a requirement that all third-party examiners meet the same qualifications and training standards as the department's examiners to the extent necessary to conduct the driving skill tests;

(iv) authorization for the department to charge a fee, as determined by the department, which is sufficient to defray the actual costs incurred by the department for administering and evaluating the employer testing program and for carrying out any other activities considered necessary by the department to assure sufficient training for the persons participating in the program.

(B) A commercial driver license or commercial driver instructional permit may not be issued to a person while the person is subject to a disqualification from driving a commercial motor vehicle or while the person's driver's license is suspended, revoked, or canceled in any state, nor may a commercial driver license be issued to a person who has a commercial driver license issued by any other state unless the person first surrenders all those licenses, each of which must be returned to the issuing state for cancellation.

(C)(1) A commercial driver instruction permit may be issued to an individual who holds a valid Class "D" license and who has passed the appropriate vision and written test for the type of commercial driver license sought.

(2) The holder of a commercial driver instruction permit, unless otherwise disqualified, may drive a commercial motor vehicle but only when accompanied by the holder of a commercial driver license with applicable endorsements which is valid for the type of vehicle driven, and who occupies a seat beside the individual for the purpose of giving instruction in driving the commercial motor vehicle.

(3) The commercial driver instruction permit may not be issued for longer than six months. Only one renewal or reissuance may be granted within a two-year period.

SECTION 56-1-2085. Seasonal restricted commercial driver's license; proof of seasonal employment and other requirements; privileges granted; duration.

(A) No person may drive a commercial vehicle in this State in violation of any of the restrictions or limitations stated on the person's commercial license or restricted commercial license.

(B) The department may issue a seasonal restricted commercial driver's license in accordance with this section.

(C) A South Carolina seasonal restricted commercial driver's license may be issued only to a person who:

(1) is a seasonal employee of a custom harvester, livestock feeder, or an agri-chemical business;

(2) holds a valid South Carolina Class E (2) or F (3) driver's license or takes and successfully completes the required written and skill test for a class E (2) license;

(3) has at least one year driving experience as a licensed driver; and

(4) has satisfied every requirement for issuance of a commercial driver's license, except successful completion of the knowledge and skill test.

(D) The department may not issue or renew a seasonal restricted commercial driver's license for the operation of a commercial vehicle unless the applicant has not and certifies that he has not at any time during the two years immediately preceding the date of application:

(1) had more than one driver's license;

(2) had any driver's license or driving privileges suspended, revoked, or canceled;

(3) been subject to disqualification listed in 383.51 of the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations;

(4) contributed to an accident;

(5) received more than four points against his license.

(E) The applicant shall certify and provide evidence satisfactory to the department that he is employed on a seasonal basis by a custom harvester, livestock feeder, agri-chemical business, or a company hauling agri-chemical products to a farm in a job requiring the operation of a commercial vehicle.

(F) A seasonal restricted commercial driver's license entitles the licensee to operate type B and C commercial vehicles only, with the proper restriction or endorsement, or both.

(G) A seasonal restricted commercial driver's license does not entitle the licensee to operate a Class A type commercial vehicle or a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials.

(H) A seasonal restricted commercial driver's license is valid for one hundred eighty days from the date of issue in one calendar year.

(I) A seasonal restricted commercial driver's license allows the driver to operate within one hundred fifty miles of the place of business as shown on the vehicle registration.

SECTION 56-1-2090. Application; change of licensee's name or address; penalties for falsifying information.

(A) The application for a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit must include:

(1) the full name and both the current mailing and residential address of the person;

(2) a physical description of the person including sex, height, and weight;

(3) date of birth;

(4) the applicant's Social Security number;

(5) the person's signature;

(6) the person's consent to be photographed;

(7) certifications including those required by 49 C.F.R. part 383.71(a);

(8) any other information required by the department;

(9) a consent to release driving record information; and

(10) a nonrefundable application fee of fifteen dollars, except for public school bus drivers.

(B) When the holder of a commercial driver license changes his name, mailing address, or residence, an application for a renewal license must be made as provided in Section 56-1-230.

(C) No person who has been a resident of this State for thirty days or longer may drive a commercial motor vehicle under the authority of a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit issued by another state.

(D) A person who knowingly falsifies information or certifications required under subsection (A) of this section is subject to cancellation of his commercial driver license and may not obtain a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit for at least sixty consecutive days after the time he otherwise would be eligible for a commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit.

SECTION 56-1-2100. Commercial driver license.

(A) The commercial driver license must be marked "Commercial Driver License" or "CDL", and must be, to the maximum extent practicable, tamper proof. It must include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(1) the name and residential address of the person;

(2) the person's color photograph;

(3) a physical description of the person including sex, height, and weight;

(4) date of birth;

(5) a number or identifier considered appropriate by the department;

(6) the person's signature;

(7) the class or type of commercial motor vehicles which the person may drive together with any endorsements or restrictions;

(8) the name of this State; and

(9) the dates between which the license is valid.

(B) The holder of a valid commercial driver license may drive all vehicles in the class for which that license is issued and all lesser classes of vehicles except motorcycles. Vehicles which require an endorsement may not be driven unless the proper endorsement appears on the license. Commercial driver licenses may be issued with the following classifications, endorsements, and restrictions:

(1) Classifications:

(a) Class A: A combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds.

(b) Class B: A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of ten thousand pounds gross vehicle weight rating.

(c) Class C: A single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that are not Class A or B vehicles but either designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, or are placarded for hazardous materials under 49 CFR, Part 172, subpart F.

(2) Endorsements:

(a) "H" authorizes the person to drive a vehicle transporting hazardous materials;

(b) "T" authorizes double trailers;

(c) "P" authorizes driving vehicles carrying passengers;

(d) "N" authorizes driving tank vehicles;

(e) "X" represents a combination of hazardous materials or tank vehicle endorsements, or both;

(f) "S" authorizes the person to drive Department of Education school buses or school district owned activity buses.

(3) Restrictions:

(a) "K" restricts the person to vehicles not equipped with airbrakes;

(b) "Z" except tractor trailer;

(c) "Z-1" may not operate commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or a gross combination weight rating exceeding 26,000 pounds.

(C) Before issuing a commercial driver license, the department must obtain a driving record through the Commercial Driver License Information System, the National Driver Register, and from each state in which the person has been licensed.

(D) Within ten days after issuing a commercial driver license, the department must notify the Commercial Driver License Information System of that fact, providing all information required to insure identification of the person.

(E) A commercial driver license issued by the department expires on the licensee's birth date on the fifth calendar year after the calendar year in which it is issued.

(F) Every person applying for renewal of a commercial driver license shall complete the application form required by Section 56-1-2090(A), providing updated information and required certifications. If the applicant wishes to retain a hazardous materials endorsement, the written test for a hazardous materials endorsement must be taken and passed again. The person shall submit to a vision test.

SECTION 56-1-2110. Disqualification from driving commercial motor vehicle.

(A) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for not less than one year if convicted of a first violation of:

(1) driving a commercial motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or a drug which impairs driving ability;

(2) driving a commercial motor vehicle while the alcohol concentration of the person's blood or breath or other bodily substance is four-one hundredths or more;

(3) knowingly and wilfully leaving the scene of an accident involving a commercial motor vehicle driven by the person;

(4) using a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony as defined in this article;

(5) refusal to submit to a test to determine the driver's alcohol concentration while driving a commercial motor vehicle.

If any of the above violations occur while transporting a hazardous material required to be placarded, the person is disqualified for not less than three years.

(B) A person is disqualified for life if convicted of two or more violations of any of the offenses specified in subsection (A) or a combination of those offenses, arising from two or more separate incidents.

(C) Only offenses committed after the effective date of this article may be considered in applying this subsection.

(D) The department may issue regulations establishing guidelines, including conditions, under which a disqualification for life under subsection (B) may be reduced to not less than ten years.

(E) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for life who uses a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony involving the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance or possession with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance.

(F) A person is disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for not less than sixty days if convicted of two serious traffic violations or one hundred twenty days if convicted of three serious traffic violations, committed in a commercial motor vehicle arising from separate incidents occurring within a three-year period.

(G) After suspending, revoking, or canceling a commercial driver license, the department shall update its records to reflect that action immediately. After suspending, revoking, or canceling a nonresident commercial driver's privilege, the department shall notify the licensing authority of the state which issued the commercial driver license or commercial driver instruction permit within ten days.

SECTION 56-1-2115. Commercial driver's license re-examination.

(A) A person who has been disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle pursuant to the provisions contained in Section 56-1-2110 for one year or more, must complete successfully the requirements contained in Section 56-1-2080 and satisfy all other requirements imposed by state or federal law before the person is eligible to be re-examined pursuant to the provisions contained in subsection (B).

(B) The re-examination consists of the commercial driver license standards contained in 49 CFR of the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations which includes successful completion of the applicable knowledge tests and the complete road test which includes pre-trip inspection, basic control skills, and the on-road test.

SECTION 56-1-2120. Driving with measurable amount of alcohol prohibited; possession of alcoholic beverage.

(A) A person may not drive a commercial motor vehicle within this State while having a measurable amount of alcohol in his body.

(B) A person who drives a commercial motor vehicle within this State while having a measurable amount of alcohol in his system or who refuses to submit to an alcohol test under Section 56-1-2130 must be placed out-of-service for twenty-four hours.

(C) A person who drives a commercial motor vehicle in this State with an alcohol concentration of four one-hundredths of one percent or more must be disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle under Section 56-1-2110.

(D) A person must not be on duty or operate a commercial motor vehicle while he possesses an alcoholic beverage that is not part of the manifest and transported as part of the shipment.

SECTION 56-1-2130. Tests for alcohol or drugs; presumption of consent; administration of tests; warnings; refusal to take test; reports required.

(A) A person who drives a commercial motor vehicle within this State is considered to have given consent, subject to provisions of Section 56-5-2950, to take a test of that person's blood, breath, or urine for the purpose of determining that person's alcohol concentration or the presence of other drugs.

(B) Tests may be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer, who after stopping or detaining the driver of a commercial motor vehicle, has probable cause to believe that the driver was driving a commercial motor vehicle while having a measurable amount of alcohol in his system.

(C) A person requested to submit to a test as provided in subsection (A) must be warned by the law enforcement officer requesting the test, that a refusal to submit to the test must result in that person being placed out of service immediately for twenty-four hours and being disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle for not less than one year under Section 56-1-2110.

(D) If the person refuses testing, or submits to a test which discloses an alcohol concentration of four one-hundredths of one percent or more, the law enforcement officer shall submit a report to the department certifying that the test was requested pursuant to subsection (A) and that the person refused to submit to testing, or submitted to a test which disclosed an alcohol concentration of four one-hundredths of one percent or more.

(E) Upon receipt of the report of a law enforcement officer submitted under subsection (D), the department shall disqualify the driver from driving a commercial motor vehicle under Section 56-1-2110.

SECTION 56-1-2140. Report of conviction of nonresident licensee; required action.

Within ten days after receiving a report of the conviction of a nonresident holder of a commercial driver license for a violation of state law or local ordinance relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, committed in a commercial motor vehicle, the department shall notify the driver licensing authority in the licensing state of the conviction.

SECTION 56-1-2150. Authorized drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

A person may drive a commercial motor vehicle if the person has a commercial driver license issued by a state in accordance with the minimum federal standards for the issuance of commercial motor vehicle driver licenses, if the person's license is not suspended, revoked, or cancelled and if the person is not disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle.

SECTION 56-1-2156. Failure of commercial motor vehicle drivers to comply with lane restrictions.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a commercial motor vehicle driver may not be assessed points against his driving record for failing to comply with lane restrictions posted on the interstate highway system by the Department of Transportation. For purposes of this section, a driver record means a commercial driver's license issued pursuant to Article 13, Chapter 1 of Title 56 and a driver's license issued pursuant to Section 56-1-130 for which points are assessed in Section 56-1-720.

SECTION 56-1-2160. Penalties.

An offense for which no specific penalty is provided by this article must be punished in accordance with Section 56-5-6190.



SECTION 56-1-3350. Special identification cards may be issued; requirements; fees; indication where holder is under twenty years of age.

Upon application by any person five years of age or older who is a resident of South Carolina, the department shall issue a special identification card as long as:

(1) the application is made on a form approved and furnished by the department; and

(2) the applicant presents to the person issuing the identification card a birth certificate or other evidence acceptable to the department of his name and date of birth.

The fee for the issuance of the special identification card is five dollars, and the identification card expires five years from the date of issuance. The renewal fee is also five dollars. Issuance and renewal fees are waived for indigent persons who are mentally ill, mentally retarded, homeless, or who are on public assistance as the sole source of income. As used in this section "indigent" means a person who is qualified for legal assistance which is paid for with public funds. For purposes of this section, a homeless person is an individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is:

(a) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations, including congregated shelters and transitional housing;

(b) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or

(c) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, regular sleeping accommodations for human beings.

The term does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to an act of Congress. Annually, the director of a facility which provides care or shelter to homeless persons must certify this fact to the department. The department must maintain a list of facilities which are approved by the department, and only letters from the directors of these approved facilities are considered to comply with the provisions of this section. To have the issuance or renewal fee waived for an identification card, a homeless person must present a letter to the department from the director of a facility that provides care or shelter to homeless persons certifying that the person named in the letter is homeless. The letter may not be older than thirty days.

Special identification cards issued to persons under the age of twenty-one must be marked, stamped, or printed to readily indicate that the person to whom the card is issued is under the age of twenty-one.

SECTION 56-1-3360. Misuse of card prohibited.

It is unlawful for any person to:

(1) alter a special identification card so as to provide false information on the card or to sell or issue a fictitious special identification card;

(2) use a special identification card not issued to the person, an altered special identification card, or a special identification card containing false information to defraud another or violate the law;

(3) to lend his special identification card to any person or knowingly permit its use by another.

Any person violating the provisions of this section 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.

SECTION 56-1-3370. Size, shape, design, photograph; card to be distinguishable from driver's license.

The special identification card issued pursuant to this article shall be similar in size, shape, and design to a motor vehicle driver's license, including a color photograph of the person to whom it is issued. Provided, however, that the card shall be readily distinguishable from a driver's license by a difference in color, and there shall be printed on the face of such card a statement that the card does not enable the person to whom it is issued to operate a motor vehicle.

SECTION 56-1-3380. Information submitted in application for card confidential; exceptions.

Any information obtained from an application for the issuance, renewal, or replacement of a special identification card shall be confidential and shall not be divulged to any person, association, corporation or organization, public or private, except to the legal guardian or attorney of the applicant, or to a person, association, corporation or organization named in writing by the applicant, his legal guardian or his attorney. Provided, however, that this restriction shall not prevent furnishing the application or any information thereon to a law enforcement agency.

SECTION 56-1-3390. [1993 Act No. 181, Section 1357, eff July 1, 1993] Repealed by 1996 Act No. 459, Section 246A, eff June 5, 1996.

SECTION 56-1-3400. False or fictitious information or fraud a violation.

Any person who shall use a false or fictitious name or give a fictitious address in any application for an identification card or renewal thereof, or knowingly make a false statement or conceal a material fact or otherwise commit a fraud in any such application, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months.