Title 56, Motor Vehicles

The term "automobile utility trailer" when used in Sections 56-3-400 to 56-3-420 shall mean and include any trailers suitable for towing by a private passenger automobile, the use of which is confined to the private hauling of personal property for intrastate or interstate use, o…

For the purpose of interstate and combined interstate and intrastate reciprocity provisions of Sections 56-3-400 to 56-3-420, automobile utility trailers shall be extended full reciprocity, provided that every person who owns automobile utility trailers within this State and who …

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 and motorcycles registered in their names which shall have imprinted on the plate the words "South Carolina Elks Associ…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Carolina Panthers" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plates an emblem, seal, or symbol of the …

It shall be unlawful for any city of this State having a population of fifty-five thousand or more but less than seventy thousand directly or indirectly to require any license, registration plate or other identification tag of or for motor-driven vehicles other than required by t…

Cities having a population of seventy thousand or more may require the annual registration with the city treasurer of all motor vehicles owned by residents of such cities and may issue annually a sticker, seal, card or a plate of metal or other material without fee or charge, as …

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "I Bike SC" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 and motorcycles registered in their names which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a seal, or other…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue a series of special commemorative motor vehicle license plates for use by the owner on his private passenger motor vehicle for the purposes of the "Nongame Wildlife and Natural Areas Fund" provided in Section 50-1-280. The special …

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Homeownership: The American Dream" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in the owners' names, which may have imprinted on the plate an emblem, a…

(A) The department may issue Sons of Confederate Veterans special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles and motorcycles registered in their names. The fee for each special license plate is thirty dollars every two years in addition to the regular m…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue special motor vehicle license plates to active and retired South Carolina firefighters who request them in the manner provided in this article and who are residents of the State for private passenger motor vehicles owned by them. T…

The license plate issued pursuant to this article may be transferred to another vehicle of the same weight class owned by the same person upon application being made and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It is unlawful for any person to whom the special plate has been…

The provisions of this article do not affect the registration and licensing of motor vehicles as required by other provisions of this chapter, but are cumulative to them. A person who violates the provisions of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be…

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a special commemorative "Public Education: A Great Investment" motor vehicle license plate to establish a special fund to be used by the Department of Education for the purpose of providing computers to the public schools. The biennial f…

Department of Motor Vehicles records relating to the registration and licensing of motor vehicles must be released only as provided in this article. A person who requests registration and licensing information must submit the request on a form provided by the department. A comple…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles must retain a request made pursuant to Section 56-3-510 for five years from the date of its submission. (B) Upon a person's written request, the department must release a copy of all request forms relating to the person's records.

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a special "South Carolina: First In Golf" motor vehicle license plate to establish a special fund to be used by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to provide grants to promote the South Carolina Junior Golf Association. …

The Department of Motor Vehicles may charge a fee for releasing information pursuant to this article. The department must promulgate regulations: (1) providing a procedure whereby persons making repetitive requests may maintain an account with the department for the payment of fe…

(A) In addition to complying with any other registration and license fee requirement contained in this chapter, a "charter limousine" regulated by the South Carolina Public Service Commission must acquire a special license plate from the Department of Motor Vehicles upon submissi…

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall implement methods and procedures to ensure that: (1) individuals are provided an opportunity, in a clear and conspicuous manner, to opt-out and prohibit the use of motor vehicle record information about them for distribution for surveys, mar…

(A) The department may issue "Fraternal Order of Police" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles registered in their names who are active members in good standing with the Fraternal Order of Police. Identification of current membership…

The Department of Motor Vehicles may not sell, provide, or otherwise furnish to a private party Social Security numbers, copies of photographs, or signatures, whether digitized or not, taken for the purpose of a driver's license or personal identification card. A Social Security …

(A) Except as provided in subsection (B), the owner of every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, and special mobile equipment vehicle required to be registered and licensed under this chapter shall pay to the Department of Motor Vehicles at the time of registering …

(A) For persons sixty-five years of age or older or persons who are handicapped, as defined in Section 56-3-1950, the biennial registration fee for every private passenger motor vehicle, excluding trucks, is thirty-six dollars. (B) For persons under the age of sixty-five years th…

The amount of revenue derived from the fee increases established in Section 42, Part II, 1986 Act 540 which exceeds the revenue generated pursuant to Sections 56-3-620, 56-3-760, and 56-19-420 of the 1976 Code prior to July 1, 1986 shall be expended by the Department of Transport…

(A) In order to account for the necessary road maintenance caused by each item traversing the roads of this State, in addition to the registration fees imposed by this chapter, the owner or lessee of each vehicle or other item that is required to be registered pursuant to this ch…

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall classify as a private passenger motor vehicle every motor vehicle which is designed, used, and maintained for the transportation of ten or fewer persons, UTVs and trucks having an empty weight of nine thousand pounds or less and a gross weig…

(A) For every common carrier passenger vehicle the biennial registration and license fee is according to weight: (1) not over 2000 pounds: $18.00; (2) 2001 to 2500 pounds: $24.00; (3) 2501 to 3000 pounds: $30.00; (4) 3001 to 3500 pounds: $36.00; (5) 3501 to 4000 pounds: $42.00; (…

(A) In addition to the registration fees imposed by this chapter, the owner of motor vehicles that are powered: (1) exclusively by electricity, hydrogen, or any fuel other than motor fuel, as defined in Section 12-28-110(39), that are not subject to motor fuel user fees imposed b…

In order for inter-city bus companies operating fleets both in inter and intra state commerce in South Carolina to more efficiently dispatch individual buses in such fleets from one state to another, any such inter-city bus company operating a fleet of ten or more buses of thirty…

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "United States Naval Academy" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles registered in their names. The applicant must be a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. The requirements for production and distri…

(A) The determination of gross vehicle weight to register and license self-propelled property carrying vehicles is the empty weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles and the heaviest load to be transported by the vehicle or combination of vehicles as declared by the regis…

No for-hire motor vehicle carrier of property, except carriers of household goods or hazardous waste for disposal, may operate in this State without having applied for and received a Class E Certificate of Compliance from the Department of Motor Vehicles. A one-time fee of twenty…

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall charge a fee of five dollars for each identifier. The five-dollar identifier fee must be remitted to the general fund. The Department of Motor Vehicles may promulgate regulations pursuant to this section. The five-dollar fee collected pursua…

The Department of Motor Vehicles is authorized to enter into reciprocal agreements with the regulatory agencies of other states having jurisdiction and authority over motor carriers to provide for base state agreements in which the registration of interstate carriers operating in…

The Department of Motor Vehicles shall require evidence of the payment of the use tax imposed by Section 4481 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for those vehicles to which the taxes are required.

(A) For the purpose of this section, "farm truck" is defined as a truck used exclusively by the owner for agricultural, horticultural, dairying, livestock, and poultry operations and includes transporting farm processed horticultural products, including soil amendments and mulche…

For every trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer, not exempted by Section 56-3-120(5), the biennial registration fee is twenty dollars. The Department of Motor Vehicles must include in this classification every trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer designed for carrying property, …

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a special motor vehicle license plate to a County Veterans Affairs Officer for a private motor vehicle registered in his name. Only one plate may be issued to a person. The biennial fee for the special license plate is the same as the fe…

The special plates must be of the same size and general design as a regular motor vehicle license plate. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall imprint the special license plate with the words County Veterans Affairs Officer" together with numbers the department may determine nec…

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "United States Air Force Academy" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles registered in their names. The applicant must be a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. The requirements for production an…

For every house trailer the biennial fee is twelve dollars. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall classify as a "house trailer" every trailer or semitrailer which is designed, constructed, and equipped as a dwelling, living abode, or sleeping place, permanently or temporarily, a…

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Autistic and Neurodivergent" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles registered in their names who are autistic or neurodivergent or who are parents of children who are autistic or neu…

For every camper or travel trailer the biennial registration fee is ten dollars. The Department of Motor Vehicles must include in this classification every trailer not more than thirty-five feet long and eight feet wide primarily equipped, designed, converted, or used for private…

(A) The department may issue Arts Awareness special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles registered in their names to establish a special fund to be used by the South Carolina Arts Commission for the purpose of funding activities that support a th…

The owner of a vehicle classified under Sections 56-3-130 and 56-3-660 to 56-3-710, may register and license such vehicle for the desired load capacity classification, and a previous registration and license for a particular load capacity classification for a particular vehicle s…