Title 56, Motor Vehicles

No person shall drive or operate any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or pole trailer on a highway displaying thereon a vehicle license plate which was issued for any other vehicle, and no person shall give, sell, lend, steal or borrow any vehicle license plate issued for a pa…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Stands with Israel" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. This sp…

No person shall, with intent to defraud, deface or cause to be defaced in any manner any vehicle license plate issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Any duly authorized agent of the Department may take up, repossess or recover any license plate if it is being improperly use…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue American Red Cross special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, and motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. This special license pl…

An owner who dismantles or wrecks a vehicle registered and licensed pursuant to this chapter shall forward to the Department of Motor Vehicles the registration card, license plate, and revalidation sticker last issued for the vehicle. A person or entity who disposes of a vehicle …

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Chase Away Childhood Cancer" motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630 and motorcycles as defined in Section 56-3-20 registered in their names. The fee for th…

(A) The department may issue special personalized motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630, and motorcycles as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names for any special organizational plate authorized pu…

Professional racing cars not operated under their own power but towed by another vehicle going to or from a race track need not be registered or licensed.

(A)(1) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue "Clemson University 2016 Football National Champions" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names.…

It is a misdemeanor, punishable as prescribed in this chapter, for any person (a) to alter, with fraudulent intent, any document issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles as authorized under this chapter except a registration card or license plate, (b) to forge or counterfeit an…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue "2016 Baseball National Champions" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. (B) Coastal Carolina…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue "University of South Carolina 2017, 2022, and 2024 Women's Basketball National Champions" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles as defined in Section 56…

(A) An owner of a motor vehicle that is thirty years old or older, may apply to the department to use a license plate issued by this State in the year corresponding to the model year of the vehicle, if the license plate is legible and serviceable, as determined by the department.…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Virginia Tech" special license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, and motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. The fee for each special licens…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Powering the Palmetto State" special license plates to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, and motorcycles, as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names. The fee for each …

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Drivers For a Cure" special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles registered in their names. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated fo…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special commemorative motor vehicle license plates commemorating the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the American Revolution to owners of private passenger carrying motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. The bie…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of valorous awards for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members who received the following awards: (1) Medal of Honor- Army (2) Medal of Honor- Navy (3) Medal of Hono…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of distinguished service awards for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members who received the following awards: (1) Distinguished Service Medal- Army (2) Distinguishe…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of exemplary service awards for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to the individuals specified by the following license plate categories: (1) Gold Star Family: available to immediate family memb…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of a service-connected disability for passenger vehicles and motorcycles registered to qualifying veterans: (1) Disabled Veteran—the applicant must be considered totally and permanently disabled due to a…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of campaign medals for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active service members or prior service members who participated in the following military campaigns: (1) World War II Veteran (2) Pea…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of meritorious service for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members who received the following awards: (1) Air Medal (2) Bronze Star (service) (3) Meritorious Service…

(A) The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of military service for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members associated with the following military components or designations: (1) Veteran or Veteran wheelchair …

(A) The department may issue the following types of special license plates showing support for military-related private organizations for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to members of the general public that will financially benefit the following organizations: (1) Blu…

(A) Upon the death of an award recipient, a surviving spouse may apply to the department for a license plate issued under the provisions of Section 56-3-14910, 56-3-14920, or 56-3-14930(A)(3). The surviving spouse may apply to the department to transfer a license plate previously…

(A) A foreign privately owned and operated passenger vehicle of a nonresident, otherwise subject to registration and license as provided by this chapter, may be operated within this State without being registered and licensed pursuant to this chapter, subject to the conditions th…

License plates first issued to registrants under previous requirements are not subject to the revised requirements that a person must meet to apply for a plate specified in this article.

Additional military special license plates added to this article must be listed in the most fitting category based on the definition of the award, conflict, service, or private organization.

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to persons who hold unrevoked and unexpired amateur radio licenses of a renewable nature issued by the Federal Communications Commission for private passenger motor vehicles registered in the same nam…

Applications for special license plates, as authorized under this article, must be made on forms provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles, contain proof satisfactory to the department that the applicant holds an unrevoked and unexpired amateur radio license, and state the cal…

The special license plates must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates, upon which must be imprinted the official amateur radio call letters of the persons assigned by the Federal Communications Commission. The special plates are for bienni…

Special license plates 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 therefor and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to whom such s…

Any person violating any of the provisions of this article or any person who (a) fraudulently gives false or fictitious information in any application for a special license plate, as authorized in this article, (b) conceals a material fact or (c) otherwise commits a fraud in any …

The provisions of this article shall not affect the registration and licensing of motor vehicles as required by other provisions of this chapter, but shall be cumulative thereto.

Every foreign vehicle moved into this State the owner of which is a resident of this State immediately becomes liable for registration and license under the provisions of this chapter, and for the purpose of this section, the term "resident of this State" shall include every pers…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Equine Industry" special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period t…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Catawba Nation" special license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued. (B) The Catawba Nation shall …

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to emergency medical technicians for private passenger motor vehicles registered in the name of the technicians. The biennial fee for the special license plates is thirty dollars in addition to the re…

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Cherokee Indian Nation" special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names. Only members of the Cherokee Indian Nation are eligible to receive a license plate produced pursuant …

Applications for special license plates, as authorized under this article, shall be made on forms provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles and shall contain proof satisfactory to the Department that the applicant has been trained as an emergency medical technician by a hospit…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Beekeepers Association" special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles registered in their names. Each special license plate must be issue…

The special license plates must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates upon which must be imprinted the letters "EMT" and numbers the Department of Motor Vehicles may determine. The special plates are for biennial periods which expire twent…

(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "South Carolina Association for Pupil Transportation" special license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period that expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is …

A special 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 therefor and approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to whom such …

The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue "Hearing Impaired" special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or motorcycles registered in their names who are hearing impaired. The application for this special motor vehicle license plat…