Title 56, Motor Vehicles

All signs, signals, markings and devices, not inconsistent with this chapter, placed or erected by authority of a public body or official having jurisdiction for the purpose of regulating, warning or guiding traffic are "official traffic-control devices."

Any device, whether manually, electrically or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and to proceed is a "traffic-control signal."

Any sign, signal or device erected by authority of a public body or official or by a railroad and intended to give notice of the presence of railroad tracks or the approach of a railroad train is a "railroad sign or signal."

(a) It shall be the duty of every police officer having knowledge of an abandoned motor vehicle to seize it and have it removed for safekeeping to such place as may be designated by the sheriff of the county, or the chief of police of the municipality, in which it was found, who …

(A)(1) For purposes of this article, "vehicle" means a motor vehicle, trailer, mobile home, watercraft, or any other item or object that is subject to towing and storage, and applies to any vehicle in custody at the time of the enactment of this section. "Vehicle" includes: (a) i…

(A) Notwithstanding another provision of law, a law enforcement officer who directs that a vehicle be towed for any reason, whether on public or private property, must use the established towing procedure for his jurisdiction. A request by a law enforcement officer resulting from…

If an abandoned vehicle has not been reclaimed pursuant to Section 56-5-5630, the proprietor, owner, or operator of the towing company, storage facility, garage, or repair shop may have the abandoned vehicle sold at a public auction pursuant to Section 29-15-10. The vehicle's pur…

For a period not in excess of two years after the payment of any sum into the general fund of any county or municipality on account of the sale of any abandoned motor vehicle, governing bodies of the respective counties or municipalities shall hear and determine claims of any per…

(A) For purposes of this section, "vehicle" has the same meaning as defined by Section 56-5-120 and includes, but is not limited to, a "trailer", as defined by Section 56-5-240, a "semitrailer", as defined by Section 56-5-250, and a "pole trailer", as defined by Section 56-5-260.…

Pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for purposes of travel are "traffic."

(A) As contained in this section, "salvage pool operator" means a person who engages in the business of selling salvage motor vehicles at auction, including wholesale auction. (B) This section applies only to a salvage pool operator who, on request of an insurance company, takes …

"Right-of-way" is the right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a lawful manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching under such circumstances of direction, speed and proximity as to give rise to danger of collision unless one grants precedence to the …

For the purposes of this article and Article 39: (a) "Officer" means any state, county, or municipal law enforcement officer, including county and municipal code enforcement and sanitation officers. (b) "Abandoned vehicle" means a vehicle required to be registered in this State i…

Abandoned and derelict vehicles constitute a hazard to the health and welfare of the people in the State in that such vehicles can harbor noxious diseases, furnish shelter and breeding places for vermin, and present physical dangers to the safety and well-being of children and ot…

All abandoned and derelict vehicles shall be subject to removal from public or private property and disposed of in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(A) When any vehicle is left unattended on a highway or on other public or private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property, an officer may place a colored tag on the vehicle which is notice to the owner, the person in possession of the vehic…

The Department of Public Safety, or any county or municipality may contract with any federal, other state, county, or municipal authority or private enterprise for tagging, collection, storage, transportation, or any other services necessary to prepare derelict or abandoned vehic…

All officers, employees, and agents of any person under contract with the Department of Public Safety, county, or municipality, are authorized to go on private property for the purposes of enforcing this article. No agent or employee of any federal, state, county, or municipal go…

In removing the abandoned and derelict vehicles, the enforcing agency will do so without wilfully harming or damaging the property on which the vehicles are located.

"Stop," when required, means complete cessation from movement.

No lienholder shall be subject to any penalty imposed by law in this State for abandonment unless the vehicle is abandoned by the lienholder or his agent or servant. No owner of a vehicle which has been stolen and thereafter abandoned shall be liable for any charges or penalties …

It shall be unlawful for any person to tamper with, remove or destroy any colored tag placed on any vehicle in compliance with this article and any person found guilty of this provision shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.

The provisions of this article shall not apply to vehicles housed or protected from the elements, those classified as antiques and registered pursuant to Sections 56-3-2210 and 56-3-2220, those exempted from registration pursuant to Section 56-3-120, those vehicles reported as st…

(a) Seizure, sale, or disposal of an abandoned or derelict motor vehicle in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this article shall constitute conversion for which the owner shall have redress in any court of competent jurisdiction. (b) Any person or unit of government up…

(A) For purposes of this section, "vehicle" has the same meaning as defined by Section 56-5-120, and includes, but is not limited to, a "trailer", as defined by Section 56-5-240, a "semitrailer", as defined by Section 56-5-250, and a "pole trailer", as defined by Section 56-5-260…

A person who abandons a vehicle either on public or private property shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, and shall pay all costs of having such abandoned vehicle removed, stored, and sold as provided for in Sec…

The envelope in which a notice required by law to be mailed by the Department of Motor Vehicles is mailed, other than by registered or certified mail, must have printed on it in bold letters "Please Forward".

"Stop," "stopping" or "standing," when prohibited, means any stopping or standing of a vehicle whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control sign or signal.

To "park," when prohibited, means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading.

A street or highway intended to provide access to the rear or side of lots or buildings in urban districts and not intended for the purpose of through vehicular traffic is an "alley".

Every person who commits, attempts to commit, conspires to commit or aids or abets in the commission of any act declared herein to be a crime, whether individually or in connection with one or more other persons or as a principal, agent or accessory, shall be guilty of such offen…

Any United States—or State-numbered route, controlled-access highway or other major radial or circumferential street or highway designated by local authorities within their respective jurisdictions as part of a major arterial system of streets or highways is an "arterial street".

It is unlawful for the owner or any other person employing or otherwise directing the driver of any vehicle to require or knowingly to permit the operation of such vehicle upon a highway in any manner contrary to law.

Every highway, street or roadway to which owners or occupants of abutting lands and other persons have no legal right of access to or from except at such points only and in such manner as may be determined by the public authority having jurisdiction over such highway, street or r…

The parent of any child and the guardian of any ward shall not authorize or knowingly permit any such child or ward to violate any of the provisions of this chapter.

A highway divided into two or more roadways by leaving an intervening space or divided by a physical barrier or by a clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic is a "divided highway".

A "freeway" is a multilane divided highway with full control of access, and grade separated interchanges, of the type comprising the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, or other highways built essentially in conformance to the standards of them.

All municipal courts of the State may try and determine criminal cases involving violations of this chapter occurring within the respective limits of such municipalities when the penalty prescribed by this chapter for such violations does not exceed thirty days' imprisonment nor …

The interstate system consists of the segments of highways in South Carolina in the officially designated national system of interstate and defense highways.

No evidence of conviction of any person for any violation of this chapter shall be admissible in any court in any civil action.

The Department of Public Safety shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter with respect to State highways, and law enforcement officers generally shall also enforce this chapter within their respective jurisdictions. No police officer in investigating a traffic a…

It is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of this chapter unless such violation is by this chapter 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 chapter for wh…

All fines collected as penalties for violation of this chapter and bond or bail forfeitures shall be paid over by the magistrate or person collecting them to the county treasurer of the county in which such fines and bond or bail forfeitures are collected, except that when such f…

No municipal police officer, rural policeman, magistrate's constable, sheriff, deputy sheriff, highway patrolman or other police officer shall receive as compensation any portion of any fine imposed or bond or bail forfeiture for violations of the highway traffic laws of the Stat…

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the entry of any plea of guilty, the forfeiture of any bail posted or the entry of plea of nolo contendere for a violation of the traffic laws of this State or any political subdivision thereof shall have the same effect as a conviction…

Any magistrate's court, municipal court, or other court of competent jurisdiction must notify the Department of Motor Vehicles when any person charged with a traffic violation in such court, upon conviction, or other plea has paid the fine therefor, or forfeited the bond previous…