South Carolina
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in South Carolina. For more information, contact the South Carolina Office of Highway Safety.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
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| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| See footnote | |||||||||
South Carolina has a Distracted/inattention attribute under Contributing Factors.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 5 (and 20 - 39) in forward-facing child safety seat; 1 - 5 (and 40 - 80) in booster seat secured by lap/shoulder belt (lap belt alone is not permissible); <5 in rear seat if available | 1 - 5 (and >80) or <5 if child's knees bend over the seat edge when sitting up straight with his/her back firmly against the seat back | $150 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Included in drunk driving statute | Yes |
Source: State Highway Safety Office.
| Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense | Limited Driving Privileges During Susp. | Ignition Interlocks | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment | |||
| *Meeting Federal Requirements | ||||||||
| .15 | 1 month (for >.15 BAC) | Yes | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
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| Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Min. Duration (Months) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Nighttime Driving Restriction | Passenger Restriction (except family, unless noted) |
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| 15 | 6 | 40 (10) | 15 / 6 | EST 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. EDT 8 p.m. - 6 a.m. |
No more than 2 <21 unless to/from school | 16 / 6 | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| <21 | 1980 | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 10 | >65: renewal and vision test every 5 yrs. |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >6 | All | $25 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Office.
| State Law |
| Permitted |
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Office.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Frequency | Legality |
| Yes | No state authority | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 55 | 55 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violation / State Law | Permitted Locations/Criteria | Citation Issued To / Liability | Image Taken | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: Prohibited | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Red light: Prohibited | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violations Affected | Enhanced Penalties | Workers Must Be Present | Signs Must Be Present |
| Speeding | $75-$200 or up to 30 days jail, or both | No | Yes |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Office.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general information purposes only and is not to be considered legal authority. For clarification on any law, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.