South Carolina Traffic Laws: Points, Tickets, License Suspension and DUI
South Carolina driving rules: point system, speeding points, traffic school, how to pay or fight a ticket, license suspension, DUI limits and penalties.
Quick answers for South Carolina
- Point system
- Yes. Points are assigned for traffic convictions, and 12 points leads to a DMV suspension: 12-15 points = three months; 16-17 points = four months; 18-19 points = five months; 20 or more points = six months. S.C. Code §§ 56-1-720, 56-1-730, 56-1-740(A)
- Points for speeding
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions: no more than 10 mph over the limit = 2 points; more than 10 but less than 25 mph over = 4 points; 25 mph or more over = 6 points. S.C. Code § 56-1-720
- Legal BAC limit
- 0.08 or more is the separate offense of driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration; DUI can also be charged when the driver's faculties are materially and appreciably impaired. S.C. Code §§ 56-5-2933(A), 56-5-2930(A), 56-1-286(A)
- First-offense DUI penalties
- First offense: a $400 fine or 48 hours to 30 days in jail (the court may allow 48 hours of public service instead of the minimum jail). With an alcohol concentration of 0.10 to under 0.16: a $500 fine or 72 hours to 30 days. S.C. Code §§ 56-5-2930(A)(1), 56-5-2990(A)
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Tickets and points
| Point system | Yes. Points are assigned for traffic convictions, and 12 points leads to a DMV suspension: 12-15 points = three months; 16-17 points = four months; 18-19 points = five months; 20 or more points = six months. The driver may request a review of the driving record. Warning tickets carry no points. |
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| Points for speeding | Speeding or driving too fast for conditions: no more than 10 mph over the limit = 2 points; more than 10 but less than 25 mph over = 4 points; 25 mph or more over = 6 points. Source: S.C. Code § 56-1-720 |
| How long points last | When points are totaled after a violation, points from violations in the 12 months up to and including the last violation count in full, points from 12 to 24 months before count at half value, and points from violations more than 24 months before are not counted. Violations used for a points suspension are disregarded for later points suspensions. How long convictions remain on the driving record itself was not confirmed. Source: S.C. Code §§ 56-1-750, 56-1-760 |
| Traffic school | A driver with points can have 4 points removed by completing the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course or a DMV-approved equivalent after the points were assessed, and proving completion to the DMV. Points can be reduced this way only once in any three-year period. The course reduces points; it does not dismiss the ticket. Source: S.C. Code § 56-1-770 |
| Paying or looking up a ticket online | Tickets issued in a South Carolina Summary Court (magistrate) can be looked up and paid through the Judicial Branch's "Pay a Traffic Ticket" search by citation number, driver's license number and state, or name and date of birth; some Municipal Court tickets are also included. On SC.gov, choose the county or municipality that issued the ticket, then enter your last name and case number (the same as the ticket number). Tickets take 3 to 5 business days to be logged; if no record is found, contact the county or municipal court that issued the ticket. SC.gov: https://sc.gov/government/engaging-government-services/traffic-tickets-and-court-payments |
License suspension
| License suspension | Grounds include accumulating 12 or more points (three to six months), DUI or unlawful alcohol concentration convictions, refusing a chemical test or testing at 0.15 or more, and, for drivers under 21, an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more. Suspensions for unpaid tickets or no insurance, and reinstatement fees, were not confirmed. |
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| Hardship or restricted license | During a points suspension, a person who is employed or enrolled in college and lives more than one mile from work or school may apply for a special restricted driver's license to drive only to and from work or school and in the course of work or school, with set times and routes. The fee is $100. After a DUI, driving is generally through an ignition interlock restricted license. |
| Checking and reinstating a license | The SCDMV's License Reinstatement page offers online quick links to pay reinstatement fees and verify payment plan eligibility; for questions about a specific suspension, call 803-896-5000 or visit an SCDMV branch. For DUI/DUAC and Felony DUI violations dated on or after May 19, 2024, an ignition interlock device is required to clear the suspension. A provisional license (first-offense DUI/DUAC, with ADSAP enrollment), a route-restricted license (Form DL-127), or a temporary alcohol license may be available for $100 each. Source: SCDMV, License Reinstatement |
DUI / DWI
| Legal BAC limit | 0.08 or more is the separate offense of driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration; DUI can also be charged when the driver's faculties are materially and appreciably impaired. Drivers under 21 face DMV suspension at 0.02 or more. The commercial driver limit was not confirmed. |
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| First-offense DUI penalties | First offense: a $400 fine or 48 hours to 30 days in jail (the court may allow 48 hours of public service instead of the minimum jail). With an alcohol concentration of 0.10 to under 0.16: a $500 fine or 72 hours to 30 days. At 0.16 or more: a $1,000 fine or 30 to 90 days. The DMV suspends the license; for a first offense the person must enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program and get an interlock-restricted license, with the device installed for six months. Court costs and assessments added to fines were not confirmed. |
| When a DUI is a felony | South Carolina law creates a separate offense of 'felony driving under the influence.' It applies when a driver under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs does something forbidden by law (or neglects a legal duty) that causes great bodily injury or death to another person. Penalties are a $5,100 to $10,100 fine and 30 days to 15 years in prison for great bodily injury, and a $10,100 to $25,100 fine and 1 to 25 years for death. Repeat ordinary DUI carries escalating penalties: a 3rd offense brings 60 days to 3 years, and a 4th or later offense brings 1 to 5 years. Prior offenses count if they were within 10 years. Section 56-5-2930 sets prison ranges for repeat offenses but does not itself label them as felonies. Higher BAC levels bring longer minimum terms. |
| Refusing a breath test | Refusing a chemical test leads to a DMV suspension of six months for a person with no DUI convictions or alcohol-related suspensions in the prior ten years (testing at 0.15 or more brings a one-month suspension). Longer suspensions apply with priors. The officer issues a notice of suspension; within 30 days the person may request a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings and either enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program or obtain a temporary alcohol license ($100). |
| DUI lookback period | Ten years. Only offenses within ten years, including and immediately preceding the date of the last offense, count as prior offenses for DUI sentencing and suspension. |
| How long a DUI stays on your record | DUI convictions cannot be expunged in South Carolina. The South Carolina Judicial Branch says the only traffic offense that can be expunged is a first-offense conviction for failure to stop when signaled by a law enforcement vehicle. For repeat-offense penalties, only violations within the 10 years before the latest violation count as priors. |
| Sobriety checkpoints | South Carolina law enforcement runs 'public safety checkpoints' aimed at keeping drunk and drugged drivers off the road. For example, the SC Department of Public Safety announced safety checkpoints in Spartanburg County and elsewhere on August 24, 2026, as part of the multi-state 'Hands Across the Border' event under the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Separately, state law bars systematic checkpoints or roadblocks whose main purpose is to ticket seat belt violations. |
Phones and distracted driving
| Phone and texting laws | Under the South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act (effective September 1, 2025), drivers may not hold or support a mobile electronic device with any part of the body; read, compose, or send texts, email, or app content; or watch video. Allowed: use while lawfully parked or stopped, voice-to-text and calls without holding the device, hands-free navigation and audio, earpieces and wrist devices for voice calls, and reporting emergencies. A first offense is a $100 fine; a second or later offense within three years is a $200 fine and 2 points. |
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Where to get help in South Carolina
Traffic Tickets & DUI FAQ
How does the driver point system work in South Carolina?
Yes. Points are assigned for traffic convictions, and 12 points leads to a DMV suspension: 12-15 points = three months; 16-17 points = four months; 18-19 points = five months; 20 or more points = six months. The driver may request a review of the driving record. Warning tickets carry no points.
How many points is a speeding ticket in South Carolina?
Speeding or driving too fast for conditions: no more than 10 mph over the limit = 2 points; more than 10 but less than 25 mph over = 4 points; 25 mph or more over = 6 points.
How long do points stay on your license in South Carolina?
When points are totaled after a violation, points from violations in the 12 months up to and including the last violation count in full, points from 12 to 24 months before count at half value, and points from violations more than 24 months before are not counted. Violations used for a points suspension are disregarded for later points suspensions.
Can traffic school remove a ticket or points in South Carolina?
A driver with points can have 4 points removed by completing the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course or a DMV-approved equivalent after the points were assessed, and proving completion to the DMV. Points can be reduced this way only once in any three-year period. The course reduces points; it does not dismiss the ticket.
How do I pay or look up a traffic ticket online in South Carolina?
Tickets issued in a South Carolina Summary Court (magistrate) can be looked up and paid through the Judicial Branch's "Pay a Traffic Ticket" search by citation number, driver's license number and state, or name and date of birth; some Municipal Court tickets are also included. On SC.gov, choose the county or municipality that issued the ticket, then enter your last name and case number (the same as the ticket number). Tickets take 3 to 5 business days to be logged; if no record is found, contact the county or municipal court that issued the ticket.
How do I check if my license is suspended and get it reinstated in South Carolina?
The SCDMV's License Reinstatement page offers online quick links to pay reinstatement fees and verify payment plan eligibility; for questions about a specific suspension, call 803-896-5000 or visit an SCDMV branch. For DUI/DUAC and Felony DUI violations dated on or after May 19, 2024, an ignition interlock device is required to clear the suspension. A provisional license (first-offense DUI/DUAC, with ADSAP enrollment), a route-restricted license (Form DL-127), or a temporary alcohol license may be available for $100 each.
What gets your license suspended in South Carolina?
Grounds include accumulating 12 or more points (three to six months), DUI or unlawful alcohol concentration convictions, refusing a chemical test or testing at 0.15 or more, and, for drivers under 21, an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more.
What is the legal blood alcohol limit in South Carolina?
0.08 or more is the separate offense of driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration; DUI can also be charged when the driver's faculties are materially and appreciably impaired. Drivers under 21 face DMV suspension at 0.02 or more.
What is the penalty for a first DUI in South Carolina?
First offense: a $400 fine or 48 hours to 30 days in jail (the court may allow 48 hours of public service instead of the minimum jail). With an alcohol concentration of 0.10 to under 0.16: a $500 fine or 72 hours to 30 days. At 0.16 or more: a $1,000 fine or 30 to 90 days. The DMV suspends the license; for a first offense the person must enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program and get an interlock-restricted license, with the device installed for six months.
What happens if you refuse a breathalyzer in South Carolina?
Refusing a chemical test leads to a DMV suspension of six months for a person with no DUI convictions or alcohol-related suspensions in the prior ten years (testing at 0.15 or more brings a one-month suspension). Longer suspensions apply with priors. The officer issues a notice of suspension; within 30 days the person may request a contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings and either enroll in the Ignition Interlock Device Program or obtain a temporary alcohol license ($100).
How long does a DUI count as a prior offense in South Carolina?
Ten years. Only offenses within ten years, including and immediately preceding the date of the last offense, count as prior offenses for DUI sentencing and suspension.
Can you get a hardship license in South Carolina?
During a points suspension, a person who is employed or enrolled in college and lives more than one mile from work or school may apply for a special restricted driver's license to drive only to and from work or school and in the course of work or school, with set times and routes. The fee is $100. After a DUI, driving is generally through an ignition interlock restricted license.
Is it illegal to hold your phone while driving in South Carolina?
Under the South Carolina Hands-Free and Distracted Driving Act (effective September 1, 2025), drivers may not hold or support a mobile electronic device with any part of the body; read, compose, or send texts, email, or app content; or watch video. Allowed: use while lawfully parked or stopped, voice-to-text and calls without holding the device, hands-free navigation and audio, earpieces and wrist devices for voice calls, and reporting emergencies. A first offense is a $100 fine; a second or later offense within three years is a $200 fine and 2 points.
Is a DUI a felony in South Carolina?
South Carolina law creates a separate offense of 'felony driving under the influence.' It applies when a driver under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs does something forbidden by law (or neglects a legal duty) that causes great bodily injury or death to another person. Penalties are a $5,100 to $10,100 fine and 30 days to 15 years in prison for great bodily injury, and a $10,100 to $25,100 fine and 1 to 25 years for death. Repeat ordinary DUI carries escalating penalties: a 3rd offense brings 60 days to 3 years, and a 4th or later offense brings 1 to 5 years. Prior offenses count if they were within 10 years.
How long does a DUI stay on your record in South Carolina?
DUI convictions cannot be expunged in South Carolina. The South Carolina Judicial Branch says the only traffic offense that can be expunged is a first-offense conviction for failure to stop when signaled by a law enforcement vehicle. For repeat-offense penalties, only violations within the 10 years before the latest violation count as priors.
Are DUI checkpoints legal in South Carolina?
South Carolina law enforcement runs 'public safety checkpoints' aimed at keeping drunk and drugged drivers off the road. For example, the SC Department of Public Safety announced safety checkpoints in Spartanburg County and elsewhere on August 24, 2026, as part of the multi-state 'Hands Across the Border' event under the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. Separately, state law bars systematic checkpoints or roadblocks whose main purpose is to ticket seat belt violations.
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