The SC licensing action explained
After a DUI arrest in South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (scdmvonline.com) opens its own case against your driving privilege. It is administrative, it moves faster than the criminal case, and it is decided regardless of what the court later does with the charge.
The request for an administrative hearing is due within 30 days of arrest. Miss it and the suspension usually takes effect automatically.
Hearing requests, suspension notices, reinstatement fees and interlock paperwork.
Deadlines, forms and how the hearing is conducted.
How the SC agency runs the licence case
- Under S.C. Code § 56-5-2951 the SCDMV suspends the licence for a refusal or a qualifying alcohol concentration.
- A contested case hearing before the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings may be requested to challenge that suspension.
- For violations on or after 19 May 2024 an ignition interlock device is required to clear DUI, DUAC and felony DUI suspensions.
- The Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services administers the state's interlock programme.
- Completing ADSAP is required before a DUI suspension is lifted.
South Carolina licence facts
South Carolina DUI law at a glance
Sourced from the South Carolina code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- DUI (South Carolina)
- Controlling statute
- S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2930
- Implied consent
- S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2950
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Licence hearing deadline
- 30 days after arrest
- Prior-offense lookback
- 10 years
- First-offense fine
- $400–$1,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 30 days
- Licence suspension
- 6 months
- Ignition interlock
- Not automatic on a first offense
- Trial court
- the Magistrate Court or Municipal Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
Penalties step up with the breath-test result; ADSAP enrollment is standard.
Getting the licence back
- Serve the full suspension or hard-suspension period the agency sets.
- Complete any ordered assessment, education or treatment programme.
- Install an ignition interlock device if the court or agency orders one.
- South Carolina requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before a licence is reinstated after a DUI conviction.
- Pay the reinstatement fee and any licence-issuance fee in full.
Fees and processing times change; confirm the current amounts on scdmvonline.com before you travel to an office.
South Carolina ZIP codes covered
These South Carolina ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these South Carolina resources
Counties
- Allendale County DUI guide
- Bamberg County DUI guide
- Calhoun County DUI guide
- Greenville County DUI guide
- Hampton County DUI guide
- Laurens County DUI guide
- Marlboro County DUI guide
- McCormick County DUI guide
- Orangeburg County DUI guide
- Richland County DUI guide
- Sumter County DUI guide
- Williamsburg County DUI guide
Other South Carolina official resources
Frequently asked questions
- How long do I have to challenge a South Carolina licence suspension?
- The administrative hearing request is due within 30 days of arrest. Confirm the current deadline and filing method with the SC licensing agency at scdmvonline.com before relying on it.
- How long is a first-offense suspension in South Carolina?
- A first DUI offense generally carries a 6 months suspension in South Carolina. Reinstatement conditions, fees and any interlock requirement are set by the licensing agency.