Points, tickets and licence suspension in South Carolina

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain how points are added and when they are reduced.
• You can state the point limits for teen and regular licenses.
• You can name common violations and their point values.
• You can describe the defensive driving course and its limits.
• You can behave correctly when given a ticket.

What you need to know and understand

• Regular license: 12 or more points means suspension.
• Beginner's permit, conditional or special restricted license: 6 or more points brings an excessive points suspension (six months under SC Code 56-1-185).
• Under 17 with 6 or more points in the first year of a license: six-month suspension.
• Points are cut in half one year after the violation date on the ticket.
• Ages 15 and 16 get warning letters at 2 and 4 points; drivers 17 and older get one at 6 points.
• A defensive driving course can remove 4 points, only once in three years.
• DUI and some other offenses bring mandatory suspensions outside the points system.

Common point values

The full schedule is in SC Code 56-1-720. For a teen, one reckless driving conviction, or a red light plus one speeding ticket, can be enough to reach 6 points.

• Speeding 10 mph or less over the limit: 2 points.
• Speeding more than 10 but less than 25 mph over: 4 points.
• Speeding 25 mph or more over: 6 points.
• Reckless driving: 6 points.
• Disobeying a traffic signal or sign: 4 points.
• Following too closely: 4 points.
• Hands-free law, second or later offense: 2 points.

The defensive driving course

1. Choose a school certified for the four-point reduction (the National Safety Council course or an equivalent).
2. Take it after the date of your violation, in South Carolina, as 8 hours of classroom training. The current manual says it cannot be completed online.
3. Finish it before any suspension begins; once a suspension starts, the course will not cancel or shorten it.
4. Remember it can be used only once in a three-year period, and it never lifts an excessive points suspension on a permit, conditional or special restricted license.

If you are stopped and ticketed

Pull over safely, stay in the car with your hands on the wheel and follow the officer's instructions. South Carolina does not require you to sign a traffic ticket, and accepting one is not an admission of guilt. If you disagree, do not argue at the roadside; you can explain in court. Other states may require a signature, so know the rules where you drive.

If your license is suspended, contact SCDMV about reinstatement fees, which can be paid online, and whether you qualify for a payment plan.

Common mistakes

• Assuming you have 12 points to play with. Teen license and permit holders are suspended at 6.
• Paying a ticket without realizing it is a conviction that adds points.
• Waiting until a suspension starts to take the defensive driving course.
• Thinking an out-of-state ticket will not count in South Carolina.
• Arguing with the officer at the roadside instead of using the court process.

Test yourself: Points, tickets and licence suspension in South Carolina

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• SC DMV Points
• How to Get a Driver’s License in South Carolina
• Moving to South Carolina