South Carolina Traffic Violations

A traffic violation is any action or behavior that breaks South Carolina's traffic laws. To avoid costly fines and legal issues, South Carolina drivers should understand what counts as a traffic violation, the most common types of offenses, how penalties and license points are applied, and how to check their official driving records.

What Is Considered a Traffic Violation in South Carolina?

The rules for driving are found in Title 56 of the South Carolina Code, along with the traffic laws that local courts have adopted. The rules for driving are found inTitle 56 of the South Carolina Code, along with the traffic laws that local courts have adopted.

Minor offenses are usually treated as civil matters, while more serious actions are criminal offenses.

Most traffic tickets are handled in magistrate or municipal courts, which deal with cases that could result in up to 30 days in jail and/or fines of up to $500. More serious crimes or felonies are sent to the General Sessions Court.

Types of Traffic Violations in South Carolina

There are many kinds of traffic violations in South Carolina, including:

• Speeding / too fast for conditions. The point assigned to this offense varies depending on the driver's age and context. For instance, overspeeding can be charged as reckless driving.
• Driving without a license or insurance. Driving without a license or with suspended privileges in this state is illegal. South Carolina also mandates liability insurance and, notably, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage that meets the minimum liability limits.
• Reckless driving. Reckless driving involves a "willful or wanton disregard" for safety and is considered a criminal offense.
• Hit-and-run / leaving the scene. In South Carolina, a hit-and-run involving injury or death is a serious felony that attracts fines of up to $25,000.
• Distracted driving. The Hands-Free SC law, which took effect on September 1, 2025, bans holding a device while driving. The first offense results in a $100 fine; the second and any further offenses within three years attract a $200 fine and 2 points. There is a statewide educational grace period for the first 180 days.
• DUI. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs leads to serious penalties, administrative consequences, and ignition-interlock requirements.

Traffic Violation Penalties in South Carolina

In South Carolina, points are given for various moving violations. If you get six or more points, you will receive a warning letter. However, if you hit twelve or more points, your license could be suspended.

The length of the suspension depends on how many points you have. For example, 12–15 points means a 3-month suspension. 16–17 points means 4 months, 18–19 points means 5 months, and 20 or more points means 6 months. After 12 months from the date of the violation, points are cut in half.

Any points older than 24 months will no longer count. If you take a DMV-approved defensive driving course, you can reduce your points by 4, but you can only do this once every 3 years.

Fines, jail, and special sanctions

• Summary-level offenses such as speeding and not using traffic signals carry fine schedules and costs set by statute/local schedule in summary courts.
• Reckless driving is a misdemeanor with potential penalties of $200 fines, up to 30 days in jail, and up to three months of license suspension.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) comes with increasing penalties:For a first offense, the Department of Public Safety states that you could face a fine of up to $400, 48 hours to 30 days in jail, and a six-month license suspension.

For second and third offenses, the fines are much higher, the jail time is longer, and the suspensions are extended. Your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and previous offenses influence both the criminal penalties and administrative actions.

The state runs the Ignition Interlock Device Program in South Carolina. Participation in the IID program is required in certain DUI situations (like having a high BAC or being a repeat offender). It might be available as an option for some first-time offenders instead of just having their license suspended.

Getting convicted or having your license suspended usually leads to higher insurance premiums. Additionally, state law mandates that you have UM coverage with minimums of 25/50/25; this is different from the optional underinsured motorist coverage (UIM).

How to Search for Traffic Violation Records in South Carolina

A) Court dockets and ticket status. The South Carolina Judicial Branch Public Index allows you to look up county cases. First, choose the county, then search using a name or ticket/case number to see the docket sheets. The search result will include charges/statutes, events, dispositions, and amounts owed.

Many counties provide direct links to their online payment pages from the Public Index. In addition, the statewide Traffic Tickets and Court Payments portal directs you to participating courts for online payments by case or ticket number.

B) Your official driving record (MVR). You can buy a 3-year or 10-year driving record online from SCDMV or request it by mail using DMV forms. A free points summary is also available online. These records show convictions, suspensions/revocations, and active points for the selected time frame. If you need bulk or third-party access, you must have permissible-use credentials through state portals.

What you’ll typically see.

• Court portals: In court portals, you can find citation/case numbers, charged statutes (like reckless driving or failure to yield), hearing dates, dispositions, and financial information.
• SCDMV record: SCDMV records include convictions and administrative actions from the past 3 or 10 years, the current point total, and status notes.

How Long Do Traffic Violations Stay on Record in South Carolina?

Two timelines matter:

• Points aging. The SCDMV reduces points by half after one year from the date of the violation. Points that are older than two years do not count towards suspension calculations anymore. If your total reaches 12 or more before any reduction, the SCDMV will suspend. You can take a defensive-driving course to remove 4 points from your record, but you can only do this once every three years.
• Convictions/driver history. Your 3-year or 10-year MVR will show entries from that time frame, even if the points have aged out.