South Carolina Code of Laws
Chapter 1 - Driver's License
Section 56-1-210. Expiration of license; renewal and re-examination; persons on active military duty.

(A) A license expires eight years from the date of issue.
(B) A license is renewable on or before its expiration date upon application and the payment of the required fee.
(C) The department may renew a driver's license of a resident by mail or electronically upon payment of the required fee, if the renewal is a digitized license.
(D) For cause shown, the department may require the submission by the applicant of evidence satisfactory to the department of the applicant's mental and physical fitness to drive and his knowledge of traffic laws and regulations. If the evidence is not satisfactory to the department, the department may require an examination of the applicant as upon an original application. Parallel parking is not required as a part of the driver's test.
(E) If a person's license expires and he is unable to renew it before its expiration date because he is on active military duty outside this State for a continuous period of at least thirty days immediately before the expiration date or because he is the spouse or dependent living for a continuous period of at least thirty days immediately before the expiration date with a person on active military duty outside this State, within sixty days after returning to this State, the person may renew his license in the manner permitted by this section as though the license had not expired. The department may require proof from the person that he qualifies for renewal of his license under this paragraph. Upon request, the person shall provide the department with a copy of his military service record, a document of his branch of military service showing the date of active military duty outside the State, or other evidence presented by the person showing the dates of service.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-169; 1952 Code Section 46-166; 1942 Code Section 5994; 1932 Code Section 5994; 1930 (36) 1057; 1945 (44) 32; 1959 (51) 421; 1965 (54) 649; 1967 (55) 330; 1982 Act No. 352; 1988 Act No. 372; 1994 Act No. 487, Section 1; 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 55D; 1996 Act No. 459, Section 74; 2003 Act No. 51, Section 13; 2017 Act No. 6 (H.3358), Section 5, eff April 5, 2017; 2019 Act No. 86 (H.3789), Section 4, eff November 24, 2019.
Effect of Amendment
2017 Act No. 6, Section 5, amended (A), (C), and (D), revising the expiration date of a license issued after October 1, 2017, revising the criteria that must be met by a person who seeks to have a license renewed, and making other nonsubstantive changes.
2019 Act No. 86, Section 4, in (A), substituted "expires eight years from the date of issue" for "issued or renewed on or after October 1, 2017, expires on the licensee's birth date on the eighth calendar year in which it is issued".

Structure South Carolina Code of Laws