South Carolina License PlatesA South Carolina license plate is a metallic piece affixed to a vehicle registered in the state and containing a serial of alphanumeric characters to identify the vehicle uniquely. Per Section 56-3-110 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and special mobile equipment vehicle operated, driven or moved upon South Carolina highways must be registered with the state. Upon registration, vehicles are issued license plates (to be affixed at the rear of the vehicles), a decal to be attached in the lower right-hand corner of the plate, and a registration card to be kept inside the vehicle.
The South Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) issues license plates in the Palmetto State. The state issues the following types of license plates:
South Carolina License Plate Design and FormatsIntroduced in 2015, the current regular license plate in South Carolina has a strong South Carolina theme. Labeled the "While I Breathe, I Hope" design, the current South Carolina standard issue plate has a white and indigo theme with a palmetto tree and crescent moon at the center. "While I Breathe, I Hope" is written in white cursive fonts at the center top, and "SOUTH CAROLINA" is screened in bold white letters at the bottom middle.
Standard South Carolina license plates:
Military, specialty, and disabled license plates:
* Source: South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
Some regular license plates have a sticker on the left side with a number for the registration month. However, the sticker is no longer required to have a valid registration since the plate number and the registration month and year are now printed on a color-coded sticker on the right-hand side of the license plate
South Carolina Vanity License PlateSouth Carolina vanity license plates allow vehicle owners to select a personalized combination of letters, numbers, or both to reflect their individuality, hobbies, preferences or unique messages. A variety of South Carolina license plates can be customized.
The SCDMV permits the issuance of personalized or vanity plates under the following conditions:
Also, the SCDMV mandates the following requirements when selecting a combination of characters to be printed on the vanity plates:
To apply for a personalized or vanity plate, follow these steps:
South Carolina also permits organizations to request specialty license plates if one of the following conditions apply:
For an organization to apply for a special license plate, a representative must submit a request letter on the sponsoring organization's letterhead. The request letter must be accompanied by the following:
Submit the request letter and required items to:
SCDMVNote that the organization granted a specialty plate determines the plate fee to be paid by a customer in addition to the customer's standard registration fee. Per SCDMV regulations, the organization will receive proceeds from the plate fee. Whether or not the organization accepts a special plate fee, the SCDMV charges a $10 fee to cover the plate's production cost.
Most Popular License Plate in South CarolinaCommon South Carolina license plate themes available in the SCDMV plate gallery are:
South Carolina License Plate LookupA South Carolina license plate lookup refers to running a background check on a car using its SCDMV-issued license plate number. Some of the information accessible in a South Carolina license plate lookup includes:
Consequently, a South Carolina license plate lookup may be conducted for any of the following reasons:
While the SCDMV offers certain online services for its operations, it does not allow license plate lookups to be conducted online. However, you can still use Recordsfinder to obtain more information about a vehicle by using the vehicle's plate number to perform a South Carolina license plate lookup.
A reverse license plate search, also known as a license plate lookup, is a valuable tool for obtaining detailed information about a vehicle using its SCDMV-issued license plate number. This search allows individuals to access details such as the vehicle's make, model, year, VIN, and registration status. You can use the Recordsfinder website to conduct a reverse license plate search.
What Do I Need to Get a License Plate in South Carolina?When you title and register your vehicle with the SCDMV, you will get a South Carolina license plate. Typically, if you purchase a vehicle from a dealer, the dealer will handle the titling and registration process for you. However, South Carolina requires that you first pay property taxes in your county before registering your vehicle.
If you purchase a vehicle from a private individual, you must ensure that the individual has the title in their name and signs it over to you. In order to officially put the title in your name, you need the following:
To register your vehicle with the SCDMV, follow these steps:
Note that if you plan to put a license plate you already have on the rear of your new vehicle, you must complete SCDMV Form 400 (Title Application). South Carolina license plates cannot be transferred from one individual to another if the original person is not on the vehicle title.
Take the required documents and application fee to an SCDMV branch office or mail your certified documents and the appropriate payment made payable to the SCDMV to the following:
SCDMVFor more information on registering or titling your vehicle in South Carolina, see the Buying or Selling a Car page on the SCDMV website.
Differences Between a Passenger License Plate and a Commercial License Plate in South CarolinaUnlike passenger vehicles issued standard passenger license plates, commercial vehicles in South Carolina are issued commercial plates due to their classification as for-business vehicles. The SCDMV abides by the FMCSA's definition of a commercial vehicle (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). According to the FMCSA, a commercial motor vehicle is a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used for commerce to transport property or passengers if the vehicle:
Here are the key differences between passenger and commercial license plates in South Carolina:
| Features | Passenger License Plate | Commercial License Plate |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Use | For pleasure and non-commercial purposes | For profit or compensation and the transportation of property |
| Vehicle Type | Available for sedans, SUVs, wagons | Pick-up trucks, heavy trucks |
| Fees | Standard fees apply | Additional taxes and fees apply depending on the commercial vehicle type, weight, and mode of operation |
| Requirements for obtaining | Standard registration. Titling and vehicle registration are to be done at the SCDMV |
Titles for all commercial vehicles must be applied for and in the business or individual name before applying for vehicle registration. Commercial vehicles that do not meet any of the requirements stated in the SCDMV Motor Carrier Eligibility Checklist for apportioned plate registrations may apply for a South Carolina base license plate and, if applicable, a trip permit. Commercial vehicle registrations for vehicles operating in South Carolina and other states are to be completed online using the South Carolina Trucking Portal, as IRP registrations are not processed at SCDMV branch offices |
How to Renew a License Plate in South CarolinaYou can renew your South Carolina license plates by renewing your vehicle registration with the SCDMV. To renew your vehicle registration, you must meet the following conditions:
After meeting the stated conditions, you may renew your vehicle registration online via the SCDMV portal or a self-service kiosk provided by SCDMV Express. Self-service kiosks offer an easy and fast way to renew your vehicle registration without visiting a SCDMV branch office.
How to Transfer a License Plate in South CarolinaThe SCDMV allows you to transfer a license plate from a vehicle you sold, parked, or traded to a new vehicle, provided the name the new vehicle is titled to was on the old vehicle title. The SCDMV does not require paying personal property taxes on a new vehicle if you are transferring a license plate. However, you will pay personal property taxes on the new vehicle in the month the license you transferred comes up for renewal.
To transfer a license plate, take the registration of the old vehicle and the bill of sale for the new vehicle to the SCDMV, register the new vehicle, and perform the transfer.
South Carolina License Plate Lookup Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)The United States Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) keeps motorists' personal information in the nation safe by limiting the circumstances under which state DMVs can release such information. The DPPA restricts the public from accessing information such as driver's license number, social security number, phone number, address, and medical or disability information. However, public information such as traffic tickets, collision reports, and current license status are not protected under the DPPA.
The South Carolina DMV complies with the federal DPPA by not disclosing personal information related to DMV records in public searches. According to the SCDMV Disclosure of Information document, all business requests for information from the SCDMV undergo review by agency senior leadership, including examination by General Counsel Attorneys to verify the specific type of information requested and validate that the requestor has proper justification for the information. Hence, in compliance with the federal DPPA, the SCDMV only discloses personally identifiable information when the use fits one of the DPPA's exemptions.
Due to these federal and state regulations, unless you have justifiable cause to request the identity of a license plate owner, you cannot find the owner of a South Carolina license plate. Therefore, while Recordsfinder allows you to obtain non-personally identifiable information for over 269 million vehicles registered in the United States, only businesses or individuals validated by the SCDMV to have proper justification can find the owner of a specific South Carolina license plate.
The SCDMV allows you to replace lost, damaged, or stolen license plates under the following conditions:
If you fulfill the stated conditions, you may replace your lost license plate with the same license plate type online via the Replace My Plate feature of the SCDMV portal.
When South Carolina police run your license plates, they can access vehicle information such as:
Many vehicles in the United States are sold with VINs duplicated from other vehicles with similar specifications. If you are interested in purchasing a used vehicle in South Carolina, you should conduct a free license plate lookup to guide against falling for cloned VIN scams.
Recordsfinder offers free license plate lookups to help reveal a car's vehicle identification number, manufacture year, engine type, price, and vehicle make and model.
Penalties for driving with expired license plates in South Carolina are outlined in Section 56-3-840 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. If you are caught driving with an expired license for up to 14 days after the expiration date of your license plate, you face up to $10 in fines. The state prescribes a $25 fine for 15-30 days, $50 for 31-90 days, and a $75 fine for over license plates that have expired beyond 90 days of the actual expiration dates.
South Carolina requires you to surrender your plates if you sell your car and do not transfer the license plate to another vehicle. However, if your license plate has expired, you are not mandated to surrender your license plate to the SCDMV. Only active plates are required to be surrendered.
If you buy a new license plate for your vehicle, the old plates become valid once the new license plate arrives. You can surrender the old license plate online, as you do not need to visit the SCDMV in person to turn in the plates physically. However, once you surrender the plates online, you are encouraged to recycle the old plates.
If you prefer to return your license plate by mail, mail a completed SCDMV Form 452 - (License Plate Turn in) to:
SCDMVAlternatively, you may return the license plate to any SCDMV branch.
If you are returning your license plate because you sold your vehicle, you must follow these steps:
If you are moving out of South Carolina to a new state, you must update your vehicle insurance company and then turn in your license plate after registering your vehicle in the new state. You may return your license plate in person to any SCDMV branch or in person at:
SCDMVSouth Carolina's standard-issue license plates measure 6" (height) x 12" (length). However, per Section 56-3-210 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, temporary license plates must be 6" wide, and at least 11 inches long. Temporary motorcycle license plates must be 4" wide and 7" long.
You can drive with a temporary license plate in South Carolina for up to 45 days while awaiting your permanent license plate to be available. Note that temporary license plates in South Carolina are trackable. To obtain a trackable temporary license plate, bring the following to an SCDMV branch:
You can renew your license plates by renewing your vehicle registration via these steps:
Alternatively, use an SCDMV Express self-service kiosk to renew your registration.
South Carolina allows you to obtain a replacement license plate of the same plate type if your current plate is lost or stolen. You can apply for the plate replacement using the SCDMV plate replacement system if: